Page 55 of Dance Omega Dance

The night exploded around me, cold air hitting like ice water. I ran, lungs burning, legs trembling, blood soaking my bra and thighs. Something sliced my leg, but I didn’t stop.

The fence loomed, twisted metal and rust. I hurled myself at it, ignoring the bullets zipping past.

Climb! Climb!

My fingers bled as I scraped over the top. Then I was falling, tumbling, rolling, choking on air.

Underbrush swallowed me. Somewhere, sirens screamed. Too distant. Too far.

My body throbbed. My vision wavered. I couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. But inside, beneath the blood and brokenness, something refused to die.

Chapter Twenty-four

The night clawed at my skin, sharp, breathless, endless. I staggered back, spine colliding with jagged metal. The remains of a barbed wire serrated the shredded fabric of my shirt, biting into raw flesh. I hissed through clenched teeth, then headed down the hill toward the train tracks to hide under the bridge.

I believed in my alphas, my pack. They’ll find me. Blake marked me. He’d sense me. I just needed to wait. Hide and wait. They’ll be here soon.

Shuddering, I wrapped my arms around myself. The cold didn’t just seep in; it devoured me, gnawing at every inch, engulfing me in the night's darkness, pressing down like a weight, thick and suffocating. Every shadow felt alive, watching. Waiting.

Somewhere in the distance, a train rumbled. The vibration of wheels on steel was relentless, rhythmic. I pressed myself harder against the track, nails biting into my arms. Not from fear. Not anymore. It was the fury that held me there. Fury, and the bitter taste of survival.

Movement stirred at the edge of the dark, subtle at first, like the shifting of shadows. Then they stepped into view, crawling from beneath the bridge like demons born from Hell. There were six of them now. Their silhouettes broke the gloom, faces carved from menace, eyes catching what little light there was and throwing it back like sparks from a dying fire.

They moved like predators scenting blood: slow, sure, and deliberate. Every step was laced with the promise of violence, their bodies taut with purpose. No words. They didn’t need them. Their intentions oozed from every breath, every crack of their knuckles.

But it was the youngest alpha who made my stomach turn.

Gaunt and twitchy, with the sharp features of a rodent and darting eyes, he licked his lips like he could already taste me. His teeth gleamed in the dark, the tip of his tongue dragging slowly across them like he was savoring a feast still on the table.

My breath stuttered.

"Well, well, well," he drawled, voice dripping with sleazy anticipation. "Look what we have here, boys. A lost little Omega, ripe for the taking."

Fear clawed up my throat, threatening to choke me, as they closed in. The larger alpha grabbed a fistful of my hair, wrenching my head back until tears stung my eyes. His breath wafted over me, reeking of tobacco and cheap liquor, as he pressed his face into the crook of my neck and inhaled.

"She smells fucking delicious," he growled, his other hand pawing roughly at my breast through the thin fabric. "I can't wait to taste her."

Bile seared the back of my tongue as the others laughed; a vulgar, mocking sound. The second alpha circled behind me, his fingers hooking into the waistband of my pants. With a sharp jerk, he ripped them down my legs, taking my underwear with them. The cold air kissed my bare flesh, making me shudder. Making me feel more exposed than ever.

"Don't," I whispered, hating how my voice trembled. How weak I sounded even to my own ears. "Please."

But my pleas only seemed to excite them more. The greasy-haired alpha behind me grabbed my hips, grinding his hardness against my ass as he rutted against me like an animal. Revulsionshuddered through me at the feel of him, at the vivid proof of his arousal. Of what he intended to do to me.

The young alpha stepped closer, his gaze raking over my trembling body with undisguised hunger. He reached out, tracing a finger down my sternum, between my breasts. Lower. Tears burned my eyes when it dipped into my navel as he followed the trail of dark hair leading to my most intimate place.

"Such a pretty little cunt," he mused, his touch making my skin crawl. "I bet it's nice and tight. Bet you'll feel real good wrapped around my cock."

The rumbling of the train grew louder, the ground shuddering beneath my feet. Through the mist of my terror, a thought penetrated, sharp and clear. If I didn't act now, it would be too late. They would take what they wanted, then slit my throat.

Adrenaline surged through my veins, bringing with it a defiant surge of rage. Of determination. I would not go down without a fight. I refused to be their victim.

As the young alpha leaned in, his stale breath washing over my face, I saw my chance. Bracing myself, I reared back, then slammed my forehead into his nose with every ounce of my strength. Cartilage crunched under the impact, fresh blood spraying my face as he howled in pain and outrage.

Using his distraction, I ripped myself free from the other alphas' loosened grips. Before they could react, I shoved the still-screaming alpha with all my might, right into the path of the oncoming train.

His eyes widened in sudden, horrified realization a split second before the train slammed into him, catapulting his broken body into the darkness. I didn't even have time to process the sight before a glint of metal caught my eye, a length of pipe half-buried in the shadows of the concrete wall.

I lunged for it just as the roar of pounding boots closed in. My fingers found cold steel an instant before the first body crashed into mine, slamming me down hard enough to drive the breath from my lungs. Gravel tore at my back as we rolled, his weight crushing, his hands finding my throat andsqueezing.

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