So when Vash forced his hand around Killian’s collar to threaten him, he didn’t feel a damn thing. When Vash forced his jaw close to his, he didn’t even flinch. For him, life had run its course. How many minutes were left until the whole world exploded, he wondered. Twenty? Fifteen. Either way, they were doomed.
“I killed my mother,” Vash growled and pushed Killian against the crib, shattering it. “I watched Cassian die. Everyone I have ever known has died.”
Killian swallowed, ready to pummel the bastard into the ground. However, Lucas was the first to stop the fight by forcing two pistols against the underside of their chins. Through tight focus, he said, “Both of you are dead wrong about everything. In this world, we are all fucked. And that’s why we need to stick together. If you can’t do it for yourself or the pack, do it for Rae. She’s still missing, you know.”
Killian regained a sense of calm. Lucas was right. Instead of fighting Vash, he put his arms out to hug him. “I’m sorry. Just been through a lot these past few years. I know you have, too.”
Vash hugged him back. “Mostly, I’ve felt guilty. All of this horror is because of me.”
“Cassian,” Lucas corrected him. “It’s because of Cassian.”
“And after Cassian died, did things get better? Maybe I should have never interfered with his plans,” Vash said.
Killian laughed and inhaled the smoky air. “We interfered because we wanted her. Nothing more powerful than lust.”
More explosions sent shockwaves underneath their feet. The low rumblings of destruction were intensifying, and the convicts were growing wilder by the minute. Killian snapped out of his rage and felt his stomach drop when he realized what had happened. Where the fuck did Ruby go? “No... fucking no!”
Thrashing through to the next room, he searched for her, the elusive twin who seemed to have no motives except to live and let the rest perish. “Ruby!” he shouted. “Goddammit. You can’t leave us!”
Turning sharply, he thought about all of the violent acts he could do to the ones near him. Only, he knew that wasn’t the answer. Vash wasn’t his enemy. Neither was Lucas. Placing his hand over the center of the broken crib, he sighed. “C’mon. All in on this one. Got it?”
“Read ya, loud and clear, champ,” Lucas said with a cheesy grin.
It didn’t matter where Ruby went. Among the convicts, she’d surely get raped and killed. And now that she gave up the information, Killian knew exactly where to take the firefight.
Underground.
Vash smiled and placed his hand in the center. The three of them stood together, despite the wreckage around them.
They brought their pride in, pounding down with their fists before throwing their hands into the air.
Suddenly, the guys stared at Killian like they used to, back when they were all soldiers. ”Who the fuck are we?” Killian asked.
No hesitation on any of their parts.
“Ouroboros.”
“Rae! Don’t move. I’m coming for you.”
A voice. Noah’s voice. Calming, soothing, Noah. The man who was too decent for his own good. The man who thought he had it all figured out.
She didn’t have much time, but she wondered if, deep down, he thought of himself as the shepherd of the clones. In a way, he had found his own pack like Cassian. Why shouldn’t he partake in enslaving the women once he retained their trust?
Rae threw this out of her mind. It was a quick and fleeting thought, anyway, and she couldn’t quite figure where it came from. Some men could be good. She believed that. She just couldn’t understand it. When she finally opened her eyes, she saw the mess she was in.
“Don’t move,” Noah repeated. “And whatever you do, do not look down.”
Of course, Rae couldn’t follow the man’s orders. The first thing she did was look down and immediately felt her stomach shift with her vision. The ground seemed to swell, and the pull of gravity weighed on her heavily. Despite the danger, Noah was climbing her to safety. At first, she was thankful, but her mind went back to what she saw above.
“I told you not to direct your attention below,” Noah said.
One step up. Stop and take a breath. Another step up.
Every person’s movement was judged by time, Rae thought. That’s what made life so special, and so fucking terrifying. She was starting to understand. Every action came with a set of consequences. But sometimes when something seemed good in intent, it could lead to the destruction of the entire world.
Could Noah plan for the unexpected? Sure, he had helped build an underground network of defected clones and reject beta males, but was that really enough to stop what she had just seen? What she knew was that time stopped for no man, no woman, no omega, beta, alpha, or biological pond scum. Time didn’t care because it made the rules, and the ultimate rule was that everyone must die sooner or later.
Rae was entangled within the metal bars. She was in so much pain that she decided she must have fractured at least half of her womanly figure. “Noah, please,” she said through terrifyingly aching movements. “We don’t have time. None of us do.”