Knot So Perfect Omega (Omega Match #1)(70)

“Her phone broke, remember?” I ran a hand down my face.

This day couldn’t possibly get any worse.





CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT


Rylan


T here was a lot I could handle emotionally, but I was reaching my limit. Why did the universe decide that it wanted to shit all over us?

I truly felt like an absolute idiot and a lame excuse for an alpha for not protecting Kayla.

There had been so many red flags, yet we’d ignored every single one of them from the second Kayla walked through our door.

Brian pressuring us to finally find an omega and insisting it be Kara.

Kayla telling us she’d opted-out of matching.

Brian putting her down and claiming he got Kayla and Kara mixed up.

Kayla’s heat coming fast and hardcore.

If it had been any other pack telling me the woeful tale, I would have told them that there was no way they could have known someone in their inner circle would deceive them. Brian made good money, but apparently not enough if he was betting on us.

“You’re thinking too hard,” Kane said, opening the passenger door for me.

I hadn’t even realized they’d gotten out of the car, my thoughts spinning and trying to distract me from the lead ball sitting solidly in my stomach. “Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize.” He pulled me into a hug as I got out.

“Gnomes! Do you have any comment about Beckett being carted away by police and then passing out in the backseat of their cruiser?” A reporter with a cameraman came right up to us by the car, shoving the camera and microphone in our faces.

“There have been reports that Beckett tried to run off with the omega who was seen with N’Pact, is that true?” Another reporter with just a phone came from out of nowhere.

How did these people find us so quickly, and where the hell did they get their news from? Did people seriously believe everything just because it was written on the internet?

“We’re coming to you live from Ocean View Medical Center, where Beckett Thomas has been rushed after LAPD took him into custody following the Killer Gnomes’ championship win. Nazario, does this mean the Killer Gnomes days are over? Will you be kicking Beckett from the pack?”

Rio growled at the reporter, and she jumped, backing up a step. “Get out of our way,” he barked.

I would have given him a high-five if it wasn’t such a precarious situation. I fucking hated paparazzi and news reporters that didn’t respect that this was our lives they were intruding on. And for what? To have the breaking news story?

We walked in a solid line of alpha to the emergency room entrance. There were several security guards out front keeping reporters back. If one of them really wanted to get in the hospital, though, it wasn’t like security could stop them if they lied and said they were sick.

One of the guards lifted his chin at us as we passed by. The emergency room was busy, and the clerks and nurses behind the reception desk look frazzled.

We got in the line to wait our turn but one of the nurses behind the desk recognized us immediately and gestured for us to follow her. She led us to the elevator and scanned her card. “They just took him up to a private room on the fourth floor. As soon as you step off the elevator, make a right and the nurses’ station will be right there. I’m not sure what room.”

“Thank you,” we said in unison as we got on the elevator and pressed the button.

I leaned heavily against the wall, my adrenaline crashing and my body feeling like it weighed two times as much. “No messages from the lawyers yet?”

Rio glanced at his phone. “No. They said they’d deliver the video recording to the appropriate people, but it might be a few hours.”

The elevator dinged to announce our arrival on the fourth floor, and we followed Kane off and to the right. The smell of food wafted from somewhere, and my stomach growled. It was just after five in the evening, but after playing as hard as we did, I was starving.

A male nurse swiveled around in his chair and saw us approaching the nursing station, his jaw dropping open at the sight of us. He seemed to have forgotten how to speak as we stopped in front of him.

“We’re here to see Beckett Thomas. The nurse in the ER said he was just brought up.” Rio knocked on the counter with his knuckles, which immediately snapped the man out of his trance.

“Oh, shit. I mean… crap. Oh, man. Damn it.” He took a deep breath and stood. “I’m sorry. You’re just… wow. You’re all so much more attractive in person.”

I couldn’t help but smile at how flustered he was. “Thanks. Did they bring Beckett up here?”

“Yes! He’s in room four-twenty-one. Right down that way on the left.” He pointed. “Great game, by the way. Hopefully, everything will be okay with Beck.”

“Thank you.” Kane nodded at him, and we walked quickly toward Beck’s room.

Now that we were closer to him, I could feel how stressed he was through the pack bond. He wasn’t even bothering to put up a wall to stop us from feeling it.

The door was cracked open, and I knocked before pushing it open to find him lying in bed, hooked up to an IV and heart rate monitor. He had what looked like a folded washcloth over his eyes and the room was dark besides a dim light next to his bed.

“Hey,” I whispered. I knew he was awake since I could feel his emotions. As soon as he heard my voice, relief replaced his anxiety. “We’re here now.”