"Lady Amanda, he won't budge. There isn't much more we can do to him without killing him."

Lady Amanda was livid. She knew that she did an excellent job training Christos to become the perfect soldier but she didn't realize how well a job she did. She never even entertained the idea that Christos would ever disobey her. He was obedient from the start. He didn't know how to disobey. It wasn't in her nature.

It was a careless mistake, one that she'd have to rectify. 

"Tell Grimwell to prepare injection B636. It's time we test out its effects."

"Yes, right away."

The young Alpha was exhausted and in pain, but he felt a certain victory when they gave up torturing, realizing that whatever they did to him would not affect him. Of course, that was thanks to all of his training. 

Those years of torture had finally paid off and the Alpha was able to protect someone that was important to him. 

The humans couldn't break him. He wouldn't let them.

"Christos, you have been an incredible pain. But that ends now. You will knot the Omega. And you know why?"

Christos looked up from his position sprawled out on the ground, to the familiar black pumps, long pale legs, to ice blue eyes. Lady Amanda smirked down at him. Beside her stood one of the white coats with a syringe full of red liquid. Betas came to restrain the Alpha as the white coat leaned down to inject the substance into his blood stream.

Christos howled in frustration and pain. He had built an immunity to most of the drugs that he had been injected with but the first time always hit him hard. This drug was not something that they've tested on him before, so he was vulnerable to its effects. 

"Do you know why I chose tonight?"

Christos screamed. He could feel the burning sensation in his veins like acid, making its way around his body. 

"Tonight, Asaiya Lupa goes into heat. Not an induced heat, the real deal. Do you know what that means Christos?" Lady Amanda grinned wildly. "It means that his call to you is going to be stronger than ever."

As she whispered those words, the effects of the drug they injected him with started to take effect. Unbearable lust overran the Alpha like nothing he had ever experienced. It drove his instincts wild, he had no control over his body. And the worst part was, his mind was still intact. He could feel everything his body did, but could not stop it.

When they threw him in the cell with Asa, the Alpha wanted to cry. For the first time in years, the Alpha was brought to tears. He tried to stay away from the Omega who was curled into a ball, shivering from the lust brought by his estrous cycle. But the thick, heavy, sweet smell was much too intense for the Alpha to resist.

The Omega lifted his head at the commotion, immediately concerned for the Alpha that was shaking in the corner. He looked like he was in pain and that alarmed the Omega. 

"Christos?"

The Alpha bit his tongue, his claws had grown and imbedded themselves in the skin of his thighs. He was naked and very close to losing what little control he had over himself, but if Asa continued to creep closer, there was no way he could fight it.

"Christos what's wrong? What did they do to you?"

His voice was getting closer and the Alpha's tears came faster.

He knew.

He knew that there was no way he could fight it. He was going to destroy the Omega and it was killing him inside. 

"Hey, talk to me," the Omega said softly, brushing the long braids away from the Alpha's face. 

And that touch was enough. The lust overwhelmed the Alpha, especially with the Omega's heady scent wafting directly into his nostrils. 

Christos became a monster. 

With a ferocity that challenged all of the Betas' strength combined, the Alpha threw the Omega to the ground, digging his claws into the soft skin of his hips, a desperately thrusted forward, trying to bury his fully formed know inside the Omega. 

"What are you doing? Stop it! Let go of me! Christos, you're hurting me!" the Omega screamed, trying to crawl away, but there was no way he was escaping the Alpha's grasp. It didn't take long for the Omega to figure out what the Alpha was trying to do and that awareness broke the Omega's heart.

"Please, Christos! Stop! Stop it!" The Omega cried. 

His hands. They were vicious, clawing at the Omegas hips, raking them along his skin until rivulets of blood stained the Omega's creamy skin. The Alpha's eyes were wild and bright. Too bright. Filled with a never ending river of tears. 

"Christos please!" The Omega begged, crying himself.

It was when the Alpha managed to forcefully shove his knot inside the Omega that the Omega let out a bloodcurdling scream that shook the bars on every cell.

The nearby Omegas moaned and cried as they listened to Asaiya be taken against his will.

When the Alpha passed out and the humans dragged his unconscious body out of the cell, kicking away the broken Omega seething with hate and betrayal, did it become official.

The unshakeable bond between the Alpha and the Omega had shattered.

Chapter Nine

It's become a habit now, to wake up like this. Christos was curled around my legs, hugging my waist completely under the covers and sleeping peacefully. 

All of his bandages had been removed but he was still feeling sick and throwing up which is why I insisted that he stay until he was all better. I was glad he recovered so quickly. The pups were too, running amuck inside me whenever their Papa had a bandage removed. They were only calm when their Papa was asleep, curled around them. It was adorable. 

I can only imagine how excited they'll be a week from now. 

At our Mating Ceremony.

I talked to Drew and Sherry about it we've been planning ever since. I even got a little help from Melrose and Cal. Everyone was so excited, well except for Christos because he still had no idea. Once he was released from the hospital tomorrow, I'd tell him. 

Christos stirred, blinking his eyes open and planting kisses onto my stomach. The pups all pushed toward their Papa's kisses as if they were giving him some of their own. 

"Keep it up and I'm going to throw up," I joked. 

He crawled above me and placed a kiss onto my forehead. 

"Drew went home finally," I told my Alpha. He was sleeping when Sherry came to tell me. I thought that he might want to know. 

