“I’m going to need my old job back again.”

“Done,” I said without the slightest hesitation.

“Is that Jace?” another voice said, more distant, one that nearly took me to my fucking knees.

“Jace!” Dane tried to cut me off as I walked straight out into the street. “Fuck,” he muttered when I just brushed past him. With more cursing, I heard Ryder, Dane, and the rest of my men falling into step.

“I’m coming to get you,” I said. I didn’t know if she could hear me. She was here, near, so fucking close, and I’d take down every fucking person here if I needed to get to her. “Tell me where I need to go.”

“Where are you?” That was Art again.

“I’m about to walk in the front,” I said.

The alarm was still blazing, and if anyone was evacuating, it wasn’t out the main entrance. There were cops outside, the real ones, with badges and guns. Two cop cars were parked diagonally with the uniformed plebs standing around, making like they were doing important cop things.

We had the badges and guns too, but they wouldn’t stand up to a close inspection. Our police logo vests were legitimate—it paid to have the right friends.

There was only one rule to infiltration like this, and that was to walk in like you had every right to be there. Show hesitation or weakness, move with anything but purpose, and you might as well throw up a red flag. It helped that the Beta Zone also had several teams of turncoat bastard alphas who they called on for particularly messy jobs…which this wasn’t, but I was still going to walk right the fuck in like I owned the damn place.

One beta cop made the mistake of moving like he was going to step in my path. I just walked right into him, shoulder checking him and sending the arsehole reeling. I’d seen the real Alpha Control in action, and my behaviour was on point. Right on cue, the cops turned around and got back in their cars, obviously thinking we had shit covered.

“Step aside, milksop,” Dane said.

Ryder’s chuckle was gold and added to the image of badass motherfucker cops with a mile wide chip on their shoulders.

Sloane

If I were still a beta, I’d have had questions, so many questions. What the hell were the men in the Dawn Agency going to do with me? Why was this barman here and helping me? But I wasn’t a beta anymore, I was an omega—one who’d found her alpha.

The alarm ceased abruptly, and the absence of sound was replaced by a ringing in my head. My shoulders slumped, releasing a subconscious layer of tension.

“Come on,” said the barman turned orderly guy, who I’d learned was called Art. “That’s our cue.”

“Where are we going?” I asked.

He didn’t answer, just took my hand and half dragged me along the weirdly empty corridor. He stopped at a T-junction, poking his head around the corner, then tugged me after him. Rapid steps took us to the stairwell, where he opened the door, took another quick look, and pulled me in after him. “We need to be fast.”

From above came the sounds of heavy booted feet, and it galvanised me into action. As we burst out the emergency door at the reception level, I come to an abrupt stop. The handle left my nerveless fingers and shut with a clatter.

There were people here, cops, orderlies, and others in regular clothes. I barely paid them any mind as I watched three men approach, but I only had eyes for one. Even with that blacked out visor, I knew instantly who it was. Had he always been so freaking massive, a picture of masculine strength? Huge biceps flexing under his thin shirt, thick thighs stuffed into his jeans, he prowled closer like a goddamn panther, and when he got close, he growled like one.

“Omega…”

Just a warning, that was all I got as he towered over me, exuding those dizzying alpha pheromones. I felt the occupants of the reception turn toward him, drawn like I was.

“Sloane.”

The helmet came off, passed to someone with him. My eyes flicked up, meeting his, my already rubbery knees giving out when his gaze sliced into me. He hadn’t even touched me, said little other than my name, but I was being completely and utterly owned. His fingers twitched, like he wanted to reach out and grab me as I wavered, a small whine escaping my lips at the thought. His arm wrapped around my waist, dragging me in close.

“Sloane, I—”

“Please.”

That’s all I could force out, the drugs, the pain inside me, his scent, everything, it all rose and rose, my eyes aching with unshed tears as my body started to spasm again, then he swept in and made it all better. I was lifted into his arms, not even having to bear the weight of my own body anymore, let alone anything else, and then, while I was hugged close, a sound reverberated through me.

He was purring.

Long, slow, rumbling exhalations that vibrated through every cell, commanding them to give up and give in, to let it all go—the pain, the confusion, the fear, the centre, all of it. This was what alphas did, I realised. We had assumed it was a kind of brutalisation, poor omegas forced to submit against their will, when really, they provided a place for us to surrender. That was what I wanted and needed right now. I didn’t want the pain, I didn’t want to carry this anymore. I just wanted him.

“I’ve got you, Sloane. I’ve got you,” he said, so I shifted slightly, burying my nose in the crook of his neck and sucking his scent down, feeling every pain starting to fade.

Of course when my defences were down, that’s when they arrived, didn’t they?

“Heads up, Jace,” one of the men said. “We’ve got company.”

I went to look up, but a strong hand held me where I was, cradling me softly, yet I could feel the tension in his arm.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going?”

His voice contained all the power, all the punch of an alpha, but where Jace’s was roughened silk, his was dripping poison.

Snake.

I forced my head up, despite Jace’s hiss, and saw the big, blond alpha standing there, looking at the two of us with a lethal expression.

“I paid good fucking money for that girl,” he said. “Don’t be thinking that you’re going to waltz off into the sunset with her.”

“Ah, Snake…” one of the men that brought me here stammered. “We haven’t agreed to anything. The money was for a preview, to give you an opportunity to imprint her, make her ask for you.”

“Too fucking late there,” Jace replied in a smug tone. The other occupants of the reception shifted uneasily. The men who had accompanied Jace were moving seamlessly into position like wolves separating the pack. People were ushered out, doors were locked, alphas taking positions to ensure no one interfered. “I dunno if she’ll choose me in the end, but she’s choosing me now. Try again next time, fuckstick. Seriously, I told you what would happen if I caught you trying this bullshit with the omegas again. Ryder.”

“Here.”

I shrunk back in Jace’s arms at the appearance of the other man, something that seemed to trouble him.

“I need you to look after Sloane for me.” He glanced down at me when I tensed, then stared into my eyes. “Ryder will take care of you while I sort this out, then you’ll be safe.”

I didn’t need safe, I needed him, but he put me down, the two other alphas surrounding me in a wall of muscle. Their combined scents were reassuring but not comforting, not like his, which I thought they sensed.

“You stupid fucking prick,” Jace snarled. “Can’t get an omega legitimately, so you pull this shit? I always wondered how you kept getting your claws into them, and now I fucking know.” His gaze swivelled to fixate on the beta orderlies. “And you little weaselly bastards… I’ll be coming for you next.” He yanked his Kevlar vest off, followed by his shirt, revealing every well muscled inch of him, and tossed it to the ground, Ryder moving to scoop the fabric up. He thrust it into my arms, my muscles relaxing somewhat in response to the scent there.