32. Rian

Chapter thirty-two

Rian

I t's a cold wintery day as Troy leads the way through the forest, pushing our captive forward.

How the hell Francis even managed to survive this whole time is beyond me, but he must have a strong desire to live.

Troy did not hold back. None of us did.

Yet, the Beta is still walking.

At least now we know why he hates us so much.

He thinks we're animals.

He believes that he and other Betas are true humans while we are dogs in human flesh.

I suppose he isn't entirely wrong.

We are, in essence, animals.

Do we not have heats and ruts like wolves and dogs?

Sometimes, our sex can be dangerous.

There is plenty of growling and claiming involved, and don't forget biting too.

Some Alphas lose control entirely during a rut and will bite an Omega, bonding their souls forever, and I've heard horror stories…

Stories of Omegas who are bound to a cruel Alpha forever.

A shiver courses through my body as we trek through thick undergrowth toward our destination. Francis stumbles, and Troy kicks, and it's a never-ending cycle.

The Beta is weak. He can barely stand straight, and I bet he wishes he had an Alpha's stamina now.

Hell, even an Omega's.

People often take an Omega's strength for granted.

We have to be strong. How else would we have the energy to go at it for three or four days straight?

I wouldn't trade being an Omega for the world now.

My scent is stronger than ever, and when a gust of wind blows behind me, it carries my perfume.

Baby powder.

Troy glances over his shoulder, and I know he detected it too.

A wry smile curves his mouth, and then he shoves Francis forward when he staggers again.

There's still tension between us, but I've decided that it's finally time that I forgive him.

It's all ancient history now.

At this point, I'm just being angry for anger's sake.

That anger will become my identity soon if I hold on any longer.

Life truly isn't as long as it should be, and I need to move on for the sake of the whole pack.

Besides, Troy was never at fault.

Francis was…

We've discussed at length how we're going to kill him, and I think what we have in store will be a fitting death in the end.

Belle wanted to come, of course, but I forbade it.

Instead, she waits at the house alone with Gryphon's men.

Francis whimpers, and then he falls flat on his face, lying in the dirt for a while.

He doesn't move for some time.

I really hope he isn't dead.

If he thinks he's getting off that easily.

"Get up," Troy growls.

The Beta doesn't move, and judging by the rise and fall of his back, he's still breathing.

But not for long.

We've gotten enough information out of him.

He told us about Lavender's plans to assassinate Gryphon, and Jeremy has gone to the capital with Leo to warn the Alpha.

If that Beta bitch thinks she can get her hands on Gryphon, then she is sorely mistaken.

Gryphon is family now.

Troy snarls, and I watch as that monster takes over now. It flashes behind his eyes, and I swear a storm gathers overhead.

Ozone fills the air next as he swings out his leg, kicking the Beta in the ribs.

Francis yelps and now I watch as my Alpha drags him up by the scruff of his once-clean suit, bringing him back to his legs.

"Walk. You can rest later."

A cool chill washes over me when I hear the threat in his voice.

When he says 'rest', he means in the grave.

That's right.

We're taking Francis to his final resting place.

It's a hell of a lot more than he deserves.

The bastard.

He deserves to be ripped apart by a pack of wild dogs, but we decided that this was the best choice for the one who hurt and abused our Omega for three years.

To make it even more poetic, we're burying him with the bell he used to hypnotize Belle.

Now he can no longer hurt anyone with it.

Because it will be buried six feet deep with him.

We soon come to a soft patch of dirt.

I'd scouted the woods for a suitable place.

The soil is loamy enough; I think it would be nice of Francis to give back to the world somehow.

His body will make for a good fertilizer.

Trees are scarce in these parts.

Francis collapses to his hands and knees, and his seesaw breaths taint the clean forest air.

A waste of oxygen if I don't say so.

Troy curls his fists, and I can tell he's resisting the urge to kick him down again.

I should step in before he pisses on our prisoner again or something.

I grab his shoulder. He meets my eyes, and I open up our bond at last.

"Hey, Troy…"

The Alpha freezes once he hears my voice, and I watch as his Adam's apple bobs up and down his throat.

"Hi…"

We don't speak again for some time. We just stare into each other's eyes.

I squeeze his shoulder, and he reaches his hand up, grabbing my fingers.

"I forgive you… for everything…" I say.

Silver lines my Alpha's eyes, but he holds back his tears, not wanting to show weakness in front of our lovely captive.

I can feel Francis's hateful gaze on us and it's best we put him in the ground.

I'm sick of the sight of him.

Everything about him makes me want to vomit.

Troy fixes his gaze back on Francis, and now that affectionate Alpha vanishes behind a shroud of darkness.

