He shrugs. “Like I said. I'm not much of a cook. I mostly order takeout.”
“I’m not much a cook either,” says Macy in a droll voice. “But I’m not feeding my Alpha Mate that processed crap.” She rustles around in the fridge for a moment before pulling out a carton of eggs and a loaf of bread, then turns to me holding the items up. “This good?”
“Yes,” I say, my voice soft. “Thank you.”
She waves me off and starts preparing the food as Luke leads me to the table and sits, pulling me into his lap. His hold grounds me, and I’m glad for the contact, my mind spinning as it tries to piece together memories I don’t have to find a reason why the idea of Luke being an Alpha is so distressing.
But the longer I go without being able to figure it out, the faster my mind spins.
A plate clatters against the table as Macy sets it down in front of me, startling me out of my rapidly spiraling anxiety.
Her mouth tilts upward. “It’s not much, but it should help with that rumbling.”
“Thank you,” I say again, the statement punctuated with another grumble from my stomach.
She grins. “Eat up, um…” Her brows pull together. “What’s your name, anyway?”
“Uh…” I start, unsure how to explain. My gaze slides to Luke.
“He doesn’t know,” says Luke. “That’s the big complication. He doesn’t remember anything from before the lab. Not his name. Not his pack. Nothing.”
“Thelab?” Doc’s eyes widen and he stares at me with interest. “That’s where you were being held? What kind?”
I shrug, poking at the scrambled eggs on my plate with a fork. “A human one?”
Luke sputters, and Doc’s brows rise practically into his hairline. “A human lab? Are you sure?”
“Pretty sure,” I reply. “I never smelled any other shifters there anyway.”
“You didn’t say.” Luke lets his words trail off. “Did they know what you are?”
“Yeah,” I say. “They were well aware.”
Luke winces. “If there’s a chance of exposure, then we’re almost definitely going to have to call the triumvirate.”
“Is there anyone we can trust there?” asks Macy, frowning.
“Maybe the two praetorians who helped Keir out in Chicago? They seemed okay.”
“If you think you can trust them, it’s probably best to get in contact with them directly,” says Doc. “I don’t know if revealingthe existence of another male omega to the triumvirate as a whole is entirely wise, especially one with no pack ties.”
A growl vibrates in Luke’s chest. “Hehaspack ties. He’s my fated mate.”
“I’m aware of that,” says Doc. “But you haven’t claimed him yet and, as you know, things can get rather dicey when it comes to male omegas being viewed more as commodities than people. Almost every Alpha who figured out what Keir was wanted him for some reason or another, whether to sell him based on the outdated superstition that omegas bring prosperity or to use him to get an alpha heir. Imagine if that Alpha in Chicago or, fates forbid, my brother, had the power of the triumvirate behind them. Do you think Keir would still be with Julien?”
Luke’s grip on me tightens, as if I might suddenly disappear. “You’re right,” he says finally. “I’ll try to track down a way to reach Smith or Yang without alerting the entire triumvirate.”
I have nothing to add since I don’t remember what the triumvirate is—if I ever knew—so I finish the eggs and start in on the toast as Doc and Luke continue discussing possibilities. Once the plate is empty, I lean back into Luke’s chest and let myself relax a little.
But not for long, as Doc turns his attention to me.
“Did the humans ever see you shift?” he asks.
“No,” I say, shaking my head.
He studies my face. “Did you ever try to shift?” I shake my head again and his eyes narrow. “Why not?”
I open my mouth, but no response forms on my tongue. Whydidn’tI try to shift? It seems like that would have made escape much easier. “I… don’t know.”
