Daniel, who has four plates balanced on his arms, quickly sets them down, ordering one of the new guys to serve them instead.
He shoots Ariadne a quizzical look like, 'What's so fun down there?'
Ariadne doesn't respond, hoping that the look on her face is enough. The Omega silently begs before she crawls away into the back room, hoping the smell of the food offsets her own scent.
Ariadne curls between the boxes and uses the lemon-soaked dishrag to cover her scent glands.
"-been here, I can smell it," Victor's voice travels.
The sound of him makes Ariadne lonely.
"Hey kid," another voice speaks, a woman's. Ariadne thinks it could be Lisa's.
"Table for two?" Daniel responds. "Would you like to hear about our best selling?"
"Have you seen an Omega around, really pale and pretty?" Victor asks sternly.
"Maybe, I see many people every day," Daniel responds.
Ariadne's gut seizes up. It's not good enough of a lie. Her pal
Ariadne splits for it, running up the stairs to the little room above the diner where she lives in.She slams the door and locks it. Then she settles on her bed, too scared and sad and lonely to fall asleep.But of course, when the world-weariness overtakes her mind, she eventually does.Then the nightmares come.Arthur is there, not the one that sticks Ariadne with knives to twist inside, nor the one who is always on fire but never burning.A young unblooded Arthur is there to witness Ariadne’s loss and tragedy.Her brother and her parents, hands bound, beaten to their knees, they speak only sorrows. And then it rains blood.Arthur tries to look away, but the man, ugly with scars, forces him to look. They make Ariadne look too. How had she forgotten?Arthur had been made that day, just the same as she was.She’d been too busy sobbing over their warm, dead bodies to notice that she was not the only one who ha
"I have no intention of harming you," Harry clarifies, face soured by the thought."I would never harm a pregnant Omega, much less you, carrying the last line of Black.""My child will never be part of your sick twisted shit," Ariadne hisses. "You can go f*ck yourself."Harry laughs, eyes sparkling as if Ariadne had just complimented his pinstripe suit."God, you're perfect. Like a lily, a perfect Madonna Lily," Harry says, and it causes Ariadne to nearly vomit."I need you to leave," the Omega hums. "You're making my baby sick.""Or it could be this shit hole you're living in," Harry spat distaste."You're beautiful. You should be living like royalty. Are you even taking prenatal vitamins? You need some f*cking vitamins."Ariadne stifles the fear, rising to throat level.She's this close to drowning. Sharks smell her blood in the water.Harry's gaze flickers to the two innocent bystanders. If they live or die, it
Ariadne tries her hardest to keep calm. It’s not good for her or the baby.But then the nausea hits. It could be the car, the smell of ink wafting from Harry’s glands, or the walls closing in.Yeah, it’s the last thing.It’s claustrophobia, and it is setting in, fast and heavy.Ariadne’s afraid suddenly, of small enclosed spaces, like the cage, like before, when the bars pressed pockets into her skin.She’d thought she’d gotten over it. But here it is again at the most inopportune moment.They’re speeding down the highway, and the only way out is a quick death by a tire. She almost wants to-.But her life is not her own anymore.“One,” Ariadne counts before taking a breath, “Two-”“Did Arthur teach you that?” Harry interrupts.He did.“You are disgusting,” Ariadne spits.The wolf inside grapples with the d
When Ariadne's finished, it's already late in the afternoon.The Omega's knees hurt, and her palms are red. When she finally found the last pill hidden in between two couch cushions, she nearly cried with relief.Harry appears in the doorway again, clothes smelling like cooking oil and something that makes the Omega's stomach growl.She's starved."I'm sorry that I had to do that," Harry says softly. "But I can't have you misbehaving. I made us lunch. Why don't you come and join me?""No," Ariadne spits. "I'm not hungry."Harry checks his fingernails. They're polished and perfect and sharp. "Think about the baby."
