Six months after the fight between the Salvatore families.

Lorenzo and Darius were severely deranged, psychotic lunatics. Zane had no other words for them. He couldn't think of anything else other than that the two alphas were probably madmen prancing around with expensive suits, gentle smiles on their faces, and madness on their minds.

In the past few months, strange things have happened to him.

Whenever the two alphas were around, they mostly kept Zane in their bed with one of his ankles bound by a long trail of thick chains linked to the edge of the floor, out of sight. He could move around though, and he did so plenty when they were away, walking from one end of the room to another, into the connected bathroom to stare at his god-awful reflection, and the chain was just long enough to get to the balcony sliding doors, where he often found himself dozing off to the outskirts of Italy's highrise buildings and busy roads, yearning for freedom.

Lorenzo and Darius had been strangely affectionate toward him. The two alphas kept him in their bed, sandwiched between them at night, and showered him with kisses, seemingly fucking his mouth with their tongues while whispering words of love in-between kisses or into his ears. Some kisses were tender and gentle, some biting and bruising—almost mean and deranged. Zane found it equally concerning and suspicious despite his traitorous body's need for physical touches, apparently shutting down any rational thoughts and forcing him to lean against them whenever they did this because he had been starved for too long, and he finally felt noticed in their eyes.

It was all lying, though—playing mind games. They couldn't love him; they were lying with their venomous, deceitful tongues.

No one was foolish enough to love someone like a monster like him. Zane didn't deserve to be loved; his papa made it clear to him for a long time. Anyone who claimed they loved him was a liar. They only wanted to use him; they only wanted what he had—it was impossible to love someone like him.

Besides, Zane couldn't phantom the idea of Lorenzo, his cousin, who had also despised him for his malicious actions throughout their lives, and Darius, the man whom he had deceived without regret multiple times in the past to get what he wanted. Surely, they were doing this to get back at him, and surely their stupid tricks wouldn't work, not on a cunning omega like Zane Salvatore.

He knew better.

And so, he needed to escape.

This morning, when Darius came in alone, carrying a tray with breakfast for Zane: eggs, toast, and a tall glass of orange juice, Zane arched an eyebrow. It so happened to be the first time only one of the alphas brought him breakfast. Normally, they came together, taking turns feeding him bite-sized portions until his plate lay empty. Not today, though. And when he asked, Darius was nice enough to tell him that Lorenzo went to a business meeting and would be gone for the entire day.

This was when Zane concluded that today would be the day for him to escape.

Unlike Lorenzo, Darius had been leaner toward him. Sofer in a sense, and, oddly enough, kinder. An easier target to persuade, Zane assumed, considering Darius had always been an impulsive alpha. So when he shed a couple of crocodile tears, sweet-talking Darius into taking out the ankle chain only for a fleeting period of time, he knew Darius would agree.

"Be good," Darius had said, unlocking the cuff off Zane's ankle. "I'll check up on you in the next hour... I have some things to do. I'll bring back some ointment and gauze for your ankle; it doesn't look too good."

Zane stared down where the ankle cuff once locked him in. Darius was right; it didn't look too good. It looked horrible; it was bruised with ugly reddish marks, purple, and some black.

Zane smiled sweetly, faking innocence. "Thank you," he forced himself to say with a tight smile when he actually wanted to snarl, fuck you, and spit into Darius's eyes, hopefully blinding him in the process.

Darius hummed while he placed a quick peck on the omega's cheek. "Be good," she said, and then went for the door, locking Zane in from the outside.

"Fuck you," Zane let out in an angry whispered tone when Darius disappeared from sight.

Stupid Alpha: Darius didn't fit to rule the Second Family. Ah, it didn't matter, not anymore.

Zane clicked his tongue before removing a piece of paper clip he slipped from Lorenzo's file a couple of days prior. Now he would escape.

He waited for what felt like hours or days—probably years—before he climbed out of bed and went for the door, picking up the door handle with shaking fingers and shuddering breathing. He would be damned if Darius returned only to find him trying to escape. There was no telling what the bastard would do—what the both of them would do. Thankfully, it didn't take long before the lock clicked, letting him know freedom was only a couple of minutes away if he managed to sneak past Lorenzo's obnoxious bodyguards.

