Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Kayla
It was the day of the championship game and had been two days since I found out about my pills and started questioning everything and everyone. I’d gone from being on cloud nine to being ten feet under, and I was running out of oxygen fast.
I hadn’t heard a peep from Dr. Wilkins about what to do. She’d called to check on me and I’d told her that I didn’t believe the pack had anything to do with my pills. She was just an impartial third-party and was being as objective as possible, which meant they were at the top of her suspect list.
We’d decided since my heat had just finished, it wasn’t a good idea for me to go to the game. Even if I had felt comfortable going, it didn’t change the fact that I was an unbonded omega, and even if I had ten beta security guards, I would worry.
So now I was stuck at home, watching pre-game highlights on the large projection screen. At least I’d get to see an up-close view of my men when it was game time.
My phone buzzed, and I smiled seeing my sister had finally texted me back after I’d texted her the night before. It was unlike her not to immediately check her phone when she woke up or before she went to bed.
Kara: Sorry, I just got up.
Me: It’s almost noon.
Kara: So? You used to sleep until noon on the weekends. I’m making up for all the lost time.
Me: Point taken. I was up at seven seeing my pack off to their game day festivities.
Kara: You didn’t want to go?
Me: Yes and no. It would just distract them with me being fresh off my heat…
Kara: Why do I get the feeling that… means something? I appreciate you not saying much about all the nesting and sexing you’ve been doing, but I think I can handle hearing about it.
Me: It’s not that… okay, maybe a little. We discovered my heat suppressants were tampered with. They were all blanks.
My phone immediately rang, and I sighed, answering it. “Well, hello, stranger.”
“What do you mean they were all blanks?” The concern in her voice was not something I had wanted. She didn’t need any more stress in her life.
“They’re testing them, but they were placebo pills or something. I just opened and checked them before leaving, so…” I left that piece of information hanging between us and Kara was silent for at least a minute. “Care Bear? You there?”
“So, I’m guessing if you’re still there at their house that you don’t think it was them… that doesn’t leave too many people.”
“Dr. Wilkins was supposed to be handling it on her end and contacting OPS, but she didn’t say much about it when she called to check on me yesterday. I want to believe it wasn’t my pack, but who else could it have been? Literally no one has been in the house.”
“But where were you keeping the pills? In your purse?”
“No. They were in my suitcase. Shit, there’s a ton of people who touched that thing. The driver to the airport, the front desk person at the terminal, the baggage handler-”
My heart plummeted into the pit of my stomach.
“Kayla? What is it?”
“Brian. He was alone with my bag for at least ten minutes… he… he told me to go explore the house and I didn’t even think… oh my God, why would he do that?” I started shaking so bad I had to put my sister on speakerphone and put the phone down.
“Breathe, Kayla. What do you need me to do? I can probably steal a car and be there in a few days.” Kara sounded dead-ass serious, and it immediately snapped me out of the panicked feeling in my chest.
“What? You can’t even drive! No… I need to call them and tell them... none of this makes any sense.”
If Brian did swap out my pills, what exactly was he up to? He could have done that just as easily with Kara instead of ‘accidentally’ mixing us up. Which led to bigger and crazier questions… was someone working for Omega Match making under the table deals to fuck with the matches?
“I can drive if I need to. How hard can it be?” She was starting to sound like me.
“I’ll call you back later, all right? I need to figure this all out before OPS decides to have the pack arrested or something.” That would be a worst-case scenario. They wouldn’t arrest them without a thorough investigation… I didn’t think.
“Just be careful, sis. Love you.” Kara hung up after I returned the sentiment.
The game started in just a few hours, so my pack was probably resting or in interviews. They had said they would all keep their phones on them and on. They’d even made sure the reception at the stadium was good.
I was just about to call Beck when my phone rang with a call from Dr. Wilkins, scaring the crap out of me.
“Dr. Wilkins! I think I know who switched out my pills.” I fell back onto the soft cushions of the couch, my heart thudding in my chest. “The team’s manager, Brian. He had my bag for a bit and I just didn’t think of it.”
“Are you sure? Why would he swap out your pills? In any case, two OPS agents are at your front gate. They’re going to take you to an omega compound while they run their investigation.”
“What? No way.” I jumped up and nearly tripped over the rug as I ran to one of the display panels that controlled the security system and lights.
