Born Claimed: A Dark Omegaverse Romance (Broken Angel Book 2) Read online

  He couldn’t comprehend what had happened to his pack. They had sought to take down Cassian and his Ouroboros slave traders. They didn’t realize it would create more chaos.

  They went through hell to get her back. In the end, they failed. The alphas lost her… He could never forgive himself for that.

  Night after night, he begged, even lowered his pride to plead with the guards. She was his special girl, he said. She was the one that would bring peace to a chaotic and disgusting world.

  Of course, no one gave a fuck about real change. Power, lies, and corruption were the backbone of any great nation. As soon as Ruby’s faction of the coalition took the cities away from Cassian’s army of slave trader hounds, Killian knew the system would keep him in darkness until the end of days.

  Grinding his teeth, he felt dizzy. He sat and faced the cold metal bars that defined his new existence. Running his hand over the long hair that shrouded his once-shaved head, he let out a loud sigh and struggled to hold back the tears rolling against his eyelids.

  He reached underneath his cot to find the ring he had kept hidden for her. When the three of them got out of this place, he decided, they would propose to her. An old-fashioned gesture, maybe. But it felt important to him now. Once they found her again, they’d never leave her side.

  “No amount of struggle can bring her back,” he said, pocketing the ring.

  If the guards heard his words, they would have prodded him with electric poles. They would rape and torture his alpha counterparts, forcing him to watch and listen to the sounds of tearing flesh. He’d had enough of the coppery smell of spilled blood. Any more of it would cause him to break into a million pieces.

  How could he have been so weak? It was a question he asked himself over and over again. Killian blamed his folly on his orphaned upbringing. Without a real family, he relied on random acts of violence. So, when he fell into the arms of that phenomenal omega, he barely knew how to take the gushy feelings inside his heart.

  He thought he was doing the right thing by bringing her to that copy of a twin sister. With the city undergoing another round of firebombs and wondrous devastation, he had no choice but to comply with the new regime’s wishes. The coalition of states reached an agreement and the New Republic put in place. Ruby was the one poised to lead. It only made sense that she got rid of the evidence of their devastating lives before the coronation ceremony began.

  His counterparts were taken and beaten half to death. Together, they were thrown into neighboring cells, issued the front end of electrical prods whenever they voiced their pain, and left in the darkness. The only light that came through his cell was from a small crack within the concrete ceiling.

  Because the guards were trained to have the hearing of wolves, every murmur was met with extreme force. Quickly, they came to understand the power of silence, and the men lost track of one another. They were subdued and controlled, subjugated to the guards’ whims. But Killian dreamt of her every single fucking day.

  Father, you must understand. The memories of her will set me free…

  Closing his eyes, he saw her beautiful face, as stunning as a holy icon hanging in a cathedral. He heard her voice. “Killian,” she sang. “Everything is about to come together.”

  The thought of her wrecked him. That soft, supple hourglass body would tempt any alpha, but it made his cock grow against his thigh. As the rigid bone coursed through the hairs of his leg, he let out a deep and pained moan. He thought of her creamy ass and the way it felt with his sweet spanking on her youthful skin. And now that she was a mother, she was a well-nested omega. He saw the gleam in her eye. Her wisdom... it would grow in time. And as he allowed himself the privileged of becoming protector of his family, so, too, would his urge be to break her in half in a way only a husband could.

  “Will I ever leave this prison?”

  Three seconds was all it took, three seconds that seemed to last for an eternity. A quick and sudden explosion took him by surprise. Killian anticipated every opportunity for escape, but when the unexpected explosion came, he was slammed back against the cell. Exhaling bits of dirt and shattered concrete, Killian lurched forward and let out an exasperated cry.

  “Rae!”

  Unable to use his sight, he used his hands to search the ground for a path forward. It was almost as if he thought he could find her there, as if she would be waiting near the rubble and flame, as if she would lovingly scoop him into her arms and cure him of his ills.

