Chapter Three

Apparently, there was a difference between sleeping and being knocked out. After all the scans of my head, I was pushed back into my room. All I had done was basically lie still, and yet I was exhausted.

I didn’t remember falling asleep, but I noticed the whispered shouting that woke me up. It was weirdly comforting to hear the voices of the familiar alphas and being able to recognize them. At least until their words finally managed to penetrate the heavy fog of sleep in my mind.

“Tell them to leave me the hell alone,” I mumbled before adjusting on my other side so I could fall back asleep.

With the stitches along the back of my head, and the gap of missing hair, I couldn’t lay on my back. Usually I slept on my stomach, needing the perfect mattress to caress my boobs, not smash them, so I hadn’t even tried that position with this hospital one.

A hand ran along the side of my face, gently tracing my features. The spiced pumpkin scent told me it was Han. “Unfortunately, I think you’re going to have to talk with them. It isn’t a great look if we deny them access. They’ll just send a mandatory appearance in the mail.”

I groaned, ensuring the sound was loud and emphasizing how put-out I felt.

I was more tired than when I had first woken up. My head wasn’t thumping anymore, but I would’ve sworn the stitches were too tight with the amount of pressure I felt on the back of my head.

The room was dark, with just a sliver of light coming from the attached bathroom between the cracks and the floor. Even with the black-out curtains over the windows, I knew the sun had already set. In late winter, that made knowing the time slightly more difficult since the sun went down before dinner.

Everyone seemed to stop talking, obviously realizing I was awake. Just barely peeking open my eyes, I could see Han in front of me, giving me an amused smile. It made him look impossibly more handsome as dimples appeared on both of his cheeks.

“If you talk to them, I’ll sneak out of here and bring you a shake.” He whispered the words softly and he suddenly had all of my attention.

“A shake?”

“I guess you don’t remember. But we have a secret place that we like going to. The others don’t know where it is, so they try to bring you random ones. It’s usually just a little game we all play, although now that I’m trying to describe it—”

“Will you get one too?”

The sad look that was creeping onto Han’s face disappears at my question. “Sure. I’ll let the others know that you’re willing to meet with the OC rep.”

Han stood and left, taking Zeke with him. The two alphas seemed unusually close, not just because they were leaving together, but in how physically close they walked side by side. It wasn’t impossible for alphas to be together, although omegas were known to be territorial. That was not my feeling about the idea, however, if my blooming scent of arousal was any indication.

Jackson basically prowling toward me didn’t help the growing scent of lavender either. He stopped at the foot of the bed, leaning over the end with his fists on the mattress looking like the predator he was. “I’ll tell them to leave. You don’t have to speak with them.”

Behind him, Seb moved closer. “It’s better to just let them in. I don’t want them making a visit to the house and ruining the safe space Hannah’s created there.”

“She doesn’t have to see them at all. It should be her choice.”

Seb sighed. “It should. Unfortunately, that’s not the way it works. They’re following protocol. It’ll raise flags if we deny them.”

“What sort of protocol?” I asked.

“You came in with a severe head injury. The hospital called the center to talk to you about abuse.”

Jackson growled, pushing off the bed to start pacing. “Absolutely ridiculous.”

“What do you say, princess? Seb asked. “We won’t be able to stay in here with you, but we’ll be just outside the room.”

I agreed, mostly because I knew saying ‘no’ wasn’t truly an option. The OC always got its way. Their decisions controlled the peace officers, the law makers, the social rules. It wasn’t just a place to home unbonded omegas, it was a neatly packaged form of control. Their ‘scientists’ made claims that turned into laws and with such a beautiful working relationship with enforcement, it wasn’t a surprise that our society was heavily regulated by their influence.

Seb basically had to haul Jackson out of the room. No doubt, the other alpha was letting him, but there was something special about the way Jackson wanted to protect me. I wasn’t oblivious to both males doing what they thought was right. I just loved seeing someone stand up for me, even against someone else who they also loved.

My moment of quiet almost had me falling back asleep.

