du great
Chapter 5
The heavy steel door to my cell screeches open, the sound grating against my nerves like nails on a chalkboard. I tense, pressing myself further into the corner, my back against the cold concrete. Emilia’s boxy form fills the doorway, her thin lips curled in a sneer that sends a chill down my spine.
‘On your feet, Six One Seven,’ she barks, her shrill voice echoing off the bare walls. ‘You’re being transferred.’
Ice floods my veins, freezing me in place.
Transferred?
To where?
After all this time in solitary, the thought of leaving this cell—my own personal hell—is both terrifying and oddly disappointing. At least here, I know what to expect.
And so do the betas that have to deal with me.
I don’t move, eyeing her warily. She sighs in exasperation, her jowls quivering with the force of it.
‘Now, girl. Don’t make this difficult,’ she snaps, taking a menacing step forward. ‘The Council has finally found a use for you. They’ve assigned you to an alpha pack.’
Terror claws up my throat, threatening to choke me. An alpha pack? After all this time? I’d thought—hoped, even—that they’d given up on me. That they’d let me rot here in peace rather than subject me to the brutality of alpha ownership.
‘Which one?’ I rasp, the words scraping past my lips, my voice hoarse from disuse.
A cruel smile twists Emilia’s features, her eyes glittering with malicious glee. ‘The Ghosts.’
My breath catches, a strangled gasp escaping me before I can stop it. Even as isolated as I’ve been, I’ve heard whispers of the Ghosts. The Council’s most vicious attack dogs. The deadliest spec-ops unit in the region. Alphas so brutal, so merciless, that even other soldiers speak of them in hushed, fearful tones.
Emilia’s smile widens, clearly relishing my reaction. ‘Oh yes, my dear. Savages, the lot of them. Trained killers with no moral compass, no mercy. They say the Ghosts leave nothing but death in their wake.’ She leans in closer, her sour breath hot on my face. ‘And you, my dear, are to be their new plaything.’
She grabs my arm, her fingers digging into my flesh as she hauls me to my feet. For once, I’m too shocked to resist as she drags me from the cell, my bare feet stumbling on the cold floor.
‘I heard they once wiped out an entire rebel encampment in less than half an hour,’ Emilia continues as we walk, her voice dripping with sadistic pleasure. ‘Left the bodies strung up as a warning. No mercy shown to a single survivor. One of them tears out throats and entrails with his bare hands, and the others… Can you imagine what they’ll do to a defiant little omega like you?’
My stomach churns, bile rising in my throat. I swallow hard, fighting the sudden urge to vomit.
We reach the showers, the familiar stench of bleach and mildew assaulting my nostrils. Two burly guards flank the entrance, hoses at the ready. Their leering grins send shivers down my spine.
‘Strip,’ Emilia commands, shoving me forward.
When I hesitate, frozen in place by fear and humiliation, she nods to the guards. They advance, hoses raised threateningly. I quickly shed my thin shift, letting it pool at my feet.
‘That’s better,’ Emilia coos, her tone mockingly sweet. ‘We can’t send you to your new masters all filthy, can we? Although I’m sure they’d love to get their hands on you, dirt and all. Alphas do so enjoy breaking in a new toy.’
The water hits me like ice needles, so cold it steals my breath. I gasp, stumbling under the harsh spray. They hose me down like an animal, the pressure bruising my skin, leaving angry red marks in its wake.
‘Can’t risk putting you in a proper bath,’ Emilia sneers over the rush of water. ‘Not after what happened to that poor Nightingale. Nearly drowned her, didn’t you, you little savage?’
I remember the incident with grim satisfaction. The foolish beta had tried to force my head under the water, thinking to ‘cleanse’ me of my defiance. I’d nearly drowned her before they pulled me off, my hands locked around her throat, squeezing the life out of her.
‘I wonder if you’ll try the same with your new alphas,’ Emilia muses, watching as I sputter and gasp under the onslaught. ‘I’d pay good money to see that. But I doubt you’d survive the attempt. The Ghosts aren’t known for their patience or mercy.’Nôvel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.
As they finally shut off the hoses, I stand shivering, teeth chattering, arms wrapped around my bruised body. Emilia throws a coarse towel at me, the rough fabric scraping against my tender skin.
‘Dry off and get dressed,’ she says, tossing a bundle of clothes at my feet. ‘Can’t have you meeting your new masters naked. Well, not yet anyway.’ She cackles at her own joke, the sound grating on my nerves.
As I pull on the simple dress and shoes, Emilia’s words echo in my head.
Masters.
Savages.
Killers.
My hands tremble as I fasten the buttons, images of blood and violence flashing through my mind. I’ve endured so much, fought so hard to keep my spirit unbroken. But this…
This might finally shatter me.
I won’t let them see my fear. Won’t give them the satisfaction.
But inside, I’m screaming.