Page 26 of Storm

And worse, Jonathan had seen them. Or at least that’s what I got from her. Her first kiss. He'd threatened her, told her if she tried to escape over the fence of the Omega House, he'd make sure Gage suffered far worse than just losing his job. The implication was crystal clear without him having to spell it out. Jonathan would have Gage killed if she tried to run.

I crouch beside her now, placing a napkin filled with breakfast muffins I snuck from the dining area near her hand. "You need to eat something."

She blinks up at me, her face hollow with a grief I've never seen in her before. "What's the point?"

"The point is not starving to death before Choosing Day," I say, nudging the muffins closer. "Come on. They're blueberry."

She flinches at the word "blueberry." And I immediately regret my choice of words. Stupid. I should have known better.

"I don't want Choosing Day to come," she whispers, her voice so broken it makes my chest ache. "I can't do it, Storm."

I sit on the footpath in front of her. My ass is freezing from the cold. "Yes, you can. You can stillchoose." She can put down the pack that Gage is in. Hopefully, he’s in a pack.

She shakes her head, tears filling her eyes again. "It doesn't matter. I can't."

"Jonathan will kill Gage," the words rush out in a harsh whisper. "He made that very clear. He said,‘you know what they do to betas who fraternize with omegas’. He’s gonna have him killed. If I try to escape or if I cause any issues at all, he'll make sure Gage is gone. I know he means to kill him. What we did… it was illegal. I know."

My blood turns to ice in my veins. "When did he tell you this?"

"Last night. He was out here when I went to find Gage." She gestures weakly to the guardhouse.

Fury rises in me, hot and choking. That bastard. That absolute fucking bastard. "He can't do that. He can't just?—"

"He can. He's Jonathan Kingsley. He runs the Omega House." Her voice is flat, resigned in a way that terrifies me more than her tears. "I have to go through with it. I have to pick out some random pack Veronica put in there. I just know they’re gonna be terrible. She hates me."

I clench my fists, my nails digging crescents into my palms. I knew Jonathan was cruel, but this is a new level even for him.

"I'm so sorry," I whisper, because what else can I say? What comfort can I possibly offer in the face of this?

She finally takes one of the muffins, nibbling at the edge without enthusiasm. "It's not your fault."

But it feels like it is. I got her hopes up with the stolen ticket. I made her believe she could escape to her perfect pack. She had the way, just no name to put on the stolen ticket.

I watch her pick at the muffin, my heart breaking for her. She found someone special in Gage, someone who made her feel worth something in this fucked-up system. Who cares about rules? Love is love. Beta and omega relationships are illegal, but it’s bullshit. We know it’s so the elites don’t get tainted beta blood if they let their omegas have offspring with betas.

But the fact that Jonathan did this to Harley. That's why I keep my heart under lock and key when it comes to Frankie. As much as I want there to be something more, I know it won't work out. If Jonathan could fire Gage so easily, what would stop him from doing the same to Frankie if he suspected anything between us? The thought makes my stomach clench with fear. I've already lost too many people I care about.

What we have now is all we will ever have—stolen moments over card games, lingering glances, the brush of fingers when he deals the cards. Nothing more. Nothing lasting.

Unless...

I tell him about my plan, about Rook waiting for me. If he wants, he could meet me there after I escape. It's a risk, trusting him, but some risks might be worth taking.

* * *

That evening,I find Frankie browsing through the small bookshelf in the recreation room, his fingers trailing over the spines of the worn paperbacks. My heart beats a little faster at the sight of him, at the small smile that touches his lips when he spots me.

I hesitate for a moment, Harley's situation with Gage fresh in my mind. Is it selfish to involve Frankie in my plans? Am I putting him at risk just by talking to him? The thought of Jonathan firing him—or worse—makes my stomach twist.

But there's no beta guard I trust more than Frankie. Hell, he sneaks me gum and has for the past four years. He still hasn’t been caught.

"Looking for something to read?" I ask, moving to stand beside him, keeping more distance between us than I normally would.

"Just browsing, I was bored. None of the other omega talk to me and I was waiting for …" his cheeks flushing pink as he lets the words linger.Me. He was waiting for me. I reach past him for a book, our arms brushing. "Any recommendations?" he asks.

I pretend to consider the question, pulling out a dog-eared copy of "The Great Gatsby." "This one's about a man who builds his entire life around the hope of reuniting with the woman he loves," I say, my voice casual but my words deliberate. "Spends years waiting for her, preparing for the moment they can be together again."

Something in my tone must alert him because his eyes sharpen, studying my face with sudden intensity. "Sounds romantic," he says carefully. "Does it have a happy ending?"