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“Of course you're not in trouble. I wanted to come in and introduce myself. I’m Cy, and I was wondering if you wanted to get out of this room? I’m sure you’re probably going stir crazy.” I nearly bounced out of the bed at his words.
“Yes! Where are we going?” His eyes lit up when I spoke to him.
“Unfortunately, there’s not much around these parts, but I can at least get you out of this space.” His deep voice both calmed me and turned me on. Where were these types of alphas back in Haven? He reached out his hand and I slowly stood, looking at it. There was some type of unspoken agreement when I reached out to take it, like I was giving him my trust. It would be foolish to trust an alpha right now - now that I was so close to my heat, and in some house in who knows where, and especially since this alpha was one of my kidnappers. But something about him, and the rest of them, made me feel more at ease than I had in years. In fact, I hadn’t felt so sure about anyone in forever. I lay my hand in his own and he gave a slight nod as his warm hand curled around mine.
“Um, why are you doing this? Aren’t I technically your prisoner?” The corner of Cy’s mouth turned up into a half smile, and I wondered what it would be like to be on the receiving end of his lips.
“Try to think of yourself as our honored guest.” I wondered what was going on. They clearly took me from the ball, but they weren’t hurting me and they said they would return me home soon. Normally I’d be suspicious of any pack, but my body wasn’t on edge at all.
“I figure you must want to freshen up. I’m taking you to the washroom down the hall. We’re getting some clean clothes for you, too.” My face heated. I was sure I smelled of sweat and perfume. Cy didn’t seem to mind. His eyes glanced at me as he took me down the hall. We were in a nice house, that much I could tell. It had high ceilings and wood beams, the decor rustic but very nice. He opened a door to show me a large bathroom with a tub and a luxurious shower. “I’ll show you how everything works and leave you be. Take as long as you need.” He had put out shampoo, body wash, and conditioner on the sink for me. They were brands I wasn’t familiar with, but they would do. There were fluffy towels on the rack, and I couldn’t wait to wash up. Cy left and shut the door.
I turned to explore. The shower was massive - it had a special shower head, and I turned it on to see droplets like strong rain fall from the ceiling all over the tile. It was more luxurious than anything I’d ever seen. I waited until it was steaming and stepped inside, sighing at the feeling of hot water running down my body. I took my time washing up, making sure to scrub my skin to get rid of my perfume scent. I knew it was affecting these men, and I didn’t know when I’d get my next suppressant pills. After washing and conditioning my hair, I found an oversized robe to slip into and wrapped my hair in a towel.
There was a knock at the bathroom door. “I’ll leave some clothes for you right outside.” It was the big alpha’s voice. I rushed over to the door and cracked it open, seeing a bag with new clothes inside. I grabbed it and shut myself in the bathroom, changing into the soft leggings and sweater. Once I was dressed, I stepped out into the hallway again and looked around. The two alphas from earlier were waiting, trying not to look my way. I cleared my throat.
The big one turned and smiled. “Ah! The clothes look comfy. If you need anything else, let me know!” He bounded down the hall to me, and I looked up at him, my hair still damp. “Let me get you some snacks before I show you what Cy did with your room!” My eyes got big, and I realized I didn’t know the big one’s name. As if he read my mind, he stooped down to look at me face to face. “I’m Jameson, by the way.” Jameson. It fit him. “Want a ride back to the room? I didn’t know what shoe size you wear, but if you tell me, I’ll get you whatever you want.” He turned and offered his back, and I realized what he meant.
Soon I was riding him piggy back style while Cy grinned and shook his head. Jameson hummed and took me through the house to where the kitchen was. I spotted an incredibly handsome man at the kitchen counter - he had brown skin, dark hair and chocolate eyes. I knew immediately that it was the beta from earlier. Jameson carried me over while the beta looked at us with a shocked expression. “Oh, I‘m sure you remember Maddox from earlier. Maddox, I’m getting this little one some snacks before taking her back to her room.” He opened the cupboard and grabbed a few boxes of cookies and crackers before looking into the fridge. I was so far up off the ground that I could see the top of the fridge from here. “What else do you need, kitten? Fruit? Soda?” I was pointing out what I wanted to him while giggling when I heard a door slam.
“What the hell are you doing?” A deep voice snapped, and I looked over my shoulder while Jameson’s hand gripped my leg reassuringly.
“And that would be our last pack member, Kian. Not sure if you remember, but you met him before, briefly.” Jameson said, not even turning to look at the handsome man in the suit. I saw the man staring at Jameson and I in a mixture of shock and fury as Jameson closed the fridge and walked by him, whistling. The man was too stunned to say anything, and Jameson took me back down the hall to the room I had woken up in. While I was in the shower, they had put up a huge flat screen tv across from the bed. “Surprise! Now you can watch all your favorite shows. Wouldn’t want you to go stir crazy.” He set me down on the bed while I looked up at him.
“Why was your other pack member angry?” I asked, and he just smiled and set up the snacks on a side table he had procured.
