“What the fuck…”
Killian crawled forward. He was in danger of being caught, but the sight was too grand for his mind to grasp. Built into the windows of the opulent towers were wide television screens. Staring back at him from above was Rae, his one true love and mother of the angelic children they created. He couldn’t believe it…
Strategically held with military grade cables, she floated soundlessly inside an artificial womb. Her eyes were open as her life hung on a thread. She seemed to stare directly into Killian’s eyes.
“My God… no…”
Killian hurriedly blinked and walked out of the rubble. Now, he could see a preacher on the street corner was the one speaking to an uninterested crowd. “My friends—the sinners of the past will reap what they sow! She understands us. She listens to our cries. When you are alone and starving for a bit of bread, she is there to satisfy your hunger. We must keep our hearts open and look to her for hope!”
Running forward, Killian didn’t care about the chains binding his wrist and ankles. He even forgot about his pack brothers who surely had escaped also as soon as the explosion settled. He was lost in a trance, and he needed answers.
“You!” he growled and fell into the man’s arms. “You said her name was Rae. Is it true? She is my omega. What have you done with her?”
The preacher twisted his composed face and stepped back with extreme distaste. “Sir, if you do not take your hands from me, I will be forced to call the guards!”
Killian knew how insane he appeared. His beard had grown to reflect a maddening wisdom. His hair lowered before his eyes. Everything had changed, but he didn’t think that Rae would turn into a fucking deity for the people to worship.
“Where is she?” His growl turned into a rage-induced scream. “Where is my love?”
“Oh, lord! Guards!”
Killian clenched his fists before shoving the preacher to the ground and wildly turning like a hunted animal. Predators were all around him, but nothing was clear anymore. In the days of Cassian’s rule, it was obvious who was the enemy and who wasn’t. Now, everyone dressed in the same frayed garb. His enemy, if anyone, was himself.
A firm hand fell across his back. Another clasped his shoulder. Quickly, he was pulled away from the street corner, dragged across the asphalt until his knees and hips bloodied from friction. He was pushed into a door and carried down a set of stairs, receiving swif
t smacks on the back of the head whenever he tried to speak or scream, or react at all.
It was his pack brothers, Lucas and Vash.
Heart jumping with excitement, Killian attempted to stand, but Vash quickly stopped him and covered his dirtied mouth. “Don’t speak. There are cameras everywhere.”
Killian may have been ignorant to the ways of the new world, but he knew when to shut up and listen. Within seconds, armed guards and police could be heard running through the streets. Loudly blaring vehicles screeched near and away. A megaphone chattered the words, “Be on the lookout for three escaped Ouroboros traders. They are armed, dangerous, and ready to kill…”
Killian didn’t even breathe. He never wanted to step back into that cell again, and, if he was smart enough, he wouldn’t have to. As the guards passed, so too did his fear. The silence intensified.
“Okay.” Vash handed each of them a rifle. “I think we’re good, but we need to be wary of our actions.”
Killian couldn’t believe his eyes. The two alphas looked similar to him—rough beards hung over their Adam’s apples, and their hair rolled like thick waves in the tumultuous seas. They had been through so much, but their spirit could never be broken. That came from their blood. “It’s really you…”
“It’s us,” Lucas said.
“You didn’t think we’d come looking for our brother?” Vash asked with a friendly smile.
Killian laughed as they clasped their hands together. “This is a nice reunion, but I’m a little confused how you set up the detonation, Lucas.”
Lucas appeared about as confused as Vash did. “C’mon, I’m good with the pyrotechnics, but I’m not that good. I assumed Vash paid the guards off.”
“Me?” Vash scoffed and rolled out his empty pockets. “We spent a year in those cells. You think I have any coin left?”
But before they could come up with any conclusions, they heard another detonation go off, and a thousand terrified screams filled their hearts with fury.
It was time—time for the New Republic to crumble once more.
Chapter Two
“Sit on it,” Severin commanded. “Come on, now. Ease your tension. Enjoy it. It’s your cock now, honey. Work it.”
Severin knew all the right words to say. Ruby had taught him that much. But his disgruntlement showed. Both unable to procreate, he merely fucked her brains out to keep her from lashing out at him on a regular basis. Gone were the days of dreaming of a family.