Disclaimer: I own nothing! I claim nothing! I'm just borrowing the characters for my own pleasure and the pleasure of whoever reads this!


Chapter Two

Unchained

It seemed like just another ordinary day in the vicious cycle Molly's life had become since her abduction. Already, her single meal of the day had been brought - they had to keep her strength up after all - and she knew it wouldn't be long until they came in to give her the shot that would eventually trigger her heat. At first, she had tried to resist, tried to fight against the injection and pain, tried to run, but all that earned her was a chain leash around her neck, attached to the wall, and any further attempts at fighting only led to more pain. It all seemed so pointless, when fighting only brought hurt, so eventually, she stopped resisting. The shot, at least.

She felt pathetic. she had begun to crave the door opening because that was one of the only times she ever saw another person, regardless of the circumstances. It didn't matter that they only gave her frosty glares, hurtful words, and insulting sneers as they gripped her arm and forced the needle into her already scarred flesh, littered with marks from several past injections. She just needed to see another living person.

The knowledge that she relied on these horrible people for her very sanity sickened her, but still she waited for the creaking steps that would signify the time for that short glimpse of another person, as cruel as that person may be.

It never came.

Instead, the silence was broken by shouting above her, and stomping feet as the men scrambled for whatever positions they were going for. Gunshots followed soon after.

Molly didn't know how to react but with unvoiced terror. Even screaming seemed like a horrible idea. Who knew what was going on, or what would happen if they found her. She shifted into a corner of the room, the darkest place she could reach with the chain, and sat down, hugging her knees to her chest as the chaos above continued.

Silence, cruel and slightly alarming in it's own right, came just as suddenly as the noise. Molly didn't move from her huddled position in the corner, simply waiting, and listening.

Footsteps, some shuffling, others quick and assured, began to pace and walk around upstairs, but they were all new patterns. She didn't recognize the familiar stomping of the men who usually walked around above her. She heard doors opening all around, and the whines of other omegas joined the footsteps. Some, from the scent, were in heat, but all of them, regardless of that, were led away as they were uncovered.

Molly began to wonder if they were being moved to a new facility. She didn't like that idea any more than she had liked the gunshots. Still, it was almost reassuring to hear the other omegas who were held with her. She had known they were there, but she'd never been allowed to interact with them, and the only evidence of their existence had been the faint scents lingering on her captors.

Voices rose and fell, footsteps faded and returned, but still none were familiar. She didn't like the unfamiliar anymore, and everything happening now was definitely unfamiliar territory.

Still, her dislike of the situation didn't stop three different sets of footsteps from congregating at her door, and for them to eventually open it and begin the descent into the room.

The voices were loud and clear now as they approached, and she could hear them. . . arguing?

"Sherlock, you can't be serious. Lestrade, tell him we've got all the omegas present and accounted for in the building." The first voice came, a bit snappish, but it didn't hold the power of an alpha. Since she could scent them, she knew that there was a single beta and two alphas coming down. That, she decided, was the beta.

"I've got to agree, Sherlock. We've already found all eighteen omegas we were looking for here, and no one else can pick up the scent you're following." The second voice, Lestrade, she put the name from the first man with the voice. She could hear a bit of the control, definitely an alpha.

"You're both wrong. This scent is being masked by the prior omega, obviously. The omega is down here, I'm certain of it."

A shiver ran down Molly's spine. Even if her nose hadn't already told her that the third man had to be an alpha, there was no mistaking that deep, self-assured tone as anything other than pure dominance and control. He was almost certainly leading the proverbial pack.

Molly swallowed quietly when they came into view. The first alpha, Sherlock she guessed, stepped off of the last step and began to scan the small room quickly and precisely as the other two joined him in the room.

She felt extremely exposed in her pitiful hiding place, and she wished she could just sink into the wall, just get away as his steely gaze got closer.

"Sherlock," the beta began - she didn't think his name had been spoken yet - "There's no one here. Maybe she was moved somewhere else, and it's just her lingering scent you've got."

"Shut up John!" Sherlock snapped over his shoulder, his eyes narrowing. "If you would just listen instead of telling me I'm wrong, even your undeveloped hearing would be able to pick up her whines."

