Page 11 of Pack Owned
She meets my stare, and her shoulders slump. “Everyone thinks Nexus is the answer to all Omegas.”
Not going to lie. Rumors are everything from secrets that would make Illuminate look tame to girls being held against their will. What does it matter? I’m trading the devil I know for the unknown.
“I don’t want to go,” I almost squeak the words.
“You don’t have a choice. It’s not like it was when I was your age, and I met your Uncle Jeff when my car broke down.” She gives me a small smile. “But…”
I’d trade Gary for a dozen chances to get away from him.
“But there’s nothing you can do,” I finish, and she nods.
She hugs me, and I stifle a cry that I’m going to be leaving her.
“Will you warn Mom about Gary? Maybe she’ll listen to you.”
“I’ll do more than warn her.” Aunt Bea’s expression hardens, a fierce protectiveness shining through. “I’ll make sure she understands the full extent of what’s been happening. This ends now, Kayla. No more looking the other way.” Her determination is palpable, like a shield she’s ready to wield.
We head back inside, and I can’t help but feel a surge of hope. Maybe Aunt Bea’s intervention can change things, not just for me but for Mom, too.
Half an hour later, I step onto the bus with my heart feeling like it weighs a ton, and the door closes behind me with a finality that sends shivers down my spine.
I tell myself that it’s nothing and not that I’m leaving behind everything I know and speeding into a world of unknowns. Ever since that blood test flagged ‘Omega’ on my life, everything’s been leading to this.
Two enforcers are in the back, and they don’t even glance my way. Not that I expect sympathy or small talk from them. I justthought I wouldn’t be taking this ride now or alone. Are Casey, Danica, and Jess going to be punished like this, too?
The empty seats haunt me. I always thought we’d be going to Nexus together. Now, with everything that’s happened, fear that I’m trading one monster for another claws at my insides.
CHAPTER 3
KAYLA
“Ugh, this rain,” I mutter, pressing my forehead against the cold bus window. The world outside is just a wash of gray, kinda like my mood. Nexus is looming ahead, this big, scary question mark. But hey, anything’s gotta be better than the personal hell I’m leaving, right?
We picked up Casey, then Jess, and finally Danica. I should be happy my friends are with me for this craziness, but I’m not so sure Nexus is the answer to all our prayers.
Jess is next to me, muttering a string of curses every time the bus takes a wild swerve. Her fingers are white-knuckling the seat, like she’s trying to hold the whole bus together. Danica’s across the aisle, flashing me a smile that’s more like a grimace. Poor thing. She’s gotta be freaked about the rain and everything with her dad dying in that car accident with her. And there’s Casey, staring out her window into nothingness, probably wishing she could teleport herself anywhere but here.
None of us are exactly jazzed about heading to Nexus. “Protected,” they say. More like caged, if you ask me. But hey,rules are rules. Once you pop as an Omega, it’s straight to the Omega pen for you. Yay for genetics.
Another crazy turn and my heart’s doing a bungee jump without a rope. I take a deep breath, trying to shake off the jitters.
This is my ticket away from Gary. And even though Nexus might pair me up with some Alpha brute, there’s no way he’s going to be worse than step-fucking-dad.
Part of me is secretly praying for a Beta miracle. Like, surprise, the tests were wrong! But who am I kidding? Omega is stamped in my DNA. No take-backsies on that one.
A flash of lightning splits the sky, followed by a growl of thunder. Maybe Nexus will be different. Maybe Mr. Alpha Match will be Mr. Right, not Mr. Right Hook.
It’s a thin thread of hope, but I’m clinging to it. Because the alternative—stuck in Gary’s twisted world—is a level of horror I can’t even. So, Nexus, bring it on. It’s gotta be a step up from the nightmare I’ve lived.
Why do the roads on this mountain have to be so windy? It’s like they were made by a drunk. All around us is a blur of steep slopes and jagged cliffs that the downpour isn’t helping. The bus hugs another death-defying curve. The rain’s relentless, but so am I.
Jess’s hand in mine is like an anchor, keeping me grounded. We’re all in this Nexus adventure together, and somehow, that makes it a little less terrifying. Together, we’ll face whatever’s waiting behind those walls. We have to.
Out of nowhere, something smashes hard into the rear of the bus. I’m thrown forward, my hands slamming into the seat in front of me just in time to save my face from a leather kiss. Jess crashes sideways into me, an “oomph” escaping her as we sandwich together. I glance across the aisle, and there’s Danicaand Casey, looking like they’ve just been through a blender, eyes wide and freaked.
“What the hell was that?” Jess gasps.
Like I have any clue. Before I can even shrug, the bus takes a wild dive downhill, fishtailing as if it’s on ice. My heart’s doing acrobatics in my chest. We’re trapped in our seats, just trying to hang on as the world outside blurs past.
