Born to be Broken (Alpha's Claim Book 2) (3 page)

Claire was asleep, curled up on the couch next to Senator Kantor, who was boldly purring in the dark.

A stab of something unwelcome drew Corday to frown. "Did she ask you to do that?"

"No. I knew what would lull her to sleep," Senator Kantor answered in a hushed tone. "Rebecca struggled to fall asleep too. I learned a lot tending my wife in the years the Gods blessed me with my Omega."

It was taboo to speak of deceased mates; Corday was surprised to hear the Alpha mention Rebecca—especially considering the sad circumstances of her long ago murder by Kantor's political adversary. It had been a sensation and had led to Senator Bergie, several of his staff, and even Bergie's son being incarcerated in the Undercroft.

Unsure what to say in response, Corday lit a few candles, and dragged a seat over from the kitchen, his face grim as he looked at the sleeping girl. "How was she today?"

"Better once she ate—less catatonic, more cognizant." Senator Kantor studied the wasted thing. "Miss O'Donnell's physical reaction after having parted from the father will be complicated. The pair-bond and the pregnancy will make her ill."

Corday had faith things might turn out better. "She told me the pair-bond was broken. As for the pregnancy, I will take care of her."

Senator Kantor shook his head "It doesn't work that way, son."

Shooting a look at the Alpha, Corday ground his teeth. "We'll see."

"Now that you are back, the three of us need to have a discussion." Senator Kantor sat straighter, smoothing his sleeve. "Get dinner in her first; afterward the two of us will explain."

It was unsettling to be ordered around in his own home, but Corday nodded and went to the kitchen. Simple fare was prepared. There was some fresh fruit for Claire, an apple he'd bartered for a handful of batteries.

When all was ready, Corday carefully took Claire's limp hand, stroking her fingers until her bleary green eyes popped open. It was obvious she was confused. For just a moment she jerked from his nearness, ready to run. Then it began. The rich rumble of an Alpha purr took Claire from startled to angry.

The glare she gave Senator Kantor would have been funny had her scent not turned so rancid with fear. "You can stop now."

The old man conceded.

Over dinner, the men chose silence. Claire did not. "Is there another bounty?"

Corday was not going to lie to her. "Yes."

She forced down another salty bite. "And?"

"When we observed the Citadel, there was a line of citizens dragging in women of your description."

Claire cringed. "That's disgusting…"

"From what I could see, the Followers were letting them go, but citizens are starving." This was Corday's chance to explain why Senator Kantor was really there. "The bounty on your head could keep a family fed for a year. We have to keep you hidden."

The old Alpha broached the greater issue. "And not just from Thólos."

Claire cocked her head. "What do you mean?"

"I need you to understand that what is said cannot leave this room."

He'd insulted her. "I never told Shepherd a thing. Never," she said.

"Dissention could be our greater enemy." Ruffling his grey hair, elbows on his knees, Kantor sighed. "Many of our people believe that unification under the Follower's governance would satisfy Shepherd. The fact is, these citizens are numerous and growing more loyal to the dictator's regime than we could have imagined. Our own ranks, even some of our brothers and sisters in arms, have been tempted to the other side. Once ensconced, they cannot be reasoned with. Your appearance within the resistance might offer too great a temptation for any straddling the line. Corday and I both believe they will vie to give you back."

"We would never let that happen, Claire," Corday interjected, desperate to explain once he saw the look on her face. "Ever. Do you understand?"

Senator Kantor dared to squeeze her hand. "We need our troops focused. We must find the contagion. To do that, you must stay hidden. No one can know you're here."

Claire sat silent, processing such information. When she finally spoke, her words were not gentle. "You seem to be a wise man, Senator Kantor, but can't you see that time and further suffering will corrode those loyal to you no matter what? My pregnancy is the key to your success. So long as I am running wild in Thólos with his baby as my hostage, he won't infect the population—not at the risk of infecting me. Now is your chance to strike. Use me and rebel immediately."

"I disagree… Shepherd's treatment of you has been appalling, negligent in the gravest of ways." Solemn, Senator Kantor denied her. "If we move prematurely, he might release the contagion. I cannot risk millions of lives, your life, on a maybe. I'm sorry, Claire. Until the Red Consumption's location is uncovered, the resistance will make no move."

The line of Claire's mouth grew sharp. Sitting taller, she looked at both of them as if they were simpletons. "It's not the contagion that keeps us in his power. It's our own cowardice. Every day our people do nothing; the bastard is proving his view of our behavior is correct. The Dome is cracked. Don't you see the weather will kill us long before any virus might?
We
have to take back our city, or we die trying."