  “Rae! Please…”

  Images of the past ran through his mind like a silent film. He could smell her, feel her warm and smooth body against his. However, the devils of his mind enjoyed toying with every hope and fear he whispered in the corners of his empty cell. Now, he could escape, but even that allowance was another measure of false hope.

  After the dust settled, Killian forced his eyes open despite the pain and harsh ringing that swelled against his eardrums. An opening within the walls allowed the pure light of the sun to pour in like clear water from a fresh spring. Voices—he heard voices next. They called to him over the frantic sounds of warning sirens.

  “Friends, citizens, countrymen! We must take our lives back from the corrupt! We must bow our heads, not to the state, but to the one who feels our collective pain! Behold—Rae…”

  For the first time, Killian lifted his eyes and witnessed the new world. Freshly constructed skyscrapers ushered in the feelings of promise. The subway cars, once run down and screeching with age, ran smoothly. There were barely any remnants from the assault they nearly lost their lives in.

  “What the fuck…”

  Killian crawled forward. He was in danger of being caught, but the sight was too grand for his mind to grasp. Built into the windows of the opulent towers were wide television screens. Staring back at him from above was Rae, his one true love and mother of the angelic children they created. He couldn’t believe it…

  Strategically held with military grade cables, she floated soundlessly inside an artificial womb. Her eyes were open as her life hung on a thread. She seemed to stare directly into Killian’s eyes.

  “My God… no…”

  Killian hurriedly blinked and walked out of the rubble. Now, he could see a preacher on the street corner was the one speaking to an uninterested crowd. “My friends—the sinners of the past will reap what they sow! She understands us. She listens to our cries. When you are alone and starving for a bit of bread, she is there to satisfy your hunger. We must keep our hearts open and look to her for hope!”

  Running forward, Killian didn’t care about the chains binding his wrist and ankles. He even forgot about his pack brothers who surely had escaped also as soon as the explosion settled. He was lost in a trance, and he needed answers.

  “You!” he growled and fell into the man’s arms. “You said her name was Rae. Is it true? She is my omega. What have you done with her?”

  The preacher twisted his composed face and stepped back with extreme distaste. “Sir, if you do not take your hands from me, I will be forced to call the guards!”

  Killian knew how insane he appeared. His beard had grown to reflect a maddening wisdom. His hair lowered before his eyes. Everything had changed, but he didn’t think that Rae would turn into a fucking deity for the people to worship.

  “Where is she?” His growl turned into a rage-induced scream. “Where is my love?”

  “Oh, lord! Guards!”

  Killian clenched his fists before shoving the preacher to the ground and wildly turning like a hunted animal. Predators were all around him, but nothing was clear anymore. In the days of Cassian’s rule, it was obvious who was the enemy and who wasn’t. Now, everyone dressed in the same frayed garb. His enemy, if anyone, was himself.

  A firm hand fell across his back. Another clasped his shoulder. Quickly, he was pulled away from the street corner, dragged across the asphalt until his knees and hips bloodied from friction. He was pushed into a door and carried down a set of stairs, receiving swif
t smacks on the back of the head whenever he tried to speak or scream, or react at all.

  It was his pack brothers, Lucas and Vash.

  Heart jumping with excitement, Killian attempted to stand, but Vash quickly stopped him and covered his dirtied mouth. “Don’t speak. There are cameras everywhere.”

  Killian may have been ignorant to the ways of the new world, but he knew when to shut up and listen. Within seconds, armed guards and police could be heard running through the streets. Loudly blaring vehicles screeched near and away. A megaphone chattered the words, “Be on the lookout for three escaped Ouroboros traders. They are armed, dangerous, and ready to kill…”

  Killian didn’t even breathe. He never wanted to step back into that cell again, and, if he was smart enough, he wouldn’t have to. As the guards passed, so too did his fear. The silence intensified.

  “Okay.” Vash handed each of them a rifle. “I think we’re good, but we need to be wary of our actions.”

