Redemption (Rogue Nation MC #1)

8. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

Theo

The pain was worse than anything I could ever imagine. I knew exactly where it came from. I was in heat. Full-blown heat. I learned all about it from the books I read.

On top of the heat, I knew it was my time. Gavin made that clear while he was beating the shit out of me. How stupid did I have to be to think that Gavin really wanted to celebrate my birthday with me? Stupid and desperate, that’s me. I should have known it was coming when my heat suppressant pills stopped showing up with my breakfast 3 weeks ago. I’d been taking them since I was 10. Just after, my father confirmed I was an omega. He and mother said that I had to take them to ensure my ‘purity’ until such a time an alpha could be chosen for me. They didn’t know I knew the truth. There would be no alpha for me. I turned 25 in less than a week. Instead of a claiming, there would be a funeral. Mine. I knew they would at least give me a funeral. They had to keep up appearances. Everything my parents did was about appearances. Before this heat set in, I was ready. The life I had was no life at all. No friends, no genuine family. Not one person gave a shit whether I lived or died. Over my life, I tried to make some kind of connection with the people I met to help with the loneliness. Very few bothered to engage with me in small talk. Most were simply clinical; they were there for a purpose and once that purpose was fulfilled, they left me alone again. Anyone that attached kindness to their job was quickly replaced. I didn’t want to affect their job, so eventually I just gave up and didn’t even try. I sat stoic until asked a direct question related to their purpose. My answers were short and to the point. The only thing ever given to me by my parents was a Kindle reader. It was supposed to be for school to download textbooks, but I found a few free romance novels to download.

If those books were physical copies, I would have read them apart. Literally. Thank goddess for digital media. I lived life through the alpha/omega love stories in those books. The powerful alpha who loved and protected his omega, willing to die to protect what was his. The omega who could spread his wings and be the person he was destined to be simply because of the love of his alpha and family. Love I knew I would never live long enough to have. Maybe I should have fought harder to find a way out. Run away from the people who held me captive, but I wasn’t one of those strong omegas from my books and this was real life, not a romance story. I was behind locked doors, living in a single set of rooms on the top floor of my parents’ house. None of the windows opened more than a few inches for air flow and when it was necessary for me to venture from my rooms, there were no less than 2 armed guards escorting me. I was allowed outside 1 day a week for 3 hours. To sit in the enclosed backyard so I could get a bit of fresh air and sun. Maybe that was the real reason I said yes when Gavin offered to take me out for dinner and a few drinks to celebrate. I might have planned to make off from him while we were out, but I wasn’t given time. He came to my room and offered; I said yes and less than an hour later we were headed out.

Once dinner was done and he told me to step into the alley to wait for the car to take us to our next destination, his mask fell off. Memories became fragmented after the first blow to the back of my head. I fell forward, hitting the brick of the building. I heard Gavin shouting, unsure if it was at me or not. I kept trying to see our attackers. The next fragment was Gavin standing over me, hitting my face repeatedly, calling me names and telling me tonight was the night. It was my time to die. Mother and father paid someone to take me out, but he wanted his fun first. He lost so much because of me. He deserved so much more than he got, and he was going to get it. I remember the words ‘heat’ and ‘gang rape’ and something about him getting a turn. My final thoughts were of my Poppy, and I hoped I would get to see him again. Then it all went black.

The next time I woke up, there was an omega sitting beside me. “I’m Owen and you’re OK. Mako will be here soon, and he’ll take care of everything.” I tried to sit up to get a better look at where I was. It didn’t smell familiar, and I hurt. I hurt all over. My face felt like it was on fire and my body was hot and wet. The Owen person put his hand on my shoulder and pushed me back down. “You’re in heat sweetie, you need to be as still as possible.” I jerked away from him to the edge of the bed. My stomach protested and I threw up. I heard other voices then too. I just couldn’t make out what they were saying. As I faded in and out, I felt my body being moved around. I’m pretty sure I was put in a shower. Why would they bother to wash me if they were sent to kill me? What did it matter if I was dirty when I died?

The next time I came to I was alone. Different bed, unfamiliar room. The room not only smelled different, but it also smelled like home. It smelled like Poppy. Spicy, musky, earthy and, most of all, safe. I wanted to roll in the scent and stay there forever. If that was the last thing I ever smelled, I was OK with it. My body was still damp and hot. My cock was hard as stone and leaking like a faucet. I put my hand under the covers and discovered that I was naked this time. I decided that my last act in this life was going to be to come all over my killer’s bed. Gripping my cock in my fist, I tried to pump as fast as possible. Who knew how long I had? Fuck, nothing. All I was doing was pissing my dick off. It grew hard to the point of pain. I had to find something to ease the pain my body felt. I knew what I needed. I just hoped they would kill me before it got that far. Heat or not, giving myself over to an alpha I wasn’t in love with went against everything I prayed to the goddess for.