An unmarked SUV was parked across the street from the gate, and I could see two people inside it, although not clearly.
“This is going to be a high-profile case. Now is the best time to get you to a safe place so they can do their jobs. There will be a media circus as soon as the pack is taken in for questioning.” She was speaking but I could hardly hear what she was saying over the ringing in my ears.
I had to warn them.
“Kayla? Are you there?” I didn’t know how long Dr. Wilkins had been talking, but I finally snapped out of the daze I was in staring at the SUV out front.
“I’m here. I don’t want this. Let’s just forget this even happened, okay?”
“Sweetheart, I know you want to protect them, but even if they didn’t switch your pills, someone close to them did. We don’t know if they put him up to it or what his motivation is. You aren’t safe there right now.”
“I’m not going. I can stay here while OPS does their investigation.” The last place I wanted to go was an omega compound, which was ironic considering just a few weeks ago it was the only place I could think of.
This was my home. This was my pack. This was my life and future.
I’d never cared much about any of those things until matching with the pack, and now I had them, I didn’t want to let them go.
“They have a court order. If you don’t go willingly, they will come in and get you.” She sighed. “I know this is tough, but if they didn’t do it, then you’ll return to them when the investigation is closed.”
“And how long will that be? A few days?” My mind was starting to whirl, and I ran to my nest where I had been sleeping and grabbed jeans since I was in pajama bottoms.
“A few weeks… a few months. Depends on how much they cooperate.”
“A few months!” I shrieked, shoving my feet into slip-ons. “Just tell them what I told you about Brian and they can investigate him first.”
“Open the door for them. They aren’t the enemy, Kayla.”
The doorbell rang and I ran back to the living room, seeing the view of the front door on the display signaling someone was at the front door. How the hell did they open the front gate?
I hung up on Dr. Wilkins and quickly dialed Beck’s number. “Come on… come on.”
“Hello?” Fucking Brian. What the hell was he doing answering Beck’s phone?
“Uh… can I speak to Beck?” I watched in horror as one of the OPS agents got a crowbar from a bag they were carrying. “It’s urgent.”
“They are in an interview at the moment. Can I take a message?” Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.
“OPS agents are here, and I need to speak to him immediately.” You fucking two-faced asshole.
“I’ll give him the message.” He hung up, and I resisted the urge to chuck my phone in anger.
The agent lifted the crowbar to the door, and I did the only thing I could think of… run to the backyard. I disarmed the alarm so they wouldn’t know I was trying to run. I should have paid more attention when Rio was explaining how to just turn off the alarm to certain areas of the house.
I ran along the back and to the side of the house, dialing Kane’s number next. He picked up right away. “Kane-”
“Kane’s in an interview. Are you trying to be a pain in the ass?” Did Brian have all of their phones? Why the hell would they leave their phones with him?
“Who is it?” I heard Kane ask from a distance.
“Someone trying to reach you about your car’s extended warranty.”
“Wait!” Click.
Motherfucker. They had no clue he couldn’t even be trusted with watching cell phones. There was no use in my trying the other two, plus I needed to get away so I had time to come up with a plan.
I ran down the stairs on the side of the house next to the garage and peeked around the edge. The agents had pulled into the driveway and left the gate open. If I could just make it out, I could hide nearby until they left or until the guys realized I had been the one who had called.
Maybe I should let OPS take me, otherwise, I was going to murder a beta and end up in prison.
I took a deep breath and sprinted across the driveway to the gate, not looking back as I rounded the edge of the gate onto the sidewalk. Now what?
I continued running, hoping by the time they realized I wasn’t in the house, I’d be somewhere safe.
The street and sidewalk sloped downward out of the neighborhood, and I picked up speed. I was flying across the pavement, my breaths ragged and my feet burning from the flatness of my shoes.
Until I wasn’t.
My foot caught on a crack from a piece of cement that was slightly lifted, and I went flying forward, my phone smashing to smithereens as I collided with the ground.
I cried out, my hands and knees taking the brunt of the fall. My wrist twinged and blood oozed from the scrapes on my palms and forearms.
It took everything in me not to just lie there and wallow, but I had to keep moving because the agents would see me when they left. A woman sprawled out on the sidewalk would be hard to miss.