Senator Kantor put a hand on the Omega's shoulder. "Thólos's citizens are not soldiers; they're scared and have no comprehension of combat. You must understand; many are watching their families suffer, their children are dying."

Claire shook her head, swallowed her outburst. "No one in this city is a civilian anymore, there is no neutral. Either you are with Shepherd, or you are against him."

"It isn't that simple, Claire."

She looked to Senator Kantor, lost. "Isn't it?"

A deep sigh preceded Senator Kantor's explanation. "You are still young, and will learn in time that things are not always as they seem."

Claire cocked her head, her previously glowing image of so highly regarded a Senator distorted by the sad impotence of such a man. "Shepherd once told me the same thing… You just echoed the words of a madman."

Senator Kantor offered a conciliatory smile, his look of pity disarming. "I'm asking you to trust me."

Corday understood what riled her; bone deep, he felt the same away. "We make progress every day, Claire. I swear it to you."

Claire looked to her friend and could see he had faith in the Alpha charged to lead the rebellion.

"I understand." And she did. She understood that the longer they waited, the more people would die—that the world was a nightmare where the men and women who'd once sworn to uphold the law might hand her back to a despot for food that would only last so long.

She understood perfectly.

She hurt; everyone hurt. And it had to end.

Once Senator Kantor had left, Corday took her hand, and led her back to the couch to rest. When he had her to himself, Corday smiled and pulled a gift out of his pocket.

"I have something to cheer you up." The Enforcer, his face dimpled, held up what was pinched between his fingers. "A few weeks ago I went to your residence. Everything was pretty smashed up, but I found this hidden under the lining of your jewelry box."

He slid a band of gold on her finger.

The gold was warm, but Claire's reaction to it utterly cold. "This was my mother's wedding ring."

As a child she'd hated the sight of it, still angry her mother had abandoned her, too young to accept what had happened. Claire had forgotten she'd even had it tucked away. Now it fit, just like her mother's disappointment in life fit. Holding up her hand to view the grim thing, she saw the correlation to her mother's impetus—a pretty, sparkling reminder that one could always choose.

"Thank you, Corday."

He took her hand again, stroked her fingers, and promised, "I want you to know that I understand the way you feel, but he's right. If the Senator's life was not gravely threatened, I don't know if I would trust even him with you."

Claire wasn't sure what to say. "Why haven't either of you asked me about Shepherd?"

Corday started to purr, scooting closer to put an arm around her shoulder. "Considering that you escaped once, anything he'd allowed you to hear may have been planted to mislead the resistance should you get free again. I hate to say it, but every move that monster makes is… brilliant. There is nothing you can give us."

No one was on her side, and though she tried to hide her look of hurt, it didn't matter. Corday saw.

She chose to tell him things anyway; she needed him to hear her. "He was born in the Undercroft, his mother incarcerated by Premier Callas. His lover's name is Svana."

The Beta listened, Claire's words confirming what Brigadier Dane had conjectured. It would explain how Shepherd had been incarcerated off record, but the thought of a woman being thrown into that hell… that his own government had done such a thing, just could not be. Could it?

Claire continued, eyes far away as she blathered on. "Svana has an accent I've never heard before—like she's not from here."

"There are a thousand kilometers of snow in every direction outside this Dome, Claire. Outsiders cannot wander in."

"Just like women cannot be thrown in the Undercroft and entire cities cannot fall overnight?" To Claire it seemed there had to be more… dark truths about themselves that had to be recognized. Meeting her friend's eyes, she confessed, "I don't think Premier Callas was a good man… I'm afraid Shepherd's harsh opinion of us might not be wrong."

Corday's arm tightened around her. "Are you saying you agree with him?"

"No," she answered quickly. "No. Evil cannot change evil. Maybe his underlying motivation was once principled; I know he thinks it is, but it's not."

"That's right, Claire," Corday reaffirmed, worried to see her so lost. "Shepherd and his army are delusional."

Cheek to his shoulder, she agreed, "Aren't we all a little these days…"

Claire was not a violent woman. She did not know how to fight. She was not physically strong.

But she wasn't defenseless. Claire was fast and clever. She just needed to find a way to use those traits to further her agenda. Deceiving Corday
again
did not sit well with her; but his loyalty, his intentions, were tied up in Senator Kantor's leadership.

Maybe the Senator's plan would work… perhaps rebels could uncover the location of the contagion. Then what? Rally the people over a series of hard years while the Dome continued to crack and more snow fell? Claire was not going to wait to find out.

