Elise

The pain under my feet only increases the longer I struggle over the debris of the woods I'm running through. It's so dark that I can barely see anything, but my eyes have adjusted enough for me to make out the general shapes of things which is a small miracle.

I can hear voices shouting behind me, and although I can feel myself weakening I push forward. For all I know I could be running in a complete circle but I have to try to get away. By some miracle, my guard was drunk and stumbling when he came for me today, and maybe I was crazy to try and get away but here we are. He may have been easy to fight off this time, but if they catch me he won't make that mistake again. This is my one chance.

The universe must have seen how desperate I was because not only had I been able to get away from my guard but it was like a path was opened for me. I still have no idea how I got through that maze of hallways and to an exit without anyone seeing me. Of course, it could be because of the auctions going on, but still, I like to think this was fate.

I can not accept this was meant to be the life I was supposed to live. There has to be something more for me out there than being sold to a greedy Alpha who simply wants me for breeding and taking care of his every want.

To become a simple possession...

No. That can't be my life. I want what Haven Center promised me when I was sent to them. I want a pack that will love and cares for me as every Omega deserves. So why did this happen to me?

"Kane! Calm down! We need to bring her back unharmed." I hear some yell from somewhere behind me, and I gasp because they sound way too close.

I've slowed down and hadn't realized it. My legs and feet feel almost numb, but I can't stop.

"That fucking bitch attacked me. She'll be lucky to be alive when I'm through with her." Kane's angry voice makes me shudder and not in a good way.

The man has tormented me for the two years I've been locked in that cage. I'm not exaggerating either, it was a literal cage. one they use for large animals, but not built for a human to survive in. You would think it would be important for them to keep us in better shape so we would look more appealing at auction, but no. The men who kept us barely fed us and they hosed us down to clean us once a week. We were treated no better than the worst treated animals.

Tonight, I was finally going to be presented. I turned twenty-one only a few days ago, and that means as an Omega I'm fully mature. Omegas can not begin producing children until the age of Twenty-one, and a mature Omega is highly sought after in this world.

Thanks to greed and the darkness of the world, Omegas have become so few. That's why most reside or are sent to Haven Center to learn about our role in the pack, but also to protect us as we move to maturity. I was sent there after my parents were murdered and remained there until two years ago. I had picked a pack, but not ten minutes out of Haven was I drugged and I woke up in that place.

Haven was supposed to keep me safe and provide Omegas with packs that have been thoroughly checked out. So how did that pack slip through? I've asked myself that question many times.

"There she is." Kane's growling voice sounds as if it's right in my ear.

I quickly swivel my head side to side but it's still too dark. How is he seeing me?

While I'm too distracted by fear I don't notice a root lifted from the ground. My foot catches on it and my whole body jolts forward and I'm not fast enough to stop my fall. I go down hard, so hard that I can't even scream. My head slams onto the ground and everything goes dark.

When I come to I feel a heavy weight on top of me. I blink my eyes several times, but my vision is blurry and it's too dark to make out anything. What I do feel is warm breath against my neck and a low growl that sounds all too familiar.

"You thought you could run from me?" A deeper more threatening growl comes from him and a pathetic whimper escapes me.

I hate how scared of him I am. I wish I was braver...

"Please..." I beg since I don't know how else to save myself.

"You know, I'm going to get my ass handed to me for letting you get away. Maybe I'll tell them you got away, and keep you all to myself. They'll fire me but at least I'll have my consolation prize." I feel his nose run along the side of my face and he pulls in a deep breath. "You smell delicious. I can see why you Omegas drive those Alpha assholes crazy."

Kane is a beta, as are all the other guards who looked after the Omegas at the auction house. It was to keep us from being used before we are sold, but with Kane, it didn't matter. he's one of those Betas that feels entitled to be seen just as big and bad as an Alpha.

"Kane come on man, let her go." I hear one of the other men say.

Am I completely surrounded?

I bink my eyes open again but it's still so dark I can't see a thing...how are they doing all this in total darkness.

"Shit, she's bleeding man. We need to get her back. No one is going to want damaged goods." Yet another guy says.

I jerk my head to the side as Kane trails his nose down my throat.