With a deep exhale, he stepped outside and into the soundless corridors.

The voices at the back of Zane's head whispered worrisome thoughts. This is a trap, they said in a panicked tone. Go back inside and lock the door before it's too late. And despite the upsetting hammering in his chest, he ignored them, taking one brisk, cautious step after another.

Taking the elevator, he pushed the button leading down to the exit area of the backyard of the compound.

Zane knew the Second Family home like his own, every twist and every turn; he could feel it in his bones; he would finally taste freedom before the night ended.

"Didn't Darius tell you to be good, sweetheart? "

Suddenly a tightening sensation appeared on Zane's chest, and his heart hammered, ringing into his ears and pulsing through his veins. For a moment, he couldn't breathe or think. It was rather difficult and comical the way Lorenzo's voice disarmed him, causing his knees to tremble and his eyes to flood with unshed tears.

Zane stayed frozen on the spot as the two figures appeared in front of him.

The two alphas came from the same backdoor Zane intended to escape through, standing a mere couple of yards away from him.

"Don't be too harsh on him, baby," Darius chuckled, nudging his shoulder against Lorenzo's. "Our Zane is desperate."

Zane took a step back. "Lorenzo." His widened eyes went toward the taller alpha before they flicked toward the other. "Darius." The expressions on their faces were of pure rage: tightened jaws and deadly eyes—anger would've been an understatement. Zane's breathing spiked. "No," he whispered. They found him—this was their plan the whole time! They wanted him to try to escape; they wanted him to mess it up. "No. No—stay back!" he screamed, taking another couple of steps back. "I'm not going back into that room—you two fucking leave me alone!"

Lorenzo's jaw twitched. "You know we can't do that," he said, monotone, emotionless, and cold.

Was he disappointed in Zane?

Why would Zane care?

Why would his chest ache at Lorenzo's disappointment?

Zane wanted to scream. "Why the fuck not?!" he yelled instead.

"We care about you," Darius answered, mirroring Lorenzo's actions and hurting Zane's insides further.

"Exactly," Lorenzo said with a patronizing, smug smile. "Why do you want to leave so badly? We're keeping you here for your own good."

Own good?

Own good?

OWN GOOD?!

How could it be that binding him in chains, twisting his thoughts day in and day out, playing mind games with him—locking him up in a room with only his biting, detrimental thoughts to keep him company—was KEEPING HIM THERE FOR HIS OWN GOOD?! He was just... Just an omega.

Why must they do this?

Why!?

Because... they were fucking messed up in their heads—sadistic lunatics who hid in plain sight, deceiving everyone.

Zane's whole body shuddered before he swallowed down bile. "No-no-no-no-no-no— you two," he nodded, pointing an accusing finger toward the two alphas. "I thought I was fucked in the head. THE TWO OF YOU ARE WORSE, YOU SICK FUCKS! It's not for my own good... Why are you doing this? Why am I not dead yet?"

Darius clicked his tongue before he took a quick glance at Lorenzo. And for a moment, pity flashed across his eyes before his attention went back to Zane. "We already told you... You belong to us," he said in a matter-of-fact tone. "You're our omega. We just want to keep you safe. If you can just stop trying to escape and behave yourself, you'll understand."

Zane didn't want to hear any more lies; he refused to hear them. With shaking fingers and a rapid heartbeat, he snatched a vase from the wall standing behind him and smashed the porcelain against the wall.

He held a piece of broken porcelain in his palm, tightly squeezed, unbothered when the sharp edges cut into his flesh. He did not think much—or anything at all—when he aimed the sharp object at his neck and screamed with overflowing tears, "I belong to no one!"

And truly, he didn't belong anymore despite the aching desire—the need to belong, to be loved and cared for, cherished, and protected the way any omega should've been.

He wasn't any omega, though, just a bastard.

Lorenzo and Darius looked on with rapid breathing and widened eyes, seemingly wanting to step forward to stop him. Yet they are afraid of what might happen if they do.

"What are you doing!?" Lorenzo yelled in a terrified voice.

"Zane!" Darius joined, equally terrified.

"Don't come any closer, or I'll kill myself," Zane yelled through ugly tears.