  Killian couldn’t believe his eyes. The two alphas looked similar to him—rough beards hung over their Adam’s apples, and their hair rolled like thick waves in the tumultuous seas. They had been through so much, but their spirit could never be broken. That came from their blood. “It’s really you…”

  “It’s us,” Lucas said.

  “You didn’t think we’d come looking for our brother?” Vash asked with a friendly smile.

  Killian laughed as they clasped their hands together. “This is a nice reunion, but I’m a little confused how you set up the detonation, Lucas.”

  Lucas appeared about as confused as Vash did. “C’mon, I’m good with the pyrotechnics, but I’m not that good. I assumed Vash paid the guards off.”

  “Me?” Vash scoffed and rolled out his empty pockets. “We spent a year in those cells. You think I have any coin left?”

  But before they could come up with any conclusions, they heard another detonation go off, and a thousand terrified screams filled their hearts with fury.

  It was time—time for the New Republic to crumble once more.

  Chapter Two

  “Sit on it,” Severin commanded. “Come on, now. Ease your tension. Enjoy it. It’s your cock now, honey. Work it.”

  Severin knew all the right words to say. Ruby had taught him that much. But his disgruntlement showed. Both unable to procreate, he merely fucked her brains out to keep her from lashing out at him on a regular basis. Gone were the days of dreaming of a family.

  “The oceans are drying up,” she whispered, voice parched. “The forests are burning. The deserts are spreading. What are we doing making love like this?”

  Severin attempted to nudge her hips forward, but she resisted his grip and wrestled away from him. It didn’t matter, anyway. His cock had turned into a limp mess of wormy flesh. He couldn’t perform even if he wanted to.

  Severin scooted his ass off of the dresser and pushed her to the floor. Feigning being the victim, he let out a hurried cry and pouted his lips. “Dammit!” he yelled. “Why must you always behave like a child?”

  Ruby visibly held her breath, which immediately pissed him off. There was no love between them. They had won the war together, but the more hours they spent ruling, the more they came to resent each other. Ruby stayed with him because she knew he would gladly take the fall for what she did to Rae. They both needed her troubled sister, even if they weren’t willing to admit it yet.

  “It’s true, though. Isn’t it?” Ruby asked.

  Severin yanked up his pants and fastened his belt tight around the waist “Oh God. This is about Rae, isn’t it? You’re mad because of the coronation ceremony. Well, it had to happen. The people loved it. The approval ratings are through the roof. Now, all we need is a new set of policies. Something even more inspiring than the transformation of Dagon. I’ll leave that to you.”

  She faced the other way. “Answer me, Severin.”

  He had no time for her games, so he pretended not to understand her childish questions. “Okay, I’ll budge. For you, only. Now, what were you saying about the oceans?”

  “They are drying up. Am I correct? I think I was told this fact in one of the briefings earlier this week,” she said.

  “They are not drying up. Whoever told you that lied to your face and should be executed for his crimes,” he said.

  Ruby dropped back and fell onto the ruffled mattress and spread her legs open in the process. Her stomach folded over her pelvis like a small pouch. “Then, educate me, Commander. I’m just a stupid little girl,” she mocked.

  Severin rolled his eyes and cleared his throat. “The icecaps have nearly melted. It will only be a few years until this land is flooded.”

  Ruby nodded her head as if she already knew. The air was getting warmer. Nearly all of the crops had to be moved into artificially lit buildings. She was made in a laboratory, just like her twin. After the first fall of the republic, industry fell into disarray. They lost great technologies, but they had somehow managed to keep going. More work was to be done, but where was the world truly heading?

  “I know what you’re thinking,” Severin said.

  “Oh, really? You do know everything.”

  Severin nodded and smiled. He adored seeing her in this state of unease. “You’re thinking about Rae again. We have disabled the breeding programs. You don’t have to worry about the clones. It was a failed pursuit, regardless.”

