Knot Giving Up: An Omegaverse Reverse Harem Why Choose MMMMF Novel, RH Romance

Chapter One: Escape

Eloise's POV

Gasping, sharp breaths wheeze from my lungs as I force my legs to move faster. They want to quit; they want to pause and just take even ten seconds to rest, but I know better.

If I stop now, I'm dead. If I stop now, everything leading up to this escape means nothing. The nearest town is still over ten miles away, at least from what I can guess. I've been running since the sun began to set, and it's well into the deepness

of night now, possibly even bleeding into the next day. It's possible I didn't even escape in the right direction– that I've been pointlessly running for hours. Reading a map isn't really in my list of skills, but even if I had been able to, I'd only had a couple of minutes to study the map on Master Zeek's desk.

Taking off barefoot into the forest was my best bet– also the fastest route– but it definitely wasn't the easiest on my body or my poor feet. The stinging and aching from rocks and sticks stabbing into the soft skin of my feet passed painful long ago and switched into numb territory thankfully. But it also means danger, especially if I don't make it to safety. It means possible infection. Speaking of infection...

"Fuck," I whisper to myself as the large incision in my leg aches and throbs. I slow down just a little to baby it, glancing down to see a steady trail of blood still leaking from the large cut. That's where the tracker had been, and it had been a bitch to scrape out. But I still don't quit running; a cut is the very least of my problems, and I... I can't be caught. I can't go back. I won't go back.

"I can smell her; she's going this way!"

I stumble at the sudden loud voice, a whine almost leaving my lips at the Alpha tone. I knew it would be inevitable; they have cars and unfair Alpha noses that can scent Omegas like me much further than we can scent them. And shoes, fucking shoes. What I wouldn't give for a pair of shoes right now; even flip flops.

"Omega! Stop now and come back, or face worse consequences! We will find you, so do the smart thing!"

I don't answer back, because fuck that, and instead change course so I can throw my scent a bit. I can't go too off course, but I wind myself around a few trees and run down the path to the left of where I actually need to be going. Then, I waste precious time by turning back and this time I choose the right path, hoping it'll be distracting enough. Even one of the Labs' Alphas is enough to take me down, but maybe I can outrun half of them if the other half is going down a false path. One can hope.

"You're close to heat, Omega! You know that you're making a mistake!"

The tone in this Alpha's voice is convincing, making me want to falter and believe what he's saying. But I've lived at the Lab since I was... well, since before I can remember, really. So I know their tricks. I know how to take back a little of the control that they take from me.

His voice echoes off the trees as he continues to taunt me, going softer as I get further away, and then louder when he catches up. It's a dance that has me even more out of breath than the constant running does, and I don't know how much more I can take before my heart gives out from anxiety.

But then I see it.

A main road, up ahead just a hundred feet or so. I can hear cars coming in this direction, and almost fall in relief when I see one with bright headlights pass by where I am. I'm way too deep into the trees for them to have seen me, but I'll make sure the next one sees me. And if I get run over? Well... then I guess at least I didn't die in that lab.

I don't let myself hesitate. I just push myself faster, running along the tree line until I come across a huge tree whose trunk will hide me from whatever may come at me from the back, but will also allow me to be seen from the road. It's a good spot just in case the next car doesn't see me, but... I don't know how long this will provide enough coverage. My scent is a beacon, and it won't take long for any of those Alphas to sniff out my exact location.

Now that I've stopped, my lungs are screaming and the sweat on my brow trickles down my cheeks. The ache in my leg becomes a roaring scream, and the numb pin-like feeling in my feet falls away into agony, allowing every scrape and impaled rock or twig to radiate through my entire being it feels. The sound of the Alphas' voices are also quieted by the thumping and rushing sound in my ears, which causes me to panic a bit. That brings me back to myself; to the knowledge that I need to stay focused because I'm not out of the woods yet... Literally. I focus on my breathing and keep my eyes on the road, knowing that it's my last chance.

They won't make the mistake that allowed me to get out again. They'll double down on security, secure all exits, and keep a watch on me at all times until I die. Which, if the state of myself is anything to go by, would have been soon anyway. It's a miracle I was able to get myself this far, honestly.

My senses aren't as heightened as an Alphas', but I can still hear the brakes on the car coming around the bend in the road when my breathing begins to calm. I can also make out the sound of footsteps in the near distance, letting me know that they're much closer than I'm comfortable with.

I close my eyes and inhale a couple of deep breaths before I force my head to the side, peeking around the trunk of the large tree. I can see flashlights illuminating flashes of metal from the weapons they carry and the tactical gear they wear, but they seem to still be far enough that I can't catch a glimpse of the actual people hunting me. They're yelling out my name– a name I've been called for my entire life but have never felt any kind of recognition to– and cackling out comments about me being a defenseless Omega. A useless Omega. A dead Omega.

That last one is the only reason I don't turn myself in. It's the only way I'm able to resist the Alpha bark in their voices as they command me to come out. Because I would rather die running toward my freedom than die as an experiment in that place.

Bright lights catch the corner of my eye and I whip my head in that direction, afraid that one of the Alphas snuck up on me. But instead of a flashlight, I'm met with headlights which are coming closer and closer.

I let out a whine, allowing myself that one small moment of hesitancy, before I throw myself into the road, holding my arms up and squeezing my eyes shut.

The Alphas from the facility get louder. The screech of tires against the road is piercing. The sound of the following silence is deafening...

And then there's only silence and darkness.

*

Oh man, I can't wait to meet Ashton, Drax, Milo, and Rolland next chapter!

I want to do a poll at the end of each chapter-- sometimes pertaining to the book, and other times just random stuff. I just really love interacting with readers, and this is a great way!

So just put your answer in the comments, and feel free to explain why you chose that answer as well!

Poll of The Chapter:
What is your all-time favorite book trope?

A. Enemies to Lovers

B. Sunshine One with the Grumpy One

C. Bad Boy/Good Girl

D. Forced Proximity

E. Other (explain)

My Answer: I definitely am a sucker for B. Sunshine One with the Grumpy One, but I'm also a huge sucker for the Disguise trope, like when a character has to go undercover in an all-boys school and all of the chaos that ensues with that. My best recommendation for that (also a Reverse Harem!) is The Secret Girl by C.M. Stunich. If you have Kindle Unlimited, almost all of her stuff is on there, and it's definitely worth the read. Anything by her is amazing.