Page 19 of Whole in His Arms

“Feel free to scout out the omega you want to start with and then you can go through those doors over there and have a private moment with them.”

He nodded. “Thanks, man!” The words tasted like bile.

“Best behaviors or there will be consequences.” His words had every pup and omega cowering even though he hadn’t raised his voice.

“I have some shit to take care of. Don’t run off with one,” he said and winked at Nix. Nix wanted to kick the shit out of him. He put on a smile, but he wasn’t feeling it, and it faded as soon as Tre disappeared from the room.

Nix turned back to the room of omegas and pups and started looking over each one of them again, and that’s when he noticed the omega he’d seen the previous night. He stood there watching him. A smile crept on his face, and he couldn’t control the urge to run up to the omega and ask him a million questions. Then the omega turned around and looked right back at Nix. At that moment, there was no denying the connection that flowed between them. Both of them knew it instantly. This young omega was his brother. Nix could feel it.

He walked to him, and the man moved too, so they met him in the middle.

Nix greeted him with a cautious “Hello” before continuing, “I was given permission to inspect the omegas here, and I would like to start with you. Will you come with me?”

He frowned. “Why?” he asked.

“Because I have a project for which I need an omega, and I want to see who is best suited for the job.” Nix barely kept it together as he spoke.

He shook his head. “I think there’s more to it,” he said.

There absolutely was, but Nix needed to get him in a private room before he could divulge anything else. “Well, how about you follow me and find out. We can go over everything. Please, come with me.”

Nix waited, hoping his brother would do as he asked because he couldn’t exactly spill the beans right now. The cameras in the room told him they weren’t alone. And even though it looked like the omegas could roam around, the collars and cameras and whatever consequences Tre had mentioned kept them firmly in check. When his brother moved, Nix silently breathed a sigh of relief. They went to the room that Tre had pointed out to him, and he closed the door behind them. Even though the omega seemed distrustful, he moved to the furthest corner of the room, his back against the wall.

Nix’s heart clenched; he knew what that behavior meant. You did that when you didn’t want anyone sneaking up on you from behind. Before speaking, he scanned the room walking around casually, even as he scanned for listening devices and cameras. When he was satisfied there were none, Nix sat down in the seat that was nearest to him.

He felt the omega’s eyes on him and, Nix realized he wasn’t quite sure how he wanted to proceed. He decided to start at the beginning. “What’s your name?”

He studied Phoenix for a moment before replying, “Calliou.” His voice was low. “But people call me Cal.” He seemed surprised to have added that, but then he broke eye contact and looked around the room nervously until his eyes finally landed back on Nix. “What’s your name?” he whispered.

“James,” he quickly lied. Cal arched a brow like he was well aware that Nix had just lied to him. But then his brow eased up, and he didn’t call him out on it.

“So, you have some questions for me? What kind of questions?” he asked. He then looked down at Nix’s hands. “Aren’t you going to take notes?”

Nix was shaken out of his staring and nodded, “Right! Questions.”

But then he couldn’t help taking in the man before him with his intelligent eyes that studied Nix carefully. He could tell this was something he did often. Probably had to figure out who he was dealing with to survive. He looked to be eighteen or nineteen years old, and it was clear to Nix that this omega brother of his was a lot like him. “I have a pretty good memory,” he said. “Could you give me a brief rundown of your life? Where you came from? How you got to be here? Things like that.”

“What’s it to you?” Cal’s tone was snide. “Don’t pretend like you care. We know what this is.”

Nix couldn’t blame him for this. He couldn’t imagine what his brother had been through, and even with the pull he must feel, distrust probably kept him alive.

“You can trust me, Cal,” Nix held his gaze. And tried to make himself as unthreatening as possible. “Listen to your tiger, to what he’s saying.”

Cal studied him a long time but didn’t speak.

“I swear to you, I mean you no harm.” He put both hands up, never breaking eye contact.

Finally, Cal nodded, but he didn’t move from where he stood. “Well, my papa was kidnapped.” He shrugged like it was no big deal. “And he had me here. He told me everything had been planned meticulously; that’s how Tre operates. He takes omegas. Mostly to use us as wombs for human babies.” His words were so dispassionate, but his clenched fist told Nix how he was really feeling. “Then they sell off our babies through adoption.” Cal pursed his lips and frowned. “Who did you say you were again?” Nix opened his mouth; he was about to shed some light on his true purpose but was stopped by a sudden knock on the door. The door opened, and a female omega walked into the room. She was holding a baby that didn’t look more than a few months old.

“Sorry to interrupt,” she said. “I saw you come in here. Jacobi just woke up from his nap, and he was crying for you.”

“Thank you, Marcella,” Cal put his arms out and took the baby from her arms. She glanced his way but didn’t linger on him and quickly left the room, closing the door behind her.

Nix looked down at the newborn. “Your son?”

Cal looked up and shook his head. “No. My brother. My child won’t be born for another couple of months.” At his words, Nix’s eyes went to Cal’s stomach. How had he missed that? Then it clicked that he’d said brother, which meant he was Nix’s brother too.

Did that mean his Papa was here? He wanted to ask all those questions. Especially who Cal was carrying for, but nothing came out of his mouth. All he could do was stare. He wondered why Tre would let the baby be brought in here. And it occurred to Nix maybe it was to show him that they delivered on what they were selling.