Page 8 of Pack Owned
“Shit, shit, shit.” The blaring alarm cuts through the haze of my thoughts, as jarring as ice water to the face. What in theactual hell is that for? I squint, trying to spot Casey, Danica, and Jess in the sudden flood of bodies pouring out of the club.
I push to the sidewalk to spot them, the Alpha shadowing me like my own personal bodyguard, and I feel untouchable, as if nothing can hurt me with him at my side.
The sea of patrons is a blur of motion, and I’m just a still point in the center, trying to make sense of the chaos and no sign of my friends.
My heart pounds as I scan the crowd. Of all the nights for our usual spot to turn into a stampede scene, it had to be tonight? The night when I’m already on edge, feeling like I’m one wrong move from total meltdown mode and had planned to run away?
“Casey? Danica? Jess?” My voice gets gobbled up, just another shout in the cacophony. I shove through the throng, each ‘excuse me’ and ‘sorry’ getting more frantic. Where the heck could they be? Panic’s not my usual style, but it’s creeping in, whispering scenarios that are part high-octane action movie, part nightmare.
I need to find them, like, now.
Everything in me wants to stay with him, but I can’t abandon my friends.
“I have friends in the club.” I push the words past the lump prickling in my throat. Please let the alarm be nothing. Not waiting for his reply, I hustle back inside and feel his presence behind me, strangely comforting me. Even if he’s the perfect Alpha for me, the Facility has to approve the match. My heart races at the thought of it.
Inside, he remains on my heels like he’s some protecting guardian angel.
Finding Casey with eyes as wide as saucers and Jess cursing under her breath, I stumble a step toward them. Kneeling on the floor together, four goons in gray-green uniforms with Omega Facility badges on their sleeves loom over them.
“Got another one,” a fifth one calls out and shoves a hand in my back.
The Alpha behind me growls, punching the guard in the face, but he gets shoved back by two more guards.
“Back off, Alpha.” The guard draws his gun. “Don’t make me use this.”
He grins in response like he’s promising violence, but I can’t let them fight. My friends could get hurt.
I push down the desire to run into his arms, which feels like I’m swallowing broken glass, and join Casey and Jess on the floor, hugging them. When the guards lead him out of the bar, I can’t drag my gaze away from him until he’s out of sight. Then I focus on my friends, trembling.
“Where’s Danica?” I ask.
They shake their heads, and my gut twists. Then I see her weaving her way to us, and I want to tell her to stop, to leave while she can, but it’s too late, she’s been spotted. My whispered prayer is that they’ll take us to the Facility so they won’t turn us away or, worse, hand me back over to my stepfather.
CHAPTER 2
KAYLA
“We’re not going to stay here?” I wrap my arms around myself, hoping the policeman will say yes. Even a prison cell is better than going back home.
When he shakes his head, tears sting my eyes like I’ve got glass in them, but I’ll be damned if I let them out. Can’t cry. Not here, not in front of my friends or the whole freaking police station.
“All good?” Jess whispers, leaning against my elbow.
My eyes pop open, and I sling her a grin that’s more bluster than truth.
“Yeah, totally. Just relieved we’re not getting the grand tour of a cell tonight.” My attempt at a laugh sounds like I’ve swallowed a fly more so than anything genuine, and I suppress a shudder that has nothing to do with the idea of jail.
She brushes her black curls off her forehead. “Told you guys on the way here not to worry about it. My dad’s connections are ace.” Her dad’s some big mafia hotshot, and if he pulled strings like a puppet master to get us off on nothing more than a handslap and a fine, it hits me how high up the chain he must really be.
“Your parents have been notified,” the officer at the desk in front of us says with a sigh. “When they get here, we’ll let them sign you out.”
My heart goes off the rails, thumping out S-O-S signals, and the urge to run hits my chest.
“Which?” I manage to force the word past my trembling lips, and the officer raises a dark eyebrow at me. “Um… who’d you call? I mean, my stepdad’s pretty busy.” Like, with a bottle and a half and probably cussing up a storm when he found out I snuck out. “Maybe you should try my mom.” Even though she was going to be working late tonight. I can’t go back home. I-I can’t.
The officer frowns and squints at his notes. “I didn’t make the calls. My deputy did. You’ll have to check with him, but he’s on other calls at the moment.” He gestures behind him to a thin man at a desk, who’s practically bruised under a paperwork avalanche.
I slip away from my friends, trying to keep my panic under wraps. Yeah, they know my home life’s no fairy tale with Gary’s temper and his love affair with booze, but not the horror show specifics. I offer them a quick, strained smile and head for the deputy. At his desk, he drones on about movie plans while I cross my arms over my chest, willing him to hurry and get off the phone.
