Page 124 of Why Cruise

The alley ended in a wide plaza. There were colorful taxis lining one side of the street, police cars lining the other. We walked in the street to avoid having to sidestep tourists looking at the pretty buildings.

Justice tucked my phone in his pocket and pulled the door to the police station open for us. I stepped in and blinked rapidly. It was much darker inside and my eyes needed to adjust. There was lots of angry shouting and… angry auras. I took a step back.

My vision sharpened, and all I could see was Theo in a cage at the back of the room.

“Theo!” I ran forward, but an officer got in my way.

“That is my omega!” Ren was handcuffed, blood streaming down a cut in his lip.

“I will take responsibility for the omega!” Gaston was belly to belly with another officer, backed by Tommy and Catherine, who was still in her bikini and weaving on her feet.

“Officer, how can we make this right?” Justice stepped in.

Something was off. I slipped by the officer and rushed the holding cell. There were two sets of doors, like department stores had, creating three feet of empty space. I shoved my arms through the bars. Theo could just grab my fingertips. He looked… terrible. His hair was damp with sweat and tears ran down his face.

“Mackenzie. Help.” Theo doubled over and sank to the floor as a cramp hit. He wrapped one arm tight around his stomach, the other between his legs.

No.

I dropped to the floor and stretched my arm through the bars. If I could just touch him…

“Theo!”

This was every omega’s nightmare. Going into heat. In public. Surrounded by strangers.

“Theo!” I shouted again, scraping my shoulder on the bar. “Give me your hand!” He tried, but another cramp hit and curled into a tighter ball.

I scrambled to my feet. That officer got in my way again.

“The new legislation is very clear. We can only release an unbonded omega to a pack lead.”

“I am a pack lead. That omega should belong to me!” Gaston shouted.

An officer was taking the handcuffs off Ren. I grabbed his arm, he slipped it around my waist to comfort me, but stayed focused on the fight.

“Ren!” I hissed, trying to keep my voice low. “Theo’s in heat.”

The room went dead silent. All eyes focused on me. Except for Ren and Justice, who looked to Theo writhing on the ground.

“Now! Give that omega to me now!” Gaston bellowed.

“I will take full responsibility for what happened here.” Justice’s voice was commanding.

“As I said, the legislation is clear. Only pack leads…”

“I am a pack lead!” Gaston motioned to Catherine and Tommy.

“Your pack bears no bites, no marks of ownership. You are not a pack lead.” The officer puffed himself up, his pot belly taking up even more space.

Pack lead.

Everything went quiet and still, like we pressed pause on life.

You have already found your pack.

The auracle knew. She was right. Theo was my pack. This was my pack.

I stepped in front of Justice and grabbed his shirt in my fits.

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