Page 52 of Dance Omega Dance

Through blood and fury and pain, he never looked away from me. Not even when they struck him again. Not even when his legs gave out, and he dropped to his knees.

They shoved me toward the van, and my hands clawed at the doorframe, trying to stop what was coming.

"Stay down boy," one of them growled, slamming Zach’s head against the ground.

And still he reached for me.

One last time.

Then he took another hit. A brutal blow that shook his frame. His body wavered, but he was still fighting, still focused on reaching me. My body slackened in despair as I was thrown into the van.

"Summer!"

The doors slammed shut. My heart fractured, splintered by terror and loss.

I kicked. Screamed. Beating at the metal like I could tear it open with sheer will. But the engine roared, and the van sped away.

All I could see was his body crumpled in the parking lot.

All I could hear was the sound of his voice, broken and dying, shouting my name.

“Summer!”

And then—

Silence.

Chapter Twenty-three

The van lurched and shuddered, throwing me hard against the rusted metal walls. I wrapped my arms around myself, curling into a protective ball as the engine's growl reverberated through my bones. My heart pounded, threatening to burst out as I squeezed my eyes shut, praying this was just another nightmare. But the van was too real, the feral snarls of the alphas in the front seats too familiar. This was happening. Again.

A strangled whimper escaped my throat as I recognized another one of the alphas. Kage’s second in command. His cruel sneer, the jagged scar slicing across his neck. He had been there that night. The night they came for me. For my parents.

I squeezed my eyes tighter, but couldn't block out the memories. They crashed over me like a crimson tidal wave of blood, drowning me in a sea of anguished screams. The feral roar of the alphas as they burst through our door. My mother's sharp cry of terror. My father's enraged shout as he lunged for his bat. The sickening crunch of bones snapping, of skulls caving beneath ruthless fists.

And the blood. So much blood. It sprayed the walls, pooled on the hardwood, soaked into the rug where I crouched frozen in horror. The coppery scent of it clogged my nostrils, coated my tongue. I could still taste it. Still feel the warm splatter on my face as my parents took their last, gurgling breaths.

A broken sob shuddered through me, yanking me back to the present. To the van that had become my mobile prison. To thealphas who had stolen everything from me. Who hadn't been done tormenting me yet.

The van jolted to a violent stop, slamming me into the doors with a thud that rattled my teeth. I bit back a yelp as pain flared through my shoulder, knowing they would only revel in my suffering. Heavy boots crunched on gravel, then the rear doors were flung open, and dull yellow light from a single flickering bulb illuminated the sneering faces of my captors.

Hands seized me, rough and unrelenting, dragging me out into the cold. The warehouse loomed ahead, all broken windows and peeling walls, its hulking shadow swallowing the moonlight. My feet scraped against uneven concrete, knees buckling, but their bruising grips kept me moving. Not out of concern, just control.

A rusted metal door groaned in protest as it was shoved open, ushering us into the dank shadows. Inside, the air was thick, wet with rot, heavy with grease. The stench curled in my nose, but I didn’t have time to brace before I was hurled to the filthy floor.

The impact forced the breath from my lungs in a sharp, shuddering gasp. Dust clung to my skin. Pain bloomed everywhere. But I clenched my jaw and stayed silent.

I wouldn’t let them hear me break.

Tremors snaked down my spine as the door clanged shut with a resounding boom, trapping me inside with the alphas who had brutally murdered my parents in cold blood.

A single bare bulb sputtered to life above me, its weak illumination only emphasizing the oppressive darkness that filled the cavernous space. It felt alive, and shadows danced as the bulb swung from the ceiling.

My arms shook beneath me as I pushed off the floor, muscles trembling, slick with sweat and fear. Filthy concrete bit into my palms, layers of grime grinding into my raw skin. I hissedthrough clenched teeth, but no sound escaped. I wouldn’t give them that. Not even a whimper.

Tears threatened, hot and stinging, but I blinked them back, forcing the burn down into the pit of my stomach. Weakness was blood in the water, and they were the sharks ready to devour me. Their eyes were crawling over my skin, undressing me in their minds, licking their lips. I felt stripped bare. It curdled my gut, bile searing the back of my tongue.

Still, I didn’t break.

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