Page 16 of One Way Out

Once they’re gone, Valor holds up the blanket while I get dressed. He’s much less concerned with his own nudity being on display. I finish getting myself into the outfit that reminds me a little too much of what they put me in on my first day here, while Valor jumps into the terrible orange pants and moves to lace himself back into his boots.

I frown.

I’m pretty sure he had those on when I came into the cell, but I have no idea when he removed them. Although, it’s kind of humorous to imagine him stomping around the cell in only his socks and boots.

His emotions are a wreck in the bond, and I want to help him feel better; I just don’t know how.

I hope that making a game plan with Omen, Leo, and Shaw will help him relax.

There’s also some delusional hope that he’ll see how convenient it is to have two capable, military-trained guys to back him and Omen up.

I can still remember how little he liked me being covered in an unfamiliar alpha’s scent, but at least now he understands that they’re allies. Although, alphas are notoriously bad at sharing with anyone they don’t view as pack.

Dammit.

Now I’ve made myself anxious.

* * *

McCabe guides us up the stairs and hopefully back toward the other guys. He keeps a firm grip on Valor’s shoulder and another on his cuffs. Seeing the guard jerk him around makes me ache to punch him in the throat.

We’re barely halfway down one of the hallways, that seems vaguely familiar from our walk downstairs, when McCabe uses his key card to open a door and shoves Valor inside.

I follow because what else am I going to do?

We end up in a small maintenance closet, and I close the door behind me.

“Chill the fuck out,” the guard growls, shoving Valor against the wall.

“Wait until I get my hands on you without the cuffs,” Valor snarls back. “I will snap your fucking neck.”

“It’s almost like you’re too stubborn to recognize an ally. Shut up and listen, for once. I have information to pass on, and we won’t get another chance to speak privately.” McCabe sighs, shaking his head at Valor before turning to me. “The two of you were a test case. The organization I work for doesn’t give a good goddamn that facilities like this exist. They operate all over the planet, and as long as they’re not mass kidnapping omegas, no government is going to waste resources to put assets in place to stop them.”

“What do you mean, we were a test case?” Valor asks, nodding for me.

I skirt around McCabe, come to a stop at Valor’s side, and wrap my arm around his lower back as I lean against his chest.

“I believe I was just getting to that,” McCabe says drolly. “Agency assets picked up chatter a little over six months ago of a doctor out of Poland?—”

I gasp as my mind instantly goes to Elyse. The woman who came in the same day I did mentioned her sister is sick. She said she only came into the facility to afford an experimental treatment with a doctor in Poland.

McCabe’s eyebrows rise, but he doesn’t acknowledge my outburst. “We heard multiple reports that she identified a pheromone-based test that could identify scent matches with close to ninety percent accuracy.”

“Don’t they already have those?” I ask.

“Blood tests? Yes, but they’re also highly inaccurate—something like sixty-five percent. Barely better than flipping a coin when it truly comes down to it—because while it can indicate compatibility, we also have a little something called free will. Scent cards are slightly more reliable at predicting matches, but those require both parties to be present to smell the pheromone cards, then verbally relay that it’s a match. Swabs that only need to be grazed over the skin of both individuals?” McCabe laughs mirthlessly. “There’s nothing like it in existence. Not until now. Did you even realize they swabbed you during your trip through the Christmas market?”

My stomach drops as my head shakes.

No, I had no idea.

The only time I even sensed something was off was when I spotted the men standing around, but they weren’t looking at me.

“Exactly,” he says. “It’s non-invasive. The facility has been paying out contracts to bring in willing omegas under thehopethey’ll produce a match when in a confined space. Now that they know the doctor’s test is accurate…”

Valor curses under his breath. “They’ll be able to better guarantee results to the benefactors. Well, as long as they can find some poor omega who produces a response on the stick.”

“It’s similar to a strip you dip in urine to check for drugs or into a pool to see the level of chlorine.” McCabe swipes a hand over his face. “It even shows different levels of how strong the compatibility is likely to be. I didn’t see it, but your test strip turned bright purple. The darkest they had seen prior to that was blue.” He pauses and focuses on me. “Remember the room I pulled you out of when you first arrived?”

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