Page 14 of In Their Arms

“Unfortunately, that isn’t up to me or you to decide.”

The world says that Omegas are precious, that we have rights, but when it comes to moments like these, I feel like I have nothing at all. A sudden exhaustion rolls over me as the nurse closes the door, murmuring a few things to the officer before slipping into the front seat. I’m barely conscious before I notice that someone is in the driver’s seat, their gaze trained on me through the rearview mirror.

The last thing I see before I pass out is the ghost of Blake’s pale face staring out into the hallway as if the world betrayed him.

9

Luca

I’m groggy and terrified when I wake up next. My body feels wrong, disconnected, like I am trapped beneath the surface of something, my limbs too heavy, my thoughts slow and slurred. Like I don’t belong in my own skin, like something is missing, something vital, something that should be there but isn’t. It’s like being in heat but without all the fun parts.

And that’s when I realize I’m in a nest of sorts but it’s not mine. None of my favorite blankets are here, my pack’s scents gone, replaced with something almost chemical. The pillows beneath my head are too soft, fresh in a way that doesn’t belong to me, that doesn’t smell like home. The blanket draped over me is thick, but the fabric is stiff, starched, and way too clean.

Panic slithers into my chest, slow at first, and then all-consuming as I try to figure out where I am. I force my eyes open, but my vision is still unfocused, still swimming through the lingering fog of whatever they forced into my system. Sweat beads on my forehead as I gasp, warmth surging through the room like someone tried to make a nest but had never seen one before and didn’t have the instincts for it.

It’s entirely too warm and too uncomfortable in here.

Muffled voices near the door grab my attention, low enough that they probably think I can’t hear them. I still, my breath catching in my throat, as I listen in.

“Did we really have to rip him from his Alphas? Wait, one of those was a Beta. I don’t fucking know but I’ve heard about that pack. There was no reason to pull this Omega away like that. God, it smells like dying Omega in here.”

Another voice, much softer,nicerfollows. “I gave him the salve, so his new bond mark shouldn’t hurt. But I’m not even worried about that. He’s been bruised pretty badly. The officer that filled out the paperwork wouldn’t say which Alpha did it.”

“What the fuck do you mean?”

The softer voice lets out a heavy sigh. “The domestic dispute that’s like the talk of the city. Well, it’s hush hush but we allknow, you know?”

“No fucking way. Hudson and that video game guy? Keller? Jesus Christ. Wait, that would mean Hudson… I don’t believe that shit for a second.”

The softer voice chuckles. “And yet, that’s what’s being said. Something about Mr. Keller saving him and trying to protect him. I don’t believe that shit for a second either though. I’ve met Hudson and he’s terrifying but he’s not… mean.” There’s a certain admiration in her voice that disgusts me. “Whatever the case, it’s going to be all over the news. Because guess what? Mr. Kelleralready has an Omega.”

The other voice gasps. “Oh, the plot thickens!”

Giggles kick up before settling, a third voice stepping into the room. “Stop gossiping you two. Our only job is to protect Luca Ellis from more harm. Anything about his current situation is to be left at the door. I’m going to reach out to his parents to see if we can’t give him a familiar face or two during all of this chaos.”

No!A groan tears from my throat as I struggle to sit up and fight back against that option. Calling my parents would put me right back in the hands of Hudson, I just know it. Footsteps rush toward me, the third voice attached to a small Beta female. She helps me sit up before sitting on a chair close to the bed. “Hey, you were out for a little bit.” She reaches forward, placing a hand on my forehead to check my temperature. “Good, you seem a bit better. My name is Nola and I help out around the place. I know everything is pretty disconcerting when you first arrive so don’t feel the need to move around too fast. How are you feeling?”

I hate that question. Mostly because I have no idea how to answer it. Physically, I’m okay. Hudson’s infected bite in my shoulder no longer hurts the way it used to and it’s not oozing puss, thank god. And while my body is achy, I’ve been worse off. Mentally, though? I’m a mess. My thoughts are everywhere, the bonds I have are strained, and I still can’t forget the look on Blake’s face when they pulled me away from him.

“Luca?”

I lean back into the pillows, drawing what little comfort I can from them. “Been better,” I force out, my throat raw. Whatever drug that nurse gave me was very strong. “When do I get to go back? I don’t belong here.” My eyes start to roam around the room, the only color is the nest portion. The other two voices are still standing at the door, watching curiously, both Betas who seem to want more information into my situation. So much for any kind of sympathy.

“You’re perfectly safe at Hearthstone and the staff is here to make sure that you have everything you need.”

“I need my mates, my Alpha,” my words get caught in my throat as a sob hits the air. “I need my family, my home,mynest. You can’t give me any of that here.” I curl my fingers into the blankets, wishing it was Blake beneath me, his pear scent wrapping around me as he told me that everything would be okay. I need him to call me ‘cupcake’ and for Grayson to lick the bite on my lip and for Maceo to hold me and Luther to fuck me—

A soft hand on my thigh drags me back to reality. “Luca, I need you to breathe. It’s a big change, I know and not always one that Omegas think are right. But we’re here to help. I promise.” Her voice is too smooth, too practiced and I decide that I instantly hate Nola. “We’re going to call your parents—”

“If you want me safe, you won’t do that. They’re the ones that basically sold my freedom in the first place.”

She doesn’t react, doesn’t deny it which makes me hate her even more, My pulse pounds in my ears, my throat burning as I push forward, forcing the words past the tightness in my chest.

“They sold me to Hudson because they wanted money or status or I don’t fucking know,” I snap, my voice cracking under the weight of it. The Beta’s expression flickers, before returning to that practiced, smooth expression that is supposed to calm me. It doesn’t. “He’s the one who gave me that awful bite on my shoulder. He owned me. And you think sending me back to them is going to make me safe?”

She pats my leg, condescending in a way that makes my stomach turn. “You’ll get used to things here,” she says simply, brushing past everything I just said like it doesn’t matter, like my voice doesn’t matter. “Dinner will be served shortly and I’m sure getting food in that stomach of yours will help.”

Dinner? That means I’ve been out forhours. I try to feel through the bond and realize that there’s just darkness, justnothingness. “Why can’t I feel them?” Panic sets in again as I run a finger across my lip and nothing, not even a tingle runs through me. “Where are my mates? Why can’t I—”

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