“Please!” Lucas hissed. “They found us like they find anyone. Cunning ones always sniff out the cake, but we must get the fuck out of here if we want to breed into her frosting.”
The men howled with laughter. Killian brought the blade into the rope, cutting a hole for the alley where they could get to cover.
Wren stumbled onto the eroded cobblestone and fell. She would have surely broken her face had not she softened the blow with the back of her arms.
Lucas swooped his arms down and pulled her up. “We won’t have you scuffed.”
“I have a feeling it’s going to get a hell of a lot harder from here,” Killian said.
Lucas jogged forward and licked the edge of his canine teeth. “Back to the pipes, eh?”
Vash whipped his head angrily at them. “We had to go back, anyway.”
Reaching into his bag, he drew out a set of clothes for her to wear. As she took the clothing into her hand, she saw that it was one size too small, but they would have to work.
Trembling with exhaustion, she stepped into the thin panties and adjusted the tight shirt and jeans that hugged her moist mound with comforting security.
Before Vash could run, Wren felt a surge of familiarity and took his hand. She hadn’t worn clothes in so long. The feeling that she was human took her by surprise. Soon, she was wrapped in her tears.
“I won’t take a step until I know who you people are,” she said, quivering but strong.
Wren waited for their answer, but the sounds of boots marched nearby. “Best keep moving,” Killian said and bound his fingers between her weakened biceps muscles.
Wren jerked and bucked, but she could not break free. The four ran toward the other side of the alley, ducking into a recess near some garbage. As Lucas pressed his hand against the nape of her neck, Wren spotted a group of armed traders, shirtless and covered in thick, gray paint.
“Who are they?” Wren whispered.
Killian covered her mouth and leaned near her ear. “Soldiers from the old Republic.”
“They lost their power for a reason. They don’t have resources to fight anymore,” Vash sneered.
“Don’t be so quick to talk,” Lucas said. “They walk out in the open for a reason. Cassian has let
the region go to neglect. Give it a few years—they’ll be running the show soon enough.”
As the militia coursed through the alleys, they wreaked havoc on neighboring flats. The sounds of omegas’ violent screams reverberated through the concrete valleys of the city. Succulent sounds of soldiers undoing holy wishes, ruining all that wasn’t the prize.
She heard the gunshots ring out. Almost immediately, the sounds of a women’s begging stopped. One by one, the lights dimmed. The silence broke with the muffled tears from neighbors who restrained their loss as best they could.
What kind of a mad world had Wren fallen into? There were no police in sight. No guards, no hero to speak on their behalf. The flesh of the ripe ruled over men’s thirsty tongues, and business went as far as it pleased the ruling class.
Still, the alphas held her back and covered. Making sure she was safe to tend to their future wants, they kept her life intact and gave her the agency of a two-year-old. To Wren, that was somehow monumental, and the generosity allowed her to trust.
In the middle of the pathway, there was a muddy manhole. Vash ran and quickly dug his hands into the filth. Twisting, he brought up the cover and stumbled back, dropping it to the side.
“In.”
The inside was damp and putrid. Decaying forms of all kinds hung across the wall like a living, breathing organism. A set of huddled and emaciated alphas stood in a nearby pack, eyes reflecting the purple hollow of their souls.
Wren’s feet plopped into the contaminated water. Forced to wade through it, she gagged and held her breath.
Lucas clasped a leash around her neck. He locked it in place before giving her a quick smack to the cheek. “Where you running off to, rat? Did you forget you’re our property?”
“We established that I’m not yours,” she said.
Lucas nudged her ankle and watched her fall into the sludge. “That’s twice,” he said.
Vash hacked against the stench. “We shouldn’t be here.”