Page 54 of Ryder

As I came to the final part, the authenticity returned.I dedicated my achievement to my big sister, who’d stepped up when we lost our parents.As I spoke, I imagined Sloane on the other side.

Sloane wasn’t a sentimental person, but my words were heartfelt, and I knew, even without her being here, that she would be proud.

But as I exited the stage, I experienced a sharp cramp low in my belly.

My stomach churned, and heat washed over my body.I groaned and pressed my hand into the ache.I could feel wetness seeping.I had a sickly feeling that being with an alpha might have broken something in me.

“Are you okay, love?”Jude asked.“You’ve gone pale.”

“I need to get to the restroom,” I said.I knew I sounded panicked, but I just had to go.I made it to a cubical before another savage contraction spasmed through my gut—no, lower.Like a tiny little fist was abusing my womb.

Another wave of heat hit me.Why was it so hot suddenly?Was it some kind of virus?

The dull strip lighting in the ceiling hurt the back of my eyes.My skin felt feverish, hot, and clammy…and the place between my legs was gushing.

I dragged my dress up, expecting blood.

What I got was clear sticky fluid.

Slick.

The scent hit me.I knew that scent.It was the same one that had saturated the nest Sloane made in the apartment.

Fuck!

Another wave of cramping tore through me, and the fire dancing across my skin morphed into pain, diving deeper, igniting muscles, setting them twitching and pulsing.

Sweat popped out across my brow and between my breasts.This had to be a bad dream.This couldn’t be happening to me.

I was so fucked.

* * *

I experienced instant empathy for all Sloane had gone through.What had happened to her was now coming for me.What were the chances?As far as I knew, there were no omegas in our family.Families who’d revealed an omega or an alpha in the past were registered in a database.I’d never thought about the details, but now, there was a sinister overtone to it.Ryder had alluded to bad things happening to omegas in the Dawn Agency, even before Sloane told me about her ordeal.

She’d only narrowly escaped.

Everything was coming through a tunnel.As I fumbled in my bag, I grabbed my cell.My fingers turned to jelly as I jabbed buttons.

“Jude.It’s happening to me—what happened to Sloane.”I dragged the cell from my ear and bit back a groan as another wave of pain engulfed me.I was going to black out if it got any worse.“I need to get out of here.”

I swallowed hard, terrified I was about to be sick.

“Fuck!”Jude muttered.“Can you get out of there?I don’t want to draw attention, but there are two guys here who’ve been subtly watching you.I didn’t want to alarm you earlier, and I wasn’t even sure… They’re only watching us, but if I suddenly walk into the lady’s restroom, I have a bad feeling they’re going to act… I’ve flagged Jewels down.”

I sucked in a deep breath.“I’m coming out.”

Somehow, I staggered out of the stall, splashed water on my hands and face, bracing myself against the pain, and pushed out.The area was crowded.Two girls brushed past me going into the restroom.

The light momentarily blinded me, and I blinked through the tears pooling in my eyes.

“Fuck, Em!”Jewels said.“If anyone sees you like this, they’ll send for fucking medical assistance, even without the assholes watching.We need to get you back to the car.”

They wrapped their arms around me.“Nice bright smiles,” Jude said.“We’re going to walk as casually as we can back toward the car.”

I didn’t feel casual, but I bit my lip hard enough to taste blood because it helped me to keep the whimpers inside.I wanted to curl up in a ball.I wanted softness surrounding me to ease this pain.I wanted strong hands on me, holding me down, pinning me into the softness as he filled this terrible ache ripping through my womb.

I needed Ryder.

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