10. REID

Chapter ten

REID

The door to my motel room creaks as I shove it open, the sound scraping through the early morning stillness. I step inside, letting the chipped wood swing shut behind me, and lean heavily against the frame. My ribs scream with every breath as I press a hand to my side, wincing as I mutter, “Great job, Reid. Really killing it at this whole ‘staying alive’ thing.”

The room looks exactly how I left it—curtains drawn tight, the sweat-soaked mattress, and my bag still spilled open on the floor, its contents scattered. Usually, I keep my shit together. Months of cleaning up after the Wilhelms will do that—especially when the alternative is Hailey finding something wrong with how I keep my personal space.

I toe off my shoes, letting them fall wherever, and collapse onto the bed, my stack of pancakes on a porcelain plate I most definitely shouldn’t have taken with me now sitting at my side. “What the fuck was that?” I ask the empty room, dragging a hand through my hair. “Falling asleep in public? Taking Margie’s goddamn plate? Real smooth. Top-tier survival instincts.” Apparently, I’m feeling really snarky this morning.

The diner flashes through my mind—the warmth of the booth, the faint hum of machines, the pancakes sitting untouched. And him. The Omega with the big brown eyes and a smile that could probably light up the whole damn diner if the power went out.

Yeah, that’s the part that’s been screwing with my head for the last ten minutes since I left. The way he looked at me—like he saw something worth holding onto. Like I wasn’t just some messed-up Beta with bruises under my shirt and exhaustion carved into my face. It was unnerving. Almost as unnerving as the fact that I walked out without paying for those damn pancakes and stole her plate.

“Shit,” I groan, rubbing both hands over my face. “Margie’s going to kill me.”

Not literally, of course. Margie’s one of the few people in my life who doesn’t treat me like dirt and I owe her better than running out like that. I’ll go back later, apologize, and settle up. Not that it’ll make much difference. The damage is already done.

And for what? So I could run away from him ? Like I could escape the way his scent wrapped around me—bright and warm, like sunshine and fresh grass after a summer storm. Like trouble .

You already have an Omega, Reid.

Yeah, one that gets my ass beat for not making her tea right.

I need to get rid of this damn attitude before Jackson and Lyle decide they want me back but it’s going to be fucking hard now that the emotions are out of the box.

A heavy sigh tears from my throat as I focus on the memory of that beautiful wide-eyed Omega. He smelled like hope and I don’t have room for that in my life. Not with the Wilhelms looming over me like a storm cloud ready to strike. Not with Jackson’s voice still ringing in my ears, telling me I’ll never be more than what they’ve made me.

The pancakes I brought back are cold now, but I shove them into my mouth anyway, bite after sticky bite. They taste like regret and by the time I’m done, my stomach feels heavy and sour. I set the plate on the nightstand, licking syrup off my fingers because it’s not like I’m going to waste it. Not when I don’t know when I’ll get to eat properly again.

I’m still sitting there, half in a daze, when my phone buzzes on the mattress beside me. I glance at the screen, my stomach twisting in knots. Alpha One. Of course, it’s Jackson. Who else would be calling this early in the morning?

I think about letting it ring. Maybe if I don’t answer, he’ll think I’m dead. But I already know how that’ll play out—more calls, angrier this time, until he’s sending someone to track me down and drag me back by the scruff of my neck. So, I sigh and swipe to answer.

“What do you want?” I ask, not bothering to hide my irritation.

“Reid,” Jackson’s voice snaps through the line. “We need you back at the house.”

“Good morning to you, too,” I mutter, already regretting picking up.

“Hailey’s heat is starting,” he says, like that’s all the explanation I need. And I guess it is. “We’ll need you to handle the usual—replenishing supplies, cleaning up, making sure everything is set up the way she likes it.”

I laugh, short and bitter because just yesterday, they didn’t want me anywhere near her heat. I guess having to pick up after Hailey sent her Alphas in a tailspin so they reached out to have someone else do it. Go figure. “Ah yes, the usual. Because goddess forbid Hailey lift a finger during her sacred time.” The pain in my side throbs, reminding me of what I have waiting for me when I return. It feels good to speak my mind, though, so I’ll just brace for impact when I get back.

“Watch your tone,” Jackson growls, his voice dropping an octave. “You’re already on thin ice, Beta.”

“Wouldn’t want to fall through,” I shoot back, the words laced with just enough sarcasm to make me feel better. “Why don’t you hire someone else? Surely there are plenty of people eager to kiss Hailey’s perfectly manicured feet.”

“You know why,” he snaps, exasperation clear in his voice. “No one else knows her preferences. You do. That’s your job.”

I roll my eyes, something that would have gotten me slapped or punched if the Alphas could see it. “Right, because teaching someone how she likes her tea is such an insurmountable task.”

“Reid,” Jackson barks, his Alpha presence pushing through the earpiece. “Fifteen minutes and lose the attitude or Lyle will make sure his boot catches your other side.”

The line goes dead and I toss the phone onto the bed like it’s personally offended me. “Asshole,” I mutter. Then, louder, “Why don’t you make her tea, Jackson? You’re the one who enjoys the sound of her voice.”

The Wilhelms own me. And they’ve made sure I know it.

“Just a few more days,” I whisper to myself. “Just a few more days, and then...” And then what? Another motel, another pile of unpaid bills, another round of Hailey barking orders in my ear? Instead of packing myself up, I curl on the mattress and tell myself that I just need a few more minutes of freedom.