Page 3 of Brave New Omega, Part 2

Chapter 3

LOREN

T wo Beta nurses in gray scrubs pull Katie from Callum's arms.

"Where are you taking her?" He growls. "She's been bitten by a feral Alpha, we need a serum blocker. Right now, don't stand there! She needs a serum blocker!"

His voice carries through the lobby, the one place in this wing of the Conservatory that Alphas are permitted. I can taste the sour edge of his panic.

"Calm down, Cal. They're going to take care of her," Max says, but he's running his hands through his hair. It curls at the edges, making him look years younger than thirty.

"She's going to be fine," I say, as much to reassure myself as my Alpha. Callum's midnight blue eyes burn with a fire I haven't seen in nearly a year.

"She left," he says, his voice cracking. "She ran away—trying to find a way home. Back to Earth." Callum paces, pulling at his hair until it stands on end. "She wants to leave us. Loren, we can't house an Omega that is that desperate to leave us. She almost got herself killed."

"What happened?" Max asks. "I thought she was at home with you?" He looks pointedly at me.

I rub my eyes under my glasses. "I thought she went to bed early. She seemed upset about something, so I wanted to give her space. You know Katie doesn't like to be crowded. So I called Celeste. Then you said to check in on her—"

"She was planning this," Callum cuts in. "Planning to leave. Right under our noses."

"Stop," I say at once. "Callum, this is not the same situation."

"Isn't it?" He explodes, covering his face with his hands, then swinging them out in an arc. "How is this any different? Scheming to get into our Pack, to make us swoon, then take everything out from under us. Gods, I was so stupid to think we could actually have an Omega."

"Callum, don't do this," I say. "Don't compare Katie to Genevieve. One is a brand new Omega who wanted to take care of her little sisters and go home, and the other is a manipulative bitch who was out to use us from the beginning. They are not the same." I keep my voice even, calm.

"She still ran away, Loren," Callum says miserably as he stares out the windows overlooking the street. I hear the words he doesn't say: she ran away from me .

My chest aches. For Callum. For Katie. For my Pack.

"Was she really trying to get back to Earth? I thought you said that Travelers never leave?" Max asks.

I nod. "Yes, that's true. But I think… I think Katie wasn't ready to accept that. It took Angus ten years, and Katie's only been here nine days. And most of that time she's been with us. That's an incredible amount of change for anyone, let alone someone who's just found out that at twenty-six she's an Omega." I sigh, and move to stand next to Callum. "Cal, I don't think this had to do with us."

"How can you be sure?" he asks through clenched teeth.

I hesitate. How can I be sure? Because I saw the soft gaze she gave me, the way she holds back but I can feel her desire to let go. Because every part of me already belongs to her, and if she truly rejects us now, I don't know how I'd survive it.

I roll my neck, then breathe in for a count of three, holding the air in my lungs, before releasing it in a trickle.

"She told me she wanted to make sure I was okay if anything ever happened to her. I thought she meant the Omega sickness. But she was worried about me." Max shakes his head, his hair swinging loosely around his chin. "I think our Omega has been trying not to care too much."

"A few sweet words aren't enough," Callum says. But I see his shoulders relax, just a little.

"Good news, Alphas!" Dr. Ambrose walks in with Aurelia Conswallows at her heels. Aurelia looks tired, rare for her.

Max and I nearly sprint to the women, but Callum follows more sedately.

"Your Omega is going to be fine. She had a mild abrasion, but we've given her the standard serum blocker, as well as a secondary serum blocker. She is all clear for any potential effects of an unwanted bond."

Dr. Ambrose pauses, and Aurelia shoots her an exasperated look.

"Other than that, she has mildly elevated blood pressure and a few bruises. But she's cleared for you to take her home."

"Donatella!" Aurelia snaps at the woman beside her. "Honestly, if you can't handle Omegas, you need to go back to the main hospital rotations," Aurelia huffs, then looks at us. "You know that she injured her knee before she arrived with you?"

Max and I nod. Callum crosses his arms in front of his chest.

"I believe that she's done something to aggravate it. She didn't say a word. She's proving to be as stubborn as some of the Alphas in her pack." Aurelia glances at Callum. "But she's clearly shaken up by the whole experience."

"She shouldn't have been out at night without her Alphas," Dr. Ambrose retorts. "Sometimes these Omegas need to learn hard lessons, Aurelia. If she's going to behave like a diva, she'll learn best with consequences. Her knee is fine. Ice it and let her rest for a day or two. Come back to the clinic if any additional symptoms occur. And don't try to bond with her for at least a week—the serum blockers will prevent anyone from bonding." Dr. Ambrose nods sharply, then strides off. Aurelia glares at her retreating back.

"You know I have to ask since I'm her caseworker; is everything okay? Is she having problems with the pack?"

"No." Max and I both answer at once. Callum doesn't say anything. Aurelia assesses each of us.

"If you want to take a break, we can arrange for her to be transferred back to the Conservatory. Until things settle down."

My heart climbs up my throat. I'm frustrated and even angry at my Omega. But she's still my Omega. I don't want Katie to leave. Gods, I don't want her to be separated from us, even for a night. Not like this.

I pull out my phone and ping her.

We can figure this out. I know it.