35. Troy

Chapter thirty-five

Troy

" I will save you…"

My eyes snap open when I hear her voice, and then I jerk upright, searching the darkened room.

"Belle!"

She's nowhere in sight, but I swear I just heard her speak.

It was as if she were right beside me, whispering in my ear, and then it all crashes back like a great ocean wave.

The forest, the grave… Francis.

Did we kill the bastard?

Fuck.

"Rian!"

He's nowhere to be found either, and I get up on my feet, growling when I feel that resistance.

Someone shackled my feet to the concrete and they will pay.

My roar shakes the whole room next. A little debris falls from the ceiling, dusting my hair, but I'm beyond the point of caring.

There will be blood to pay, and I know who's blood I will spill first.

"Francis!"

He's the third person I have called, but I know my call won't go unanswered this time.

I know the prick is here.

"Come out!"

My eyes dart around the room and I think I spy seats. There's a spotlight cast upon me, so it's hard to see, but I keep seeing shadows in the corner of my eye.

I'm in some kind of auditorium, and if they think they can turn me into some form of entertainment for their sick, twisted minds…

"I know you're out there, cunt."

Only the sounds of my heavy breaths echo back to me and fuck this.

I tug on the chains. Even my arms have been shackled, and they dare treat me like some wild animal.

Footsteps rebound through the auditorium, and my head jerks in that direction.

A slim figure materializes in the shadows, and my hackles rise when I finally see that bastard.

"You are dead."

Francis stops a safe distance away, right at the edge of the concrete ring, and I roar, pulling the chains taut.

"I should have just killed you," I growl, meeting his bruised eye.

He walks with a limp, but otherwise, he's in better spirits. He has a new, crisp clean suit and the sight makes my blood boil.

"Where are my Omegas?"

Francis cocks his head sideways. "I only have one of them."

It's not hard to figure out who.

I bet Belle was a big investment. A little project he can't afford to lose to a pack like ours.

"Let her go."

Francis arches a brow, but then he winces when it hurts his bruised face. "And what about yourself?"

"Fuck me. Just let her go."

He chuckles. "How very chivalrous, but no. I have plans for you both."

My eyes light up. "What plans?"

Francis steps back, staring me up and down. "You really want to know, Troy?"

I show him my teeth in answer.

He sighs. "You've probably already figured it out, but you are a dead man."

My heart pounds but I keep my restraint. "And who is going to kill me? You? Not with those weedy arms."

My harsh laugh echoes through the room, and Francis gives me a feeble growl.

Looks like he has got some teeth on him. "You Alphas think you're so much better than everyone else just because you're strong. But look who's the one in chains."

The sickly sound of his laugh seeps through my ears, and if only he just stepped that little bit closer, I could choke him with my chains.

Francis doesn't deserve to live.

Much to my annoyance, he steps back again and wipes down his suit. "You're in luck. As of today, you will finally find out who I work for."

The one who's pulling all his strings.

"Well, where are they?"

Francis tries to smirk, but his mouth is too misshapen. It's still split from the punch I gave him the other day.

A dark satisfaction fills me when I spy the waxy sheen on his pale face.

He's in pain.

And he needs to get to a hospital.

"You'll soon find out. That's if you can make them out in the crowd."

Again, my eyes trail over those empty seats.

Now that my sight has adjusted to the dark, I can finally see that I imagined all those shadows earlier.

Still, I have the uneasy sensation that I am being watched.

"You never asked who was going to kill you…" Francis says next.

I snap my head in his direction, spitting at his feet. "I'm not afraid. Bring out the motherfucker. Your people want a show, then I will give them one. I'll kill the cunt..."

Francis sneers and gods, he's vile; I want to scrub that dirty look off his twisted face.

"Oh, you will kill them, will you? How?"

I chuckle. "Like I'll tell you…"

Francis takes a daring step closer. "Let me guess… You will wrap your chains around their neck and squeeze the breath from their lungs?"

I press my mouth together.

Oh, I will do so much worse.

And then when I am through with them, I will kill Francis, his boss, and anyone else who tries to get in my way.

"I can't wait to see the show, Troy. Promise me you won't hold back. Show everyone how brutish and vile you Alphas truly are."

Now I get it.

He just wants to prove that Alphas are animals.

That's why he has me in chains.

The Beta glances at his watch. "As a matter of fact, you can show me. The doors should be opening at any moment."

I glare at those distant doors.

I may not be able to kill everyone in this room, but I can still sure as hell try.

I peer down at Francis. "You still haven't told me who I'm fighting. Your toughest warrior, I bet?"

A shudder goes up his spine. "Yes. The toughest and most fearsome of them all…"

Doors open, and then people start to pool into the room.

I still can't see anyone. The spotlight is too bright, but I can sense their hateful glares.

And their sick amusement at the prospect of watching me die.

I'm going to give them a show alright.

Right after I paint the stage red with the blood of their best fighter.

My eyes fall on a VIP box above the crowd, and that's where I spy that hulking form taking his seat.

I glare at the beast. I can't see his face but he's way too large.

There is no way he's Beta.

An Alpha perhaps?

Francis's gaze lingers on his boss, and there's no missing the hatred in his pale blue eyes.

His face cracks for a moment, and it seems he has a score to settle with the asshole inside that VIP box.

A deep score indeed.

His eyes are burning.

I smile at his reaction. It seems he has a lot to prove to the big man in charge.

My eyes land back on the big man in question.

He's the reason why Belle suffered. Why she has that tattoo on her wrist.

It's not just Belle's life he ruined. But countless Omegas.

We'll beat him one day. And set all of them free.

Once the room settles and everyone finds their seats, I fix my gaze on Francis.

He's no longer staring at his boss but at me.

His face is void of all emotion now as he finally turns his back on me. "By the way, I bet a lot of money on you dying today. So please don't disappoint me."

I growl, running after him, but the chains stop me. I roar.

The room falls silent. No one makes a single sound as they watch me writhe and struggle, and they make me sick.

This is all just a game to them.

A sport.

But I'm prepared to give them a show.

When the doors open, I square my shoulders, keeping my legs wide apart.

I can't wait to see who I'm fighting today.

It's only when I see the small figure inside the arms of that hooded figure that I finally realize.

No.

I look toward Francis, but he has already gone.

No wonder he bet so much money on me dying.

Because there is no way I would fight that opponent.

I will fucking kill him.

I will kill them all.

The hooded figure places her down on the concrete before me, and I just stare at her unconscious form for a while.

No one makes a sound.

She's alive. Her chest rises and falls, but I'm still overcome with grief.

I am going to die today after all, and I just pray to whatever deity may hear that they will spare us.

That they will spare Belle.

This will haunt her for the rest of her life.

But I would sooner die at her hands before I ever laid a hand on her again.

It's funny. I once threatened to kill her, but now look at how the tables have turned.

Now she's going to kill me.

Still, I hope she hears my thoughts next when I say, "I love you…"

And I do.

I have fallen for the small woman who lies unconscious before me.

I just hope that she and Rian can live happily ever after when I'm gone.

That's all I can hope for now.

When they step forward and stick that syringe in her neck, I cry out, "No!"

It's hopeless.

All I can do is watch helplessly as they turn her into their weapon.

Her body convulses and then her eyes snap wide open.

I drop to the ground, waiting for the inevitable to begin.

Belle has gone into an artificially induced heat.

And all I can do is wait to die.