The Omega jumps out of bed and looks out the window. The dark glass conceals Ariadne on her side, but she can clearly see Victor.She prays that Victor's weaker nose can pick up her scent, but the Alpha doesn't look up.Suddenly, a powerful lemon scent assaults Victor's nose.Harry is trying to mask Ariadne's presence. Otherwise, Victor might be able to smell Ariadne.Damn it.Ariadne presses her ear to the cold tile floor. She can hear them below, voices muffled but distinguishable."Victor," Harry hums. "To what do I owe the pleasure?""I've looked everywhere," Victor answers. "She's gone. We couldn't catch her at the airport. I think she's gone.""We have eyes everywhere," Harry lies. "We'll find her."There's the sound of shuffling, the clinking of glasses."Why does it smell like lemon ass in here?" Victor complains.Harry laughs. "I spilled some floor polish. Getting old, I guess."That f*cking
It's mid-afternoon, a hazy, blood-orange sun pounding against a smoking, black road.Victor's frustrated as he burns through the highway, pressing hard on the gas and dodging lesser cars.Victor's losing patience, just as he's lost several kilos in the last three weeks.The Alpha is gaunt, with bony fingers and eyes too big for his now slim and sharp face. He's hungry. He knows he is, and yet, somehow, that doesn't matter.Everything Victor tries to eat tastes like shit rolled in the sand, deep-fried in hairy, grease trap oil."You wanna stop at a drive-through or something?" Lisa suggests. The Beta had been so quiet that Victor almost forgot she was there.She doesn't look up, seemingly immersed in her phone. Her irises reflect the ghost light of the screen as she swipes away at some numbers game.She wears a red-lipped pout and an expensive leather jacket, slumping in the passenger side seat."You hungry?" Victor asks before
"That's me," Victor answers, wishing he could shed his own name."This morning, something bad happened," Daniel sighs, guilt dripping from his pores."Some people came into the store, loan sharks. My father, he-he stupidly borrowed from them to pay back the banks and-"Victor can't eat anymore. He closes his container and prepares for whatever news the boy has.He imagines the worst. Ariadne is dead. And soon, he will be too because he's not strong enough to live in a world without her."They were going to kill us, but Ariadne traded herself," the boy whispers."It was Alpha Harry. He took Ariadne away. I-I couldn't do anything, but she-she said that you were her mate when- so you can help her. I know she doesn't want to see you, but I- you look so thin and- maybe you're not a bad guy. You could save her. Bring her back to me."Something doesn't add up. But what?Well, this boy is helplessly in love with Ariadne, that much Vict
But then Ariadne appears at the foot of the staircase, a blurry figure but definitely her.“What do you think you’re doing?” Harry hisses.“This,” Ariadne answers coldly.Something black sails through the air. Victor barely registers it as a shard of glass, probably from a shelf or a window.The thing hits Harry square in the arm, forcing him to let Victor go. The younger Alpha falls to the ground, a perfect view of the community theater piece ahead.Ariadne pounces on Harry, hitting him in the face repeatedly with heavy, closed fists.It’s something they call hysterical strength, typical of people expecting. Or maybe the Omega was always that strong.Harry wretches free from that, blood splattering everywhere. He has every intention of hitting Ariadne, but he stops.The Omega is pregnant, and the old wolf’s last shred of honor won’t let him do it.“I will murder ever
Then the adults are alone, an awkwardness washing over them, carrying with it their history. It goes all quiet, and all that's left is the sound of soldiers marching in the distance, carrying about their morning routines. "I-" Ariadne and Nathan say at the same time before pausing. The Alpha's cheeks go red, and his apple scent spikes high, taking on a sour note. He's nervous, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. “Y-You go ahead, Ariadne.” Ariadne doesn't even know what to say. It's been approximately one eternity since they've seen each other. "Thanks for taking care of- You brought them here, my babies." "Yea, no- it's cool," Nathan manages. "And thanks for- for not dying. I mean, I'm glad you're alive." Anna slaps Nathan on the shoulder. "What he's trying to say is, it's good to see you." Ariadne laughs, and then she cries. Then she launches herself forward and gives the pair a great big hug. She squeezes them tight, one in each arm. "F*ck," Ariadne says. "I thought I'd
“Are we there yet?” Ariadne asks despite herself.She doesn’t even know where they are, which is saying something. They’d promised to put Victor into one of their best hospitals, but there’s nothing that remotely resembles a hospital.There’s no town, barely a road to drive through. It’s miles of trees on both sides and a dirt road that looks like it might give way at any moment.“Fifteen minutes,” the Commissioner answers, hand steady on the wheel. “Take it easy, dear. We’re almost there.”Easy for him to say. Everyone he loves is alive and well. His son is literally getting a medal.Ariadne’s not sure about Victor. The alive part has been confirmed, yes. But, she doesn’t know who she’ll be seeing in a quarter hour’s time.Is it going to be Victor Erickson, father, and husband, or will it be the Black Wolf, Victor regressed to some other bizarre time frame? She has no idea.No. Ariadne takes a deep breath. She’d talked to Victor on the phone for a few minutes before he had to go. He
It's perfect timing. They're at the control panel that opens up to solitary confinement. Gordon's just through there, safe and tucked away.Felix uses his thumbprint to unlock the door. It's a pressure chamber. The thing hisses as the metal lid unseals from the wall.It's all lead up to this. They step inside and-It's empty."Where-"Gordon's not in the cell. Though it does look like he's been there, the space was modified to be more comfortable. Stolen seats from the guards' lounge, a big screen t.v that's leaning haphazardly against the wall, it's nice.But why isn't he here?He's supposed to be here.It's then that the screen turns on, and a very familiar face appears. It's a man wearing milk glass eyes, smiling wide. Ariadne's confusion turns into fury."I knew you would come, Ariadne. You're a mouse caught in a trap," Gordon speaks. "You want to kill me? You can't even find me. And now you never will."Trap? What trap?The metal door starts moving. It's shutting, pushed in by a
