Ariadne hasn't taken a bus since she was eleven. She nervously clutches the transportation card she'd gotten from the convenience store across the street.She remembers once, a long time ago, when their family car had broken down, her Omega mother had to take the bus into town.Ariadne went along so she could help carry things. It turned out to be a wonderful day. They'd gotten lost and ended up at the park. They had ice cream on the benches and talked about the future.And Ariadne had told her mother that she wanted to open a restaurant."F*ck," she hisses under her breath. She's losing it.She doesn't know why her heart's about to burst, rapidly pounding in her chest. She's getting paranoid. What if someone recognizes her? What if someone realizes she doesn't belong with the rest of these ordinary, functioning people?"Ma'am, are you getting on?"The Omega looks up, startled to see a bus pulled up in front of her, the driver looking down at her curiously. Ariadne scrambles up the st
Victor Erickson is a coin; on his face, a man in recovery; on the other side, unbelievable hunger. Every iteration of him sits on a throne overruling hell, except one.His sole salvation, the one version of him that’s worth anything at all, is the one that met Ariadne Emerson.Victor opens his eyes, light streaming into the room, bright and painful. It’s morning, one in a long, monotonous series of mornings.He smells coffee wafting in, followed by the sound of soft humming.The Alpha pulls himself out of bed, the cool air giving him goosebumps. He trudges down the hall of the little apartment they’ve rented just for the view of the skyline.Ariadne’s singing to herself as she makes breakfast, in a better mood than last week, when they had to say goodbye to their children when Nathan literally had to tear Ashley out of the Omega’s arms.Ariadne greets him with a kiss and a plate of bacon and eggs. “Take that to the table, baby.”“You’re in a good mood,” Victor notes, carrying the food
Harry pinches his nostrils closed, one hand on the steering wheel as they blast down the highway. "This is reckless. You need to go home."Victor folds his arms, ignoring the boiling in his stomach. "I'm fine for the rest of the day."Harry scoffs. "You're ripe. You smell like the inside of a gym sock—"Why would the older even know what that smells like, to begin with? Victor doesn't say."-- Go Home. Be with Ariadne."Victor doesn't respond. Yes, he really should go be with her right now. And yet—"Let's just find this kid," Victor barks. "What do you have?""It wasn't that hard," Harry says after a long pause spent in quiet contemplation. "We put up a missing person's flier, and the person immediately responded, thinking it was a prank."Victor's face darkens. "So you already have him." No wonder Harry didn't want him tagging along. "What were you planning, you old fool?"Harry laughs mirthlessly. "The night that we went after Gordon when you got shot, what do you remember any of i
Victor's hands are trembling as he sits in his ice bath, dress shirt sheer across his chest. He's trying to read the directions on the back of the extra-strength suppressants that he'd gotten at a dime store. It's been so long since he's taken them that he's not sure if it's two pills every twelve hours or one every eight. His hands won't stay still long enough for him to read it anyway. "F*ck," Victor growls, letting the small package drop to the floor. He's burning, every inch of his skin itchy and inflamed. He's glad Ariadne's asleep, curled in bed without a care in the world, so the Alpha can adequately deal with this before the other wakes up— "What are you doing?" Ariadne's standing in the doorway, rubbing her eyes. How much time has passed? There are stray cubes still melting on the tiles. "Just taking a bath," Victor answers through chattering teeth. "With your clothes still on?" Ariadne takes a groggy step forward, and that's when the smell hits her. The Omega's knee
Victor reminds himself that he's in a meeting, even though all he can think about is how he left Ariadne slumbering just before the sun had risen. The Omega had looked so perfect that he could hardly pull himself away. But the throne waits for no man, and Victor's already taken off three days for his heat, three days filled with magic, fevered dreams, and silk sheets. But it's time to come back to reality. And in this reality, there's a very pressing threat. "No news is good news," Edward hums, running a hand through his silvery locks. His eyes are unreadable. Victor agrees, and yet somehow, he's uneasy. Gordon is not one who would let sleeping dogs lie. Even now, blind and helpless, he's dangerous. He's unpredictable, and most importantly, he doesn't give up. "I guess." Cigar smoke wafts up from the casino below, carrying with it heavy notes of cherry and desperation. The dark wolf stares down for a moment in dispassion. The patrons suffer heart-wrenching losses and saccharine
The windows break overhead, showering the people in shards of jagged glass. Victor ducks under his arm as rain cuts through the sleeves of his suit. He does his best to protect Waylon with his body since the Beta refuses to move.Little metal shells litter the floor, belching out huge plumes of purple, knock-out smoke. It's suffocating, and Victor's hit with a surge of adrenaline. His body wants him to survive, trying to cancel out the effects of the sleeping gas for as long as it can."You can't do this," Victor shouts, covering his mouth with his arm. "We haven't done anything wrong."An officer with a gas mask on points a gun in his face. "Victor Erickson? We're here to apprehend you. You're charged with fifteen counts of homicide, eight counts of grand larceny—"Victor tries his best to fight the man off, but it's useless as the chemicals bond with his receptors. He can barely keep his eyes open as his arms are wrenched behind his back. "You have the right to remain silent; anythi
Ariadne hates the ocean with a passion, the turning of the waves makes her stomach boil. And she’s cold, clutching her jacket and squinting at the horizon, basted in cream oranges and pale yellows.There’s only one safe place for an Alpha on the run, the volcanic island where Black Wolves are made. Ariadne didn’t think she’d ever be coming back here. But such is life, one step forward, two steps back.But what if Victor’s not there?Ariadne pushes the thought away from her head. He has to be there, and if he isn’t, the Omega will comb the entire world looking for him. Not even death could separate them.A person is waiting on the beach, legs folded under him as the waves come dangerously close to washing over him. Ariadne’s heart races, eyes following the horizon and spying on a helicopter on the sand.Ariadne does her best to dock the boat, tears streaming out of her face as she roughly bumps against the pier. The Omega rushes out, and before she can take on a step on land, a body co
They leave the helicopter on the beach, already half-buried by the sea. Ariadne knows they’re not coming back for it. The thing will probably be a home for the crabs before turning into rust and getting swallowed by the sea.Under the cover of night, the five of them set sail for the mainland. Ariadne watches with one eye open as the sea rocks them. All she’s thinking about is not throwing up. It’s not a calm night, storm clouds pouring on them, lightning lighting up the sky.“Are we there yet?”Victor pulls her close, pressing the Omega’s chest to his head. “Almost, baby.”Ariadne takes in deep, calming breaths, Victor’s coffee scent filling her lungs. It helps, allowing the Omega to focus on something else besides the churning of the sea. Edward plops down beside them with a smile.“Why do you look so happy?” Victor asks.The Silver Omega presses a finger to his lips. “Is a secret.”Ariadne sighs, turning ever so slightly so she can have a better view of the other. “How can you smi