3. Ella

Chapter three

Ella

W e finally reach the end of the hallway, and now they strap me to a metal pole and yank off my blindfold.

I'm inside a nondescript room.

The only thing in here is a two-way mirror and a speaker.

I expect it to buzz to life at any moment with that self-righteous, condescending voice I have come to know so much.

But instead, a door next to the mirror opens, and now an Alpha with a really punchable face makes an appearance.

I say punchable because it is one of the most stupidly handsome faces I have ever seen, and that just makes me hate him even more.

He stops several feet before me, assessing me with deep burgundy eyes.

It looks like he finds my appearance wanting, so I match his glare, eyeing him through messy strands of blond hair.

Fuck him and his chin dimple.

He smells like a campfire and something sweet I can't place because I have been deprived of sweet things most of my life.

"Twenty-two…" he says casually, and my heart pounds.

I know that voice.

It's him. Mr. Condescending.

I guess it's nice to finally put a face to the name.

I give him nothing, never letting my guard down. I suppose he's here to interrogate me some more, and it seems he never did learn the first time.

He won't get a peep out of me.

The door opens again, and another Alpha arrives.

My heart pounds when I see him, and the memories come flooding back.

It's him. The one with storm cloud eyes.

His rain and moss scent fills the room and I finally look away in shame.

He's here to give a verdict, and they really are going to kill me.

Stormcloud eyes will tell Mr. Condescending about that day his team found me covered in an Alpha's blood in the woods.

"This the one?" he says.

Stormcloud looks at me with those sad eyes, and something twinges deep in my gut.

No one has ever looked at me that way before…

It's a look of pity, but there's some softness there too.

And a sense of responsibility.

"Yes," he replies.

Mr. Condescending takes a moment to respond. Then he sucks in a deep breath. "All right. I will see what I can do for her."

My heart thumps when he steps closer to take my muzzle off, making me flinch.

He looks at me pointedly, moving away again.

At least Stormcloud offers me some sympathy as he comes closer, a taut smile on his face.

"It's nice to meet you again, Twenty-two. My name is Jeremy…"

Jeremy?

I look at Mr. Condescending, but he merely stares with those serious eyes, and I bet he hardly smiles.

He turns to my jailers next. "We will take it from here, boys."

They stiffen and it looks like they have finally lost their little plaything.

Sour Milk speaks, "But, Sir, she's a—"

"I know what she is."

Sour Milk was going to say Rogue . I am highly dangerous after all.

I offer Sour Milk a smug smile, but I can't see his expression through the mask.

Sour Milk growls but Mr. Condescending sends a powerful wave of Alpha energy his way, and now he shuts his trap.

"Back to your posts…" he whispers and a shudder goes down my back.

I can see why he is in charge.

Jeremy watches them like a silent predator, and now all three of my former jailers wilt in the presence of the two superior Alphas.

They leave at last, and do they know what they did to me in my underground cell?

Do they even care?

Mr. Condescending turns back to me, looking me up and down. Then he moves out of the room, gesturing for Jeremy to follow.

Jeremy takes off my shackles, and now I am free.

What are they thinking?

I'm a Rogue.

Once he sets me loose, I rub my wrists, shrinking inward.

This is wrong. And unprecedented.

Why are they being civil?

They are Alphas. They are supposed to be cruel.

Still, I find that I can't meet Jeremy's eyes as shame trickles through me.

I once wanted to rip his cock off with my teeth. But I had been delirious with my Insanity. I wanted his blood, his cock, all of him.

I just wanted to see him bleed.

Still, I am not sure what his purpose is today.

Is he a friend or a foe?

I don't know.

All I know is that I can't trust anyone.

"Well, shall we?" he says.

I jerk back and forth between the two Alphas. The first turns back impatiently, cocking a brow, and he's such a prick.

I start to tremble.

This has to be some cruel trick.

Never before has anyone treated me like… well… like a person deserving of respect.

I have only ever been treated like a thing.

I want to return to my cell.

After all, I know cells.

They're safe.

Metal bars are my saving grace.

Freedom is foreign to me.

My eyes sting, and I stumble back.

Mr. Condescending watches silently, and there's no missing the sympathy now.

Jeremy has the same look as he reaches a tentative hand out to me.

I flinch away from his fingers, wrapping my arms around myself.

Alpha hands…

I have only ever known pain at large hands like that.

"It's okay, Twenty-two, you can trust us."

Trust?

I will believe that when I see it.

Slowly, I turn my gaze up from his fingers and meet those stormcloud eyes.

He's sincere. I think…

But I wouldn't know.

No one has ever treated me with such… kindness.

A familiar scent lingers on him. One of caramel.

It belongs to an Omega. The one who I shared a cell with for all of five minutes.

She had tried to be kind, but I scared her away, and now she's gone.

She was someone who could have been a friend. An alley.

In the end, she was an Omega. A kindred spirit.

Jeremy is an Alpha…

But her scent is all over him, and it smells strange now. Almost happy.

Before, it was laced with distress.

Well, if she is happy enough to trust Jeremy, then… perhaps I can trust him too.

So, I raise my chin and step toward him.

Jeremy doesn't dare touch me as he keeps a respectable distance between us.

