Page 7 of Met Your Mate

To my utter surprise, a low, rattling rumble sounds from our pack alpha. Normally a purr is reserved for a mate, or I guess, in this case, family. Family who is in complete distress.

Ronan walks forward slowly and reaches a hand through the bars to try to reach his brother. "Luke," he gasps. "I'm here, you're okay. Just calm down, don't hurt yourself."

Never in my life did I ever think I would see Freya's bully and class douchebag reduced to dirt covered cheeks with tear tracks beating away at the muck. I've seen many new sides of Lucas the past few months, but seeing him like this, I can't help but purr for him too. Our pack mate is struggling to calm down without us being there to settle him, so I allow my instincts to take over like Ronan's doing.

Just as Lucas starts to relax, the guy behind me decides to open his goddamn mouth again. "Interesting."

The three of us whirl on him and snarl. He ignores us like he doesn't have three dominant, protective alphas wanting to rip his spine from his back. "I wonder who the blonde will call out for when he wakes. Any bets, Nick?"

I follow the guy's gaze to the cage across from him and see another stranger. His skin is a similar color to mine, and I think if he didn't look malnourished, his muscles would rival my own. His buzzed head hangs between his shoulders and his arms are propped up on his bent knees.

"Leave them be, Beckett," the man, Nick, grumbles without looking up.

"I bet it won't be anyone here," the first guy continues to joke about us.

Now that the sun has lit the large room, I can finally make out Beckett's features. Shock steals my breath for just a moment when his bright white hair shines back at me.

Fuck, I miss Freya.

He's pale and his hair is messy like Casey's usually is, except I think if Beckett were to style it, it would slick back nicely. He's thinner than Nick, but maybe his normal build isn't as broad.

A throaty scream jolts me out of my perusal of the strange men. "FREYA!"

I barely register Beckett's murmured, "Called it."

"Freya!" Casey thrashes around before finally kneeling. He's as frantic as Lucas was when he woke up, but instead of shouting for someone here, he frantically searches the room for the one person we're still missing.

"Where is she? Is she here?" My beta mate asks, even as the hope drains from his blue eyes. Finally, his gaze lands on me and my heart breaks at the despair pouring off of him.

I shake my head silently and prepare myself to tell my boy I have no idea where she is.

Except, before I can shatter Casey's heart, Beckett speaks up. "If you're here because you found your omega mate, then they will keep her separate until you're needed."

"Needed?" Lucas growls.

The blonde man nods before looking to the ceiling. "For the experiments."

What the fuck?

If what he said is true, then maybe we have been brought to Freya... but just what the fuck is going on here?

Chapter Eight

RONAN

Iwonder how long it will take for someone to realize I'm missing. We were just a few short months from the guys and Freya graduating, so we have at least until then before someone questions why I haven't reached out.

I wasn't allowed my cell phone or contact with the outside world, which should have probably freaked me out more when I took the position. But I basically fucking told all my friends I would be silent until Lucas graduated this spring. They understood but made it very clear that we all needed to catch up and get drinks when I was done teaching.

I now wonder if the school ever would have let me go. Surely, the headmaster would have made me sign an NDA, at the very least, before letting me leave. Maybe I would have been threatened, or maybe they would have just fucking offed me as soon as my contract was up.

It makes me wonder about the other professors. They all seemed as brainwashed as the fucking kids. Hell, most of them were as volatile toward the omegas as the students. I suppose they have to be to teach the betas and alphas to act that way too.

Disappointment festers in my gut and guilt roars in my head as I think about all the things I should have questioned before trapping myself. I should have shown someone else the contract that made my gut twist. Then maybe I wouldn't have taken the job if I had someone else's opinion.

Hell, my best fucking friend and his entire family work for OPS–Omega Protection Services. Remy would have taken one look at the details and forbade me from going, then he would have helped me get my brother out of there. His family would have ripped this place apart, too.

Hindsight's a bitch. So is fate. The fact that our mate was with my three pack brothers for almost four damn years and they never knew baffles me. I can't blame them. I didn't recognize her as my scent match until the other night.

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