Page 12 of Omega on Fire

I ignore it. "Sleep is for the weak and the dead. I'm currently neither."

"Josiah," he growls out in frustration. My full name. Never a good sign.

My eyes remain fixed on the screen. "Three pings in the last hour. They must be prepping for the auction. More videos have appeared of other Omegas. Maybe we can take them down?—"

A large hand closes my laptop, nearly catching my fingers. I jerk back, finally looking up at Teagan's face. I overlook the concern in those gorgeous hazeleyes and openly challenge him. I keep my eyes locked on his. I don’t have time for this.

"Seventy-two hours, Joker. That's your limit. You know this. We've talked about this," he replies, lifting his eyebrows at my blatant stare down.

I push back from the table, standing so fast Malcolm grips both our laptops to stop them from tumbling to the floor. I can feel my anxiety rise. I know I am on the verge of a meltdown. But I can’t stop myself. I’m exhausted. I know this, yet I can’t help myself.

"And I've told you I'm fine. I'm not some fucking child who needs a bedtime."

"Your hands are shaking," Teagan says, gesturing to my hands.

Everyone’s eyes are on me now and all the attention on me only makes my anxious behavior worse. I look down. Fuck. They are. I shove them into my pockets.

"Caffeine. It's a stimulant. Basic pharmacology."

Moses looks up from reading his book. "Te's right, man. You're no good to us burnt out."

"I'm no good to the missing Omegas if I take a fucking nap. I’m no good to Charlotte!" The words come out sharper than intended, laced with the kind of emotional response I usually keep in check.

“I got this, Joker, I have my eyes at the ready. If anything new pops up I’ll be the first to come and wake you,” Malcolm says reassuringly. It’s clear he’s trying to diffuse the situation.

Teagan's eyes narrow. "That's an order, Josiah. Go. Sleep. Now."

The Alpha command hits me like a physical force, but I push back against it. My skin feels too tight suddenly, like there's electricity running just beneath the surface. The cabin lights overhead are too bright, the hum of the computers too loud.

"No." The word comes out between clenched teeth. I’m spiraling. I’m losing my shit.

Beaux, who was previously napping in the corner, straightens up. "Shit."

"What did you just say to me?" Teagan's voice drops dangerously low.

The room is spinning now, details becoming too sharp. I can count the threads in Teagan's t-shirt from here. I can hear the tick, tick, ticking of the watch on my wrist. Can smell everyone's emotions, concern, tension, frustration.

"I said no." My voice rises. "I'm not fucking sleeping when there’s more intel to gather. I can feel it, Te. What if there’s more explicit footage of her? No one gets to see that. Don’t you see? Can’t you feelit?" I point to my chest as I try not to fidget. I’ve mastered my need to stim under duress—well, mostly. "They do!" I shout, pointing to Moses and Beaux. Why am I shouting at Trigger? He’s mine too.No. . .no. . .no. My hands come out of my pockets, flying through the air as I speak. I'm pacing now, can't remember when I started. “Charlotte is special.”

"Joker—" Teagan reaches for me. I jerk away, bumping into the table. A coffee mug falls, shattering. The sound is like an explosion in my ears.

"Don't touch me!" I'm shouting again, hands covering my ears. "Just let me work. Let me work. Let me work." I'm rocking slightly, the mantra continuing. The room is too much—too loud, too bright, too everything.

"Fuck," Teagan mutters, his voice gentler now. "Sensory overload."

I sink to the floor, back against the chair, knees pulled to my chest. The patterns are all wrong. I’m slipping away, slipping away from myself.

"I just want to work," I whisper, squeezing my eyes shut against the assault of stimuli. "If I work, then I’m useful."

I feel rather than see Teagan crouch in front of me, careful not to touch. "Josiah," he says, voice steady and calm. "Look at me."

I crack my eyes open, the cabin still too bright, but his face is right there, hazel eyes locked onto mine. There's a shift in his expression, something dark and promising.

"You need your Alpha to distract you, J?” His voice is a low growl, sending a shiver down my spine.

I nod, barely breathing now. This, this I understand. This will ground me.

A wicked smile spreads across his face. "Then get your ass up and go to the bedroom. Now."

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