Page 9 of Knot All That Glitters: Part 2

“When you were brought in, we tested your blood. Its procedure.” Makes sense. I wouldn’t expect to come to the hospital and not have my blood taken. “We found trace amounts of InstyxBurn, more commonly known as Burnout, in your system.”

I blink at him. Not understanding what he’s getting at. Neither it appears does Ren. “InstyxBurn?”

He sighs and answers her unasked question. “It’s a heat stimulant. Omegas use it to force a heat. You weren’t taking it in a high enough dose to push into a full heat immediately, but it was enough that, combined with stopping suppressants, you were likely tipped over into a heat.” He tsks and shakes his head, unaware of the turmoil in my stomach. Because I definitely wasn’t taking that myself. I stopped the suppressants when Creed stole me from my father’s house, but… “You really shouldn’t have been experimenting with that kind of drug, Miss Bell. It might make sex feel amazing, but it’s dangerous to use it over an extended period.”

My brow wrinkles and I want to ask questions, lots and lots of questions, but I can’t get my tongue to work. Thankfully, Ren doesn’t seem to have that problem. “What exactly does it do in small doses?”

He shrugs. “It lowers inhibitions, makes sex feel better.”

“Like a mini heat?”

“No, more like… MDMA. Molly.”

They drugged me. They fucking drugged me to make me more compliant for their games, to get the most points they could.

“What would it do if an omega was also taking suppressants?”

“They’d cancel each other out, basically. The suppressant would try to keep any omega instincts or traits from surfacing, while the InstyxBurn would work to heighten all of that.”

There’s no stopping the whine that pulls from my chest. “Why would they do that to me?” I ask, even though I know the answer. Ren is by my side in an instant, arms wrapped tight around me. I know she glaring daggers at the doctor, who only now seems to understand there’s an issue.

“You didn’t do it to yourself?”

“No, you asshole, she didn’t do it to herself.” Ren snarls at him. “Maybe you should work on your bedside manner. Or better yet just not talk to any patients at all, coming in here accusing her of forcing her own heat.”

He holds up a hand to stave off her flood of vitriol. “I apologize, you’d be surprised by the number of young omegas admitted that have been using InstyxBurn recreationally and take it too far.”

“Well, she’s not one of them. This was donetoher.” I bury my face in the curve of her neck, letting her fight this battle for me. I don’t have the energy or the strength. What little there had been is completely and totally sapped. “Is there anything else, doctor?”

There’s a long pause before he sighs. “Again, I apologize. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions. We’d like to keep you overnight for observation. But we should be good to send you home tomorrow morning.”

Home.

Where even is that? I don’t have a home. Don’t have a place of my own. I thought I’d found it, but it was all a big lie. A joke. A game.

I barely listen as Ren asks a few more questions, and then sends the doctor on his way.

Once the door closes, Ren settles more fully against me. I don’t lift my face from her neck. “What am I going to do?” The question is whispered against her skin.

She strokes a hand over my wet, tangled hair. “You’re going to come stay with us and we’ll figure it out from there. I’ve been looking into the Omega Crisis clinics that Miss Levenseller told us about. We can reach out to them. They’ll know how to keep you safe.”

I wrap an arm around her waist and squeeze. “What about you?”

“What about me?”

“If you help me, you won’t be safe, Ren.”

“As if that would stop me.”

“It should.” Not only is my father a monster, but it appears the Calloway pack is also quite monstrous. Not just for the games they played with me, the way they made me a pawn, but they also drugged me. Just enough to make me more pliable, just enough to get me to give in to them.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want them before they started doing that. I did. Well, before I went to stay with them, I wanted them. Desperately. I wanted something that was totally and wholly mine. I probably would have given them anything they asked without the added lowering of my inhibitions with drugs.

More fools me.

I’m sure every one of Tic’s smoothies were laced with the stuff. After all, he made them just for me. The alphas never had one. And I never questioned it. He told me the smoothies had everything an omega needs to stay healthy.

And I thought it was sweet, considerate.

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