Chapter 24

Chapter 24

He continues with my bandage, warning, “Curiosity can be dangerous here, Rose.”

“Maybe,” I admit, “but ignorance can be worse.”

He looks up at me, his hands still as he finishes taping off the bandage. His touch lingering for a moment. “Be careful, Rose. Some truths can’t be unseen.”

“Even Pandora found hope in her box,” I whisper. Max raises an eyebrow at me, but doesn’t remark on my comment. I swallow and glance away, but he does eventually

answer me.

He sighs, a sound heavy with hidden stories. “He still runs them,” Max reluctantly reveals. “We hate that part of the business, but we can’t control what he does. It would be dangerous for us if we tried to shut it down. He has too many higher-ups involved, one’s even we can’t touch.”

He pauses for just a moment, then continues his task. “He manages them,” he replies, his voice carefully neutral. “But that’s a separate thing from us. We try not to get involved with that side of it.” I watch him. There’s a tiredness in Max’s eyes that suggests he’s carrying more than just medical supplies.

It makes me feel better to know that they don’t like it. That it’s not something that they’re okay with. I had been so worried that it was something they would ship me off to when they were done punishing me.

Max finishes with a new bandage; his touch is gentle, but it doesn’t ease the ache in my leg or the one in my chest that threatens to overwhelm me. I shouldn’t be feeling this way just because he’s taking care of me right now. That care doesn’t last, and it will make me feel even emptier when he rejects me again because I know that he will.

“You should rest,” he tells me. The words come out as more of an order. His eyes meet mine. There’s a warning in his look, a silent message to be careful about asking questions. In other words, don’t let Ethan hear you prying into our business.

I nod, absorbing this information, understanding more of the complex web they’re entangled in. Max finishes bandaging my leg, his hands efficient but detached. A jolt of pain makes me gasp, and I try to pull away, but he doesn’t let me.

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“Sorry,” he says softly, though his professional barrier remains. “You need to rest and try to stay off that leg.” Standing, he looms over me like a shadow.

“But my chores?” He sighs heavily and runs his fingers through his hair. Messing up the dark strands, making my palms itch with the need to reach up and fix the mess strands.

“I’ll speak with Ethan; you can’t be hobbling around on that leg if you want it to heal. Hopefully, he’ll let you shift. Your wolf will heal you faster. He may take some convincing, though. Omegas are naturally faster than alphas and I know he doesn’t want to risk you escaping again,” Max adds, and my heart races at his words.

He’s right; Omegas are supposed to be faster. It’s probably the only good thing we inherit from our genes, and that is only to help us escape alphas, not that it matters if they use their aura on us. Which I know Ethan will. He won’t want to take the chance of me running. If he does, though, it will hurt worse than when Max did it.

Alphas naturally want to protect their Omega, and auras are extremely painful, paralyzing and, in some instances, can kill an Omega. Though it’s clear, they have no issue using theirs on me. Even if it hurts, they know that it could kill me, yet they’ve done it, anyway.

I can lie to myself and pretend it’s because they don’t know that I’m weak. But I know the truth. They don’t care if it kills me.

I try not to let it bother me, but I can’t help but tremble at the thought of what he suggested. It makes my stomach churn; I can’t shift, I never have, and I know the moment I do, I will turn into a bi tch in heat. My omega instincts will make me

weaker.

Disgustingly submissive to them and have me begging at their feet. I can’t do it, I won’t.

Max grabs his medical bag, leaving the mess of used gauze and my old bandages. He looks over his shoulder before leaving the room. “Go rest, Rose.” He orders.

Pushing myself to stand, I pick up the mess and carefully walk limply over to the wastebasket. I toss everything into it before leaving the library.

However, as I move back to my room, Dog follows at my heel. I don’t pay him much attention, my mind elsewhere as I ponder how I can escape. I need to get my suppressants; I need more descenter, I won’t last long without them, and I dread

Chapter 24

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the thought of going into heat here and sending them into a rut. Oh gosh, that would be awful and just another reason for them to hate me.

If they claimed me, I’d end up knotted and pregnant. Then, I would never be able to escape them.

I make my way to my room. Falling into the soft bed, the few chores that I did have me feeling drained. Or maybe it was dealing with Max, Colt, and Ethan?

Letting out a sigh, I close my eyes. Hoping that sleep will come quickly and that I don’t dream. Being here has stirred up old memories, and I don’t want to think about them.

The go ds can’t even grant me restful sleep either, though, and as soon as sleep claims me. Just as it always did, the day unfolds in a nightmarish manner. The gunpowder’s smell, the fear, the blood, and the realization that my stepbrothers

were near.

Only this time, things take a darker turn, and it’s like a cruel movie in my mind, each scene vivid and haunting. They take me away and give me to Uncle Pete, even as I try to beg them not to. Knowing that he will put me into the omega rotation.