Page 12 of Shades of Scars

My resolve cracks a little more. “I know, Kate.” I hate saying the words. It makes me feel like I’m nothing but the weak omega those demons of my past claim me to be. A fucking coward.

She watches me while I strip and pull on a pair of soft, cotton black sweats and an oversized, pink hoodie with the Parkway logo on it. “Where are you going?”

I slip into a pair of boots I pull out of the bottom of my wardrobe after pulling on socks, and finally, I face her, making eye contact once again. “I’m going to have that chat I should’ve had with them that first night we met.”

She gives me a sympathetic look, and lord fucking help me, I don’t feel the least bit confident in the choices I’m about to make.

They’ll most likely lead to our utter damnation.

8

Scarlett

It’s a twenty minute walk toRaven,which will give me enough time to really think about my plan and change my mind accordingly. I don’t even know if it’ll be open since it’s only three in the afternoon on a Monday. I’m kind of running off of instinct at this point. My omega brain knows that the club is where I’ll find my mates. Everything else is irrelevant.

Kate had offered to give me a ride just before I left, but I’d needed the fresh air. I haven’t been out of the apartment in nine days. It’ll do me some good to stretch my legs.

I’m exactly five minutes into my walk when I run into trouble of the alpha variety that I’m definitely not interested in. “I knew I should’ve taken a damn suppressant before I left.” I mutter to myself just as I come up on a crosswalk with two hefty looking alphas waiting for the signal to turn white.

A breeze at my back ruffles my hair, predictably carrying my scent on the breeze right towards them.

Their backs are to me, but the moment they catch my scent and turn, like I’m a beacon calling out, I instantly know I should’ve stayed the hell home. The taller of the two locks gazes with me and takes a step forward.

I freeze on the spot, tempted to turn and bolt back in the other direction, but that’ll only make things worse. An omegarunning from an alpha is a recipe for disaster. It’ll no doubt activate their natural instincts to give chase.

I’d rather slit my own throat than allow another alpha to put their hands on me again without my permission.

“Omega.” They both rumble in unison, and my eyes dart around, looking for a way out. Across the street, heading in the direction I’d just come, a couple is walking their dog. If I scream, maybe they’ll take pity on me and at least call the cops to report my untimely kidnapping.

Because I have no doubt that’s what these alphas plan to do.

I can see it in the way they’re watching me, their nostrils flaring with each gust of wind that carries my scent to them. I can’t smell them yet, and maybe that’s a good thing. I don’t want to know what they smell like. It’ll only make my panic worse.

Finally, I take a single step back, and that’s when all hell breaks loose. The taller alpha dives for me and I stumble back, the other not far behind. I start to scream, but the fucker’s fast. His shoulder slams into my sternum with enough force to knock the air from my lungs as we go sailing backwards.

Stars burst across my vision when my head cracks against the sidewalk.Fuck, don’t pass out. Don’t fucking pass out.I gasp for breath as the alpha presses his disgusting body against mine, where he has me pinned against the concrete. I gag when he grinds his erection against my clenched thighs, while his friend hovers over us.

I catch sight of his manic grin through my semi-blurry vision. My head throbs in time with my rapid pulse, threatening to pull me under from my new head injury, but there’s no goddamn way I’ll let that happen.

Years of torment, self preservation, and more than a few self defense classes kick in, and I jump into action. I bring my knee up into the alpha’s groin hard, making him gasp out a choked cryof pain, before he predictably rolls off of me to cup his broken balls.

I fight through my swimming vision and pounding head to roll away from him, only to come into contact with the other one’s legs. “You fucking bitch! Show your alpha some goddamn respect!”

I let out a choked cry when his hand fists in my hair, yanking me up until I’m pressed against his body. My limbs flail wildly in every possible direction before his free hand circles my throat, the tightening of his fingers cutting off any other sound I might’ve made.

My hands automatically go for his eyes, just like I’d trained. My thumbs find purchase in his eye sockets, and I enjoy the sound of his screams of agony when I dig them in hard enough that some blood spritzes me in the face, before he tosses me away from him reflexively.

I hit the ground for the second time, this time landing on my side. My shoulder cracks against the pavement, and I cry out in agony. I’m definitely going to be feeling that for a few days. Vaguely, through the pain, I hear the sound of tires screeching, just before the alpha that had his balls lodged up into his body looms over me again.

I bare my teeth at him as he wraps both hands around my throat, bringing his body back down on me, but making it so I can’t use my legs or my hands. I buck and thrash beneath him, but he grins down at me like he’s already won.

My vision wavers while I struggle to get oxygen in my lungs. His fingers flex around my throat, taking obvious glee in making me suffer. I don’t give up, even when my heart skips a few beats and my lungs constrict from lack of air.

And just when I think I’m about to die, a fiery angel of fury saves me from the brink of oblivion.

A terrifying, unnatural roar pierces the air, followed by a scream of terror, then the alpha is being ripped off of me. Sweet oxygen floods my lungs the moment his hands disappear, and I suck in air greedily, coughing and spluttering as I slowly get my bearings back enough to take stock of the situation unfolding around me.

It takes another minute before my vision clears enough to see the mayhem happening around me.

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