Page 13 of Unruly Omega

So this was the sanctuary. I wasn’t entirely sure what that meant, but from what the alpha, from what Locke said, they were here to help people like me, and that would have to be good enough for now.

I didn’t do a great job of restraining my eating, and with my sunken stomach bulging, I leaned back and took my first taste of coffee.

“People like this?” I wrinkled my nose and sipped again. “It’s bitter.”

“Add sugar and cream,” Locke said. “At least, until you get used to it.”

A liberal dose of both was a big help. I thought I might learn to like the beverage, but for now, I poured a big glass of orange juice. That had always been a favorite of mine.

“Now that you’re done eating, I need to go over some things with you,” the healer said. “Our alpha…I mean, Locke will need to interview you regarding your captivity, but that can wait until we take care of business.”

“All right.” I didn’t like his tone. It sounded like someone about to deliver bad news. “Go ahead.”

“We need to discuss one of your bears and how we can keep it from taking over again.”

“One of my…I only have one bear. Is it possible to have two? Because I’ve never heard of that.”

“The alpha, I mean, Locke was able to make contact with both. One is the bear you were born with, but the other is not natural at all. It doesn’t have the characteristics of one of our animals, and that’s why you were unable to control it.”

“But it’s still there?”

He nodded.

“I can’t believe…two bears? How did they do that?”

“We haven’t seen it before, so we just don’t know.” Locke patted my shoulder. “But you can imagine it’s critical to make sure that it doesn’t take over again until it’s either eliminated or you can learn how to control it.”

“Absolutely.” My poor bear. Even now, it hadn’t been out to play. “But what about my real one?”

“The only way to protect you, and us, is to treat you with a shift suppressor. It will keep you in two-legged form.” Markus offered me a smile, but it did not reach his eyes. “If we don’t do it, you’ll have to stay in the room where you were before until the situation resolves.”

“It will wear off in a few days if we don’t retreat you,” Locke assured me. “It’s up to you, but I would really prefer you wander free than be locked up.”

“Me too.” I chewed on my lower lip, thinking. “I was given a lot of drugs while I was at the labs. And I never knew what they were. What if they mix badly with yours?”

He shrugged. “That’s a chance you’ll have to take if you want to have freedom.”

I was still shocked at having two bears. But I’d do anything to avoid being locked up again. “I’ll do it.”

Chapter Thirteen

Locke

I stood at the sink, draining the last of my second coffee of the morning when I saw movement in the area between the main house and the healer’s house.

Kellan. Out and walking and still human.

My heart had never beat faster. I dropped the coffee mug into the sink a little too loudly and headed out that way. He was dressed in a T-shirt that was too big for him and some jeans that fit him just right. The T-shirt was tucked in but it swallowed him all the same.

I couldn’t believe the turn of events. When he was in that feral bear’s form, I thought he might never emerge as a human again. It would’ve been tough on the both of us, but I would’ve loved him as he was, the best I could. He was my fated mate, no matter if that was in good times or bad.

“Kellan,” I called out, stopping him in his tracks. I closed the distance between us and he wrapped his arms around himself.

Sure, he knew who I was, but it was a far stretch to think he would suddenly throw himself into my arms immediately. He had been through hell and back. Been forced to use his body to house another, unnatural shifter bear inside him.

There was no telling how many fails it took, how many tests, before that bear stuck.

For all I knew, they could’ve detained him for decades, though he only looked to be in his early thirties at the most, even with the dark circles under his eyes and the malnourishment. Then again, I could be wrong.

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