“He’s just being moody, he’ll get over it. Now, let me show you how everything works so you won’t be bored.”
Chapter 27
Bella
I was sitting comfortably on the bed flipping through channels after Jameson and Cy left. The pack had promised not to do anything to make me uncomfortable, but I already felt safe with them. I knew enough to realize that whoever they were, they were into shady business. And I knew I was in their custody, but I had no idea why they had taken me. Usually omegas in the Eastern Province were kidnapped for ransom or to be sold off, at least from what I knew.
I wasn’t sure I wanted to go home anyway - Jameson and Maddox had shared a moment with me that was so surreal, so tender and sensual that it blew every sensual experience ever had before out of the water. I never knew I could be so turned on and treated so tenderly. Every heat I’d been through had seemed sufficient at the time - the alphas would give me the knots I needed, the betas providing comfort. But looking back, it all seemed to be a routine part of the heat, not because any of the packs cared about me too much. Being touched and held by these mysterious captors had me feeling something different, and I wanted more. With how electric their touch was when they were just feeding me, I could only imagine what it would be like to go through a heat with them. Speaking of heat, mine was due soon, and I needed my suppressants or we’d all have a problem.
I kept flipping channels when something caught my eye. It was a clip of Celeste on a celebrity gossip news channel. I sat up straight, watching carefully. The announcer replayed a video of her, a sight to behold as she stormed into a room, taking everyone there by surprise. Apparently she was late for a vote and had come in at the last minute, saving the day. I watched as the gossip reporters bantered about her resilience and the way she surprised people, a genius businesswoman as well as a party girl.
Memories swirled in my head as their words faded away. I had been in Celeste’s room after the ball, dressed in her clothes, drenched in her scent. I’d been pretending to myself that I could be her, be somebody important and wanted for just one moment. I remembered the alcohol scattered across her vanity, despite her apparent coherence at the ball. No, the alcohol was not scattered, as I put together the pieces. It had been strategically placed. Celeste hadn’t been drunk that night, but someone wanted her to look like she was. And it wasn’t me who should have been taken. It was her.
I frantically flipped through the channels, but there was no mention of anything but Celeste and the recent pairings at the Darlington Ball. Images flashed of omegas with packs, dressed in incredible outfits while posing for pictures. I even saw my friend Evangeline with a pack, her courtship announced as one of the surprise pairings from this year’s event. As the stories went on, I noticed there were no photos of me being flashed across the screen. Which made sense - I wasn’t paired up with anyone. But why was there no mention of a missing omega? I scrolled through the channels, grasping for any proof that people noticed I was gone. There was nothing about me.
As the realization hit me, I sat back and felt like my whole world was collapsing. It wasn’t just that no packs wanted me - I was so insignificant that no one even realized I was missing. Why would they? I was just a nuisance. From my first heat, I’d been told I wasn’t wanted. That I should leave. Now I was out of the way, and it was probably for the best. The Omega House staff would probably be glad to have me off their hands. I was making them look bad by being there so long with no match. I didn’t have many friends except for Piper. She would learn soon enough that I was only dragging her reputation down by association, and probably move on. Even my parents - I gulped back tears as I thought of them - they were better off if I wasn’t around.
Before I realized it, I was sobbing, curled up into a ball on the bed. It wasn’t long before I heard a knock at the door. “Go away!” I cried as I burrowed deeper into the comforter.
“Bella, it’s me, Maddox. Please, I just want to talk to you. I know you’re upset.” I could feel his beta vibes calming me a bit. I suppose having someone hold me might stop my panic attack.
“Fine. But don’t look at me.” I heard the door crack and his heavy footsteps as he approached the bed. The mattress sank as he sat down next to me.
“What’s wrong, little one? Please, I want to help you. What do you need?” I felt his hand on my back as I cried.
“No one’s even looking for me.” I hiccuped. Maddox must have looked at the tv, seeing news reports about Celeste.
“Oh, Bella, listen to me. Celeste is a high-profile celebrity. That’s why she’s on the news.” It was true, but that didn’t explain why I wasn’t mentioned at all. By now, they had to have noticed I was missing. I finally turned to him, not caring that my face was splotchy and my eyes wet.
“I know you all meant to take Celeste. I’m not stupid.” I wiped my nose, Maddox looking at me with sad eyes that didn’t deny what I’d said. “But that’s not why I’m upset. No one cares that I’m missing. I have negative value. No one’s looking for me, are they?” He ran his hand over me, trying to calm me. “Answer me!” I sobbed, and he laid down and curled up next to me.
“Bella, listen to me. We did take you from the ball, I think that’s obvious. But I want you to stop thinking that anyone else can determine your worth.” I wanted to rage at him, but the way he was talking to me made me calm, despite my anger. “You have inherent value. And I’m sure that people miss you and want you home. If you were my omega, I’d turn over heaven and earth to find you.” I stilled at his words. I knew he was just being nice to me, but it felt so good to hear something kind about myself. I waited for my tears to stop flowing while he rubbed my back. After a few minutes, I rolled over to face him.
