4
1014 Words
Delilah's usually polished red hair was a mess, and her ocean-blue eyes were red.
"How did you get here?" Melena asked, struggling to keep her voice steady despite the panic rising inside her. "Who are these people? Did they kidnap you too?"
Before Delilah could answer, heavy footsteps echoed down the stairs. A group of men descended into the basement, their strong pheromones flooding the room with scents of cedar, smoky leather, and rum. Melena instinctively stiffened as her own Omega pheromones slipped free despite her efforts to suppress it.
The man leading them stepped into the light. He was tall, with sandy blond hair and sharp blue eyes that calmly swept across the room. From his presence alone, Melena could tell he was an Alpha. At first glance, they looked like bikers with their leather jackets, worn jeans, and heavy boots, but she wasn't convinced. They stood too still, too alert, like men who'd been trained for something far more dangerous. His gaze lingered on her for a brief moment before shifting to Delilah.
"Back off," he said evenly. "You're crowding D and this Omega. Ease up on the pheromones before you scare them."
One of the larger men ignored the warning and stepped closer to Melena, taking an exaggerated sniff.
"She smells so amazing," he said with a grin. "Crisp apples and vanilla. No wonder Mark can't get over her."
Melena stared at him in disbelief. "Who are you?"
The sandy-haired Alpha shot the other man a disapproving look."Behave."
"What? I was complimenting her."
"You were being creepy."
A few of the men chuckled, but Melena's attention had already shifted elsewhere.
They weren't focused on her anymore.
Every one of them had gathered around Delilah.
"You okay, D?" one asked as he crouched beside her.
"Did the ropes hurt your wrists?" another asked, carefully checking the knots.
"Sorry if we tied them too tight."
One man gently brushed a strand of hair away from Delilah's face before adjusting the rope around her wrist. "We made sure they wouldn't leave marks. They just had to look convincing."
Melena frowned.
No one had checked on her. No one cared if the ropes around her wrists were cutting into her skin.
Her gaze shifted from the men to Delilah, then back again as the truth slowly sank in.
They knew her.
Not just casually…they were comfortable with her.
Delilah met her eyes, guilt flashing across her face. "Nobody's going to hurt you, Melena," she said softly. "We just need your cooperation."
Melena's mind went blank.
She looked at Delilah, then at the men surrounding her, and suddenly the pieces fell into place.
"You know them," she whispered.
Delilah lowered her eyes without answering.
That silence was all the confirmation Melena needed.
A bitter laugh escaped her. "You've got to be f*****g kidding me."
She pulled against the ropes, gray eyes blazing with anger.
"So what is this? What's going on?”
Delilah bit her lip, looking every bit like the devastated Omega at the restaurant.
"Mark's been keeping tabs on your social media. He knows where you go, what you post. He's still obsessed with you." Her voice trembled as tears filled her eyes. "I need to know if he'll finally choose me over you. I need a real test. Please, just cooperate with us. When we call him, act scared. Let him think the kidnapping is real. I'm begging you."
Melena stared at her in disbelief. For a moment, she honestly wondered if she was dreaming.
"You're kidding."
When Delilah stayed silent, Melena let out a disbelieving laugh.
"Oh my Goddess. You're actually serious. You fake your own kidnapping, drag me into it against my will, and somehow I'm supposed to help you test my…your boyfriend? Delilah, you've completely lost it."
The words came out harsher than she'd intended, but Delilah's tears kept falling. Whether they were real or not, she looked exhausted, desperate, like she'd convinced herself this insane plan was the only way to keep Mark.
How broken do you have to be to think any of this is normal?
“Melena, please.”
Melena glanced around the basement. She was still tied up, surrounded by these men, and had no chance of escaping. Arguing wasn't getting her anywhere. If agreeing meant getting out of here sooner, she'd play along for now. Besides, she actually felt bad for Delilah. The poor thing must have been so desperate.
"Fine," she said. "I'll cooperate."
Relief washed over Delilah's face.
"But aren't you worried about your baby? Pulling something like this can't be good for the pregnancy."
The room fell silent.
The sandy-haired Alpha frowned. "What the hell?"
He looked from Melena to Delilah.
"You never said you were pregnant."
Another man scratched his head. "Wait... didn't you have your period like two weeks ago?"
A third man lit up with excitement. "Hold on, there's a baby? Does that mean we get to be godfathers? Because I'm definitely teaching the kid how to ride a…"
"Shut up!"
Delilah's sharp outburst silenced the room. Then she quickly composed herself. Her expression softened, tears welled up again, and she gently rested a hand on her stomach.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "It's just the hormones. Please don't yell at me. You're stressing me out."
The transformation was so quick it was unsettling.
The men immediately backed down.
"My bad."
"Sorry, D."
"We didn't mean anything."
They looked genuinely remorseful, but the sandy-haired Alpha wasn't as convinced. He studied Delilah for a long moment before finally looking away.
Melena noticed.
Interesting.
He caught that too.
She leaned back against the pillar without saying another word, but her mind was racing. The crying at the restaurant, the desperate pleas, the innocent act, and now this sudden switch in personality all felt rehearsed. It was too smooth, too convincing.
Delilah wasn't just a lovesick Omega making reckless decisions.
She was manipulative.
And judging by how effortlessly she'd switched masks, she'd been doing it for a long time.
A chill crept down Melena's spine.
What else had Delilah been lying about?
- Writer