It seemed rare that I was actually left alone. Technically, I knew that I’d have to have a nest at the house I was living in with the alphas. Since I couldn’t remember that, though, I thought about my nest at the compound. It was private, but it hadn’t given me comfort. From the rest of the omegas living nearby, sure. From my life? No.

I winced when my fingers found the stitches on the back of my head. It wasn’t even a conscious thought to touch it, something just kept drawing my hand to the square bald spot.

When I left the hospital, I was planning on getting my hair fixed. I didn’t remember dying it purple and as much as I imagined it looked cute, it didn’t feel right anymore. Maybe a burnt orange. Or a red. And shorter. Definitely shorter.

As I was lost in thought, someone entered my space. I hadn’t heard the door—it was their scent that drew my attention. Sweet, just not naturally. Some betas used a chemical perfume to create a distinct scent to cover their softer, natural one. Either for the purposes of blending in with omegas, or for trying to attract an alpha.

Some of the beta employees at the compound wore fake perfumes because they thought omegas worked best with other omegas. That we’d be more likely to trust them, seek them out, that sort of thing.

“Hello, Hannah.” The beta was leaning against the door, a notebook pressed tightly against her chest. She was dressed in a long, tight pencil skirt and a blouse tucked in. Flats rather than heels which added to the beta-wanting-to-be-an-omega vibe since omegas were stereotypically short.

“Hi.”

“My name is Eve. I’m with the Omega Center. I was hoping to speak with you for a few minutes, would that be okay?”

“Sure.”

She gave me a soft smile, and I couldn’t help wondering if it was the same one she’d give a child. No matter what betas said, I’d never met one that liked me. Some pretended to be kind, gushing over me or my scent or something else that they thought would make me their best friend. This type of beta was easy enough to spot because they were strangers that constantly touched me, hoping to get enough of my scent on them that they’d attract the attentions of alphas.

Then there were the kinds of betas who didn’t even pretend to tolerate me. All they saw were the courting dates, the private rooms, and the fact that we didn’t work—if you didn’t consider mandatory lessons on pleasing your mates, work.

Those betas didn’t get it though, the concept of a golden cage. They wanted an easy life, and they could have it. It would be hard, but the only thing stopping an alpha pack from mating a beta were social norms.

Omegas weren’t allowed to work. They weren’t allowed to go shopping without an escort or attend higher education beyond whatever they learned once they presented. We had no choices. Not even about whether we wanted to live at the OC.

Eve moved all the way around the room since the chairs were all pushed to that side. She tried to make small talk as she opened her notebook, finding a free page without even needing to look since all the used pages had been bent inward.

“I know you’ve been through such a traumatic ordeal,” she started. “The doctor on rotation filled me in and I spoke with the emergency personnel who transported you here. Everyone seems to be in agreement that your injuries aren’t conducive to a simple fall. I was hoping you could shed a light on what happened, from your own perspective.”

“I don’t remember.”

She immediately started writing in her journal. In a weird way, it was amazing to watch her two hands work together, one writing, the other guiding as she continued to stare at me, not even needing to glance down at the paper.

“The doctor said something about memory loss. Apparently, I’ve lost a few years.”

“That must be quite disorienting. How do you feel with your alphas? They’ve all been to visit, yes?”

I nodded. “I don’t remember them, but my instincts do.”

“That’s wonderful to hear. The bond between alphas and their omega is very special. Your instincts are definitely important in your relationship. That being said, you’re currently in a unique situation.”

Without even looking, she folded the top corner of the page she was writing on and started on the next. “With your memory loss, forgetting your mates, I want to make sure you feel comfortable going home with them.”

“I do.”

She nodded as if she expected that answer. “Can I be honest with you, Hannah? It’s a very unusual case for a bonded omega to come to the hospital with such a severe injury.”

No way was that true.

“I can see your disbelief. Illness is one thing. Small home injuries are another. But let me tell you what I see when I look at your file. A bonded omega with several alphas in her pack. She’s out at the mall, either without proper supervision and gets injured, or she was with her pack and one of those members was responsible.”

Words jumble against my tongue. Denials that I don’t know how to word properly because I couldn’t admit what really happened. I didn’t know.

