23. Luna #2
The look in Officer Stone’s eyes is different. He’s still putting in effort to try and not scare me, but as the interview has continued, his thick black pepper scent has gotten sharper with his anger.
Something about a complete stranger, an alpha, especially, being angry on my behalf… it gives me a sense of relief. Like it’s a form of validation that this whole mess isn’t my fault.
“What happens now?” I whisper, my voice hoarse from talking so much.
Officer Stone pulls out his phone after he tucks away his notebook. His jaw ticking with frustration is the only physical sign that matches the intensity of his scent.
“It looks like Dawson is here with Charlotte.”
“Charlotte’s been waiting for me?” I think about how pregnant she is and wince. I never meant to inconvenience her.
“Do you want to take a bit of time for yourself before I go and get them?” Officer Stone asks, standing from his seat slowly. The chair creaks as he gets up.
“No, please send them in.” I don’t want her to wait any longer than necessary. And selfishly, as kind as the two of them have been, I want to see a familiar face.
Jess reaches across the table and squeezes my hand. “You did a good job, Luna. It takes a lot of guts to share with me everything you’ve been through. I just want you to know that we’re going to do our best to fix things for you, okay?”
I just nod.
Jess stands and moves with Officer Stone to the door. “We’ll be right back.”
The room is silent except for the buzz of the bright fluorescent lights in the ceiling. I fidget with the tissue in my hand, tearing it apart until there’s a pile of tissue fluff on the table in front of me that I crumple into a ball.
The door opens and I see a blur of pink.
“Oh my god!” Charlotte, clad in a hot pink fleece jacket, throws her arms around me, squeezing me tight.
The pit in my stomach that hasn’t left since I was taken from the pack house starts to ease a bit as I’m surrounded by her warm apple pie perfume.
I didn’t know how alone I’d been feeling—and how much I feared being alone again, like I felt everyday growing up—until she wrapped her arms tightly around me.
“I’m so glad you’re okay,” Charlotte says.
“It’s good to see you, Charlotte,” I say quietly, rubbing my fingertips over the soft fabric of her jacket. It contrasts against the cold, colorless, hardness of the police station around us.
Charlotte pulls back from the embrace, waving forward one of her mates who’s carrying a large plastic bag. “This is Dawson, one of my mates. Here’re some clothes for you that’re a bit warmer than that sundress you’re wearing.”
“Nice to meet you,” Dawson says, his voice gruff as he sets down the plastic bag by us before retreating to the doorway.
“H—Hi,” I say, giving him my attempt at a wobbly smile. “Thank you.”
“We have a good chunk of your stuff in our car. We can drop it off at the center after this,” Charlotte says, letting out a huff as she stands straight, holding her belly.
I blink at Charlotte, my heart falling. “The—the center?” I know the likelihood of going back to the Ward pack house was slim, but there was still a desperate part of me that hoped that Charlotte would be able to do something to help me.
“Shit,” Charlotte mutters under my breath, seeing my crestfallen expression. She turns to Jess, who’s made her way back into the room. “Are you sure there’s no way she can spend her time with the Ward pack? She’ll be more comfortable there than the center.”
“I’m sorry, ma’am,” Jess says, wincing slightly. “But that’s not a possibility.”
“Even though I’ve documented her injuries the moment she arrived at the Ward pack house and can testify that they haven’t laid a single finger on her?
Shouldn’t my testimony as a doctor be worth something in this situation?
” Charlotte pushes, her apple pie scent picking up hints of spicy cinnamon as her irritation grows obvious.
“I’m a doctor, that should count for something. ”
“I’m sorry, ma’am,” Jess sighs again. “That testimony could be valuable in Luna’s case in general, and it could be helpful in making sure the Ward pack is eligible to court her, but she’s still unregistered. She has to go through the registration and courting process just like any other omega.”
“Will my examination count, at the very least? That way, she doesn’t have to go through another one?”
Jess purses her lips in thought. “I’m not sure. That’s not in my control. I can bring it up to the higher-ups, though.”
