Page 66 of Pretty When She Breaks

If they played their cards right, they’d be accepted into the fold.

I was…disappointed, I realized.

I’d started to think they’d bonded me purely out of necessity. That it hadn’t been because I was the Duchess, or because I was a prize, or because I was Thaddeus’s daughter. I’d just been a person they needed.

But, no, that wasn’t true. It had been calculated, and they were no different than Prince or any of the other alphas who wanted to have me.

I should tell them.

Tell them that I’d saved Ocean by throwing him into thecages. If this was my life now, it’d be better if they didn’t hate me.

I sighed as I pushed up off the wall and started walking. My footfalls were light, barely making any noise in the pale corridors. When I got to the alpha cages, I tapped on the office window. Lars looked up.

“Good morning. I just wanted to let you know I’m here to take over the care and fight preparation for the new alpha.”

“I thought the Lucas pack was managing him,” Lars said, eyes narrowing at me.

“Yes, and I’m going to be orienting them. But until then, I’m in charge.”

Lars shook his head, snorting at the idea. “Eh, go ahead. Let me know if you need any extra help handling him. He’s not feral yet, but that don’t mean you can trust him.”

“Thank you, Lars.”

“Kid!” Lars snapped, and the young beta I’d met the night before hurried over. He looked even more exhausted and had a slightly panicked look in his eye that I would guess never completely faded.

“Help the Duchess with the new alpha. She’ll be managing him for now. Don’t fuck up.”

“Yes, Lars,” Casey said, eyes flicking between me and his boss.

He turned and indicated I should follow him, and I stayed quiet as he took us through the first metal security door. We both stepped into the short, intermediary tunnel. He locked the door behind us and then unlocked the second door. I watched as he turned the crank to lift the heavy portcullis, my eyes snagging on the emergency release lever. It didn’t appear to have any safety measures; if you were under that door when it was released, it would crush you without mercy.

He looked really nervous as we stepped through, repeatedly glancing at me, then at the floor.

A giant alpha rammed the bars beside us, and the beta yelped, throwing himself between me and the alpha. I could see the tremble in his hands, and this close, I could smell the fear in his faint scent.

He turned back to look at me, eyes wide. “You okay?” he asked, his breathing coming hard.

I reached up and rested a hand on his shoulder. “I’m fine,” I said, offering him a smile. His shoulders sagged, and he led me on again. “How did you end up working down here?” I asked, curious.

Casey swallowed, rubbing his wrists together. I focused on trying to make my aura soothing, to have my body language open to coax his story out. “My dad got into a bit of trouble from gambling. H-he owed a lot of money. Your da—I mean, he was going to be thrown into the Ring. But they said that he could work off the debt at the casino instead.”

I thinned my lips. I’d heard my dad talk about debtors like this. About how they’d charge them more for housing and food than they made, while their debts accrued interest. They were impossible to pay off. Casey was as stuck as the alphas in the cages.

“So why are you here, instead of your father?” I asked.

Casey grimaced. “Well, my dad’s job has insurance for the whole family. My mom’s diabetic, so if he came here…” Casey’s shoulders were hunched, and he trailed off, looking at me nervously. I gave him a soft smile.

“I’m sorry it fell to you. Do you see your mom at all?”

“Um, the hours are pretty long. But we text, and I call her when I can.”

“Hang on,” I said, stopping.

My stomach was tight with nerves as I looked inside thecage. A large figure was hunched over in it, black hair hanging limply in his face.

Omen.

I hated seeing him fight, but I hated seeing him like this more. Defeated.