Page 69 of Tangled in Knots

“Things are fucked all the way around with the pack,” I mutter. “How can you trust someone with your body when you’re the most vulnerable after they’ve hurt you?”

“That’s something only you can answer,” Aurelia murmurs. “Let me get you some clothing for tomorrow from the community closet and a bag with necessities. If you need anything else, just ask.”

“How much does all of this cost?” I ask, suddenly worried. Nothing is free in life.

“Nothing,” she says fiercely. “Sometimes, you need a little help, and when you’re on your feet, you pay it forward if you can. That’s it. We refuse to charge for any of our services.”

“But why?” I breathe, struggling to get my head wrapped around this.

“The founders had an incredibly difficult life,” she explains. “They wanted to ensure there were services available for others going through life’s challenges. It’s not easy to be an omega. The world is a dangerous place. Not only that, but there aren’t many shelters who will take an omega.”

“Why?” I ask, confused. “We’re not dangerous, at least not most of us.”

“It’s because of our pheromones. A lot of shelters have the mentality that they'll cause a dangerous situation, since there are alphas who stay there,” she explains.

While I can see the problem, I hate that this is the way that it’s handled.Omega’s Havenis definitely needed.

I may have lived my entire life with a silver spoon in my mouth, but I can understand how unbalanced the world is for omegas. It’s one of the reasons I was never allowed to leave the house.

There are more, but I don’t want to dwell on them.

“Let’s go,” she says gently, prompting me to stand with her.

I have so many thoughts raging in my mind, thinking about the auctions and how easy it is for them to pick someone off the street and for them to never be heard from again. Pack Kelly’s best friend being one of them. She was so young, kidnapped while on what was supposed to be a fun day with her friends.

“I kind of hate this life,” I mutter as I follow her toward a hallway at the back of the room.

“It isn’t all awful,” Aurelia says. “We’re going to show you that. We also offer self defense classes as well that you may find helpful. There’s so much more that Aisling will go over. I would do it, but you look a little over tonight.”

“I swear, it feels as if I’m just waking up, but the nightmare won’t end,” I sigh. “God, that sounds so dramatic. I’m sure there are people who are living through worse.”

“Your trauma isn’t any less than anyone else’s,” she says immediately. “It’s just something I hear a lot here, and it’s true. I don't know all the details, but your eyes look haunted. I’m sorry I took so long to open the door. I went to the bathroom.”

I can only imagine what it’s like to be here so late, and the only one here. It’s so quiet, the shadows growing longer as we walk through several hallways.

“The building is a warehouse the founders built out into a working space. The outreach center is at the front, and during the day there are beta guards there, patrolling the building. They don’t come inside,” she says quickly. “We are careful about what scents are brought inside. We have a few beta attorneys that will set up in the outreach offices a few days a week, but we always let everyone know if we are admitting men into our offices.”

“I can appreciate that,” I tell her. “Men are probably going to make me a little uncomfortable for a while, but I also know not everyone is out to hurt me.”

“You’re a little more aware than others,” she says. “Fear can be all consuming, and makes it difficult to think outside of that. We understand that and attempt to also keep alpha scents out of our spaces. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t occasionally happen. One of Aisling’s mates will pick up a shift here and there to help with law questions.”

“This space feels good,” I finally admit. “I know that sounds odd, but it’s easy to feel safe here.”

“You’re very sensitive to people and energy, then?” Aurelia asks, stopping to unlock a door.

When I nod, she continues to open it, ushering me through it. “This is the shelter area. It’s kept locked in case we ever have a breach. It’s always a concern, even with everything that we have in place. There are also cameras outside ofOmega’s Haven,so I was able to see that you were outside, as well as the SUV in the road.”

“It somehow helps, knowing there are things in place to keep everyone safe,” I murmur as I wait for Aurelia to close the door behind herself.

Walking deeper into the building, she turns on a light that I see is the kitchen. Opening a door to a closet filled with clothes, she glances at me and pulls out a few things.

“Tomorrow, we’re going to get you properly set up,” Aurelia promises.

“It feels like more than enough,” I murmur. “Are you all getting donations as well?”

“Yes,” she says with a nod. “Omegas are special and have trouble wearing clothes that have been worn by someone else, so everything is inspected and washed appropriately. Our detergent is lightly scented, nothing that will be offensive.”

Remembering the clothing I’m wearing now, and how careful the Kelly brothers were to make sure that I wasn’t triggered by a scent, I can appreciate the care they’re taking. Aurelia hands me a pair of jeans, a pack of new underwear and bra, several long-sleeved shirts, and a towel.

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