He sounded pathetic to his own ears — crying like a bitch, pouring out tears for the two men who kept him trapped to witness, to gloat in. And yet, he didn't fuck care. Let them see... Let them come...

Come save him.

Save him from himself.

Darius took a deep exhale, his feet seemingly itching to race up toward Zane, before he snaked his fingers through his hair. "Zane, please."

"Darius, it's okay. I'll take it from here." Lorenzo laid a heavy palm on Darius's shoulder, his dark eyes on Zane. "Zane," he said, unmoving and uncaring. "Go ahead. Do it."

Zane's eyes doubled, and his heart dropped.

"What?" he asked in a whispered tone, in disbelief.

Darius, also seemingly baffled by Lorenzo's words, turned to face his lover and spoke, "Lorenzo."

"You heard me," Lorenzo said, mean and biting. "Do it." When Zane made no move to slice his neck and couldn't bring himself to end his life, Lorenzo smiled evilly and slyly. "That's right. You can't do it because you're a coward, Zane."

Zane sobbed. "I'm not."

"Shut up!" Lorenzo ordered and commanded.

Seemingly, Lorenzo had had enough. He looked at Zane, drinking in the sight of the omega's unintentionally whispered whimpers with deep interest and a mocking stare. And then he growled before releasing his pheromones to disarm Zane—the way he had done before—and Zane felt suffocating.

"I'm not," the omega repeated, gasping.

Darius gulped, slowly heaving, when the thick scent of Lorenzo's pheromones invaded his senses. "Lorenzo." His voice trembled when he tried to speak, and his legs, too. "That's enough. Zane put it down."

"There's no use trying to run," Lorenzo said. "Don't you understand? This is your home now. Put the damn thing down and come to us. Don't make me repeat myself."

The minute the broken porcelain slipped from Zane's fingers like melted butter, Lorenzo strode up toward him with a tightly clenched jaw and madness in his eyes. And before Zane could count the seconds, Lorenzo had a tight grasp over his throat, breathing heavily down his face.

It felt suffocating and soothing at the same time. Zane's omegan instincts let out a hissing moan, and his eyes fluttered, needing to close, craving to surrender.

"Why won't you just let me go?" Zane asked while he became weak on his knees from the abundance of pheromones oozing out of Lorenzo's body—even Darius, the strong and brave Darius, stayed far away, leaning against the wall so he wouldn't drop to his knees.

Lorenzo inched closer to Zane's face. He looked intrigued by Zane's suffering, almost staved. "We're never going to let you go," he said, making a vow. "You need to understand that this is where you belong."

Zane looked the alpha in the eyes. It was rather laughable how fragile he appeared in front of Lorenzo—how delicate. "I don't want this," he said.

And if Lorenzo could taste the lie dripping from Zane's tongue, he wouldn't comment on it. Instead, he leaned closer, lapping his tongue on Zane's scent gland, and growled low, vibrating when the omega whined, his legs buckling in Lorenzo's hold, falling against the alpha's chest.

Lorenzo removed his grasp from Zane's neck, keeping him close to him with one hand in the omega's hair, lovingly, tenderly; another around Zane's waist, keeping him upright. "It's alright, baby," Lorenzo said. "Soon you're going to realize you do want this."

Unknowingly, Zane closed his eyes and inhaled Lorenzo's scent.

Maybe he should give in; maybe this might be for the best.

At the speed of light, Zane felt Lorenzo's strong arms push him away, and he dropped to the floor, not knowing what was happening or what Lorenzo was doing. It happened so fast, though. Zane looked up, only to witness this boiling, sizzling rage in Lorenzo's eyes—the type he often caught in his papa's eyes—the type that often made Zane crawl backward in fear of what his papa would do next—the unsettling beatings his papa's biting hands placed on him, scaring him down to the bones.

Zane's breathing spiked, and he cowered back, ready for a blow.

What came next was worse than anything he could've imagined.

Lorenzo lifted a foot, and with one well-placed kick, a powerful stomp came down to Zane's right knee, before the sound of bones echoed into the room alongside Zane's penetrating screams.

Zane's mouth hung open. He couldn't believe it. Lorenzo had broken one of his legs.