46. Hazel

HAZEL

"Give me your phone!"

The hulking alpha in the driver's seat immediately barked at me. The command hit me full force despite the fact that he was facing away from me. A screamed expletive was trapped in my throat, furious and burning as my arm stretched out obediently. My mother lifted it easily from my palm and tucked it into her bag.

Fuck omega biology.

I just had to trust Remy would realise what was happening soon. I reminded myself that he was watching my location.

He'll come for you.

My eyes burned into the back of the alpha's head. He must've been the upstanding Christian who agreed to help my mother intimidate me. Why did he look familiar?

He turned around. A jaw like a brick and that stupid fucking notch in his eyebrow.

Damien.

I should've fucking known he was the alpha my mother was working with.

His mask was fully off now, no hint of the affable man who had hit on me. Instead he was predatory and hungry, his slimy gaze drifting over my body.

"This man is a psycho, you know he tried to run me over, right?" I lashed out at my mum.

Her head whipped towards the alpha. "You what?"

Interesting. She didn't know?

At least that meant my mum wasn't guilty of filicide.

A relief, truly.

"Be quiet," Damien snarled. My lips snapped shut.

Seriously, fuck omega biology to the depths of hell.

"She's being dramatic," he explained to my mum dismissively. "She was all over that other alpha in public. Just wanted to scare her a little."

"Damien, I didn't have you track her so you could do that," she reprimanded him stiffly.

Track me?

"We've got her now, stop complaining, yeesh."

I glanced down at the bag beside me and flinched like it had grown scales, tightening its slithering grip around my shoulder. He'd probably put something in it before handing it back the first time we met.

Fuck, he'd been tailing me since before my heat. I had no schedule, no set place I had to be every day, spending most of my days holed up in my apartment. When I went to the gym with Ben it was erratic based on his shifts. There was no real rhyme or reason to my routine.

Except my coffee runs with Remy on our working days.

My weekly post office drops.

And my regular therapy appointments.

All weaknesses he'd exploited.

We drove in tense silence for a while. I wanted to ask where they were taking me. What the point of kidnapping was. Why my mum was such a heinous bitch.

I could do none of those things.

"How long will the protest last for?" my mum asked.

"At least another hour," he grunted.

Great, so he was one of the Brotherhood fuckers too. Excellent. Of course his spiel about omega safety was a lie too.

The city lights adorned the wide black sky like a scatter of jewels. I stared out at it thoughtfully, feeling myself dissociate. It really wasn't the right backdrop for my impending murder. Just because my mum seemed content to keep me alive didn't mean Damien might not go rogue. Again.

I tugged at my hair, loosening strands and letting them fall onto the carpeted floor. I squished them into the fibres with my toes. Scratched my elbow until my dry skin flaked up and then rubbed it into the seat cushion. Discreetly licked my fingertip and wiped my saliva against the window, leaving a streak.

If I was going to end up in a ditch somewhere tonight then I was going to give the investigator on my case the easiest job of his life.

We eventually pulled up at a regular suburban house. Not even a creepy warehouse for my final hours?

Maybe it would have a basement with a single, swaying bulb.

"Follow me inside the house," Damien barked.

I got out of the car jerkily, compelled by his command.

"Can you talk normally or are your conversational skills the same as that of a rabid dog?" I sniped.

His meaty hand was on my throat, bulky fingers crushing my jaw. "I'd watch that mouth of yours, omega." His lips curled upward now that he was closer. I willed myself not to give him the satisfaction of my disgust when he leaned in close, running his flat nose along my neck. "Mm, your scent. Did you really think I believed you were anything else but a knot-hungry whore?"

I was buying an industrial grade scent neutraliser the second I got home.

"Damien," my mum said warningly.

Concern, really?

"Not out here."

Of course. Not where people could see, silly!

My final resting place was very ordinary looking. One of those build-a-homes that people picked from a pamphlet. I left a few more strands of my hair and an immaculately detailed footprint in the entryway for the nice investigator.

"Sit," Damien ordered me, and I plonked my ass down on the uninspired plain grey couch.

My mother entered, a slightly distasteful look on her face. Ah, because we were wearing shoes inside. Damien would not understand nor care that the feel of our shoes on that carpet was downright unpleasant for us both.

"Hazel, I don't know why you have to cause so much trouble," she began.

A million retorts immediately boiled up in my throat. I opened my mouth and—

"Quiet," Damien cut in.

Oh for fuck's sake.

"Yes, thank you." Mum shook her head sorrowfully. "She has always been this way."

What I would give to not share DNA with this woman.

"Hazel, I can see that leaving you alone was a mistake," she said, clasping her hands together formally. "I should've worked harder to keep you in church, even after everything you did. Now look how far you've strayed."

I couldn't talk but I could definitely roll my eyes.

"I cannot have my daughter living in sin like this. That's why I've asked Damien to take care of you. He is willing to…overlook your transgressions and become your bonded alpha."

What the ever-loving FUCK.

So this is what she meant by wanting me "taken care of".

Not killing me.

Way, way, way, way, way worse than that.

"He is a good alpha and a good Christian," my mum continued, oblivious to the steam pouring from my skull. "He will be able to put you back on the path to righteousness."

She nodded to him like a signal and he left the room. A signal for what?

I met my mother's pitying gaze unflinchingly and gestured vaguely around us.

"This doesn't seem very what would Jesus do. Or did I miss the verses on kidnapping and forced bonding when I wasn't paying attention in Sunday school?"

Her shoulders straightened, buoyed with purpose. "With Damien's guidance you will find your way back to the Lord. In time, you will understand why I've done what I've done and thank me. Everything I do is for you, my daughter."

Self-righteous hag.

There were heavy footsteps and the creak of a floorboard as Damien reappeared.

With two vials.

And a syringe.

"What the fuck are those," I hissed.

Damien ignored me. "I will teach you to be an obedient omega. To serve your alpha and your God as you were put on this earth to do."

"You will go into heat here, Hazel. When it is over, everything will be alright."

My mother's soothing tone would give me fresh nightmares to haunt me.

I think the only thing that stopped me from crawling up the wall like an exorcised demon was that I did not, and would not give them the satisfaction of my fear.

"Heat inducers? That's prescription-grade medication," I said, willing my voice not to waver. "Where did you get that from?"

Damien smirked. "The Brotherhood has its ways."

"This is good, Hazel," my mother said earnestly. "Otherwise we would've had to wait until your next heat. Do you know how helpless I felt hearing about everything you've been doing? I prayed for this and the Lord answered."

My whole body went rigid. Fight or flight desperately trying to kick in. I blinked hard several times, wishing that when I opened my eyes I would see something, anything except the alpha advancing on me.

Even if he bonds me, I've broken a bond before.

I can do it again…right?

But the thought of it was heartbreaking.

Having to break another bond before I could…before I could…

The faces of my pack swam before my eyes and wavered.

Not like this.

Please. Not like this.