Two more times I expel my guts before I’m certain there’s nothing left in my stomach.
I take my samples from her cavity, swabbing gently to collect what I can. I know she can’t feel this; after all, she’s dead. But in death, I hope she can feel that she’s safe here. I hope she knows I won’t hurt her, and I will take the utmost care of what she’s given us.
When I am done, I brush her hair, freeing it of tangles, and I wrap her back in her blanket before draping a sheet over her. Though I can’t see her anymore, I can still see her behind my eyes, even when I close them.
I arrange my samples, sucking in a breath as I ready myself for the ringless alpha in my presence.
It takes everything I have inside of me to push away the desire to cut him to pieces. His findings are just as important, I tell myself. Perhaps they will shed some light on what the Orion pack is really up to.
Perhaps they will give me—us—answers that we need.
I do not process him gently. I can’t. I hope he feels in death the pain I inflict, and I hope he knows it’s because he’s a ringless piece of shit.
When I’ve thrown the sheet over his body, only then do I breathe.
I tear off my gloves and mask, sucking in the air, before glancing at the clock. Two a.m. I’m not getting any sleep tonight. The door opens, and I tense.
“You’re still here,amigo?” Diego’s voice pulls my attention, and I let out a heavy sigh. I turn to stare at the body before me, the man beneath the sheet.
“Yeah,” I say, my voice tired.
“You should be in bed,” he says carefully. I note he’s standing in the doorway, almost as if he’s afraid to move.
But why on earth would an alpha be afraid of a little beta like me? Especially Diego. He could eat me for breakfast, but something about his demeanor right now feels different. Not threatening or angry, almost…
Understanding?
“Can’t sleep. Work to do,” I say as I push off of the table to grab the omega’s blood samples from the processor.
“Olly—”
“Just leave me alone!” I yell. I’ve never yelled. At any of them. My voice echoes through the room, and I can see something pass in Diego’s eyes. Something like pity.
“Pobrecito. Cálmate. Estoy aquí.”
And then before I know it, he’s in front of me.
He grabs my wrists, and I growl, yanking them out of his grip.
“I said I’m fine!”
Beta is not fine. Beta feels like he’s going to explode.
The tears come again without warning, and I growl in frustration. Now is the time to cry! Not in front of—
Warmth surrounds me as my head hits something solid, and I don’t realize until I smell the faintest hint of spice that Diego is hugging me.
He’s hugging me.But why? I move to push him away, but he tightens his grip, and the sobs come harder. I don’t like this.
I’m hot, uncomfortable, my chest hurts, and—
“It’s okay,” he says, his voice bordering a thick purr. It rumbles against me, and I suck in a breath.
After a moment he pushes me away, capturing my gaze with his.
“Sleep, Olivander. You need sleep.”
He’s right. I hate that he’s right.
