Page 25 of Feral: Part One

And then I hear a rustle come from beneath the bed. I plop onto my ass and look beneath the frame, surprised to see Slate curled up tight, several blankets and pillows gathered around him, one of which is pulled over his head. “What the fuck?”

His head shifts, eyes glinting in the dark, an almost eerie glow in the darkness. “Did you just come in here to spit more words at me?”

I shake my head, leaning back against the nightstand. “No, I’m trying to figure out why you’re so different, how you got Preston obsessed, how you got me worrying about you.”

Slate snorts and just snuggles in deeper. “I’m not going to hurt myself or anything. There was just no reason for me to be out there while you all were judging me and if you came in here to tell me I can’t have Preston. I know.”

This Omega has so much conviction but I can feel him breaking his own heart in order to make us happy and to save his sanity. However, the thought of Slate and Preston together doesn’t bother me like it did a few days ago. In fact, I’m hard justthinking about it.Focus, Malik.“Slate, I have to ask. What kind of nest is that?”

Slate’s voice is quiet, almost defensive. “I’ve never built one, but this feels safe.”

I raise an eyebrow, a faint smile tugging at my lips. “You built aden.”

Slate answers me by turning away, a little huff falling from his lips as he disappears completely. I take that as my cue to leave but now I’ve got even more questions. An Omega with a knot, a den, and he’s feral? I have my suspicions from the few biology classes I took but I’m kind of hoping I’m wrong.

Stepping out into the hall, I move into the bedroom to use the landline. One of the few numbers that works here is the resident doctor, a Beta who has kept us out of trouble more times than I can count. The doctor, Nathan, picks up without missing a beat. “How’s Preston?”

“He’s doing good,” I say, keeping my voice low. “But our new Omega, Slate, we just found out he’s pregnant and apparently has a knot. He’s also feral and I need to know we’re not looking at a bomb.”

Nathan laughs but it almost sounds nervous. “Malik, you’re the smartest of all of them, but you still have things to learn.”

I frown, glancing across the hall. “What does that mean?”

“It means Slate’s not a bomb, but he’s not typical either,” Nathan explains. “What you’ve described aren’t accidental things and they definitely aren’t a coincidence. I’ve seen cases like this before, rare but documented. Likely tied to experimental treatments, maybe from Veltmoor? His body’s adapting, fast and the knot’s part of it. Could be a survival mechanism, could be something else. I’d need to see him to know more.”

“A knot cannotbe a survival mechanism. And what the fuck do you mean by experimental treatments?” I had no idea we’dbe dealing with something like this in Wolfscorge. It was just supposed to be another jail, a way to give back to the community by rehabilitating Omegas.

But the more I think about it, we haven’t been doing shit to help anyone. In fact, we’ve just been molding Omegas to fit what society believes they should be—submissive, quiet,lesser.

There’s the sound of a door closing, some murmured voices and then silence before Nathan speaks again. “I can’t say for sure without a little research, but Veltmoor is known for pushing boundaries andThe Collectivehas done more genetic testing than I’m pretty sure all of the facilities in the world combined.”

Now, I’m all confused and turned around. “Explain this shit to me like I’m five, Nathan.”

“Fine. A feral is a designation, not a type. It’s not something you can heal, Malik. And if he’s pregnant, we have something very different on our hands.”

I frown, my grip tightening on the phone. “So you know what’s going on? Does this have to do with the fact that they required my Alphas to bond him?”

There’s a long silence and when Nathan speaks this time, he’s almost careful with his words. “I need to do some research before I say anything I’ll regret, but it’s going to be a conversation that your Alphas will need to be part of, your new Omega as well.”

“Is it that bad?”

“It’s not good. Is he already bonded?”

“Yeah, Thane did it a little while ago.”

“Good,” the doc says, a hint of relief in his tone. “Your Omega should be okay for the time being. I’ll come through in a day or so to check up on him and Preston. Call me if anything else changes.”

“Yeah, will do,” I offer before hanging up. My shoulders deflate as I place the phone back on the dock and head into the kitchen,unsurprised to see Kael sitting there waiting for me. He’s so sure that Slate is going to be a problem but secretly, I just think he’s worried that he’ll lose us to him. When we first became a pack, it was altogether. Granted, we rallied around Preston and then found out where we fit.

I wedge myself into his lap, Kael burying his face in the crook of my neck, his breath warm against my skin, his beard scraping against me lightly. “I feel like we don’t spend enough time together,” he murmurs, his tone almost vulnerable. “You’re always fixing us.”

I chuckle, my fingers tracing the back of his neck, trying to ease the tension there. “I don’t mind the fixing, but I wouldn’t mind more time with you either.” I spill the information I got from the doctor, Kael, just as confused as I am but neither of us are focusing on that anymore.

I realize how much I’ve missed moments withjustmy Alpha. “Where’s the others?”

“Bath. Thane’s helping him calm down.” Kael drags his lips along my jaw and then my ear. “You’re mine, Leek.Mine.”

I hum my response, Kael’s touch becoming more insistent before he resituates me on his lap so that I’m straddling his thighs. He digs his fingers into the waistband of my pants and splits them down the seam before offering his hand to me. A wild grin overtakes my lips as I spit into it, saliva dripping down my chin until my Alpha has enough.

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