11

Normal POV-1 week later

The next morning, Barba walked into the precinct upon being called down. He was in a pretty good mood after last night. He took Aurora out, they talked about their childhood and he grew up poor and having to dodge gangs left in right. She had matured greatly and so she had to deal with her strict father. They also wondered why they were even bound together. She also told him her views on alphas and betas. Most of what she said was from what she learned from Albert, but also what she saw and read for herself. She didn't want to live her life in a man's shadow. She wanted to make the choices she made under her own influence. They went home and fucked… with a condom. Rafael tried not to groan at the thought. But everything was fine between them. Barba knew there was still a barrier up, but he felt he was slowly tearing it down. Fin smirked.

"Someone had a good time last night." he said. Barba huffed.

"Fun as ever." he said. Olivia came over with a remote in her hand.

"I can only imagine your day was creative yesterday." she said. Barba arched a brow in her direction.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, and Olivia cut on the TV. Barba watched as a news report of his romp with Billy Conlan last week. He tensed and sighed some as he listened to the reporter accuse both men of fighting over a girl.

"What's going on Barba?" Carisi asked. Rafael sighed, Amaro was coming in from being on break.

"Damn Barba, heard you were about to go toe to toe with Heavy Weight Champion, Billy Conlan." he said throwing his jacket on his chair. Rafael rolled his eyes.

"Yes, Amaro, I saw. Aurora use to date him. The relationship was ended and he has troubles letting go." he explained. Amanda's eyes flexed.

"Wow. You heard what happened to his actual beta right?" she asked.

"Everyone knows. Catch up. Look it's taken care of. If he wants to fight me he can take me to court." he said. The phone rang and Fin picked it up. Olivia shook her head.

"You need to make sure it's ended. If he decides to take you to court, it could be an issue. A lot of judges are trying to be more lenient with betas. If the beta isn't happy, they're allowed to go through the proper channels to leave their alphas." she said. Barba scoffed.

"Aurora wouldn't leave me." he said. Olivia didn't look convinced.

"Really? It's only been a few days." She told.

"And she did only take the case so she could avoid jail." Amanda added. Barba looked at her.

"Yes, I know quit killing the conversation." he said. Rollins only lifted her hands in defense. "Besides things are going well between." Olivia only nodded.

"So what happens after we get Albert Nottingham?" she asked. Rafael looked at her with determined eyes while Fin answered his phone that had been ringing.

"If you even have a case. All AntiDom has been doing is protesting and causing mild disturbances. You have no case." he said. Amaro, a proud alpha, scoffed.

"Yeah until more betas start coming forward and not wanting to go against society's norm. Alphas and betas exist, and that's just how it is." he said.

"Well what if your alpha was beating you mercilessly every day, is that how it "just is"? " Barba asked with a curious look that also said Amaro was stupid. Amaro raised his hands.

"Point taken." he said.

"Both people deserve to be happy. If the alpha can't make the beta happy or vice versa they should try and work it out." Olivia said.

"And if it doesn't work out?" Carisi asked. Olivia just looked at him with a shrug of defeat. Fin hung up the phone quickly and got up.

"That was Manhattan Medical, there was a shooting down at Marymount College. An man just went onto the campus and started shooting. Students are being brought in by the dozens." he said. Now everyone was on alert and Olivia already began calling the shots. Barba immediately felt his stomach tighten up.

"That's Aurora's school!" he said moving to follow everyone out the door. He had to get down there now. Olivia grabbed his arm.

"You can't go down there now!" she said. "Let the police do their job."

"If it were your beta, you wouldn't even have to think about this." Barba snapped. Olivia didn't command him, she was not his boss and even if she was, nothing would stop him. Olivia stared at him with stress in her eyes before looking at Amanda. She was putting her coat on and grabbing her jacket. He was right. If her beta was in trouble she would go through hell and back to get to her.

"Come on." she merely said and everyone began to empty the station. Barba wasn't sure what to even do. What if she was hurt? He had to get her out of there.

Aurora's POV

I had a girl, Amy Thompson, in my hold. She was crying and clutching on to me. I stroked her brunette hair as the gunman walked around the room. He had locked himself in the theater room with me and a few other students. He had just shot a professor and he was on the ground. He wasn't moving. I had heard loud fire cracking sounds from somewhere around the school. At first, I thought nothing of, but when I heard people screaming, I knew it was bad. I had managed to get into the theater room with a few others, but the shooter found his way into the theater and made us barricade the doors.

"Why are you doing this!" a guy screamed.

"Shut up shut up!" he screamed. He was a tall biker dressed guy with sweaty brown hair and a tough looking face. "This is ALL your fault!" He pointed his gun at me. The girl in my hold yelped and hid her face in my chest.

"What did I do?" I asked cautiously, and now he moved over to me.

"You! You are that black bitch who made my beta leave me for your little group!" he answered. My heart was pounding in my chest. This couldn't be happening.

