Chapter 3

Aria

I’m pulling my keys out of my purse when I hear a noise. I stop at the sound and listen for a second but when I don’t hear it again I shrug and keep going. It isn’t until I slide the key into the door of my truck that I hear the sound again. There’s a shuffling sound and muffled voices.

Great someone probably thought they could get a quicky in after getting drunk. I can’t tell you how many times I have seen bare asses coming around that corner to throw the trash out.

Blowing out a breath I head toward the sound.

“They better not be buck ass naked or I will be pissed,” I grumble to myself.

When I finally reach the alley I stop short when I see not one but three guys surrounding someone. Fucking hell.

With a sigh, I call out to them. “Alright boys tuck them back in and skidaddle. No one wants to get wall burn on their asses while surrounded by garbage.”

Three heads snap in my direction and even with the small amount of light provided by an old street light, I recognize them.

Well, that’s just great.

“Didn’t you guys get the hint when Buck threw you out on your asses?” I call out to the three Ragging Machines guys.

The asshole who had grabbed me earlier turns to face me and his mouth morphs into a wicked smile. “Well, I guess we’re leaving with what we came for after all. Hello, little mouse.” He purrs as he takes a step toward me. “An Omega and a little mouse.”

Omega?

There are so many smells around us that I hadn’t picked up the scent before, but now…an Omega. Not just an Omega, but one in distress. An Omega’s scent shifts depending on their emotions and when they’re in distress it turns almost sour. My protective instincts rise to the surface like I’ve never felt before. A low rumble starts up in my chest but I force it down. Now is not the time to lose control.

“Look, guys, you’re embarrassed I get it, performance issues are not uncommon for men your age. But, it’s time for you to go. Or I can call Buck out here and he can give you that ass whooping you missed out on earlier.”

None of them move. Something tells me they aren’t taking me seriously.

Fine! I gave them a chance.

As I expected the guy facing me laughs. “You think you’ll be able to call for help in time? How about I show you how good my performance really is.”

I wrinkle my nose in disgust.  “I think I’ll pass.”

The smirk on his face falls into a snarl, and I know I’ve thoroughly pissed him off.

Great Aria you had to go and open your big mouth. Just great.

He storms toward me and I take a step back on instinct before I stop and stand a little taller. Let’s be real, I’m outnumbered here. The smart thing to do would be to get back up but as soon as the Ragging Machine asshole moves scared eyes lock with mine. I suck in a breath at what I’m seeing. The Omega they’ve grabbed is a guy. Male Omegas are just as rare as female Alphas are. How did this guy get caught by these Alphas? Where is his pack?

I’m stunned long enough that the guy closest to me charges. It isn’t until he’s right on me that I come back to myself and realize I’m in trouble. He grabs me so hard that his nails dig into my skin making me grit my teeth. I’m pulled hard against him and trapped by his arm wrapping around me. Then his whole body goes still. He sucks in a deep breath and I curse. He can smell my scent. He grabs a handful of my hair and pulls my head hard to the side. I cringe when he leans in and takes in a deep breath of my scent.

I’m treated to a blast of his stench. He reeks of body odor and alcohol. His scent makes it very clear he’s an Alpha, and a drunk Alpha can be even more dangerous when drunk.

“Boys we have ourselves a real treat. Our little mouse is an Alpha.” He says with a chuckle.

“No shit?” One of his friends asks.

“Oh yes, this is going to be really fun. I wonder, will you strangle my dick with that lock? I’ve heard female Alphas can make a man go crazy.” He smiles and I cringe at his rotting teeth.

“Fuck you. Your sad tiny dick isn’t getting near me.” I growl at him, letting a bit of my Alpha side slip out.

I try to dislodge myself from him but that only makes him laugh like a maniac.

This isn’t good.

He growls in reply and starts to drag me to where the two others have the Omega trapped. Those scared eyes are fixed on me again and I can see his panic.

“Holy shit. I’ve never seen a female Alpha before.” One of the guys says moving his attention from the Omega to me.

He steps away from the Omega and lets the last guy keep him pinned against the wall. Let’s refer to him as Idiot #3. Under normal circumstances, even a Beta could take one of these drunk assholes out, but the Omega is shorter than them. He’s a lot slimmer too. That with the strong Alpha pheromones these guys are giving off, the poor guy didn’t stand a chance.

“Axel said we need to bring her to him, but I think we should have a taste. What say you boys?” The guy holding me, let’s call him Idiot #1 drags his nose down my neck once again.

I think I throw up a little. “Get your hands off me and let the Omega go. This is your last warning.” I growl.

The three of them laugh like I just told the funniest joke they’ve ever heard. Well, now I’m getting pissed off.

“And what are you going to do little mouse? As far as I can see, you’re outnumbered.” Idiot #1 taunts before shoving me toward the wall and I slam against it with a hiss. “Be good and I’ll even let you finish.”

Now I definitely throw up in my mouth a little. “I doubt you can make any girl come with what you were poking me with.”

He storms toward me and wraps a hand around my throat. Panic wants to resurface but I push it away. Instead, every self-defense class I’ve taken comes crashing into my mind. There is a moment of complete silence as if everyone is waiting, for what I'm not sure exactly. Then I hear it. The sound of a distressed Omega and it’s as every part of me comes alive. My vision sharpens and my heartbeat kicks into overdrive. I force my head to turn so I can look at the Omega and look eyes with him.

“It will be okay. I promise.” I tell him.

“Shut up!” My captor says as he tightens the hold he has on my neck.

I turn my head to face him again and I close my eyes.

Buck had me taking self-defense classes the day after he found me. He told me I should never be made to feel like a victim again. When I walked into Xander’s gym and he saw the bruises on me he swore to help me find the strength hiding deep inside me. He pulled me from the shadows of fear and gave me a way to fight back. With a few deep breaths, I hear his voice talking me through every move.

My eyes snap open and I hear Idiot #1 suck in a surprised breath. For one split second his hold on my neck loosens.

Perfect.

I lift one of my arms up and slam it down onto the arm holding my neck. Then I grab his arm under mine and throw my elbow back into his stomach. When he tries to double over I pull his hand back and hear the sign of bones breaking. He cries out and I let him go and I turn on my heels to face him. He’s clutching his wrist and bent over whimpering. It’s a pathetic sight really. I take advantage of his bent-over position and cock my arm back and slam my fist into his face. Another crunching sound echoes around us as his nose breaks. He stumbles back and then collapses. Passed out.

The urge to dance in victory is powerful but ruined by Idiot #2.

“You bitch!” I hear from behind me right before large arms wrap around me from behind.

He wraps one arm around my upper chest and the other locking my arms in place.

“Let’s sing asshole,” I mutter before pulling my right arm up as much as I can and slam my elbow hard into his stomach.

My foot goes down hard on his foot and I throw my left elbow back into his nose. Then I throw a fist down and slam him right in his groin. He stumbles back so that he can lean over and groan in pain. I use the opening to use the same move I did with his friend. When he tilts his head up to look at me I throw my fist into his face as hard as I can. He falls over but unlike his friend, he isn’t passed out. That isn’t ideal. So I cross the space between us lift my combat boot and slam it into his face.

I lean down and smirk at him. “Don’t ever touch me again.”