Lucifer left for work early the next morning. Alex woke up only long enough for him to kiss her goodbye. She rolled back over, tiredness pulling her down. She vaguely heard the door close, and then she fell asleep.

...

When she once again awoke, the sun was up. Alex rolled onto one side, groaning. The pillow smelled like Lucifer, and she buried her head in it, inhaling tiredly. She lay there for several seconds, contemplating whether she should get up. Oh. Right.

She remembered what had happened yesterday. Crap. She sat up with a start. Lucifer was going to send her away. She threw back the covers, jumping out of bed. He was going to break her. A shiver ran down her spine.

She hurried down the hall. "Lucifer?"

No answer. Not that she was really expecting one. Alex just wanted to make sure. She turned into the kitchen as her stomach let out a low rumble. She stepped towards the fridge;

Something caught her eye on the counter. It was a piece of paper. Alex picked it up, squinting. It had several words written on it, scrawled in pencil Alex couldn't read fluently, but at least she knew some words. And she knew two of those words on that paper. Omega and breaking.

The paper fluttered to the ground as reality sunk in. She hadn't just been overly-worried. Lucifer really was going to do it. Alex shook her head, sinking to the ground. She didn't know much about breaking, but she knew it was very unpleasant. Unpleasant wasn't the right word. It was painful, humiliating. It was aptly named; it completely and utterly broke the spirit of any omega unfortunate to walk through the front door.

Alex shivered. She couldn't stay here.

It took only a moment's contemplation. Alex jumped to her feet, hurrying into the living room and over to the phone. She dug a business card out from under the couch. It was there that she hesitated once again. Was she really going to do this? Alex shook her head to clear her thoughts. It was the only way.

She dialed the numbers that were cleanly printed on the card. The phone rang, and rang, and rang once again. Alex held her breath nervously.

Finally, someone answered. "Hello?"

Alex fell back on the couch in relief. "Gadreel?" His name almost came out as a whimper, and she paused to steady her voice.

"Alex?" The alpha's voice grew sharp. "Hey. Is everything okay? You don't sound good." When Alex didn't answer, he let out a angry breath. "What has Lucifer done?"

"Nothing. Nothing yet." Alex leaned forward, head in her hands. "I . . . I screwed up. Bad."

"I know. At the Talbot Restaurant." Gadreel sighed. "News travels quite fast. You're sure he hasn't hurt you?"

"No, but - He, he's was talking with Michael last night." Her voice dropped low in fear. "He's going to send me away. He's going to break me." Her voice shook. "I, I can't stay. Please. I'll go with you, I'll do whatever you want, just please. Get me out of here."

There was no moment of hesitation. "I can be there in thirty minutes."

Alex nodded. "Okay." She heard a click as Gadreel hung up, and she fell back on the couch, shaking. It was okay. Everything was going to be okay. She took a deep, deep breath. She would be safe.

Alex stood up as a adrenaline suddenly rushed through her veins. She was leaving. A broad smile grew across her lips, and she ran a hand across her freckled face. She was actually leaving. She hurried off down the hall.

...

She was packed in five minutes. She didn't have much; a few t-shirts, two pairs of jeans. The leather jacket she had stolen back at her village was pulled over a black shirt. It still faintly smelled of alpha. She had been pacing for the last twenty minutes, too agitated to sit.

The phone rang, and Alex jumped, hurrying over to it. She quickly answered, expecting Gadreel. "Hello?"

"Alex. You okay?"

Alex frowned. Lucifer. Slight panic set in, but she pushed it away. Lucifer wouldn't know. "Of course. Why do you ask?"

"Dunno. But you feel pretty agitated." Lucifer's voice was worried. "I mean, I usually can't tell, but this feeling's pretty strong."

Alex rolled her shoulders back, trying to push that said-agitation away. "It's nothing," she lied.

She heard Lucifer let out a long breath. "If this is about yesterday," he started.

Alex shook her head. "It's not," she lied again. "Really. It's nothing."

The alpha didn't seem appeased, but didn't press it. "Fine. I'll be home around four. See you then."

"Yeah," Alex echoed. "See you then." She hung up. "See you never," she added scornfully.

There was a hushed knock on the door, and Alex answered. "Good timing." She let the alpha in.

Gadreel stepped, concern covering his face. "Are you okay?" He reached up, cupping her chin. "I can't believe those alphas." His eyes darkened.

Alex looked down, slightly embarrassed. "How much do you know?"

"I know that you said Lucifer wasn't your alpha. And I know Lucifer was mad as hell about it." Gadreel tipped her head up. "Alphas shouldn't control omegas. It's no their place. It's no ones place."

Alex shifted uncomfortably. "Can we just go now?" She looked up into his blue eyes. "I want to go."

Gadreel nodded. His hand snaked around, unclipping the silver collar from around her neck. "There," he said simply. "Now you're free." He let out a rare, genuine smile. "No one's ever going to own you again."

Those words melted Alex's heart. She threw her arms around the alpha. "Thank you."

He gently hugged her back. "We should go." He turned towards the door, taking Alex's light bag. Alex followed, but paused when he hesitated. "Here." Gadreel held out the collar. "That can stay here."

Alex nodded. She took it, heading back into the room. Without hesitation, she placed it next to the phone, in plain sight from the door. She then turned to leave, hurrying after the alpha. Free. She was finally free.

The door slammed behind them. That abrupt gust of air travelled through the empty room, unsettling the business card that lay forgotten near the phone. It teetered, then fell, drifting slowly to the carpeted floor. And there it lay.