I step behind a bush to find the shovel that I buried beneath the ferns. Then I walk back around and throw it at the ground beside Francis.

He looks at me, a question in his eyes.

Troy smiles, and he smirks like a cartoon villain. "That's for you."

Francis's breaths turn reedy next as he starts to shake. "W-what am I supposed to do with a shovel?"

It's my turn to be ominous now. "You dig, of course."

The Beta shows me his white teeth, and it's a shock he still has them all. "Dig what, Omega?"

I seeth at the derogatory way he says my designation, and now I kneel, hoping my own eyes shine just as bright as Troy's. "Your grave…"

His eyes widen, and then he wobbles his lip.

The grave was my idea in the end. That's how much I love Belle.

I'll darken my soul for her.

"You… can't do this…" he chokes.

I chuckle. "Actually, we can."

I look past his bloodied face and into those boring pale blue eyes.

He's not an ugly guy. Pretty young, just… plain.

I can't believe Belle had to look at his glum mug for three years.

Not only is he plain, but he's an insufferable prude too.

So, he doesn't care for sex.

Not a problem.

But that doesn't give him the right to shove his belief on others.

Belle told me about the time he took away her books.

This prick denied my beautiful Omega her smut, and how dare he…

He will will pay.

He not only took away her joy but he deprived her of comfort whenever she did something he didn't like.

Francis made her feel like she was the only person left in the world and that no one was coming to rescue her.

In the end, she had to save herself, and if only we had been there for her…

But it's all ancient history now.

Just as Francis will soon be.

Well, no. He'll be forgotten entirely.

No one will ever remember his sorry existence.

No one will mourn for him.

We won't even mark his grave.

Francis has the gall to growl at me and show me his teeth, but then he stops when I lift a familiar bell.

His eyes shine. "That's mine…"

"I know."

No one speaks. Only the wind fills the silence.

I suck in a deep breath. "Why were you training Omegas to kill Alphas?"

He presses his lips together, and it doesn't look like he's going to spill.

He's dead either way, but I still have to know.

"Who do you work for? At least give us that courtesy."

Francis laughs. "Trust me, you don't want to know."

Oh, I think I do.

"Is it the one who runs the Facility?"

Francis stops chuckling, and now the blood drains from his face.

I smirk. "We will find who you work for…"

He sneers again. "That so?"

"Yes. But you won't live long enough to see. Now dig."

I push the shovel into his hands, and now we both watch as Francis digs his grave.

By the time he digs a grave deep enough, he's shaking and sweating.

We descend around him.

Troy takes his arms while I pull out the knife.

I guess it will be a pretty clean death after all. But so long as he ends up in the ground come dawn, I can sleep easier at night.

A stick snaps in the woods behind us and we turn.

There, we find her watching silently.

Belle.

I told her to keep away.

"Belle," I whisper.

She merely steps toward us, her face void of emotion as she never takes her eyes off her former captor.

He chuckles. "Come to see the execution, sweet Belle?"

Troy growls, wrapping his hand around Francis's throat. "Fuck the knife. Let's just choke him."

I sigh, meeting her eyes. "Belle, you should leave…"

"No. I want to stay."

We all have to remember that Belle is not as soft as she looks.

She has seen death…

She has caused death.

How much darker can she get if she watches the prick die?

Troy regards her strangely, and do I detect a look of pride on his face?

He's just as crazy about her as much as the rest of us now.

I guess he wants to make amends by letting her watch.

"Fine. You can stay."

Belle doesn't smile. She merely wraps her arms around herself, gazing at the ground.

I bring the knife toward Francis again.

The Beta only has eyes for Belle now.

It pisses me off.

He shouldn't get to gaze upon something so lovely as he dies.

When I spy the utter look of disgust, I realize then that this was probably the best choice.

This must be so demeaning for him. To have his former pet watch as he leaves this world.

"I guess we will meet again in hell, Belle," he whispers.

Belle stiffens at the subtle threat and that's enough.

It's time to rid the world of filth.

Something zips through the air and punctures my throat.

A dart.

Several more rain down on us, and I hear two thumps on the ground.

Troy has fallen. And Belle.

But I remain standing long enough to see the swarm of men around us.

That last thing I recall before I black out is Francis's cruel sneer, and we should have just killed him at the first chance we got.

Fuck all the theatrics.

He hovers over me as I slip away, and his smile…

I want to wipe it off his ugly face. But I'm too weak to move.

"I guess I really will see you all in hell one day."

My vision darkens, and then the woods vanish.

But Francis's mocking laugh lingers.

He won.

And we failed.

Before I pass out, I send a warning to Leo via our bond.

Save us.