First Chapter of Part II

Chapter 1: Vigilance

Ecker

"Where is my mate?" Bishop roars and I watch Titus's face morph from surprised to pissed at the mention of Sinclair. 

He shoves Bishop back and almost cocks his arm for a punch but holds himself back, choosing words instead. “No idea. She's your bitch after all." 

With adrenaline and concern for our omega coursing through me, his disrespect is the last straw. Unfortunately, Bishop beats me to it, slugging him in the jaw. Titus straightens right back, his chin dipped and eyes glowing. His nostrils flare as he tries to control the rut, the gold in his eyes flickering. 

He opens his mouth but Bishop, who is seething like a bull, stops him. “Don't make me knock you the fuck out, so think real hard about whatever you're about to say, brother.” 

I growl in agreement, the sound shaking the knot in  my chest.

Titus rolls his eyes with a fed up huff. “She probably did what she’s been threatening to do since we got here–”

“She wouldn’t–”

“She would!” He yells. Bishop rocks on his heels, pressing his mouth into a tight line of restraint as Titus continues. “You have no idea who she really is.” His voice shakes and maybe I’m projecting but there’s a hint of hurt, wounded.

“There’s blood, Titus,” Bishop throws his arms toward the bedroom. My stomach drops at the reminder, making me want to fall to my knees while at the same time this nervous energy makes me feel antsy and anxious just standing here. 

We should be out there, looking for her.

“I bet she left it on purpose, she’s as two-faced and conniving as those gold-masked bastards.” Then he scoffs, “Go figure, she’s a fucking Azurite.”

My blood boils realizing how convoluted this situation is, how many different enemies there could be, what games they're playing. My alpha nature burns to find the person responsible, needing to find them. Who’s to blame? Who can I punish?

In absence of any answers, I snap, turning my rage on Bishop. “You’re her mate, you should have protected her!” He looks at me in shock right before I charge at him, wrapping my hands around his waist and tackling him to the ground.

It feels good to explode like this, too good. My mind is nothing but a red-haze as I snatch Bishop’s collar, lifting his head off the floor and balling my fist. 

“What the hell are you talking about? I was with you. She’s your omega too,” Bishop responds, injury and guilt lacing his tone. He doesn’t even fight back.

My heart beats against my ribs because I know he’s right but it doesn’t help this harrowing feeling. 

Where. Is. She?
I push Bishop back down and don’t resist when Titus pulls me off him. I don’t actually want to hurt B. I don’t. But where is she? It feels like my lungs are collapsing.

“Jesus, do you fucking get it now?” Titus curses once Bishop is back on his feet. “This is exactly what she wanted, to tear us apart.” He looks at us with the disappointed face of a father, both angry at our actions but still wanting to help.

“No, no,” Bishop shakes his head, “Not anymore.”

Titus scoffs loudly. “Not anymore? Since when, since last night? She called me, you know. From your phone.” He points at me and I knit my brows in confusion. I never gave Sinclair my phone. 

“She called you about what? What did she say?” Bishop asks frantically knowing the answers could help us find her. 

TItus’s lip curls. “She didn’t say shit. It was a video call right before Ecker came back with the lube. She propped the phone up and had it pointed it right at the bed. She wanted me to know just how deep she’s got her claws in you two. And now this?” 

Bishop and I stare back at him, processing this information and he waves his hands like a goddamn flight attendant. “She’s playing you!”

 “Maybe it was an accident–”Bishop begins.

“It wasn’t a fucking accident! Just like the blood and smashed lamp isn’t an accident. Jesus Christ, get your head out of her pussy,” he hollers. His palms open and close on top of his head, like he wants to tug at his hair but it’s too short to grab.

I replay moments from last night, trying to figure out what he saw. How long did he watch? 

Did he see her choke on Bishop while I fingered her ass? Did he hear her beg to be stretched on my cock? Or the way she came like a trembling slut when I took her tight little hole?

Does he know how fucking beautiful she is when she’s stuffed full of cock in both holes, her weeping pussy all red and swollen? A possessive growl builds in my throat. That was for us, Bishop and I. 

He hasn’t earned the right to see her like that.

The thought is like a slap across the face. 

It’s not us against him, it’s us against them. The Echelon.

I’m trying to shake this protective division in my head when the sound of loud static crackles. It immediately grabs all of our attention as we look at each other like we used to, like a team. Us against them.

“Aspiring Alphas of the Echelon,” a deep voice fills the common room. My eyes jump around the room, searching for the source of the sound. “As many of you have noticed by now, your omegas have been taken.”

Heart racing, I run up to a small painting in an oval frame. It never caught my attention before but now I notice the different texture of the canvas, more like cloth or tight mesh. I rip it off the wall and sure enough, an intercom speaking is built in.

The next time the voice speaks, I’m so close I can feel the vibrations as it booms loudly. “Welcome to your next trial.”

 

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