Charlotte’s head drops to her chest. “Fine.” She turns to look at me. “I’ll try and visit you at the center as much as I possibly can until we fix everything and get you back to my brother’s pack, I promise.”
Tears fill my eyes as I thank Charlotte.
“Please just text or call me if you ever need anything,” Charlotte says.
“I—I don’t have a way to do that,” I say, shifting nervously, growing more aware of how little I actually have to my name.
“Included in your stuff is that tablet Madden gave you. It’s got its own cell service plan, so you can use it even if you don’t have wifi. I’ll bring you shopping to go get a phone when you’re allowed to leave the center.”
Charlotte’s kindness hits me again, making my chest twist. How will I ever repay her or the ward pack for their kindness ?
“Talking about the center,” Jess says, cutting into the conversation. “It’s best if we get you registered so you can settle into the center without it being too late.”
“What time is it?” I ask her, standing from the table. I don’t really have a good concept of time right now. I know it was around noon when I was taken here.
“It’s five PM,” Jess answers. “How about you take a second in the bathroom down the hall to get changed into something more comfortable before you go.”
I slide off Jess’s jacket, handing it back to her with a grateful smile.
“This is where we part ways, for now,” Jess says. “Officer Stone is going to drive you over to the center.”
Everything is a blur after I step out of the bathroom in my favorite baby blue sweatsuit and puffy jacket. There are so many people and so many scents in the police station as they have me finish up some paperwork that I’m grateful for the quiet of Officer Stone’s police car.
He walks me into the big multi-story building with the words “Omega Center” in big block letters on the concrete sign outside of it.
There’s a pretty receptionist, an omega too, according to her lavender scent. Her eyes narrow a bit when she sees me walking behind Officer Stone.
“You must be the Southside omega,” she says, standing from behind her desk. The way her face twists instantly takes away from how pretty I thought she was at first.
It seems most omegas are attractive. It also seems most omegas aren’t very nice. Granted, this is only the third omega I’ve met, but out of the three, the only one that’s been kind to me has been Charlotte.
I take a deep breath. I’ve faced worse than another pissy omega. And I’m still alive.
“I am,” I say after swallowing hard. “My name is Luna. ”
“Mhmm,” she says, quickly typing something into the desktop in front of her. “The doctor will see you now.”
I bite the inside of my cheek so hard I can taste blood. “The—The doctor?” My head whips towards Officer Stone. “But Charlotte already examined me. Can’t that examination be used?”
“You can go now, Officer Stone,” The omega receptionist says, waving a hand as if to dismiss him before he can answer me.
Officer Stone’s shoulders tense and he lets out a long sigh. “That’s not up to me, Luna. I’m sorry.”
“But—“
“Follow me, Southsider .” Every time she says Southsider, it sounds like she’s using it as a slur. She stands and turns, expecting me to follow after her.
Officer Stone’s brows are drawn down in concern. “This is The Omega Center. You’ll be safe here,” he says before turning and leaving me here.
There’s just something about the way he said that that makes me a little uncomfortable. Like he doesn’t believe the words he’s saying.
I don’t really have any other choice but to follow the snippy omega down the hall. When we turn the corner, her demeanor instantly changes.
I guess the way she was acting earlier was her trying to be nice in front of an alpha.
“So you’re the omega that tried to steal the Ward Pack from Brandy,” She scoffs.
“You know Brandy?” That would make sense, considering their matching, bitchy personalities.
She rolls her eyes. “Of course you’d ignore my point. Southsider scum doesn’t deserve that pack, especially not the true members.”
My blood starts to heat in my veins.
“Don’t insult Madden,” I tell her, struggling to keep my voice even .
She stops in front of an office door, turning to face me with a smug smile.
“Brandy was right. You obviously need to be put in your place. You’re only worth whatever you’ll bring in when they auction you off. Lucky for you, Dr. Whittaker can certainly do that all on his own.”
My stomach feels like it’s falling through the floor when she knocks on the door. The moment it opens to reveal a very male doctor with a certain sort of predatory gleam in his eyes, I know exactly the kind of man I’m dealing with. Because I’ve dealt with beta men like these all my life.
“Ahhh, a new patient.”