Molly hadn't even been aware of the soft whine coming from the back of her throat until he pointed it out. She stopped quickly, placing her hand over her mouth as well, but the room had already gone silent and three sets of eyes were now staring directly at her darkened corner.

It was Sherlock, of course, who locked onto her first, a smug smile on his face.

Lestrade focused in on her shortly after, and his face softened as he spoke. "Come on out, we want to help." His voice was calm and kind, but she didn't trust soft voices and sweet words anymore, so she just shook her head vigorously.

Her gaze flicked from one man to the other, her mind screaming at her to run while the door was open. The heavy weight of the chain leash around her neck was more prominent than ever in her mind, telling her why exactly that idea would never work, even if she could somehow get past them.

"Are you hurt?" The beta - John - asked. His was the only voice completely neutral except for the concern in it. His was without the dominant pull. Again, she shook her head, though much more slowly this time, begging with her eyes for them to just leave her alone.

"Then get up, and come here." A clear command from the most dominant man in the room, possibly the most dominant man she had seen in a long time, sent a shiver down her spine. Her mind told her one single word.

Obey.

"Sherlock!"

Even as John scolded the unrepentant alpha for his command, Molly rose to her feet. With her gaze locked on the ground in front of her, she slowly walked until she stood directly in front of him. The chain clinked loudly as it dragged on the ground, trailing after her before settling as she stood still.

"Good. I'm going to unchain you now. You're not to run, understood?" Sherlock said in the same tone he had used earlier, another clear order.

She nodded without a word, and he pulled a key from his pocket as he turned the collar around on her neck to get at the latch.

Vaguely, she heard the other alpha ask when he got the key, since it had been in his pocket, but since Sherlock ignored him, she did too.

The links of the chain rattled and clinked as the collar slipped from her neck, and fell to the ground with a clatter that resonated around the room.

"Tell me your name." Again, that same controlling tone.

"Molly Hooper." Came her instant reply. "Who are you?" As soon as the question passed her lips, she flinched away, expecting to be hit for it.

The blow never came. Instead, a gentle hand was laid on her shoulder. The beta.

"You're not going to be hurt, Molly. We're here to help. The bossy prick is Sherlock Holmes. The other alpha is Greg Lestrade, he's a Deputy Inspector, one of the good guys. I'm John Watson. Now that you know us, how about we get you out of here?"

"I. . . They'll be angry, if I go." She muttered, swallowing heavily.

Sherlock sighed loudly. "John, coddling her is getting nowhere. Molly, there is no need to cower. Frankly, it's annoying and distracting, considering you smell like absolute terror. If you didn't already know, this is a raid, as in, safety, with nice policemen and everything." The sarcasm rolled off his tongue. "Now, enough of this useless chatter. Upstairs, now."

Molly ducked her head and nodded. "Yes sir." She said meekly, ducking away from John's hand and heading straight for the staircase.

There was a resonating SMACK behind her, and a growled "What the hell Sherlock?! You can't just boss her around with your damn dominating alpha tone, she's just - "

"I know what she's been through John, but that doesn't make her an invalid. She's the only one who wasn't in heat or practically leaping at us as soon as the door was opened. She is the only we found collared. That means something, and I'm trying to figure out what, so shut up." Sherlock snapped.

Molly heard all this, but she didn't dare turn around, afraid that any moment a fight would break out. After all, that's what happened when any of the beta underlings disobeyed the alphas in command with her captors.

She waited at the top of the stairs, just out of the way of the door, eyes glued to the floor. She felt ashamed as she thought about what the alpha had said. They knew what had been done to her, knew she was ruined. No one would want her now. She'd be alone.

No bond.

No mate.

The thoughts actually made her want to cry, but at least she was free.

At least she was free.

So she vowed, no matter what else life threw at her, she'd be happy for that fact.


Chapter 2! Whoo!

So, I actually have acquired a beta for this story, since it's unfamiliar ground for me (And I'm sick of reviewing a Chapter AFTER posting and finding several typing errors XD) so, here's lovely round of applause for the wonderful cumberburch on Tumblr. You're the best darling 3

And of course, thank you so much to Renaissancebooklover108, IceQueenForLife, Mizjoely, Freewaygirl, Nita, Reina434, readxme, and Rocking the Redhead. It feels amazing to see some familiar readers from other stories, and I always love reading your comments 3

Until Next Time! :*