I grabbed the alpha's shoulders, and wrenched him off the omega as carefully as I could. I thought the pale, unmoving man was dead until he winced when the alpha's cock left him. Alive, but empty. I kept praying for him as I threw the alpha against the floor and laid into him with my steel-toed boots.
"You're safe now," I assured the omega. "We're here to get you out of here. Just hold on, okay?"
He didn't respond; I gave the alpha another vicious kick, satisfied at the crack of ribs breaking, and jumped in surprise when a shadow fell across the door.
Shade—a knight with near-black skin and exceptionally deadly skills he'd learned in SAS—stepped into the room and assessed the situation.
It was a rare occasion when Shade spoke. The guys joked he was like a ghost, silent and watchful and so fast that we hardly ever saw him move.
"I'll get him out," he offered, his face tight with rage as he scanned the omega, seeing every bit of damage.
I almost argued—his intensity was freaking me out, so it must have terrified the omega—but he slid the leather jacket off his arms and unzipped the hoodie he wore underneath, approaching the omega and draping it around his body.
"I've got you, Kaito," he breathed, reaching up for—oh, god, there was a leather collar around the omega’s neck.
"Do you know him?" I asked, shaken.
Shade nodded. "He's the reason I joined the knights. Go, save the others."
I abruptly understood the intensity in Shade's black eyes; it was the same urgency I felt to leave the room, something visceral tugging me upstairs.
I left them, and left the red-haired alpha unconscious on the floor, to follow the fierce tug in my chest.
What if—what if I had to pull an alpha off her, like I had with the male omega?
My heart beat faster, furious, but my stomach whirled with violent sickness. No matter how rough and lawless my family were,nothinghad prepared me for the strength I needed every time I entered a den like this.
"God give me strength," I murmured as I reached the third floor.
I knew which door to open without questioning it, even though I picked up a different scent, too—bruised lilies instead of Luna's bitter orange. This close to my mate, there was no way I could turn away.
I reached for the door and steeled myself, building a wall around my emotions so I didn't make whatever situation I found inside worse.
I sent up another prayer as I opened the door—and staggered back when her scent slammed into me with all the force of a kick to the balls.
I'd picked up her scent on her phone, and followed it all the way here, but this room … it wassaturatedin her scent, only twisted with sex and cum and the tang of pain.
There was no alpha rutting into her, but she didn't respond when I stepped into the room, leaving the door ajar. She wouldn't feel safe alone in a room with a stranger, even if shecouldsense my soul was entwined with hers.
"Luna," I murmured, crossing the room and wincing. The covers were slung half on top of her, the other half bare, already beginning to bruise where someone had handled her roughly.
I had to pause and take slow, grounding breaths, reciting a bible verse in my head.
Someone had—they'd—
"It's going to alright now," I promised gently, crossing the room slowly, so she could see me approach.
But she didn't look at me. Her eyes stared at the wall, so similar to the male omega's that she reached into my chest and strangled my heart.
She didn't so much as twitch as I neared, didn't respond to my scent or recognise me as her mate.
What had been done to her?
No, I knew. It was all over this room, the truth heavy in its scents.
"Where are your clothes, darling?"
I hunted around the floor until I found a bundle of fabric—a red coat, thin black blouse, jeans, bra, and—oh god. Underwear, but soiled, like the alpha hadn't fully removed them before…