1. Ella

Chapter 1

Ella

I use the Alpha's much larger size against him, letting him throw his whole weight at me before I slip out from beneath his feet, swinging my leg out to knock him off course.

The big knucklehead stumbles forward, faceplanting the blood-soaked ground, and I take that moment to strike.

The crowd erupts as I sit astride his back and slit his throat, blood spraying my face and dying my skin bright red, but I don't stop.

Even long after he’s dead, I keep stabbing him over and over, the merciless killing machine that I am, and the crowd erupts.

They love death and bloodshed here because they’re basic, simple beings who take delight in suffering and pain.

And I am no different.

I'm a Rogue, after all. May as well just give in to the name—the stereotype that I am a heartless killer with no restraint.

But truth be told, it helps me forget about him… Brody. The love of my life. My soul mate and scent match.

But unfortunately, he belongs to three others. Three of the most boorish, pig-headed Alphas I have ever had the misfortune of meeting.

As a matter of fact, it's their faces I picture whenever I take down an Alpha in the underground fighting pits.

So, when one more Alpha steps into the muddy, blood-drenched pit, I wipe the gore from my face and smirk at my new opponent.

He cracks his knuckles, ready to take on the bloodthirsty Rogue, and all I can see is the face of Theo.

Theo's dark, soul-sucking eyes and that shit-eating grin.

He took Brody from me. He stole my one chance at happiness, and now I ready my stance, palming the blade as I charge.

And just like that, I take down another Alpha. Another Goliath.

I will take on every giant I come across. Or Titan.

Pack Titan specifically. They made me into this. A heartless killer who takes delight in murder.

But in the end, I feel nothing, and I truly have become a husk.

A thing to be forgotten.

They don't even have a name in this place. This is a place where people come to escape from the triviality of civilization.

Here, Alphas are free to do as they please, and Omegas are not safe.

Any Omega who willingly comes to this underground hell is signing a death wish. There are many here, many who can't fight back. I've seen several Omegas with soulless eyes leaving what looks like a brothel, and many of these disgusting pigs take advantage.

I don't even want to know where they perform the illegal heat farms. Some came from a place much darker and grimmer than this. The majority of Omega runaways make a break for the city limits, bypassing the underground entirety.

But some end up here, and if only I could save them all. Yet as of this moment, I must look out for myself.

No more Alphas step into the pit, and I guess we're done for the day.

So, I scrub the layers of blood from my face and make a move for the exit, leaving the squalor behind me. I have a bed and board here.

The Beta who owns the pits is decent enough. He doesn't ask questions, and he leaves me alone. So long as I bring the money in, he’s satisfied.

My room is in the attic, and I have a great view of the city. Though there's not much to see when we're underground.

We’re right beneath the Alpha City, a festering community where rules don't exist and Alphas come to escape.

Even the police don't come down here. Too afraid. And the government leaves us alone. Even though I have seen some ugly shit down in this disgusting sewer system, the government couldn’t give a single fuck.

So, instead, they leave us to our own devices.

Omegas here are left to rot. Up above, they’re cherished. Or so we are led to believe.

I guess they consider the Omegas down here a lost cause. Damaged goods, just like myself.

Still, does Governor Gryphon care? Surely, with two Omegas, he must harbor some sympathy.

What does it matter? They're all up on the surface and ignorant of the misery below them.

Time to take these bloody clothes off. Now, I tug my shirt up from the hem and toss it to one side.

I will clean those clothes later. Clean clothes are hard to come by in this world.

Then I step out of my pants and move toward the mirror. My face is a mask of gore as I gaze down at my naked physique. Looks as if I’m gaining a little muscle, and I guess that’s what happens when you’re fighting Alphas nearly three times your size before breakfast.

My baby-blue eyes are brighter than ever as I get another look at my face.

I'm eating better these days. Three meals a day. A far cry from the meager meals I got back at the facility.

Sick of my reflection in the end, I step toward my shoe box of a bathroom and turn on the rusty faucet of the tub.

I'm lucky to have access to hot-running water. Most down here don't.

My new boss invested a lot in me after all. I've only been here six days and already he’s rolling in the cash.

So, as I lay back in the tub and wash away the stink of Alpha blood from my skin, I let my thoughts wander.

They circle around Brody. I see him every night before I go to bed (with a knife clutched in my hand because one can never be too careful).

Did he get through his first heat? Did his Alphas give him everything he needs?

My fists clench. I swear, if they left that sweet Omega wanting, then there will be hell to pay.

But what's the point of fighting? I may love Brody, but he will never be mine. As Theo so kindly explained.

That Alpha hated me from the moment he laid eyes on me, but I won't deny that I find him attractive.

I find them all hot. But none of them would ever want me in that way.

Alastor only saw me as a plaything, while Kellen was too lovestruck with Brody to ever notice a plain little thing like me.

I don't blame them. Nothing can compare to Brody.

Still, I want him. But this is how it has to be.

My eyes wander the bathroom, landing on the stained red dress. It was the only thing I owned when I came down here that night.

The night Theo rejected me.

I have no place in Brody's pack, he said, and he really is a prick.

Despite myself, the tears come pouring down, and I cry in the tub, muffling my sobs.

The last thing I want is to be heard. You do not want to show weakness in this place. Because the sick, twisted fucks who call it home will exploit it.

But I just let go for a moment. If he were here, Brody would wrap his arms around me and rock me to sleep.

He had a way of bringing out my sweet side. I never deserved his kindness or love. I know what I am. A filthy monster.

Maybe Gryphon should have just sent me to death after all. This world would have been better off without me.

Still… if someone as pure and sweet as Brody could love me, then perhaps I'm not a complete monster.

But what does it matter? He has them. He will never need me.

So, I pull my knees up to my chin and cry until the water grows cold and my fingers turn to prunes.

This is how it has to be.

A life destined for misery.