"We didn't do anything, the group is for people-"

"SHUT UP!" he screamed pointing his gun at me, making me hold the girl closer. "You just shut the fuck up. I have seen you on TV. Talking all that shit about how alphas just want to control everything and just screw shit up! I was a good alpha. I made my girl feel like a queen, and you know what! She wanted to be with someone else. So she left." I nodded now.

"Okay. Okay you're mad at me, you just want me right! Okay I'm here, right here. You want to hurt me, fine. Let everyone else go and take me." I said. Students were crying and shaking and huddling in fear. I couldn't let them get hurt because of me. He shook his head, his gun shaking in front of me.

"Nah. This is on you. There are betas and alphas dead because of you. Do you know how it makes me feel to know the woman I love doesn't want me anymore! I feel like a chunk of my brain and heart were ripped out of me!" he screamed. And so now he shot up a college to get revenge. Could this happen to any alpha? I nodded.

"I have an alpha!" I said and now he squinted at me.

"You have an alpha? Then why would you even want to be a part of a group who wants to take you away from them?" he asked. I couldn't answer. My lips moved, but I couldn't answer. "What does he do, your alpha?" I swallowed some.

"He is a District Attorney." I said. He nodded with hatred and tears in his eyes.

"So it's only a matter of time before he gets here." he told. "With the police." I didn't say anything, because we all knew they were. Now he wiped his face with his sleeve.

"Get out! Everyone, get out now you got ten seconds, but not you!" he said pointed his gun at me. Everyone began to move to the door, and I remained in place with my hands up. I was afraid. Lord knows I was afraid, but I couldn't show it too much and give him the upper hand. Alphas will use your fear if you show it to them. He told me to stand up, and I did. Students were removing chairs. I just watched as they did so. The man, however, just walked over to me with great speed. I couldn't even think before I felt the back of his hand connect with my cheek, and I spun around and landed on the ground. I gasped hard touching my face. Then I felt a boot into my stomach causing me to scream out and curl up.

"Stand up!" he demanded.

Normal POV

Swat was moving in and all around the school. Ambulances and cop cars were surrounding the school. This was bad. There was bodies everywhere, some injured some dead. Olivia and her team were in a unit moving around the school. Barba was with them, in a bullet proof vest. It was confirmed there was only one shooter, and being surrounded by cops he went with them. It was against protocol, but he didn't care. He had to find Aurora. He had to find his girlfriend. Some students were running at them.

"Get out of here, get to cover!" Olivia instructed. One of them ran over to the group.

"Is there an attorney here?" she asked frantically. Barba's head snapped up. In the back of his mind, he already knew, knew something was wrong.

"Yes. What is it?" he asked.

"Is your beta a black woman?" she asked. Barba nodded quickly.

"Oh the alpha is crazy. He let us go and made her stay. He's going to kill her!" she yelled. Barba's eyes widened at her words, and

"Where, where are they now?" Olivia asked and the girl pointed.

"In the theater room in that building!" she said. Olivia nodded.

"Okay get to safety now! Let's go, let's go, let's go!" she instructed. The team hurried with great caution into the building. Barba couldn't help but feel utter fear grab him. He had never been in such a life threatening situation before and now here he was. But he didn't fear for himself. He feared for Aurora. She was up there alone with a madman and he isn't there to protect her. He may have only known her for a week, but time meant nothing to him. He just wanted her safe.

Aurora's POV

I was thrown over a stack of chairs and I gasped hard as my back his the ground. Blood dripped from my mouth and nose, which I knew was broken.

'Alphas… they throw tantrums and blame the world for their problems when their betas decide to betray them.' Albert would say. The man moved over to me and slammed his foot in my stomach causing me to yell out in pain. Then he moved it to my neck and I took hold of his smelly boot. He held his gun up over me, and I just looked at the black hole in front of me.

"Now your alpha can know what it feels to lose a beta." he said and pulled the trigger. I closed my eyes, but felt nothing. And by nothing, I meant I was still alive. I opened my eyes to see the man looking at the gun. It must have been empty, but that didn't mean anything to him. He grabbed my hair and lifted me up and threw me against the stage, dragging me up the stairs. I began to scream in pain. He threw me onto my back and by now I couldn't feel anything in my body.

He sat atop of my pelvis and I groaned at the weight. Now I felt large hands around my throat squeezing with such brutality, my mind was already going fuzzy.

"Now die!" he said. I could see it though. Tears in his eyes falling onto my face. He was crying. I could see shaking and more shaking. Now I saw someone else atop of me choking me. I tried to blink some, my airway being cut off. Rafael. He's crying over me. His hands are around my neck. He's crying.

"I loved you… I loved you so much!"

The voices were facing, but a loud bang caused everything to stop. I could breathe again, but a weight fell atop of my face and already I was still blacking out.