Chapter 31
Kasey
I had to be going insane.
That thought kept circling in my head as I sat curled up on the couch, blanket wrapped around my shoulders while Evander went to answer the door.
He told me Alpha Moore was coming to run blood tests, something about comparing my blood to whatever they had on file from when I supposedly went missing.
Most of what he explained went straight over my head. Too many words. Too many possibilities.
I didn’t have high hopes anyways.
I was just Kasey. Nothing special. Nothing important.
But sitting here, listening to the low murmur of voices at the door, I felt something I didn’t expect.
I wished I was important. It's important that someone might have looked for me. Important that being gone would have mattered to someone.
But luck had never been on my side. It wasn’t my name. And I wasn’t foolish enough to start believing in it now.
Still…a small part of me hoped.
Alpha Moore entered first behind Evander, who thankfully came to sit right beside me. Moore carried his black medical bag that I briefly remember from the first time I met him, even though it was a bit hazy.
Behind him came an Omega, easily taller than me if I were standing. He had a smile too wide. He was softer around the edges, warm in a way that made the room feel less sharp.
“Hello, Kasey,” Alpha Moore greeted me. “It’s good to see you again.”
I swallowed, unsure of how to respond.
“I’m Adrian,” the Omega said with a bright, reassuring smile.
“You can think of me as a… student teacher, I guess. I can’t get a doctor’s license—well, you know why.
” He waved his hand lightly, not making a big deal of it.
“But Moore’s been teaching me everything he can.
And today I get to draw your blood. If that’s okay with you and Mr. Whitlock, of course. ”
Whitlock? The name tugged at something in the back of my mind, familiar in a way I couldn’t place. It slipped away before I could catch it.
“Just a simple blood test,” Alpha Moore added gently as he handed his medical bag to Adrian. “And I’d like to take a quick look at the marks on your back; make sure there’s no lasting damage.”
I nodded, my eyes flicking between the three of them before dropping to the floor. The floor was safe. The floor didn’t look back.
“It’s up to Kasey who draws the blood,” Evander said beside me, his voice steady and warm.
You, I thought immediately. But that wasn’t an option. Not really. So, I just shrugged, pulling the blanket tighter around me. I’d had blood drawn before, rough hands, cold rooms, no explanations. Whatever these two did couldn’t possibly be worse than that.
Adrian crouched a little to get into my line of sight, his voice soft. “We’ll go slow. You tell us if you need a break, okay?”
I nodded again, still staring at the floor. At least this time… no one sounded angry.
Adrian moved with a kind of soft efficiency, like he’d practiced every step a hundred times but still cared enough to go slow for my sake. He sat Alpha Moore’s medical bag on the coffee table and knelt beside it, opening the latches with quiet clicks.
“Alright, let’s get everything ready so we don’t have to keep you nervous for long.”
He pulled out a small tray, laying it neatly on the table. Then came the sealed needle kit, the little vials, and the alcohol wipes. Each item placed gently, like he didn’t want to startle me with the sound.
Evander sat close enough that his knee brushed mine, grounding me without saying a word.
Adrian glanced up at me with a warm, easy smile and open light brown eyes. “See? Nothing scary. Just a few little things.”
Alpha Moore stood behind him; arms folded loosely, watching with a calm steady presence.
“I’ve…done this before.” I whispered.
“Yes, but I like to make it as least traumatizing as possible,” Adrian answered. “I promise to be ten times gentler than anyone ever has before. And it’s still okay to be frightened. You’re allowed to show emotion now.”
I huffed, not bothered to reply. Instead, I uncovered my arm, sticking it out to where he could get to whatever he needed.
“Well, if you’re comfortable,” Alpha Moore said, his voice steady enough to make me jump anyway, “I’d like to ask a few follow-up- questions since the last time I saw you.”
I jerked at the sound, then nodded quickly.
“Any nausea?”
I shook my head. Nothing new. Nothing was worse than usual.
“Any new pain?”
Another shake.
“Going to the bathroom without pain or blood?”
I nodded this time. No problems there.
“Good to hear.” Moore’s tone softened. “After my Omega gets your blood drawn, I’ll have you take your shirt off so I can check your back.”
“Okay.” My voice cracked, and I forced myself to stay present, to not drift somewhere safer in my head.
Adrian gave me an encouraging smile. “We’ll go slow. You’re doing great already.”
