Page 83 of Petals and Strings
“Yes,” he said, shaking his head. “I’ve go?—”
His words cut off as his phone blared, the ringtone, apparently, not a good one from the way his face paled.
“I have to take this. Head to your wing now before lockdown,” he said as he waved for us to hurry.
We didn’t need to be told twice. Our entire group rushed out, Ledger and Kane cutting our way through the frantic crowds. It seemed Cross wasn’t the only one alerted to whatever was going on.
Lockdown likely meant that someone else was missing. What better time than when rooms were shuffled around and we were causing a scene.
Fuck.
We headed toward our rooms, my heart slamming in my chest. Nancy was bustling around the small nurse’s station at the entry to our wing.
“There you are,” she breathed out. The relief didn’t calm my worries any. “Stay put. Another missing girl. This wing has beenswept so just stay here. Meals will come your way in about an hour.”
Her face was grim but she looked relieved to see us all in one place again. Truthfully, I was more than happy to see her.
“We’ll behave now,” I reassured her.
That had a small laugh bursting out before she covered it in a cough. “See that you do.”
She hurried out, closing the main door behind her.
“I’m not going to my room alone,” Rydell said. “I can’t be alone.”
His voice broke, words strong yet vulnerable at the same time.
“Agreed,” Ansel said, already moving to my side. “Audrey is the only one I want, but my omega accepted the rest of you as pack. I realized it when you came to get me. Every other alpha has me ready to crawl out of my skin. You just feel… safe.”
“We are safe,” Rydell promised. “We want you as pack, Ansel. We just worried we would freak you out if we got close.”
“Is that why you hid away before Audrey got here?”
“For the most part,” Rydell shrugged. “That and I didn’t have a lot of faith in anyone. To the world, I’m just a monster.”
“You’re not a monster. They are,” Ansel said, his eyes cast to the floor. Rydell grinned at me, looking so damn happy at that one simple compliment.
“So, what if we turn the common room into our room,” I mused as I looked around. “The singles aren’t big enough for everyone.”
“We’ll just bring out the mattresses and set it up,” Rydell said, gesturing for Caspian and Ledger to help.
The alphas made quick work of carrying out mattresses and the simple frames. Everything had fresh linen thanks to the room swaps. By the time they were done, the beds were linedup and the couches and chairs had been moved to one side in a small, cozy sitting area.
“Not bad for my first nest,” I joked. A bit of dark humor that had the alphas and beta in the room looking horrified.
“Wait… really?” Caspian asked in a broken tone. “Never?”
“I was taken almost a week after presenting,” I admitted. “They didn’t exactly give me anything soft in the cell I spent the next ten years in. After that my omega retreated, so I didn’t have the urge.”
“Same,” Ansel said. “Unless you count a few extra blankets on my bed.”
“No,” Rydell said, shaking his head. “You’ll both have a nest someday. I’ll make sure of it. Blankets, pillows, plushies, the works.”
Warmth spread through me. I didn’t know if I’d ever felt so seen, respected, and safe in my entire life.
That might be the only reason we would make it out of ARC alive.
There was no other option.
