Page 46 of One Flew Over the Omega's Nest: Part One
"I've never thought of a pack as anythin’ other than somethin’ Daddy would try to hold over my head," I admit, shrugging as I watch a beta enter the ring with Kole. "Is that…?" My jaw drops as I watch Beta McGrabby-Hands try to escape the hold of the orderlies, dragging him into the ring with the six-foot-four Russian giant.
He's crying out something, but it's hard to hear over all the noise. "—didn't touch her again!" is all I can make out before the orderlies are shoving him forward and leaving the ring.
Kole's lips split into a feral grin as he grabs the beta, pulling him close and whispering something in his ear. The crowd starts to jeer as Kole lets the guy try to swing at him a few times. It's easy to see that Kole is toying with him, giving him a minute where maybe the asshole thinks he can win before the alpha rips the rug out from under him.
The beta's fist glances off Kole's jaw, and then the switch flips. Kole lets loose. In mere moments, the beta's face is nearly unrecognizable as blood spurts from his nose and mouth. Two more betas are released into the ring, but he just throws them off like it doesn't even faze him. Hayden barks a laugh, flicking the lighter in his hand. "Fuck, Carson really stepped in some shit."
Carson reaches inside his jumpsuit, and gasps ring out when a knife appears in his hand. He tries as hard as he can to plunge it toward any part of Kole he can reach, but the alpha smirks as he catches his wrist, then there's a loud snapping sound as he jerks it back to an unnatural angle.
At that moment, Kole's eyes meet mine, and I know. He dips his head so subtly, I almost miss it—but the message is clear.
He's doing this for me.
He knows that Carson touched me, and he's making him pay for it in his own way. I should be offended that he thinks I didn't do a good enough job teaching him a lesson, but instead, I'm just turned on asI watch the huge alpha beat the smaller man into a pulp for daring to tarnish my non-existent virtue.
This time, when the beta loses consciousness, there's no roll of his eyes or sag of his shoulders. No, he's happy enough to keep pummeling him, swatting away the other betas like they're no more bothersome than flies. When the airhorn goes off, he doesn't stop.
No, he throws the piece of shit to the floor and stomps on the hand without the broken wrist as hard as he can.
When he still doesn't back off, four orderlies rush the ring, and Kole lets out a chaotic laugh as one of them tackles him to the ground.
Kole fights back, and I realize it's Banesworth who is now grappling with him. Two other orderlies run over to pin his wrists to the mat while Banesworth sits on his chest to hold him down. Kole throws his head forward, cracking his forehead against Banesworth, and the orderly howls in pain before slamming his fist against the giant's jaw. Since Kole's hands are restrained, he can't do anything to shield himself from the blows. Nobody stops him as he continues to beat the shit out of Kole, and before I realize what I'm doing, I'm on my feet.
The crowd has turned from cheering on Kole to booing at Banesworth, and the horn sounds again, but Banesworth doesn't stop. His little buddies keep holding Kole down while Banesworth wails on him, and my feet move on their own, taking me down the steps of the bleachers.
The doctors and scientists are still taking notes and recording the altercations.
We're nothing to them. No more than lab rats. They certainly don't see us as people.
The orderlies that were taking bets are so focused on the situation inside the ring, so focused on the patients making the most noise, it would be easy.
So easy to slip past them, walk right up behind Banesworth as he beats my alpha into submission and stab my shiv right into his meaty neck.
To put a stop to him once and for all.
Hayden and Adela might be calling after me. If they are, I can't properly hear them. My eyes are focused on Kole's bloodied face, and I'm just at the bottom of the steps when someone steps in front of me.
"Turn around right now, Trouble."
"No." I try to peer around the orderly, but Sam is gripping my chin to make me look at him.
His deep brown eyes shine with concern as he looks down at me. "You will turn around, and I will go into that ring and put a stop to this. Deal?"
"I've got her." Hayden's arm slips around my shoulders. I look up at him in disbelief, and he only shrugs. "Sorry, Fireball. There's only one time I won't submit to you, and that's when it'll put you in imminent danger." His words have me clenching my jaw, and I'm gonna have to make a few things clear to my alpha later.
Sam nods once before turning around and jogging towards the ring. My hands tighten to fists as I watch him enter the ring. He lifts a foot to kick Banesworth off Kole, who now lays unconscious.
"That's enough!" he roars, gripping Banesworth by the collar before shoving him back down to the ground. Banesworth is breathing heavily, rage in his eyes but he just stares Sam down. Sam points to another orderly in the crowd who quickly joins him, and together, the two of them prop Kole between them.
My heart clenches at the sight of the battered and bruised giant, and internally, I rage at the injustice of it all. He follows their rules. He beats whoever they want him to into submission and for what? For them to do the same to him when it suits them?
"Banesworth needs to die," I mutter to myself, letting my mind be hypnotized by the sound of Hayden's lighter opening and closing in his free hand.
"Agreed," Hayden says darkly, surprising me. He doesn't ever seem especially bloodthirsty, so I'm a little taken aback that he doesn't balk at my casual mention of murder. "This isn't the first time something like this happened, and it's always him instigating it." We watch as Banesworth gathers his two henchmen and leaves the ring, shouting to everyone that the "fun is over" and it's "time to go back to our cages."
"My first day, he implied he wants to break me by fuckin' me," I add, and Hayden stiffens. "Before that, he and Brooks made me get changed in front of them while Banesworth choked Nurse Helaena against a wall."
There's a fire in his eyes I've never seen before, and the sound of his lighter opening and closing halts. "Yep. Fucker needs to die."
