Their feet echoed in a spiral tower as they descended the stairs. Again, another chandelier hung above their heads, its crystal beads blinking with stars of light. At the bottom of the tower, there was an open doorway that led into a spacious cathedral dining room. There was a gentle murmur of voices and he noticed that the long dining table was full of others sitting around it. Their conversations ceased as Merrik approached, all eyes falling onto August. 

The hairs on the back of his neck stood up and he resisted the urge to cover his nose from the stench of Them. It was bad enough he felt like a piece of meat before them. 

“Ah, Merrik! Nice of you to join us! We thought you would have been all tangled up with your new pet.” Malacai teased. 

There was a murmur of laughter around the table and August felt a strange uncomfortable twist in his belly. Merrik took the taunt with a straight face. He pulled out a chair and pointed for August to sit, which he did, promptly. Merrik sat down beside him. Before August was an empty plate with more silverware that he felt was necessary and he quickly noticed he was the only one with dining ware. He didn’t think he was going to be able to eat with the rotting stench of Them. 

Malakai continued to talk. “Have you two bonded yet? I expect a grandchild before the year is up.” Again, the male’s around the table chuckled with a darkness that made nausea swell in his stomach. He jumped when an arm reached beside him, took up the empty plate and replaced it with a plate laden with eggs, sausage links and what appeared to be potatoes. Between the smell of the food and the stench of Them, he couldn’t possibly eat. 

“No, Father.” Merrik told him and the older Infected’s face changed drastically. He gave his son a hard look. 

“Is he not to your liking? I would have thought having a human mate would be perfect. I have heard that the blood of Alphas is an aphrodisiac. Perhaps I’ll give him to someone else.”

August barely had time to react before he was yanked from his chair and brought onto the floor. Above him, a faint smell of Omega caught his nose and he froze. The other was undoing their pants, panting with excitement. He struggled, eyes shifting to Merrik in the hopes to see the other moving to help him but Merrik remained sitting at the table, not looking at him. His stomach dropped. He should have known he was on his own in this place.