Feigning complacency, smiling when she was supposed to, Claire acted the part of a submissive Omega and fervently agreed when Corday asked for her promise to stay inside. Admitting she was terrified of being given back, that she trusted him to protect her, it only took two days of good behavior before he finally left to attend his duties.

Despite the pain each step cost, once alone, she began to pace and plot.

The monster himself had told her she'd failed because she believed in goodness in a city where there was none. He was wrong. Claire knew that she had failed because she hadn't tried hard enough, thought big enough; because, in the end, she'd expected someone else to save her.

How very Omega.

How fucking ironic that the champion the women had chosen had been Shepherd! Laughing under her breath, sickened, Claire griped her skull.

Nona, the other Omegas—not once had Corday mentioned them. It was the other Omegas, the one's he'd freed that slipped into conversation here and there. He was trying to shore her up, show that there was hope, but he never mentioned her friends.

Claire knew why; Corday was afraid the temptation to go to them would undermine her promise to stay put. He was right.

Just as he'd threatened, Shepherd had stashed those women in the one place no outsider could get to—the Undercroft. Claire was certain down to her bones.

Getting in would not be easy. Once inside, her quest would grow impossible unless… Claire could encourage the Omegas to stand as a pack and fight.

No one was going to save them—they would have to save themselves. All Claire could do was give them their chance.

In a way, Shepherd may have even done Claire a favor. He'd have seen to the Omega's basic needs, wanting them healthy enough for his men. After so many weeks with food, the women would be stronger, and Claire had a feeling that with starvation no longer clouding their judgment, they would also be very angry.

Anger was the only sentiment Claire seemed to understand most days. Anger was a great motivator.

Turning to pace in the other direction, her elbow winged Corday's bookcase, knocking a mess to the floor.

Bending over to clean up, Claire froze.

An Enforcer data cube…

Information on Shepherd might be there. Maybe even Svana's name was tucked into inside an Enforcer file.

Claire plugged it into Corday's COMscreen and typed out the name 'Shepherd'.

Nothing.

'Svana'.

Nothing.

This resource was too valuable to ignore; there had to be something on there she could use. Claire just needed to think. She needed to slow her mental chatter, to breathe. A cold sweat came as her finger tapped the screen, spelling the name of the only criminal Claire knew. The COM flashed, beautiful chocolate eyes staring back at her.

Claire knew the contemptuously smirking face on that woman's credentials, every angle of it. Even though it had been years, Claire still knew how she smelled, what her laugh sounded like. Leaning nearer the screen, the Omega almost smiled.

The next hour was spent absorbing every single detail the data cube contained on one repeat felon. Maryanne Cauley had amassed quite a record; assault, larceny, burglary, arson… her file was massive. From the looks of it, the stunning lawbreaker had gone from cocky repeat escapee of farm labor to… nothing. Her file just stopped—no record of further incarceration, no address, no date of death. She had just disappeared.

If Claire had not known what had been done with Shepherd's mother, it would not have felt like a very…
disturbing
coincidence
.

She did not know what made her do it, but her fingers typed out one final name: 'Claire O'Donnell'.

It only took a moment to see the flaw on her citizenship registration. If Maryanne Cauley still lived, Claire knew where she'd gone to ground.

Corday had come back to find his apartment cold and empty, lifeless where there should have been a small Omega resting on the couch. Corday had hated leaving her, but she had sworn so faithfully, admitting that she could hardly walk on her feet, that he had believed her.

Claire had fooled him. Claire didn't trust him. Claire had left him… again.

There was a note:

Dear Corday,

I can't live a lie and stay hidden. Not the way things are now. I want you to know that no matter what happens, I chose – fully aware of the consequences.

Love,

Claire

She had signed 'love' but there was no apology. He knew where he stood and the position was painful and deeply upsetting. Knowing her obsession with the Omega situation, Corday folded up the letter and shoved it in his pocket. Zipping up his jacket, he went right out onto the causeways and fought through the snow to where Brigadier Dane secretly sheltered the leader of the resistance.

Banging on the door, Corday refused to let up until the woman answered.

Dane glared. "You shouldn't be here."

Corday did not wait for an invitation, pushing his superior officer aside as he growled, "Like hell I shouldn't."

"Have you lost your mind?" The door was swiftly locked, the invading cold air shut out. "Showing up here in broad daylight endangers us all."

Looking back at the soldier, Corday deepened his scowl. "It's dumping snow outside, no one's on the street and my tracks are already being covered. Where is Senator Kantor?"