He takes my rear while Mr. Condescending takes the front.

Various guards stand at their posts, and they all stare in shock at the free-roaming Rogue in their midst.

I would be smug, but I am too scared.

Scared of how things will pan out from here.

Finally, we arrive at a room with comfortable furniture, and it takes me a while to find the word for it.

An office.

It's sad how little I know about the world outside my cell.

The world terrifies me. But I saw a brief glimpse of it once.

Yet I had been under the thrall of my Insanity.

The warden had drugged me and set me loose, and that was the last I saw of him.

Mr. Condescending takes a seat at the desk while Jeremy waits by the door, still keeping that respectable distance.

Now no one speaks for a while as the smug Alpha signs various papers.

Meanwhile, I sit crouched on the seat, gazing at the window ahead.

Daylight.

It hurts my eyes, so I make an effort not to glance that way.

Still, I yearn for the feel of grass beneath my feet again, and the smell of clean, fresh air…

Three.

That was the age I was when they took me.

Too young. But I remember the feeling of the sun on my face, the sensation of grass.

Finally, Mr. Condescending puts his pen down and stares at me with those judging eyes.

Now that I am out of my element, I don't feel so bold.

Inside my cage, I am fearless. But out here, I am frail.

He speaks at last. "I suppose we haven't been formally introduced. I am Gryphon, the warden."

Yeah, I don't have a lot of love for wardens, unfortunately.

I don't reply. I just merely gaze at the floor, shaking.

Gryphon gets up and I don't see what he does, too focused on the ground.

But when he returns, he places a cup of something hot and sweet on the desk in front of me.

Chocolate.

I remember chocolate…

I look up at him, wondering where the catch is.

The Alpha gestures to the cup. "Drink. It's my Omega's favorite."

His Omega?

Do Omegas and Alphas actually get along?

But I thought we were enemies.

I was taught to kill Alphas. Not to befriend them.

I look at Jeremy quickly. He nods and finally, I take the cup and drink the chocolate.

The world freezes, and for a moment I am small again, sitting in front of a warm hearth with a man and woman.

I'm not an idiot. I know what parents are, and I think they were mine.

We were happy.

The sweet chocolate dug up a long-forgotten memory, and now I can't help the flood of tears that escapes me.

Shit. Don't show weakness in front of the enemy.

Both Alphas are silent. They even make a strange vibrating sound, and it's pleasant.

One meant to soothe me.

But it seldom works.

They may be friends, but they are not mine…

Whatever mine means.

Finally, Gryphon speaks. "Please be assured that you are safe now, Twenty-two. We are going to do everything we can to ensure your needs are met."

And how does he plan to do that exactly?

I look up, hating that he saw me cry.

Jeremy steps up behind me, and I flinch when he offers me a handkerchief.

"For the tears."

I nod, taking it from his hand as I dab my face.

Gryphon sucks in a breath. "Twenty-two… how do you feel about being placed with a pack of your own?"

He has my full attention now.

I lick my lips. "P-pack?"

He nods. "Yes. We may just have the one. It just so happens that they're looking for an Omega…"

My heart pounds.

Does he mean to place me with Alphas?

He goes on. "They are strong, capable Alphas."

I shake my head. "No. No Alphas…"

We will only end up killing each other.

Gryphon seems to catch on. "When I say strong, I mean they are one of the strongest packs around. They would be more than equipped to deal with…"

He trails off.

But I knew what he was going to say.

They would be strong enough to apprehend me if it came down to that, and they sound just like another bunch of jailers.

Their job would be to keep me prisoner. I would just be another captive.

Never free.

Gryphon continues, "Theo, the pack lead, is scheduled for community service, and, well, it's about time he paid his dues."

Theo?

"You… know him?"

Gryphon tightens his lips. Then he speaks, "He… was a member of my guard…"

Was?

I shouldn't, but I probe further. "What did he do?"

Gryphon mentioned community service. Was he a prisoner too?

The warden assesses me, wondering if he should say something. Then he sighs and leans back. "I dismissed him after he killed one of my former guards."

My heart pounds and I grip the cup tighter.

"The guard had it coming. He had been brought in for questioning after he tried to kill another Omega like yourself here, but Theo took it too far. Killed him before we could get any answers."

Jeremy growls behind us, and I whirl around. His fists are curled, but when he catches my eyes, he relaxes, giving me a tight smile.

Gryphon apologizes on his behalf. "Please excuse Jeremy. He's just pissed that Theo got to do the deed instead. The Omega was his mate after all."

His mate? The one who smells like caramel?

My old cellmate…

Now I am just as pissed as Jeremy is.

Anyone who lays a hand on such a sweet, friendly soul deserves to rot.

That Omega had only tried to help me, but I screamed in her face.

Maybe one day, I can apologize to her.

Gryphon watches me carefully. "I'm sorry, but there is no other way we can set you free, Twenty-two. Pack Titan is the better alternative."

To death , he means.

I get it.

But it seems I am dead either way.

Pack Titan sounds dangerous.

Finally, I look at Gryphon and nod. "All right. Do as you must."

The warden offers me a sympathetic gaze, but he is just doing his duty in the end.

After all, I am still his prisoner.

I will never be truly free.

One cage to the next.