Page 85 of Knot Their Arrangement

A sob catches in my throat, drawing a sharp look from Maharaja. The threat in his eyes is clear – make another sound and he'll make good on his promise to silence me.

The thought of his touch, of being forced to service him on the side of the road like some common whore, makes bile rise in my throat.

How different from the tender passion I'd shared with Damon and Kieran what felt like moments ago.

Thirty minutes that feel like lifetimes now.

My hand drifts to my neck, where their kisses had left marks of pleasure rather than pain. Will those marks still be visible when Maharaja and his pack are done with me?

Will there be anything left of me to mark?

The trees along the highway blur into a dark mass, their shadows reaching for the car like grasping fingers. Each mile takes us further from safety, from the possibility of rescue, from any chance of a different ending to this story.

My mother's voice echoes in my memory:

"This is the way it has always been, beta. This is the way it must be."

But is it? Really?

The world is changing. The Knot Their Omega Movement proves that. Omegas are fighting back, demanding rights, refusing to accept the old ways simply because they're traditional.

Too late for me, though.

The irony tastes like ash in my mouth. I'll probably end up as a cautionary tale in their movement – another Omega who dared to dream of freedom only to pay the ultimate price.

The car speeds through the night, eating up distance with mechanical efficiency. Each rotation of the wheels brings me closer to those sprawling estates where Omegas disappear behind high walls. Where the staff pretend not to hear screams, where money buys silence more effectively than any gag.

Three days.

That's what Maharaja said earlier in his mumbling tangents.

Three days of "training" before they have to acknowledge my existence with the authorities. Three days for him and his pack to break and punish me for daring to reject them, to ensure I never even think of running again.

If I survive that long.

The way he keeps glancing at me suggests he hasn't decided if he wants me to. The scar on his face catches the light each time he turns, a constant reminder of what happened to the last Omega who defied him.

At least Lakshmi went out fighting.

Left her mark on him, ensuring he'd never forget her defiance.

Maybe that's the best any of us can hope for, but what wound can I leave behind to plague him with the memory of hurting me?

Ruining me and the chance of a future.

Not survival, but the chance to leave a scar of our own before the end.

Rain begins to fall, fat drops splattering against the windshield in a rhythm that feels mockingly peaceful. There's something ironic about it – as if Fate itself is trying to wash away any evidence of the last few hours, to cleanse the world of the brief happiness I'd found.

My thoughts drift to those diamond-encrusted sandals, abandoned in the mud. I hope Kieran found them before the rain could destroy such beautiful craftsmanship. Something so precious shouldn't be ruined by one man's jealous rage.

But isn't that what's happening to me?

The rainfall intensifies as we exit the freeway, turning onto the winding country roads that lead to the estates. Ancient trees loom on either side, their branches creating dark tunnels that seem to swallow what little light remains.

We're almost there.

A sudden tickle in my nose makes me sniff, and when I wipe at it, my hand comes away red. Blood drips steadily, adding to what's already flowing from the gash on my head. The metallic taste at the back of my throat makes me wonder if the dashboard impact did more damage than just the obvious concussion.

---