"That is good. Kai will be happy."

I nodded. 

"And Drew said we could use his Den for when the pups came," I grinned excitedly. 

Christos smiled. 

I've been seeing him smile a lot more lately. I think he smiled more in this one week than he has in his entire life. It made me happy to know that I was the one making him smile.

We both freshened up, got dressed, ate breakfast, and Christos had his wounds checked. He was all good to go.

"Just one more night for observation and then you go home sometime tomorrow morning," one of the Omegas told us. 

I was ecstatic. 

So Christos and I spent the rest of the day just talking about our future plans. He spoke to Kai about our own place and apparently he already had a house built for us in the South Omega Keep. Our Community was rebuilding underground so the humans couldn't pick us off as easily as before. How long would it fend them off? I'm not sure, but it was a better idea than just sitting out in the open and waiting for them to pick us off. They may outnumber us, but we're not helpless. And besides, they needed us alive, not dead, which means they can't be as reckless as they want. They had to infiltrate our society which was harder said than done. Especially since we're on high alert now.

Christos was telling me about the house. How big it was. How all the pups would have their own room, and how Kai had a greenhouse built in the backyard with artificial sunlight so Christos could grow his flowers. It was incredibly thoughtful and Christos was brimming with excitement. Something I've never seen before.

Though I was starting my life with Christos, there was a part of me that was still worried about Asher. Even though I wasn't in love with the Alpha now, I was before. And I was scared for him. I wanted him safe and home, not in the enemy territory. Asher was strong, I knew that. But anyone would break under the severe torture the humans inflict. 

Please let him be safe.

The next morning, after Christos's final checkup, he was released. Sherry stopped us before we could leave and insisted that I get one of my own. I let him do as he pleased and was also happy that Christos would be able to see the pups with the ultrasound. 

Christos was in awe. His eyes were glued to the screen as Sherry waved the wand over my stomach. It was a beautiful experience and I'm glad that I was able to share it with Christos. He deserved to see his pups. 

Sherry gave us a printout and we were on our way, holding hands and ready to face the world: together. 

"Can we see the garden now?" I asked my beloved. 

Christos nodded, taking us in a different direction. He helped me through the forest until we reached the beautiful garden of lilies. 

Christos used to work on them daily, so the few weeks of neglect showed in the wilting of some flowers, but the majority of them still stayed bright and mesmerizing. 

"It's so beautiful Christos. Magical really," I whispered in awe.

"They are my connection to you. All of these feelings that you bring from me, all that I don't understand, I put into these flowers."

I threw myself into his arms, hugging him tightly around the neck. 

"I love you so much Christos."

"I-I l-love you as well," Christos said tentatively, as if he weren't sure he was saying the right thing. I didn't doubt him though. I knew that he loved me. Everyone knew that he loved me. 

I'd help him understand what he was feeling. Everything he was feeling. The good, the bad, everything. I'll spend the rest of my life showing him what it feels like to live. 

"Can I...kiss you?" Christos asked. He was looking down, clearly unsure of himself or how I would react to the request. 

I laughed at him.

"You don't have to ask anymore."

"But I wish not to upset you."

"Christos, I'll be upset if you don't kiss me."

He glanced down at my lips before looking me deep in the eyes. His face bent toward mine slowly, still asking permission. The suspense was driving me crazy but I didn't push him. He needed this. He needed to know that it was okay now. That I wouldn't hate him anymore.

When his lips finally touched mine, I was happy. So happy because this was the introduction to our future. There would be so many more of these and the thought of that made me giddy. 

"Let's get back, I want to start packing for our new home," I grinned. 

Christos nodded, offering his hand again. I took it gladly. We began our long trek back to the hideout when we were stopped. 

A human boy with a mop of red curls, no older than ten, approached us. 

Christos stopped us immediately and shoved me partially behind him. His red eyes were narrowed on the human child. 

Around the boy's neck were several wires of reds, blues, yellows, and black, attached to the thick gray vest he wore. They were daunting. 

It all happened so fast.

The boy pressed his fingers to his chest and Christos leaped, tackling me to the ground. An explosion sent us flying. 

I slammed into a tree, hearing the bones in my hips snap, before crumpling to the ground where my leg began to burn. 

I screamed in pain.

"Asa!"

Christos was bleeding from a cut on his forehead but otherwise seemed okay. I couldn't say the same for myself. My entire body was in excruciating agony. 

Christos scooped me up and started running. I wasn't sure where he was going and my vision kept blurring, but I fought to stay awake. Though at some point I must have lost that battle because when I opened my eyes, we were somewhere unfamiliar.

"Where...are...we?" I panted. It was so hard to breath, let alone speak. It took all of my strength just to do so.

"Sh...don't...Drew's Den...help... stay awake." I saw Christos's lips moving but my hearing kept going in an out. I was only catching a few words here and there. 

I saw him pull up a phone and tried to listen to what he was saying.

"Asa...hurt...left leg...hip...shattered...still bleeding...pups...labor."

My pups?

I tried to tilt my head to look at my stomach but it was so heavy, I couldn't move it. My ears started ringing and my body was going numb.

Suddenly, I felt a weird vibration run through my body. It made me dizzy. It felt somewhat familiar but I'm sure I've never felt it before. 

Was this?

Am I?

In labor?