Page 23 of In Their Arms

Luca

Another fucking day in this place and I’ve completely settled into this new bratty persona that snaps at the staff and growls at the other Omegas. Most everyone just thinks I’m having trouble adjusting or that I came from such a horrible situation that I don’t trust anyone else. It’s actually something completely different.

I didn’t sleep at allagain,stressed out about the opportunity Wilson gave me. I spent hours tracing those numbers, memorizing them, singing them in a made up melody, and then flushed it down the toilet the first moment I got. And then I found the one space in the lounge that reminds me of Blake, a strange pear scented air freshener that spits out an aroma every 30 seconds like clockwork. It’s nowmycorner and every time someone approaches, it feels like they’re encroaching on my nest. It must be a strange sight to see an Omega sprawled over a bean bag, facing the wall, growling at people who get too close.

But it’s all I have left.

They applied that salve again because for a moment I could feel just a sliver of my mates and then it all disappeared. It should be a relief that I can’t feel Hudson, that I’m not waking up choking on his scent, that his moods are no longer leaking into my head.

But it also means that I can’t feel the others—Luther, Grayson, even my connection with Blake is so dim that it feels like he’s gone. Their scents have faded from my skin, replaced by the staunch chemicals in this place. They made me take a shower this morning, stuffing me into a new pair of clothes, effectively removing any last remnants of my mates. Nola said it was for my own good, to remove anything weighing me down, to give me a chance to bloom on my own.

Breakfast, I skipped, searching for anything to tether me back to the men I loved which led me here, to this one spot, the only spot I’ll ever need. Even with the other Omegas giggling and excitedly chatting about finding mates, scent matches they received, and others whispering about the meet and greets they’ve attended.

It all just makes me feel sick.

Had my late presentation not been so fucking violent and had Blake not been in my life, I might have enjoyed some part of what an Omega center provided. The allure of a pack is every Omega’s dream. But tearing me from the one I already have in a world where they say it’s my choice is bullshit.

My thoughts calm when the air freshener puffs out another whiff of pear. It’s a little too sweet, filled with chemicals, but it’s close enough. My body sags further into the bean bag as I dwell on the moment I get out of here and run right back into their arms. However, if someone contacts my parents or Hudson enters this place, my first stop won’t be the Keller house. It’ll be that doctor who can free me of the bite that’s caused me so much pain.

“Luca, it’s time to eat.”

I open my eyes to see one of the staff standing a few feet away, hands clasped in front of her like she expects me to argue.

“I’m not hungry.”

A few of the other Omegas turn to look at me, exchanging glances before one of them—someone I barely remember the name of—huffs out a laugh. “Just eat something, or they’ll be up your ass about it.”

The others giggle, nudging each other like this is normal, like we all share some inside joke. I force a small smile, keep my head down, but I don’t move. The woman steps closer, crouching in front of me, her eyes scanning my face before she presses the back of her hand against my forehead. The touch is clinical, but not intrusive.

“You’re a little warm,” she says, her frown barely noticeable. “Maybe we should take you to the clinic, just to be safe.”

My first instinct is to push back, to shake my head, to tell her I’m fine. But then I remember what Wilson said, that the doctor’s office doesn’t have bars.

I inhale slowly, forcing myself to nod. “Okay.”

She stands, motioning for me to follow. I let her lead me down the hall, past the cafeteria, past rooms filled with Omegas who actually want to be here, who are excited to meet their future packs, who don’t feel trapped, who don’t wake up with their instincts screaming at them to run.

The clinic is small, just a handful of chairs and a few examination rooms. It smells like antiseptic and lavender, reminding me of the hospital I last saw Blake in. I sit where she tells me, my eyes flicking immediately to the window across the room. It’s just big enough for me to slide through and I don’t even care how far the drop is.

A woman steps into the clinic, holding more authority than the Beta that led me in here. She must be the head nurse with the way she slips on a pair of gloves and then methodically takes my temperature, times my pulse, and then inspects the jagged scar on my neck. Her gaze darts between Luther’s and Hudson’s before falling on my bottom lip. It almost feels like she smirks at me before sitting back in the chair.

She snaps off the gloves, throwing me a small smile. “You’re in perfect health and I know that you’re still settling in but avoiding eating and the other activities isn’t going to save you. Holding onto the past—”

I frown, scooting back as much as I can. “It’s not the past. They’re still my mates. Why is everyone saying differently? I’m just here until the investigation is closed. Why is everyone treating me like I’m going to go home with someone else?” Panic settles in my chest as I search her expression and find nothing. “What aren’t you telling me?”

For a moment, I think that the investigationhasclosed and it’s been determined that I can’t be with the Ellis or the Keller pack. And then I realize, it would be standard practice for the court to then order bite removals. But they haven’t. Which means whatever is going on here is some real shady shit.

My fists curl in my lap as I try to fix my expression back into that soft Omega one everyone expects of me. “I think I’d like to eat now.”

The nurse smiles. “I think that’s an excellent choice. Eve, honey, please escort this one to the cafeteria and make sure he gets something. It would be a shame to have to put him on a fixed diet.”

Her smug look follows me out the door, my head bowed slightly as I head down the hallway. Eve opens her mouth to say something but I just glare at her before finding a seat at one of the far tables. I’ll pretend to act the part but I’m in no mood to stuff my face, even if my stomach is revolting against me.

The table soon fills up with other Omegas, each one with trays piled high, rosy cheeks and smiles staring at me like some horrid nightmare I’m stuck in. It occurs to me that the free flowing food and amenities is just another way to fatten us up and prepare us for Alphas that like their Omegas adorable and cuddly. Hudson liked me that way and I fucking hated it. Blake loved it and I wish I was in his arms right now, stuffing my face into his neck.

Instead, I’m here on a cold, metal bench, my nose scrunched up as I try to come to terms that this place isn’t for keeping me safe.

“You’re new, right?”

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