31. Theo

Chapter 31

Theo

T he prison hallways are eerily quiet tonight. Not a single haunting cry or scream from the inmates, and I become hyper-vigilant.

Something has been off. These last few weeks, there has been a stirring amongst the guards.

I’ve been torn between investigating the activities of my comrades or running back home to Ella and becoming the Alpha she deserves.

She let me into the nest. Let me inside her and knot her.

Yet I am still not worthy.

There was no love in her eyes when she rode me, not the same reverence she gives Brody whenever she catches sight of him.

For me, there was only hatred and anger. And heartbreak, too.

She made sure to let me know exactly how much I hurt her, and I have the scratches to prove it.

They still sting and I hissed through my teeth when I showered this morning.

The Omega cut me deep, and I will bear these scars for a while…

Just like the scars I left on her soul.

Voices echo through the silent hallways, and I stop, inclining my head to hear better.

It is 5:30 am at the prison. Most of the inmates are asleep, and the nighttime staff will just be heading home.

So, it takes me by surprise when I hear the voices.

“The bastard is getting too big for his boots, and it’s time we taught him a lesson.”

That sounds like Dominic Rock, pack lead of the Rock pack, and my fists curl.

His pack had been the jailers who oversaw Ella’s incarceration. I may not have been around back then, having lost my job after I killed the guard who tried to kill the governor’s sister, but if I had…

I would have made sure they lost every tooth in their skull.

Even though I never cared for her then, I’d have knocked the teeth out of those three, just as I had the guard who’d tried to kill Belle.

We don’t normally work the same shifts, but their appearance here right now is quite curious.

What the fuck are they doing here this early?

That’s okay. I’ve been hoping to run into them, anyway.

For Ella.

That Omega needs no protection, but I will still make them suffer.

“He took that blonde Rogue away from us. I told you guys we should have sold her off! Think of the money we could have made from that cock sucking mouth.”

I don’t need to hear another word. Just “blonde” and “Rogue” is all I need.

I finally find the skulking bastards at the end of the hall, looking like a group of teenagers dealing drugs at the back of school.

Hell, I was that kid once, but today I will make them pay.

“Or we should have just fucked her ourselves. Damn, I still never got to fuck that pretty mouth—"

“Pack Rock.”

Fuck, what a stupid name.

Okay, Pack Titan is just as stupid, but their slogan is ridiculous.

Pack Rock Rocks…

Fucking cunts.

All three Alphas whirl around. They’re not wearing their face shields, so now I have to look at their ugly faces.

The one who last spoke turns as white as a sheet when he sees me, and I really hope for Ella’s sake that the three of them always wore their face shields.

All three are as ugly as shit.

And they reek, too. Rotten garbage, burned rubber, sour milk…

No prisoner should ever be subjected to that, even if they are Rogue.

I look at the pale, feeble Alpha, the one who smells of sour milk, and the fluorescent lights above us flicker when my storm cloud aura takes over.

Lightning crackles, filling the hallway with ozone, and they all choke.

“Pray tell, what blonde Rogue are we talking about?”

The other Alphas step back, but the pale one still tries to throw a wave of sour milk my way.

I barely flinch.

They may be rocks, but I’m a titan, and I crush rocks in my fist.

I move entire mountains.

I only know the name of the pack lead, Dom, but I have yet to learn the names of the others.

The burned rubber prick steps up beside him, and what a troll. While sour milk is just plain, burned rubber looks like he should live under a bridge.

“What do you want, Titan?” he asks.

I fix my eyes on him and he cracks for the briefest moment. My lightning flares, and all three Alphas wince.

I step toward burned rubber, matching his height, yet he still wilts.

Only their pack lead, Dom, keeps his distance. It seems he likes to let these two do his dirty work for him.

“Don’t stop talking on my account. Go on. Tell me more about this blonde Rogue…”

Burned rubber’s face ticks as he doesn’t look away from my soul-sucking eyes, and he’ll break any moment.

Sweat drips down his face.

Finally, Dom decides to speak. “Silas, move back.”

Burned rubber or Silas shows his teeth in warning, then steps back so his pack lead can take over.

Sour milk barely looks my way. He knows he pissed me off. After all, I heard what he said about Ella.

About her mouth.

Dom eyes me lazily, trying to match my bravado, but fails miserably.

Out of the three of them, he is the least disgusting. Far from attractive, but not as repugnant as his pack brothers.

“Theo Titan. To what do we owe the pleasure?” Dom sneers, and the slimy prick.

There’s no missing the taunting lilt in his voice.

Ella was pretty much theirs way before she came to us, and it seems they did take some liberties; I can see it in his smirk.

Fuck.

No, I won’t let him goad me. I promised the boss I would behave.

No more lashing out at colleagues.

Dom smiles. “How is Twenty-two doing these days?”

I lose it then. A growl later, I have him pressed to the wall, making him wish he was never born.

His Alphas don’t even come to his aid.

They know who I am. My reputation precedes me after all.

I bet the screams of my last victim still echo through these miserable halls.

“She’s no concern of yours anymore, Rock. So, if I ever hear you or these dipshits talk about her again… I’ll kill you. Hear me?”

Dom tenses beneath me, taking several deep breaths. His rotten garbage is laced with fear, and he isn’t fooling me.

How many more Rogues have they tortured since Ella? While I may not be able to protect them all, I will at least protect her honor.

These bastards touched her at one point. I bet she had felt frightened and lonely at the time.

With no friend in the world who cared…

And then I just made her life worse.

Finally, I let him go, backing away slowly. “Watch yourselves, Pack Rock. Or I will crush all three of you to dust.”

They glare at me hatefully as I look each of them in the eye, waiting until they show me the respect an Alpha of my standing rightfully deserves, and one by one, they finally look away.

I snort. “Fucking pathetic. And they made you three jailers.”

Burned rubber or Silas snaps his teeth, and I give him the look.

It's all I need to get my message across; I will knock those teeth out of his mouth until he no longer has teeth to growl with.

“We’re done here. Now get back to work. All three of you.”

Dom scoffs. “We don’t answer to you.”

My eyes find him again, and he bows his head. I may not be their superior officer, but regardless, they will still do as I say.

Finally, all three of them leave the hallway. It’s barely used and a strange place to meet, and I have no doubt in my mind they were planning something.

I had my suspicions, and it seems I just found my culprits.

I heard what they said about the boss.

Apparently, Gryphon Hart has gotten too big for his boots, and they are going to teach him a lesson.

I tighten my fists. I don’t fucking think so.

Taking a few deep breaths, I finally exit the hallway and return to my own post.

It seems I have a new mission.

It's been a while…

I just hope Kellen and Alastor are game and willing to join me.

Just like old times.