\[Denali’s POV\]
I jump up while ignoring the pain that radiates through me and look toward the two men, who are still keeping their equipment fixed on me. Frowning, I examine the cameras until I see a red flashing light and know that they are in fact recording everything that is going on.
“What do we do?” One murmurs to the other, beginning to back toward the door. “The boss didn’t say this woman had power. She said she was nothing more than an omega who couldn’t even shift.”
“That,” I say slowly, climbing off the bed and crouching. "Is where your master was wrong.”
Although I was an omega with no real connection to my wolf, that didn’t mean that I couldn’t shift. I could, but when I did, I had no control over what happened. It was like I was a background character in my own life, watching as my wolf did as it pleased.
This secret was mine to bear and something no one else knew about me, not even my family. If they knew, they would have killed me, so it was easier to just pretend I didn’t have a wolf.
Snarling, I feel my wolf beginning to stir, and when it starts to pull at me, begging to take control, I allow it.
Letting a howl rip from its jaws, my wolf surges forward, grabbing the closest cmaeraman and throwing him across the room. Once he is out of the way, she goes for the next, and once they’re both no longer an issue, she breaks down the door and begins to rush down the hall.
‘Where are you going?’ I ask, though I know she won’t respond. ‘We need to find our mate!’
At the word mate, my wolf stops and sniffs at the air as if she understood what I said and was doing as I ordered, but when she doesn’t seem to find who she was looking for, she continues to move. It’s only when we reach the building's exit that she stops and slumps to the ground.
Shit. This was as far as she could handle, given what happened back in the room. Whatever that power was I used was just too damn much for not only me but her.
‘Get some rest,’ I urge her. ‘Thank you for your help.’
Giving a final howl, I begin to shift back to my human form. Once I’m finished, I slowly stand and begin to look around, taking everything in while trying to figure out exactly where I am. From what I can see, it seems like an old apartment building, but why would they bring me here of all places?
“Denali.”
Tensing, I whirl around and watch as Alexander stumbles toward me. He holds his chest, and I can’t help but wonder if he got hurt in the crossfire when my wolf helped me escape.
“Please, don’t…”
He doesn’t get to finish his words before a gunshot sounds, and he slumps to the ground, spitting blood, while I stare straight ahead as Nadia makes her way toward me with a gun raised.
“That was a cute trick,” she says, looking at Alexander, who isn’t moving. “Who knew that weak and feeble Denali actually had some tricks up her sleeve? You kept it hidden so that Rosco would pity you, right?”
Remaining silent, I keep my gaze fixed on Nadia’s finger, which rests against the trigger of her weapon, waiting for her to make her move. I couldn’t necessarily guarantee myself to miss the bullet entirely, but if I moved quick enough, then I could avoid a killing shot.
“Don’t worry,” she continues, giving me a look of amusement. “I’m not going to kill you. If I did, I would lose a hefty amount of money.”
Money? Was this bitch actually saying that she sold me? Was it to Alexander? As this thought hits, I turn my gaze to him and find that his skin is starting to take on a grayish hue. No. He couldn’t be the one; if she killed him, then who?
“Don’t think too hard on it,” Nadia sighs, stepping around Alexander. “You’ll learn soon enough.”
No. I wouldn’t find out soon enough if I had any say in it.
Deciding that this was my only chance, I turn and begin to move, making my way toward the exit, but before I can reach the exit, another gunshot sounds before pain shoots through my calf.
Gasping, I continue to move, hopping along while the pain threatens to make me collapse.
“You’re a stubborn one,” Nadia sighs, shooting my other leg, so I’m sent crashing to the ground. “But no matter, you won’t be able to continue to run with your legs injured.”
To ensure that she’s right, she shoots again, this time in my thigh, and then kneels beside me and grabs my hair so she can make me look at her.
“You should have just left Rosco alone,” she murmurs, dangling her weapon in front of my face. “If you just understood your place and backed off, none of this would have happened.”
Finished speaking, she slams the butt of the gun into my temple, causing dots to dance in front of my eyes and my ears to ring while the ground beneath me vibrates from more people approaching.
“Is this her?” Someone says as Nadia releases me.
“Yes,” Nadia responds. “This is the one. You’re free to do whatever you want with her; just make sure she doesn’t appear in front of me ever again.”
“And what about the man?” The person continues, clearly speaking of Alexander. “Do you plan on cleaning this up?”
“Did I pay you to ask questions?” Nadia demands, as I feel myself being lifted. “You’re just to take the woman to the auctions.”
The person doesn’t respond. Instead, they lift me and throw me over their shoulder so that I can make out Nadia’s blurry form while watching.
“Bye, bye!” She calls happily. “I’ll be sure to take care of Rosco for you.”
Rosco… If Nadia was here, did that mean that her meeting with Rosco was over? Something told me that it wasn't, and if that was the case, then that meant something had to happen, but I was so tired.
Keep fighting. I tell myself, trying to connect with my wolf again. Just a little bit longer.
“N-no,” I rasp, finding that I’m completely alone inside my own head, and there wasn’t even a stirring of whatever ability I felt earlier. “No!” I repeat more strongly, only to once again feel nothing but pain and exhaustion.
“Shut up!” The one carrying me snarls.
No! I couldn’t let this happen. I had to stop it, but I could barely move. How was it possible that I was so damn useless, especially when I needed to be strong?
“Stop moving, bitch!” The man snaps, throwing me against the ground and then kicking me, so I go crashing into the wall.
Gasping, I curl in on myself, clutching my stomach as pain shoots through me.
“Don’t ruin the merchandise,” another voice huffs. "Otherwise, the boss will kick our asses.”
“A little roughing up won’t hurt,” the first says, kicking me again so that my head cracks the wall and my consciousness fades. “See, much better now.”