"Kane!" One of the men yells and Kane lets out a frustrated sound.

I feel the weight lift from me and I suck in several desperate breaths. Kane's scent had surrounded me so quickly that I felt like I could barely breathe. His scent always did that to me.

A strange click sound echos in the silence and a second later a loud bang calls out. I gasp and scramble back from where I had fallen. My eyes can't seem to focus no matter how hard I blink, but I don't have time to focus on that. I need to run.

I turn onto all fours and push myself to my feet. There is a pain radiating from my ankle and up my leg, but not so bad that I can't walk. So I ignore it for now and try to keep myself upright. It's so dark! I start running as best I can in the same direction that I had fallen hoping it's taking me away from Kane. My shoulder slams into something hard and I feel the rough bark of a tree as it scrapes against my bare shoulder. I bit back a pained sound as it cuts into my skin, but I keep running.

Thundering footfalls come from behind me again but from the sound, it's only one person. Kane.

"Starburst! You can't run from me forever. Those men won't take you away from me now!" He calls out.

Oh god...did he kill those men?

He won't kill me though right? He wants me for himself. Maybe...maybe I should just go with him.

For a second I consider giving in, but another sound catches my attention. This time it's coming from ahead of me. Since it's too dark, I focus on my hearing and change directions slightly to follow the sound. A familiar sound of a car horn sends my heart racing. This is my way out! If I can flag someone down, maybe I can get far enough away that Kane won't be able to find me. As the sound that is now unmistakable as cars driving over a road gets closer I expect to be able to see more of my surroundings. Yet, it's still dark as night and I'm forced to stumble along my current path and pray I'll see something soon.

"Elise! Stop!" Kane yells out but I ignore him.

I hold my hands out in front of me and focus on touch to lead me out of the trees and to the road. it doesn't take long for my hands to reach out and feel nothing but air, and as soon as I do I also notice the ground is inclining slightly. Stumbling again from not being able to see and from the sudden change I use my hands to feel around the ground and climb up the embankment. My fingers brush along a rough surface that feels different from the uneven feel of the ground from a moment ago. This must be the road. Pushing myself forward I feel more and more of the rough surface on my hands and soon on my knees as well.

Once I don't feel the forest ground beneath my feet anymore I push myself to my feet and frantically look from side to side for any cars that may be passing by.

Why can't I see anything?

The quick movements make me feel dizzy and I sway on my feet for a moment. My stomach rolls and I feel a strong urge to throw up, but I bite it back.

Kane is still coming...what do I do?

I hear his stomping feet growing closer, so I run further onto the road just as I hear a car in the distance.

If there is a car then there should be some sort of light, right? Why can't I see it?

A hand grabs me roughly and I cry out in shock. My eyes search for something...anything but it's like I'm completely blind.

"You are making things way harder than they need to be starburst. Now come with me, or you'll regret it." Kane hisses at me.

As threats go it's pretty predictable but in my current state, it's effective. I'm so disoriented and feeling even more nauseous and dizzy by the second.

He starts to pull me away from the road but I'm not ready to give up just yet. There is a car coming, so this could be my chance. I pull against him to try and get myself free and he must not have expected it because his grip slips and I fall back and onto the ground. Scrambling to my feet I run further into the street and start waving my hands in the air.

"Help! Please stop!" I cry and it's soon followed by a scream when Kane wraps himself around my back and covers my mouth with his hand.

"Shut the hell up bitch! Let's go!" He starts to drag me away again and I fight and thrash as much as I can.

The sound of the tires against the graveled ground grows closer and the sound of someone slamming on the breaks rings out around us. Kane puls me harder and tries to move us faster, but I hear doors slamming and several voices start yelling.

"Let her go!" Someone calls out and from the amount of authority behind his words I know what he is.

An Alpha.

Crap! This might have been a mistake.

"Fuck off, this has nothing to do with you," Kane yells back while continuing to drag me off.

"I said stop!" Another voice calls out and this one is cold and too calm.

Kane slows and I feel him tense up.

What's happening?

"Shit." He hisses under his breath before he moves the arms around my waist away. "I said Fuck...off."

Silence follows.