DelaneyThe silence in the tattoo parlor is almost stifling, but things get better once Pollux wakes up. The mood just lightens, and even I’m glad that the bastard is alive. He rubs his eyes and looks around the room quickly, assessing his surroundings and giving each of us a look before nodding. “Good. You’re all here, so that means that none of you are dead.”“What happened?” I can’t help but ask. Pollux shakes his head as he tries to sit up. He winces at whatever pain he feels, and continues. “That guy lied to us when he said that the bomb was only meant to scare people.”“Why wouldn’t he tell us the truth?” Paola asks. “It doesn’t make any sense.”“It does, actually,” I tell her. I’ve figured this out while Pollux was asleep, but decided to keep my thoughts to myself until now. “He wanted people to participate. For the plan to work, there had to be enough Omegas to serve them. Who would join his side if they knew there’d be the possibility that they’d die?”Pollux nods. “Exactly
AlecWhat a mess this whole event has turned out to be. Thankfully, most of the members of my pack were alive. Three men did get seriously hurt during the explosion—one lost a leg—but from my side, there weren’t many casualties. Alpha Fredrick, however, has lost quite a number of people, the most tragic one being the death of his daughter. War has been announced. I was there when it happened, and I had to sign the treaty that we would open fire against the rebellion. As one of the three Alphas, I can’t overlook what happened here. The rebellion has never taken things this far. I’m blown away by the severity of their actions. This explosion was brutal and cowardly; there were children present during the wedding reception. Innocents have gotten hurt. This can’t be overlooked. “Alpha Alec,” I hear Alpha Jason say behind me. “Could we speak for a moment?”I tear my eyes away from the rubble, and follow him to a more secluded area so we can have a word in private. We rarely have priv
DelaneyThe rest of the day is really quiet, and I find myself alone for most of the time. I guess everyone else is trying to reach within themselves for answers. This isn't a simple decision to make. It has plenty of consequences, and getting caught means that we could die. Even if Paola and Pollux decide to join the rebel army, that doesn't mean that I have to, and the opposite is also true. This is my life here and shouldn't be tied to anyone else's decision. That was the decision I made after leaving the prison, but I've been sucked into that world now, and honestly, I don't find any of this bad, and maybe that makes me a bad person. I want freedom. Running away to a place where I'll still be kept under the ranks for being Omega won't give me that freedom that I need to feel fulfilled. This is where the change happens, and it'll be the only chance I'll ever get to do something significant with my life. This is it. The ultimate war. If I have any hope of making a difference, i
DelaneyThe Underworld looks just like I remember it; the only difference is that this time, I feel unwelcome, and I’m not just imagining the looks I’m getting from the people I walk past. The meeting is held in Francesca’s bar. I’ve never seen so many people gathered in one small place all at once. People are standing because there certainly aren’t enough chairs, and I spot Francesca standing at the bar, though I don’t approach her. Matteo is greeted like a celebrity, which makes me wonder how Paola and Pollux didn’t know him prior to our meeting in the tattoo parlor. We’re eyed curiously by a few people, and I wait to see how this will unfold. “Welcome you all,” Matteo says in a loud, booming voice. “Thank you for being here. This is the first meeting we’ve had in…what? Five years?”There are murmurs of agreement, and he continues. “I’ve been upstairs for a long time, but no amount of fresh air will ever beat being down here with all of you. This is a place we’ve built with our s
AlecThe hunt that I’d been looking forward to was meant to be today, but after this disaster, it’s been forgotten. Pushed aside. Instead, I’ve been hunting nonstop for ghosts. The Omegas that were serving us have been questioned endlessly, and they swear that they have no knowledge of anything, even when beaten and tortured. I think we’re wasting time, but the grief-stricken Alpha Fredrick thinks that we should start killing people. Maybe then, the others will be encouraged to speak up. Being an Alpha is keeping up with appearances more than anything, and showing that you’re intimidating and fearless. Everything I do—every order I give—is to maintain the image that I’m formidable. But this is something I don’t agree with. These people are innocent, and we accomplish nothing by killing them when the real culprits are still on the run. Culprits like Delaney Waters and whoever is working alongside her. I believe that we didn’t catch any of the Omegas in the rebel army, and it would
DelaneySomeone has been following me, but I don’t know if this is just in my head or whether it’s truly happening, and that terrifies me. I first noticed a shadow standing over my shoulder when I left the bar after having dinner with Paola and Pollux. I turned to look over my shoulder and didn’t see anyone, so I brushed it off. However, I had this distinct feeling of being watched by someone. This morning, the same thing happened. There’s a meeting at the Omegatrix, so we left the house at around nine. Sure enough, I had this feeling that someone was lurking in the shadows, but I didn’t see anyone when I looked over my shoulder. I think it’s paranoia, mainly because of the last time I was here. I’m still haunted by those men that came down here looking for me and had to be cut into pieces. I don’t know if I should mention it to someone. What if it’s more Gammas from one of the Alphas? I’m wondering this when the door opens and Matteo strides in. He’ll be staying down here for some
AlecI haven’t been able to move from my position. I’ve been sitting behind my desk, my body covered in blood, for the past two hours. The hunt has finally ended, and I’m horrified by the things I’ve seen. I was always aware that many Alpha-borns, Beta-borns, and even Gammas, hated Omegas, but I didn’t know how bad things could get until I saw the carnage first-hand. They’ve ruined the hunt for me, and it was an event that I always looked forward to. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to go to one without recalling what happened. It wasn’t just about killing them. No, Alpha Fredrick and his cronies were determined to make the Omegas suffer as much as possible, and they did this by attacking a single Omega in groups and then tearing their limbs apart before killing them. Sometimes, they’d let them bleed out. They’d cut people up and leave them to bleed. It was horrible. I killed as many as I could in the most humane way possible. It was better than letting them suffer in the hands o
DelaneyOur mission is meant to be upstairs, and so we leave through one of the many unconventional exits, and make it to Pollux’s Ford. He still hasn’t told us what the mission is about, and it’s honestly so frustrating. If he understood just how anxious this whole thing makes me, maybe he’d be more eager for share the details at a much quicker pace. I get in the backseat, and he starts the car once Paola closes the door. He then turns his body around, and says, “Here’s the thing: there was a survivor from the hunt. A guy. Matteo wants us to fetch him, but he didn’t make it known because he doesn’t want to alert anyone.”“Why not?” Paola asks. “I thought we were all meant to be trustworthy. Does that mean that he trusts us?”“Yes,” Pollux says. “He does. He trusts us way too much for first-timers.” His eyes then land on me when he says, “I guess it’s all your fault, Delaney.”I frown. “What? That he trusts us?”“Of course,” he replies. There’s something off about how he says this.