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“My name is Chase.”

1

Tully

Two Years Later

An omega shouldn’t venture into The Barracks alone, not if they valued their safety. But desperation drove me this morning.

A lone bulb lit the warehouse and cast shadows over the rust streaked gray walls. Dark, bubbled vinyl covered the floor, camouflaging the stains and sins painted there. I squeezed through a sliver in the crowd, and the smell of charred metal made my nostrils wrinkle.

Clay, with a jagged scar over his neck, winked from his booth and wriggled his fingers at me. The alpha teased me every time I visited.

“How is my cousin treating you?”

The mention of Fenella curdled the excitement bubbling in my stomach.

“Did you set me up to be her roommate, knowing she was a clean freak with a nasty streak?”

Clay’s blue eyes widened, and he covered a smile. “You can come be a slob at my house.” He waggled his eyebrows.

“Clay Everett. Leave the little lamb alone,” Thorn hollered with amusement from his workstation.

Rough stalls, some larger than others, divided the warehouse. Each housed a thriving business. There was no rule, no sense of logic. A dried fish stall with hanging goods was next to a leather worker. A vendor selling spices was next to a man peddling computer chips.

“Aww, Thorn, how come you get to play and we don’t?” Clay winked again.

There was no heat in it. He leaned next to his cubicle, which sold music and advertised lessons. The only person I ever saw there was Puck, the young boy I hired to help me navigate The Barracks without getting lost.

“Because we go way back, even though it might not look like it. Don’t you have lessons this morning?”

“Someone didn’t get enough sleep last night,” Clay whispered before raising his voice to reply. “You know Designated in The Barracks can’t spare money for piano, as much as I might want them to.”

“Lucky I pay your rent for you then, isn’t it? Freeloader.” Thorn swiveled from his computer and waved me over.

He’d cut his bleached blond hair to short bristles, and his smile showed no teeth. He was an alpha who didn’t need the threat of them. His athletic frame kicked out with ease, and a cigarette dangled from his fingers. Underneath his plain black T-shirt, tattoos swirled up his wiry arms, neck, and even up the side of one cheek. Vicious, twirling vines, heavy with sharp thorns.

“You’re no fun,” Clay grumbled. “Take care of yourself, Tully. There are Designated in The Barracks who aren’t as generous as Thorn here is.” The lean man snatched up a bag and trotted down the corridor.

“Bye, Clay.” I smothered a smile, knowing the comment pricked Thorn’s legendary leather skin. “You going to give me a discount?”

“No. That idiot might have a bleeding heart, but I don’t. You got my money?” Smoke swirled around his face, and he stubbed out his cigarette.

Thorn and I weren’t friends, more like warm acquaintances, and the warmth was one-sided. My dad spent the first ten years of his life in The Barracks and was friends with Thorn’s grandparents. My parents were dedicated to making this place a better place for the Designated who lived here. This was back when the tensions between the Designated and humans were so heightened, the entire city was on alert. I’d been a timid mess, and he’d taken pity on me.

Scents swirled in the room, an oppressive mix that coated my insides. I’d taken care to remove my own with scent wipes. But nothing could choke the fizz of freedom in my lungs. Today was a step toward a bright future.

“Not the full amount, just a down payment.”

Every cent I earned from Only Omega’s went toward the thick envelope I pulled out of my bag.

Payment for my ticket out of Starhaven.

“Thought you had no job?” Thorn tossed his buzzed head back and a wave of smoky tar hit me, with a metallic edge sliced through. An after note, like a freshly sharpened blade. “You in trouble, little lamb?”

The sharp tease in his tone made my nose sting with heat, but I couldn’t blame him. Some Designated were born with confidence in their veins, but I wasn’t one of them.

I shrugged to cover the tremble of my insides. This was a good day. I wasn’t going to dwell on my many shortcomings.