"I'm here," a voice sounded from the dwelling's back room.

Ignoring the snarling Brigadier Dane, Corday pulled the note out of his pocket and stomped over. "She left."

Senator Kantor set down his COMscreen and took the note. One brief read over and the old Alpha shook his head. "I'm sorry, Corday. It's not like we could have locked her up."

"Claire is going to do something crazy!" Practically tearing out his hair, Corday snarled, "We've gotta stop her."

Senator Kantor shook his head, his tired eyes bloodshot and sad. "We cannot risk exposing ourselves on a manhunt. We both know she recognized we couldn't help her. Do you understand that, kid?"

"She's going to get herself killed!"

Speaking in a low voice, the Alpha tried to convey sense and a much needed measure of calm. "The Omega is pregnant, she's pair-bonded and mentally detached. She doesn't have much time left, and she knows it."

Rubbing his forehead as if he could wipe away his frustration, Corday demanded, "What are you saying?"

"I am saying that Claire is fighting what must be a nightmare inside her. Her timeline is short and she is making her choice."

"I told you. The pair-bond was damaged."

Senator Kantor dropped the fatherly tone in place for one far more authoritative. "
She's
damaged. Her determination is the only thing keeping her together. You try to cage her, or stop her, she'll fall apart. And that would only open her up to his influence again. It might be best to let her do what she needs to do while she can still do it."

"We both know she's going to try to get those Omegas out of the Undercroft," Corday hissed. "It would take an army and she's just one girl."

Senator Kantor fully understood what was at stake. "She has an advantage, a hostage, and you don't know where she is. Nothing can be done. Believe it or not, my bet's on her."

"He'll KILL her."

"Read the letter again." Senator Kantor handed the crumpled page back. "No one can comprehend the consequences like she can. She's a grown woman who's made her choice, just like we ask our brothers and sisters in arms to make every day."

"This is fucking insanity!" Corday stormed out of the room, the note crushed in his grip. "I'm going to find her. I'm going to bring her home."

Brushing past a frowning Brigadier Dane, Corday found himself caught.

His arm in her grip, Dane's face was red and her hiss nasty. "You will do no such thing. Return to your home. Cool off before you jeopardize the entire resistance with your impulsive stupidity. Think, for once. Whatever this Claire has planned, distracting her or getting yourself killed won't help anyone."

Corday was strongly tempted to violence. "You don't know Claire."

"I don't, but I know you. And I know when you're wrong."

The weather was absolute shit. A blessing and a curse, as it seemed Thólos was hiding from the unfamiliar storm. No soul walked the streets to pester her, and though falling snow made the path difficult, the trek left her soaked to the bone and shivering violently.

In all the years since Claire had last walked the midlevel promenade, she'd forgotten much. The tight dwellings were still celery green, but it took her some time to remember which window had once housed a flower box full of red poppies.

There were no splashes of color now… no flowers. Soon even the withering trees would be nothing but sticks. All there was, was that too cheerful green peeking out from clinging frost, broken windows, and refuse.

Three flights up, third domicile on the right.

Standing face to face with a once familiar door, Claire jiggled the handle and found it locked. Running her fingernail around the frame, she felt a bump in the crack—a spare key hidden just as it had been when she was a girl.

The inside was dark. No one was home.

In place of the woman she sought lay junk; wires, filters, air scrubbers, pipes, and whirring machines piled all over the room. The selfish magpie had stolen them right out of the Dome's infrastructure, and by doing so had weakened everyone else.

It was unspeakable, infuriating and, worst of all, after reading her file, Claire was not remotely surprised.

Mouth sour, Claire stripped off her wet clothes, hung them to drip in the galley kitchen, and helped herself to something dry. It was night before she finally heard the scratch of a key in the lock.

A tall beauty slipped into the chilly room, rubbing her mittened hands together. It only took the woman a second to spot Claire lounging on her couch. "You should not be here."

"You always were such a cunt. You know that, right?" Claire snarled back.

"That is a big word coming from you, little girl." Cocking her head to the side, blonde hair moving like a waterfall behind her, the Alpha changed her snarl to a provocative purr. "Do you have any idea how much you're worth?"

"Don't get too excited. He won't pay you… Shepherd hanged the last batch that brought me in, Maryanne." Claire looked at what had once been the smartest girl she knew and saw a stranger. "Fact is, he takes offense that anyone would expect payment for returning what's his."

Shoulders tight, Maryanne eased closer, eyeballing every corner of the room. "Did anyone see you come in?"