I made it out of the bed and hobbled across to the door. Who knew trying to walk with a dick this hard actually caused more pain? I could feel my slick running down my thighs. I moaned at the thought of leaving a slime trail across the room. Gross, but still amusing. Sending up one of my worthless prayers, I gripped the knob and turned. The door eased open, and I was staring at a simple room. Basic functional furniture, a few photos and a television. 3 other doors in the walls of the room. I headed for the first door, directly to my right. Bathroom. I went to the sink and turned on the cold water. Splashing a bit on my face and drinking my fill made me feel a little better. I even considered running the cold water over my dick but decided it would be a waste of time. Exiting the bathroom and continuing my quest of right turns, I tried the next door. Nothing. It was locked. I assumed that was the way out and there would be armed guards on the other side of the door. I slowly backed away, hoping no one heard me trying to open it. I didn’t mind dying, but I wasn’t sure I could take more pain as punishment. My back landed against the 3 rd door and my senses were assaulted by that smell again. This time, it was overwhelming.

For a moment, I forgot about the pain and my heat. My cock was still so hard it hurt but was manageable. With a shaking hand, I opened the door. Before me was a simple bedroom. Cream-colored walls and a king-size bed covered in a brown striped comforter. The nightstands and dressers matched the bed perfectly. Photos and personal items sprinkled around the room told the tale of a life lived with love. Pictures of men were all over the walls in different states of dress and poses. Swimming, eating, drinking, working on motorcycles and cars. Of all of them laughing and smiling. There were even a few women sprinkled in the mix. They were even smiling and had their arms draped around other women and some men. They were a family. That caused more pain than both my beating and my heat combined. Just like my books, they were a tease. Showing me what I could never have. The curtain billowed a bit and drew my attention. On the other side of the bed was a cracked open window. The breeze blew across the bed and kicked the most delicious smell my senses had ever encountered. My cock throbbed and my hole pulsed, sending another wave of slick down my thighs. Stumbling forward, I fell onto the bed. The scent of the comforter enveloped me as I lost all coherent thought. Writhing in the middle of the bed, I fisted my cock as hard as I could and with my other hand, I shoved 2 fingers into my hole as deep as I could reach, trying to get a bit of relief. Scenes from one of my books rolled through my mind as I tried my best to get myself off.

I was so lost I didn’t hear the doors open or the boots making their way around the rooms. The first thing I realized was a deep growl, and a silk lined deep voice. “Owen… OUT!” I froze. While I tried to focus my eyes on who was speaking, I heard another growl. “MINE!” A quick squeak, a slamming door, and I was alone with that voice. With the owner of the smell.

Mako

“You sure you can handle this Mako?” that made the 3 rd time Owen ask the same damn question in one flight of stairs.

“Yes, Owen, I can manage being around an omega in heat. Not the first time, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. I didn’t touch you, did I?” I was in the room with him when he went into his first heat after coming to us. Doc said we had to time his cycles before he could determine which suppressants to put him on.

“Oh, I remember, boss. But you know what I don’t remember?” was his attitude getting snarkier or was I just being irritable?

“What’s that Owen? Do tell.” Oh yeah, it was me. I had to snap right back.

“Well, I don’t remember you sweating, shaking and breathing heavy when I was in heat. You almost look sick, Mako. Something I should worry about?” He was right. I didn’t go through all this when he was in heat. I’d never felt this way, even being in a room touching an omega in heat. Something was off and I didn’t know what it was. Maybe I was coming down with something. Maybe I should avoid Theodore and head back to the couch in my office and sleep it off. While my mind was deciding, my body moved on its own. It wasn’t turning back. I’m sure I could have forced the issue, but I realized I didn’t want to. I wanted to discover the origin of that smell. Not the heat, the underlying floral smell. The one that smelled like home.

Digging my keys out of my pocket was more difficult than I thought. Something I had done thousands of times seemed to elude me. My fingers had a hard time working, so it took longer than I ever imagined it would. Once the door opened and the smell hit me full force, I couldn’t control the growl that erupted from my chest. Even Owen stepped back from me, eyes wide. I hoped he was more surprised than afraid, but I could not control it. I headed straight to the guest room and threw the door open wide. “Where is he, Owen?”

“That’s where we put him Mako, he was passed out, man. No way he got out of here, I swear.” He turned and headed to the other rooms. I saw him open my bedroom door, and he froze. “Fuuuccckkk.” I stepped behind Owen and looked over him to my bed. “Mako, I’m sorry, man. I’ll get him out of here right now. This is too much, even for you.”

I put my hand on his shoulder and growled, “Out.”

“But Mako, he’s…” he stumbled to find the right words.

Growling louder, “Owen. OUT!” I felt him jump. A part of me knew I scared him that time, but I couldn’t find it in me to care. “MINE!” I just stared at the frozen body in the middle of my bed.

“Fuck boss. OK, but we’ll be here if you need us. I’ll call Bear.” That was the last thing I heard from him as the door slammed shut.