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“Please say that louder,” Cooper drawls.

Ethan told us about a group of alphas that scared the shit out of Nina the first time she went running at a trail near her mother’s home. Cooper felt that was too close for comfort and tracked them down to a local bar. He beat the shit out of them in an alley, killing at least two.

As far as I know, no one pressed charges, and the last time the running club ran that route, those alphas were nowhere to be seen. In my eyes, Cooper took care of the problem the way he saw fit. Nina is his as well, and that’s what he told the alphas in that back alley of the bar.

There’s a savagery that comes over certain alphas when they haven’t bonded with their omega. They need to protect them at all costs, and the fact that Nina is still in a precarious situationmakes things difficult on Cooper. He was in a better mood after killing, so I’ll take the win where I can.

“No one is listening,” I say, shrugging. “I’ve got ten more minutes before I need to get back, so I’ll spill what I can manage in that amount of time.”

“Why are these packs so welcoming to Ethan?” Cooper asks, intent on being the one to move the conversation. There is definitely no doubt in my mind who leads this pack.

We may all have our own strengths, but when Cooper is more sound of mind, it’s clear he enjoys the responsibility of being in charge. He can have it. The decisions I’ve had to make have been haunting me enough.

Taking a breath, I push away my plate, deciding I’m done.

“I have some friends from the University of Lyons who have roots here in Savannah,” I explain. “Cal is best friends with an alpha in Pack Tremaine, and Hugh grew up with some of the alphas who are currently courting Nina. They spoke to them about Nina and gave them enough background information to make an educated decision.”

“They’re willing to help just like that?” Cooper asks.

“Just because she doesn’t remember us, doesn’t mean she isn’t the saddest fucking omega there is,” I sigh. “The packs who signed up to court Nina have been dealing with Vivian this entire time, and she does things the way she wants. Even without context, they can tell something is off.”

“I can’t even let myself sit in the car when I know she’ll be somewhere because I don’t trust myself,” he mutters, shaking his head. The words are for himself, so I don’t respond.

Everything inside of him misses Nina, and while we feel the same way, it’s more intense for him. His very insides are clawing with anxiety and anger. This is why alphas are taught about the dangers of going feral. My hospital is one of the leading places for treating it, but without an omega to balance them out, they go insane.

Extreme exercise sometimes can help. I’ve seen two feralalphas be transferred to a community in the mountains to live alone. They chop wood, work hard labor jobs, and fall in bed exhausted at the end of the day.

The root cause? Losing their omega without either party severing the bond by rejecting the other, or the omega dies. It drives them mad.

“Is that why they’re falling over themselves to keep her busy?” Cooper asks.

“Yes,” I say. “There is a core group of packs that are Vivian’s first choice. They met Nina and decided none of them wanted to bow out, especially because they know what’s at stake. Think about what you feel for her, and now imagine how an alpha would feel when they see her. Even if they’re not scent matches. She’s terrified to say anything. One of the alphas in Pack Tremaine told Cal that she wants to kidnap her to get her away from her mother.”

A growl fills the booth and I roll my eyes.

“She won’t actually kidnap her,” I grunt. “Chill, Cooper. But by getting her out on dates, group friend outings, or even just a trip to a bookstore, they’re giving Nina a chance to experience life.”

“Okay,” Cooper breathes. “So what happens when she falls in love with ‘Ellis’ who has a boyfriend?”

“I don’t want her to think Ethan lied about me,” I say. “We were fuck buddies at best for a long time, but things have changed. He’s giving her the breadcrumbs to see what she thinks. Right now, she thinks I deserve better.”

A rare smile cracks along Cooper’s lips before disappearing. Maybe these little anecdotes are good for him. I’ll have to remind Ethan to tell his dad about them. Anything to help how raw I can see he is.

“Well, she wouldn’t be wrong,” he says. “Ethan told me to corner you for information, because apparently you’re tight lipped with him too.”

“More so, we don’t see each other much,” I sigh. “One moreimportant piece of the puzzle. I erased everything about you outside of your names and your previous familial relationships with her. What you look like, sound and smell, all of it is gone. She’s starting from scratch here. It’s possible she’ll have moments when things feel odd, but that’s it.”

“You’re fucking scary,” Cooper grumbles.

“I didn’t want to do it,” I reply. “However, to make it work, I had to take it all. On the day she was released from the institute, I went into her room and told her there was one last thing I needed to do. I put her under hypnosis once more, and then erased myself to become non-descript in her mind. I have no name, I’m just a med student who worked there. That’s it.”

“Fuck,” he mutters.

Yeah, when I decide to go all in, I mean it.

“In some ways, it was selfish. I did a lot of fucked up shit,” I say. “I didn’t want her to remember it.”

“What are you going to do when we get her back? How are you going to handle that?” he asks.