Page 115 of Pack Owned
“Ryker, Dane, Liam,” I whisper, more for me than them. “Do what they say. Please.”
They follow my lead, reluctantly lowering themselves to the ground. Next to me, Ryker’s knees hit the floor.
“Sir, we need you to comply,” a cop barks at Dane.
“Complying, asshole,” Dane snarls back, but he kneels too, his hands clenched into fists behind his head.
“Good boys,” sneers one of the Nexus guys as he points an accusing finger towards us. “Now we can get this sorted.”
Sorted my ass.I think, but don’t dare say it out loud. Can’t risk making things worse.
“Shut it,” another officer warns the Nexus man.
“She’s our Omega, registered. You’re not taking her!” Dane’s voice is a lethal calm that sends shivers down my spine.
The Nexus guy smirks. “There are procedures to follow, and you’ve disrupted the process.”
“Fuck your process,” Liam spits back, but he doesn’t move. He’s a statue, all hard lines and raw power like he’s ready to break out in another fight if someone so much as blinks wrong.
One of the three Nexus guys who came here before the cops nods his head. “Throw those Alphas in jail until they rot. They lied to Nexus officials! They had that Omega this whole time!”
But the cops kept putting the Nexus goons who were here and searched the mansion before into handcuffs and I’m completely lost as to what was happening.
“Why are you arresting us? We work with Nexus. We found one of the missing Omegas. Those Alphas need to be arrested, not us!”
The third Nexus guy joined in, pointing at Ryker, Dane, and Liam. “They’re criminals, harboring her illegally! Do your job!”
“Get those three out of my sight.” A female Nexus officer points to the kitchen side door that still stands wide open. On her silver badge is Martha Schmidt, Director. “I don’t want to deal with them right now.”
The police didn’t hesitate, grabbing the three protesting Nexus men and dragging them toward the door. Their shouts and protests grew fainter as they were pulled outside and stuffed into the back of a squad car.
What was going on? Why were they arresting them? Panic claws at my chest.
The air is thick with the musk of Alphas and fear, a bitter tang that sticks to the back of my throat. I want to scream, to run, but my feet might as well be rooted to the ground.
“Kayla, you’re our Omega and no one can ever take that away,” Ryker says, and somehow, I believe him. I have to, or I’ll crumble right here, right now, in front of Nexus and God knows who else.
I’m hyper-aware of everything—the metallic taste of fear in my mouth, the sound of my rapid breaths, the relentless throb of my pulse in my ears.
“Everyone calm down,” Martha orders.
“Easy, Kayla,” whispers Dane, and I realize my hands are shaking. I curl them into fists, nails digging into my palms, focusing on the sting to keep myself grounded.
Martha regards me. “Let’s sort this out,” she says, striding over with purpose.
Dane’s eyes are fierce, protective. “She’s registered. Went through this morning.”
The beta Nexus woman’s gaze shifts to Dane, skepticism etched on her face. “But not certified, right?” Her tone is flat, but beneath it hums a challenge, a dare for us to contradict the facts she’s laying out.
Dane’s lips part, his next words teetering on the edge of his tongue, but they never come. His mouth snaps shut, jaws locking in silent fury. The muscle in his jaw twitches.
My new life is fixing to be yanked away before it even starts. Nexus can revoke a registration if they want, and something about the way that woman’s eyes drill into us tells me she knows more than she’s letting on.
Did someone tip them off? Could they know our secret—that my registration was never by the book?
Bile coats the back of my throat, but I swallow it down.
“Kayla,” Martha says, gesturing for me to stand up and I do so. “Do you swear to answer my questions honestly?”