My phone was busted, the screen in a million cracks, and I slid it into my back pocket, hoping the contents on it were salvageable.
I started walking, looking for anywhere that might be a good place to hide when the gate right in front of me slid open and an SUV pulled through.
N’Pact.
The SUV stopped right in my path across the sidewalk as the driver scanned the street. If I could just dash in through their gate, I could hide there until the championship was over.
The back window rolled down and one of the members of N’Pact, Cal, stuck his head out. “Hey, you all right?”
I looked over my shoulder, worried the agents were right behind me. “I’m fine. I just…”
Cal opened the door and got out. “You’re hurt. Is there someone we can call for you?”
“Cal, leave the girl be. We were supposed to be at the stadium half an hour ago.” I knew that voice. Alvaro Estrada, alpha of the pack that made up the band.
“The stadium? Can you give me a ride?” They wouldn’t try anything, would they? I was out of options.
Cal’s eyes darkened as he stepped closer to me. “Who do you belong to, omega?”
My jaw opened at the protective tone in his voice. “Thomas pack. They… I… my phone is broken. I need to get to them.”
“Cal! Come on, man!”
Cal turned his head. “Shut up! This is the Gnomes’ girl.” He turned back to me. “What is going on here?”
“OPS. Please. I need to get to them.” I didn’t like to purposely whine, but I did, and all the heads in the SUV turned to look out at me.
“OPS? Are they mistreating you?” Cal lifted his hand like he was going to reach for me, but then thought better of it.
“No, it’s complicated. I’ll tell you on the way?” I knew it was risky being scared and getting into a vehicle of alphas, but I had no other choice. “They would do the same if your omega was in trouble.”
Cal narrowed his eyes, his nostrils flaring slightly. I didn’t know what button I’d pushed, but apparently them and omegas were a sensitive subject.
“Get in the front. We’re respectable alphas, but you also smell amazing and are injured.” Cal walked around the back of the SUV to the passenger side. “Out.”
The security guard or whoever it was jumped out and moved to the back without question as Cal held open the door for me.
“Thank you.” I breathed a sigh of relief as he slammed the door and got back in the back. “Kara is going to lose her shit when I tell her I got a ride from N’Pact.”
It turned out that N’Pact was singing the National Anthem and were late for the pregame rehearsal. I’d never been more grateful that they were well known for showing up late for events.
They unfortunately did not have any of the guys’ numbers and had only talked to them on social media, which I knew they wouldn’t be checking on a game day or really at all.
I’d just show up unannounced. That was probably for the best because if Brian knew I was coming, he’d try to stop me.
Forty-five minutes before game time, we pulled up to the entertainer and player entrance, and the driver, a nice beta named Jonathan, rolled down his window at the security hut.
The security officer came to the window with his tablet and peered into the car. “You’re late. I have N’Pact plus two. No mention of them bringing anyone else.”
“Last minute change of plans. She’s our VIP guest,” Jonathan explained smoothly. “Is that going to be an issue? If so, we’re going to have to take her all the way back to the Hollywood Hills, and well…”
The security guard glanced at me and sighed before returning to the security hut and grabbing some badges. “She’ll need to stay with you at all times and wear her badge.”
“Got it. Thank you.” Jonathan grabbed the badges that were on lanyards and passed them back to Alvaro, who distributed them as we pulled through the gates and into a parking lot at the back of the stadium.
“You’ll stay by us until we find your pack,” Alvaro directed as he handed me a VIP badge. “If we find out you’ve been lying to us…”
“I’m not.” I put the lanyard around my neck and checked my hands before getting out of the vehicle. They were scraped up, but luckily there had been a first aid kit in the SUV and I’d been able to clean them up. Too bad there wasn’t a spare cell phone.
Payne gave me a withering stare as he shut the back passenger door. “They are going to kick our asses.”
Cal came up beside him, slinging an arm around him. “Why would they do that, Payney boy?”
“She smells like us now.” He grunted and shoved off Cal’s arm.
I lifted the hem of my shirt and sniffed. It was an odd mixture of my scent, theirs, and my own pack’s. It didn’t smell bad in the slightest, but I could see why Payne was a bit concerned.
Glances were exchanged among the members of the band and Alvaro pinched the bridge of his nose, reminding me of Beck. “Let’s go find your pack.”