“Did you have any friends at Lockswell?” Evander asked, trying to draw my attention to him. Maybe he knew where my brain was trying to go as the edges of the world began to darken.
“Omegas aren’t allowed to have them there,” I answered, my words thick. “I…I was one of the ones who never shared a room. They…. the handlers…. wanted me by myself.”
I never questioned why. Sometimes Omegas shared rooms, others got their own space, even though it was smaller. It wasn’t like we needed much anyway. The younger ones had to share rooms that fit up to ten in each, sometimes more, depending on how many Omegas were in that age group.
“True. I had my own space for a bit before rooms were moved around. Then I had a buddy for a bit. He was okay. Other than the snoring.”
Adrian pressed the tip of the needle into my arm, and surprisingly there was no pinch, no pain whatsoever.
He beamed up at me as he pulled one tube of dark red liquid. “Now, something very important,” Adrian scooted a bit closer, pulling out another vial of blood. How much did he need?
“Important?” I blinked at him in confusion.
“Oh, extremely.” He nodded solemnly then grinned. “Like…what’s your favorite breakfast food? Because Moore here things oatmeal is a personality trait.”
Alpha Moore sighed behind him. “It’s healthy.”
“It’s sad,” Adrian corrected, then winked at me. “So? Pancakes? Eggs? Something sugary and chaotic?”
I stared at him for a second, thrown off by the question. My arm lay there limply as he stuck a band aid over the spot he had picked.
“Uh…toast?”
“Toast!” Adrain gasped dramatically. “A classic. A man of culture. Moore, take notes.”
Moore didn’t look up from his phone where he seemed to be taking notes on something much different than breakfast ideas. “I’m taking no such notes.”
Adrain leaned in conspiratorially. “He pretends he’s not listening, but he absolutely is.”
Of course he would be, because that’s what Alphas do. But seeing how easy Adrian spoke, not afraid to speak his mind, was different. A good different.
“All done. And you didn’t flinch!” Adrian announced proudly.
Crying had never been an issue for me. Blood draws didn’t hurt. Not compared to other things I’ve lived through. The needle was nothing. A momentary sting.
Adrian beamed at me anyways, his smile too big and too natural for someone who’d just stuck a needle in my arm. He looked genuinely happy, like he’d accomplished something important.
Evander leaned forward slightly, watching Adrian pack the supplies back into the medical bag. “How’d you two get together?” He asked, curiosity warm in his voice.
Adrian laughed under his breath, glancing up at Moore with fondness that softened his whole face. Moore didn’t look up from the vials he was labeling, but the corner of his mouth twitched like he already knew the story.
And for a moment, the room felt light, like I was sitting among people who actually liked each other.
Adrian finished packing the last vial into the medical bag, then plopped down onto the edge of the coffee table like he was settling in for a gossip session with a friend.
“Well,” he said, brushing his hands off dramatically, “since you asked, our origin story is actually pretty cute.”
Moore let out a quiet sigh. “Adrian.”
“What?” Adrian shot back with a grin. “It is cute.”
He turned back to me, eyes bright. “So, as you gathered, I’m from Lockswell, too.” I nodded once. “I was one of the lucky ones. Didn’t get hurt or taken advantage of all that much. Mostly just…ignored. Which honestly was fine with me. I’ve always been a little too loud for their tasks.”
Moore mouth twitch like he agreed but otherwise didn’t interrupt.
“Anyways,” Adrian continued. “Moore here was a client. Came in all serious and broody- “
“I was not broody,” Moore muttered.
“-And instantly was swooned by my big personality,” Adrain smiled at me again. “Couldn’t resist me.”
Moore cleared his throat, but the faint pink at the tips of his ears gave him away.
The other Omega leaned closer, lowering his voice like he was sharing a secret. “He kept coming back. Not for anything…you know…. Just to talk. To check on me. To make sure I was eating. He’d bring me snacks.”
“You were too thin,” Moore huffed.
“And you were too sweet,” Adrian shot back. “Anyways, one day he just…took me out of there. Walked me right out the front door like he owned the place.”
Moore corrected gently. “I filed the paperwork. Legally.”
He smiled at me, warm and bright. “And now we get to help people like you. Which is my favorite part.”
Evander’s hand brushed my shoulder.
“What if we…don’t want help?” I asked, eyes flashing towards Evander.
“Some don’t, but we still offer it no matter what. And having a great supportive Alpha by your side helps the most. That’s what matters.”
“Shall we take a look at your back so we can get out your hair?”