Harry's eyes flash dangerously, so bright it's yellow. He almost seems to have his vigor back. "So sorry about that." "You are, though," Kelly whispers knowingly. "You're so sorry that you wanna claw your own skin off." Harry doesn't react beyond a shrug. "So smart, aren't you? And what else do you know in that pretty little head of yours." Kelly sniffles, focused intently on the man. "I know that Daddy didn't fall and bump his head. He was shot with a- with a-" the girl lowers her voice to a bare whisper, as if afraid to say the word, "-with a gun." All the blood drains from Ariadne's face as she holds Kelly a little closer. Harry smirks, tilting his head ever so slightly. "Do you know who shot your dear, old dad?" "It was the man with one eye," Kelly confirms. "He did this." "Kelly-Bear—" Ariadne begins, trying to leave. "And what do you propose we do with him?" Harry presses. "How do we win?" "Isn't it self-explanatory?" Kelly spits. "He only has one eye. All you have to do
It's a quiet drive back to the hotel, just Nathan and Ariadne. The Omega takes the exit, wondering if she should turn on the radio to cut the silence."Did you find out anything?" Ariadne asks."Nothing," Nathan sighs. "And if they know anything about him, they're not talking. F*ck, I felt like a cop in that room with the way everyone was looking at me. I'm out one year, and I'm a stranger.""I want to be a stranger," Ariadne says, "I don't want to be here in this fucking city. We get this done as fast as possible, and then we go home."Nathan nods in agreement. "Amias and Anna hate it here. We go big, then we go home."Ariadne turns into the Hotel parking lot, scanning for a spot. "Hey, do you know a Tracey Erickson?""The Doctor," Nathan replies without skipping a beat. "Yeah, kinda. I saw her when I got shot in the leg. She's unaffiliated, treats everyone as long as you got the cash.""She's an Erickson, though," Ariadne asks. "Is she—"Ariadne spots a vehicle in the lot, an ice wh
"We have two things to do," Waylon says, taking a seat. "We take out Gordon, and we bring Victor home, preferably by his own free will, but I'm not above hog-tying him.""Vivid," Calvin manages, staring at the other Beta as though he'd betrayed him. "I-I need some air too. Ed, come on."This leaves Ariadne alone with Waylon."What do you propose?" Ariadne asks.Waylon bites his lip for a moment. "Whiskey, neat."Ariadne nods, rummaging through the service bar until she finds a swill that is barely passable. She pours two generous helpings and hands one to Waylon."Thank you for siding with me," Ariadne says.Waylon shakes his head. "I'm on Victor's side. What he did that night, bringing back your boy. The Victor from five years ago, he would've never. That's something only a father would do. He's in there somewhere, Ariadne. And you're the one who's going to find him."Harry's words echo in Ariadne's mind. 'There's nothing that changes a man like love. Have faith.'"Thank you," Ariadn
Ariadne doesn't know where she's going, finding a service exit, and running up three flights of mottled gray steps. She needs a smoke badly, but her pockets are empty, having quit a long time ago when she first found out she was pregnant.The Omega doesn't know what to expect when she reaches the roof, certainly not a rose garden with gorgeous blooms of white, pink, and dark red.Ariadne feels as though she's stepped through time. And she wonders if this is Dustin's or Miner's hobby, keeping this place.It's starkly beautiful against the dark night sky.Ariadne wipes her face, drying tears that haven't even been born yet, then she walks over to the ledge, leaning against the railing as the wind blows up at her.It's drizzling ever so slightly, and Ariadne knows she needs to go inside and face Victor again before her bones are stripped of heat.Only the door creeks open, and the Alpha appears, halting for a moment to take in the scenery. "This isn't what I expected. This Dustin guy has
Victor studies Ariadne suspiciously before he takes the seat opposite the woman, leaving just one slot left on the right. Dustin approaches, ready to play for his honor, a silly card game in a stupid little building in the middle of nowhere.But then, in the silence, someone starts clapping, steady and loud as a fucking explosion in contrast.Slowly, Ariadne lifts up his gaze to the source. It’s Alpha Harry, the Cold Wolf, another disgraced Alpha according to Gordon, though he looks anything but.Harry is dressed in his Sunday best, a white suit, cream-colored shoes, and a gold chain draped around his neck.Something about the way he moves is unsettling. His scars have healed, two small lines where his glands used to be as if cosmetically fixed.“What sewer did you crawl out of, Harry?” Gordon chirps playfully.The Cold Wolf doesn’t answer, inky eyes connecting with Ariadne’s for half a second. He’s trying to communicate something, but it’s not registering with the Omega.Harry takes
"How could you let her play?" a voice hisses in the darkness. "You should've stopped her."Ariadne squints into the darkness, pulling herself up. The world's still spinning, two sets of eyes watching her in the night. She's back at the hotel, recognizing the smell of the sheets."I had to," Ariadne says, voice raw."Don't." The acidic voice belongs to Anna, whose eyes are a furious red. "Don't say another word, or I'm gonna come over there and punch you right in the nose.""Anna, come on." It's Dustin, arms folded, green orbs glowing in the night. "She's been through enough."Anna slams a glass on the table, pointing the finger at the Alpha. "God, I will shoot you myself if you don't shut up.""I thought I could win," Ariadne grumbles, heat burning through her body, an utter and complete shame. "I didn't think—""You didn't think," Anna spits. "It was a trap, and you—"Ariadne's tears spill out of her face as she looks at her hands. "Anna- we-we didn't really have a choice. We never d
Ariadne’s ears are ringing, and she can’t hear what Anna’s screaming at her, but she can tell that it’s vile and furious.Anna’s face is red, and her movements are dynamic as they desperately hold her back from slugging Ariadne in the eye.It takes Waylon, Calvin, and Nathan to keep Anna at bay as she swipes at the air in front of Ariadne.“Hit me,” Ariadne whispers, legs wobbling. “I deserve it.”Anna’s stronger than Ariadne’d expected, jumping the barricade with a red-eyed growl. The older Omega charges her, fist raised. But at the last moment, she pauses, face screwed up in pain.“My son,” Anna says; her expression speaks volumes. It says, ‘you betrayed me.’And Ariadne doesn’t disagree.Anna punches hard, fist going into the wall, blasting a hole before the Omega pulls it out, a gash on her knuckles.“I’m leaving, and whoever wants to leave can follow me. I’ll find my son, and then I want nothing to do with you anymore. From now on, I’ll live my life as if you died.”“Anna,” Ariad
Ashley has acquired money, transportation, and information within two hours of his escape. The boy can probably find Gordon now and challenge him to the f*cking card game.What do they do now?“Omega,” Victor calls. “If this were you, what would you do?”Ariadne folds her arms. “What are you talking about?”“If you were Ashley,” Victor clarifies. “What would you do next?”Ariadne laughs. “I’d turn myself in, accept my grounded for life status, and be a good kid.”Victor scoffs. “Yea... no. That’s not even close to what he’d do. Can you put away your pride for a second and give an honest answer?”Ariadne sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose and putting herself in her son’s shoes. “I supposed I’d go to the Auction House tonight after the sales and try to catch Gordon there.”Victor snaps his fingers, pointing at nothing in particular. “That’s what I’d do too. I just needed confirmation. So, given that, we should stake out the place and catch the kids before they get in.”That’s actual