  “Allow me to deal with her. A woman is better at concentrating her efforts on multiple tasks,” she said.

  “You should get some rest,” he replied.

  “The military’s numbers have been dwindling since the restoration. There is so much planning to be done, and you’re leaving the state in a weakened position. What if they rise up again? Who will come to our aid?”

  Biting his tongue, Severin sat next to her. He knew when to be analytical and when to shut the fuck up. At least, he thought he did. In the present moment, she was on the brink of another breakdown. He could always tell when she asked too many questions. If they kept on the subject for too long, the room would turn into a disaster. The state’s success would come toppling down like glossy dominoes.

  “There, there. Stop worrying about your sister,” he soothed. His fingers trickled like gentle raindrops across the back of her arm. Even when she pulled away, she seemed to look to him to continue speaking his praises. “You are perfect the way you are, Ruby… You are as beautiful as the desert sunset. Remember when I found you?”

  “You raised me thinking I could give you heirs,” she said. “And now that I can’t, you are dissatisfied with me.”

  She dropped her eyes toward the sagging lips between her legs and almost immediately looked away, eyes shining with tears. “Oh, I hate this wretched body of mine! I hate, hate, hate it! Why couldn’t I have been an alpha? I would have dominated the world faster than Cassian. I would have enslaved every last woman and had them lapping at my balls like tormented kittens!”

  “Enough!” Severin yelled, more masculine than his usual tone. “I am sick to death of hearing about your troubles. You have the world in your hands. It’s time to lead.”

  Ruby stood up and coughed politely. She took in unhurried and cautious breaths. When she reached a chest near her bed, she knelt and opened it. Inside were thousands of jewels, gold necklaces and rings as well as thick stacks of paper money.

  “Without the ability to procreate, time means nothing to me,” she muttered.

  Severin knew what would come next. He watched as she ripped every last jewel from the tightly woven silver and gold. She hurled the polished rings at the window, sending them crashing through the glass. Quickly grabbing a lighter before Severin could restrain her, she lit the wads of cash on fire and cackled as the flames ate the center insignia of their newly founded coalition, Rae’s beautiful, doll-like face.

  “Stop!” Severin dragged her arms behind her back. He restrained her on the carpet and breathed heavily as the adrenaline coursed through his veins. “You bitch.
Do you see what you do to me? Every single time we have a discussion… every time I show you an ounce of love… all you wish to do is fight!”

  “Didn’t you train me to be a soldier? Didn’t you wake me up in the early hours to rape me before setting my sights on the wicked Ouroboros traders? You trained me well, comrade, but I see right through you. You are no activist.”

  “I trained you to direct your energies at the enemy,” he said.

  But that was part of the issue. There were no enemies anymore. Last year, they’d finished the deadliest war in history. Once the packs of Ouroboros traders were killed in lines, the poor and the wicked were forgiven. Ruby and Severin’s had teams cleared the rubble and rebuilt the cities, offering people a second chance.

  Lucky for the Republic, Severin had enacted a few executive orders for the greater good. Forcefully wiping the tears away from Ruby’s face with his thumbs, he raised her jaw. “Now that you’ve expulsed your daily tears, we can move on to more important matters.”

  “What can be more important than my urges to have a child of my own?” she asked.

  “Your children are waiting in the nursery for you.”

  They were her sister’s offspring, and she hadn’t taken a liking to the little grubs. They were weird and squiggly and tended to cry after ruining their diapers. In fact, she’d made it clear she loathed taking care of them. “Go on and tell me the important news, you moronic Slav.”

  He ignored her brash insult. “There’s been a series of detonations. One has hit a structure near to the marble towers. The other, a public library. Of course, the third was the prison near the church square where religious zealots harp about your sister.”

  Ruby’s quickly stood and ran toward the window. In the distance, remnants of black smoke swirled in the sky. “Who would do such a thing when we have achieved peace, and why wasn’t I alerted at once?”