Felix is dressed from head to toe in swat gear. His face is blank, an assault rifle shoved under his armpit. He's hunched over in the locker room, eyes wide. He's not doing anything, long since dressed, shoelaces neatly tied. But he doesn't move. He hasn't moved for five minutes."You okay, kid?" Ariadne asks, tightening the velcro on her Kevlar vest, the fabric stiff under her fingers."I don't know," Felix hums, half a ghost. "My whole world has turned upside down in the last twelve hours."Ariadne has half a mind to slap the Alpha in the face. They have a mission, and if Felix dies, the Commissioner isn't going to be pleased.The older takes a seat on the opposite bench, resting her elbows on her knees. The situation is much too urgent for her to play the dad in a feel-good t.v. Show, as hard as she tries to.“How dramatic,” Ariadne hums."Monday morning," Felix says quietly. "I thought I understood everything. There was order, good guys, bad guys, policemen, and criminals. Now eve
Ariadne doesn’t know how long she’s been asleep for, an ache in her ancient bones, shedding tears over a dream she can’t remember. It’s light out, just barely dawn or dusk, Ariadne’s not sure. Blue casts over them, lines on the wall, setting divisions that aren’t truly there. Victor’s asleep, eyelids fluttering, every breath he takes is a strain, followed by a whistle. It hurts Ariadne to her core. He’s not recovering, that time has long since past. He needs medical attention. F*ck the costs. So what if he’s Victor Erickson, legendary mythos surrounding him, a ruthless and terrible criminal. He’s also a father and the love of Ariadne’s life. Doesn’t he deserve to live too? Hasn’t his life been about doing more good than harm? And one thing can be said for sure, when Victor was on the throne, there was order. “A-Ariadne?” A voice cuts into the night. “Baby?” Ariadne replies, cupping Victor’s face. It’s not Victor though, still asleep, eyes closed in eternal slumber. He forgets
Ariadne sees in shades of red, her wolf blood pulsing hot through her veins. It's hard to focus through the screams and the stampede of people trying to get through the two exits.The smell of fear in the air it's intoxicating and inviting. Ariadne wants to bite, sink her teeth into something, tear through it, and drink the red.Her enemy is in front of her, a great dark, eyeless specter. Gordon seems more like a shadow than a wolf, smoke rising off him, still hot from his transformation. His eyelids are sealed shut, and pink scar lines cut into his flesh.He raises his nose and tastes the air. It doesn't matter that he's blind; Ariadne knows. The man can still see them. He knows exactly where they are.Victor growls from the back of his throat, flashing rows of razor-sharp teeth, drool dribbling down his chin. His eyes are like glowing coals. Ariadne's not sure how much of her mate is in there and how much is the terrible beast he keeps prisoner.The three of them are giants. People
Fuck, this guy is really smart. Victor's glad that Felix isn't higher on the food chain. Sh*t could actually get done. "What do you mean?" Victor asks noncommittally. "You said it yourself that he was, just this morning." Felix flushes, rubbing the back of his head. "Ah, no judgment, but... I was only saying that to impress Sansa. I didn't know you guys were dating. We don't get a lot of Omega security officers here. They're usually reserved for Omega prisons." A pang of worry twists in Victor's stomach. He hopes Ariadne is alright. "Oh," Victor replies, "No, it's alright." Felix smiles, patting him on the shoulder. "So, what do you think about my theory?" "Your theory?" Victor repeats. "That's not Victor Erickson," Felix says again. "If I had to guess, that's Victor's First Beta. He's taking the hit for him." Bingo. "Come on," Victor clicks his teeth. "That's crazy." Felix's eyes widen. "I think I'd know if I was looking at the Black Wolf! I told you, I did my whole dissert
Victor watches himself in the mirror, his skin crawling. His appearance it's out of an alternate universe. He's wearing the cop clown suit. It's tight at the neck, and there's barely any room for his—Someone squeezes his ass, causing him to jump. A soft gasp escapes his lips. It's Ariadne, sneaking behind him, a Cheshire grin on her face."Hey there, sexy," the Omega teases. "Are you gonna arrest me?"Victor's heart drums, cheeks turning pink. Ariadne's alarmingly good-looking in her uniform, blond locks, and pale skin contrasting the dark color of the material.The Alpha turns fully around, taking Ariadne's hands, using his fingers as makeshift handcuffs."I don't think this is the time for roleplaying," Victor chides. "But I promise I'll arrest you later, at least three times."Ariadne laughs, something effortless about the way she stands. It's happier than he's seen the Omega in a long time."I look forward to it," Ariadne answers, pulling him along to the living room so they can
They leave the helicopter on the beach, already half-buried by the sea. Ariadne knows they’re not coming back for it. The thing will probably be a home for the crabs before turning into rust and getting swallowed by the sea.Under the cover of night, the five of them set sail for the mainland. Ariadne watches with one eye open as the sea rocks them. All she’s thinking about is not throwing up. It’s not a calm night, storm clouds pouring on them, lightning lighting up the sky.“Are we there yet?”Victor pulls her close, pressing the Omega’s chest to his head. “Almost, baby.”Ariadne takes in deep, calming breaths, Victor’s coffee scent filling her lungs. It helps, allowing the Omega to focus on something else besides the churning of the sea. Edward plops down beside them with a smile.“Why do you look so happy?” Victor asks.The Silver Omega presses a finger to his lips. “Is a secret.”Ariadne sighs, turning ever so slightly so she can have a better view of the other. “How can you smi