My perfume turned bitter the longer I said nothing.

“I’m not trying to frighten you, Hannah. The truth is, we don’t know what happened. Your mates are being unusually close-lipped about the incident which doesn’t shine them in a good light.”

“If they’d done something, my instincts wouldn’t trust them.”

“Maybe. Without your memories to verify, it’s better to be safe, yes?”

“What does that mean?”

“One suggestion for you is to come back to the OC. We have guest rooms for bonded omegas who need to stay for a number of reasons. There, your pack will essentially court you again, giving you the chance to get to know them in a potentially more comforting and safer environment.”

I snorted, the sound coming out before I thought better of it. “And the other option?”

“You’re technically already mated. So, you’re welcome to return home with the alphas, but I’d like to check in a few times, drop by and ensure you’re safe and happy still. It’s up to you, of course.”

“I’ll stay with my mates.” The idea of having this female visit wasn’t exactly an ideal situation, but if those were my only two options, it was the better one.

“If you’re sure…”

I nodded and she finally glanced down at her book, making whatever final notes about my decision.

“Well, I’m glad you’re okay, Hannah. I’ll be going now, but I’ll check in with you soon.”

The moment she opened the door, Jackson and Sebastian were already there. Since my attention was still on her, I noticed the way she watched my mates warily, as if she expected them to attack me right then.

“I spoke with your doctor,” Seb started, pulling my attention to him. “They think you’ll be able to get out of here in a few days since your scans all came back as good.”

I groaned. “A few days?”

Jackson was adjusting the sarape blanket around me, tucking the edges over my legs so that it was tight, although not to the point that the fabric over my thighs was taut. “No point arguing.”

Again, I groaned, although that time it was mostly because he was right. I couldn’t leave until the doctor discharged me, no matter how much I didn’t want to be there anymore. The bed wasn’t comfortable, the room still smelled more like chemicals than my mates, and I hated staring at these walls constantly. Not even the TV was enough to distract me.

Fortunately, Zeke and Han showed back up. My attention zeroed in on the clear plastic cups in Han’s hands. One was a dark purple while the other was a dark brown. He came to sit right next to me, holding out both options. “One is a berry blast, the other is a chocolate pumpkin.”

“Which one is yours?”

He smiled, almost like my question amused him. “Whichever one you don’t want.”

“Really?”

“Mhm.”

I might not have remembered Han, but even I knew he was acting weird. Glancing over at the others to see if they noticed, I realized they were all sort of smiling. Zeke was actually looking down at the floor, his lips pressed tightly together like he was stopping himself from laughing. There was obviously some sort of inside joke that I was missing.

“Berry, please.” Han handed over the purple drink. I could see the seeds from the mixed berries as I used the straw to stir it.

Still sitting on the edge of the bed, I watched Han take a sip of his drink. That one looked good too. Trying my own drink, I had to fight back the urge to spit it out, swallowing as quickly as I could. Even as I licked my lips, I almost shuddered at the echo of the taste.

Did I usually like this one? Was not only my memory broken but a fundamental part of who I was?

“Here.” Han handed his drink over to me, taking mine without asking. “Try this one.”

Obviously, I’d done a shit job of hiding my dislike. He didn’t seem annoyed or concerned, though.

Trying his drink, it was so much better. The chocolate and pumpkin went together so smoothly, it was perfect. Mostly chocolate and sweet, the notes of pumpkin were minimal, just enough to diversify the cocoa from being too much.

“This is so good.” I was chugging the drink. “Are you sure you’re good with that one?”

“Yeah, I like berry. It’s fine.”

“Can’t believe you’re still keeping that place a secret,” Sebastian mumbled. He was smiling though, even winking at me when I glanced in his direction.

I considered offering him a sip of mine. After all, Han hadn’t gotten any for the rest of the pack. The words just seemed to remain on my tongue which was too busy enjoying my drink.

By the time I finished, my stomach felt bloated, and I was satisfyingly full. Turning onto my side, I watched the males talk, teasing each other, their voices becoming part of the background as I drifted off to sleep.