Page 7 of Hangman's Knot
It wasn't the first time he had heard of something like this happening. There were rumours of unorthodox ways that certain private prisons kept order with the alpha populations. With this many violent and borderline feral alphas packed together in a concrete box, they were bound to get creative.
But it was the first time in his sentence that it was happening. He had begun to think it was urban legend, something desperate men told themselves when faced with the reality that they would never see a female again.
Luke heard the excited chatter amongst the inmates, exchanging concerned glances with his packmates.
"Don't get involved," Julius warned, his voice low and serious as he reminded his pack brother of their plan. "She's not ourproblem. We keep our heads down and serve our time."
Luke looked to Tenor. Their third pack brother was ignoring both of them, his whole focus intent on doing burpees in the cramped space of their shared cell. His brown skin and hair gleamed with sweat in the stream of sunlight coming through the small window. When he finally stopped and straightened, his golden eyes flashed at Luke, but he said nothing.
All three of them watched later as the guards led the little omega past their cell, her tiny frame drowning in the alpha-sized bright orange jumpsuit they had given her. It looked like she had rolled the pant legs and arms up six times just to make them fit, and they still hung loosely on her.
The oversized garment threatened to consume her, and it only made her look more vulnerable. There might as well have been a target on her back. Or maybe more accurately, her ass.
She had wavy blonde hair the colour of golden sunlight that looked like it had been crudely cut with kitchen shears, giving it jagged edges where it hung around her shoulders. The stench of terrified omega radiated off of her, but her face betrayed nothing, refusing to show a single sign of weakness, despite the shit situation she was in. Plucky little thing, Luke thought.
It wasn't until later when they heard her screaming a few cells down that Luke finally cracks.
Fuck it, he didn't give a shit what Julius had said. He wasn't going to sit by and listen to this shit.
He gives one hard look to his pack brother before he begins to mow through the crowd that had gathered around to watch the lone woman get gang raped. She wouldn't survive it. Not with the amount of alphas here. Not with how vicious they were, the pack of them already half feral at the sight of her.
There were three alphas crowding around her in the cell, tryingto pin her struggling form down to the bed. More alphas and the few betas from their cell block were already packed into the hallway, eagerly spectating, many of them now palming their own erections in anticipation.
The omega was fighting for her life, and he saw her get in a few good punches to the man closest to her. Luke nearly smiled at that, unable to help but feel a sense of pride. He liked being right, and he was right about the omega. She had spirit. He liked that.
After watching Luke break two of their necks with his bare hands, most of the rest of the crowd scattered in fear like rats crawling back into their holes.
He spots one of the gang leaders who had been placed on his block with the rest of his mafia pack. The piece of shit gives him a long appraising look before he shrugs his shoulders mockingly in surrender and all three of them slip out of the cell, returning to their own cell.
There are only two final cowards remaining in front of him, looking like they were ready to fight him just for the chance of fucking her. Fucking dumbasses. They try to rush him. With a practiced maneuver, he slams the first one's head into the wall, crushing his skull and killing him instantly. The other one lunges while his back is turned and manages to get his hands around Luke's throat. But with years of combat training and black ops on his side, Luke has him against the blood drenched wall in one quick motion, their positions switched as he chokes the life out of the rapist scum.
As the last body falls to the floor with a wetthunk, they're left in an awkward silence.
Luke turns to look at her. The omega has her back pressed against the wall in her bunk, her knees pulled up to her chest as her whole body trembles with terror. The careful, unafraid mask she had been wearing so well previously finally cracks and hesees tears falling down her face.
She must think he's simply the newest and baddest monster in this sea of monsters, here to kill or rape her too.
As their eyes meet, Luke knows he couldn't just leave her alone in this hellhole. She needed protection, and he was going to give it to her, if she wanted it. He hesitates, keeping his distance from the clearly traumatized woman in front of him, not wanting to approach her or make her feel even more vulnerable. He forces his voice to be soft and as non-threatening as an alpha of his size could be.
"Are you okay, ma'am?"
She pauses for a moment like she's not sure if she heard him correctly.
"What?" Her voice cracks and she squints at him as if he had begun talking to her in Swedish.
"They didn't—I mean—did they hurt you?" He clarifies, wanting to know if she needs immediate medical attention or a rape kit or something. Did they even have rape kits in prison? Was he always this big of a dumbass or had he just stopped being able to think since being in her presence?
"N-no," she whispers, her voice barely audible. "They were trying to."
"It's not safe here for you here," he states, trying to convey himself as harmless as much as he can, soothing pheromones rolling off of him by the bucket. "My pack has a cell with an extra bed. You want to bunk with us?"
"With you?" She seems visibly shaken by the offer.
He can see her doing the mental calculations, can practically watch the math in her head as she weighs her options between trusting him and staying on her own.
"We won't hurt you, ma'am. We'll keep you safe. My pack brothers are good men."
It's either trust him or lie in wait for the next group to decide she's a sitting duck in here if she stays in this cell. He can see her come to the same conclusion as he had.
