Chapter 67: #SIXTY-SEVEN

NICHOLAS’S POV

When I opened my eyes, the first thing I noticed was the ceiling.

It was plain white, with a fluorescent light above me that made me squint when I tried to look directly at it.

For a few seconds, I didn’t understand where I was or why my body felt so heavy. My mouth was dry, my head hurt and there was a dull ache running through my arms and legs that made even turning my head feel like work.

Then I heard voices outside the small clinic room, and everything that had happened in the hallway came back to me slowly in bits. I had been walking to class, I had started feeling dizzy, I’d grabbed the wall, and then I’d fallen.

I remembered people shouting and rushing toward me, but after that there was nothing. I tried to sit up, but the movement made my head spin, so I stopped and remained where I was, listening.

"I want to thank all of you for bringing him here so quickly," the principal said from somewhere near the entrance. "You did the right thing by not trying to move him yourselves after he collapsed. The nurse was able to attend to him immediately because you brought him straight here."

One of the students said something that I couldn’t make out.

The principal responded, her voice softer this time. "Yes, he’s awake now, although he still appears weak. You can return to your classes. I’ll speak with your professors so you aren’t penalized for missing part of the lecture."

There was some movement outside, followed by several students thanking her before leaving. Their footsteps faded down the corridor, and the clinic became quiet again.

I kept my eyes closed because I wasn’t ready for anyone to know I was awake yet. I needed time to understand what had happened, and something about the way the principal was speaking made me want to hear the rest of the conversation before revealing myself.

A few moments later, I heard her walk farther into the room. "How is he?"

The nurse answered from beside me. "He’s stable now. His breathing is normal, and his temperature has come down, but I’m still concerned about what caused the collapse."

The principal sighed. "Did you find anything?"

"Yes."

There was a pause. "What?"

"The medication he took." The nurse said.

My fingers tightened slightly against the sheet.

The nurse continued, "The suppressants and inhibitors he took were contaminated. That’s what caused his condition."

The principal sounded confused. "Contaminated?"

"Yes. He had taken something that wasn’t safe for him. We were able to determine that after examining what he had with him."

My heart began pounding. The package. I immediately thought of the packets I’d found in the restroom.

Someone had left them there knowing I needed them because that someone had expected me to use them. And now I was lying in the school clinic because I’d trusted whatever had been inside that package.

I kept my eyes shut.

"Are you certain?" the principal asked.

"Yes. There’s no question about it." The nurse sounded completely convinced.

The principal sounded as confused as I felt. "Then where did he get them?"

"I don’t know. He didn’t tell anyone before he lost consciousness and he’s not fully awake yet."

"Has he said anything since waking? The other nurse said he woke up a while ago." The principal asked.

"No. He only woke up for a minute before passing out again." The nurse said.

The principal sighed. "This is becoming more complicated than I expected."

The nurse was quiet for a moment before speaking again. "There’s something else."

"What?"

The nurse lowered her voice, but the room was quiet enough that I still heard her. "His examination revealed that he’s an Omega."

I stopped breathing for a second.

Oh shit.

The principal didn’t respond and there was complete silence. Then I heard her sharply turn toward the bed. "He’s what?"

The nurse repeated it, more cautiously this time. "An Omega."

The principal’s voice immediately became strained. "That can’t be right."

"It is." The nurse confirmed.

"He’s a Blackthorne." The principal gasped.

"I understand that." The nurse started to say.

The principal sounded horrified. "No, you don’t. The Blackthornes would never—"

She stopped herself and I remained completely still.

My heart was beating so hard that I was terrified they would hear it.

The nurse continued calmly. "Whatever you believe about his family doesn’t change the medical result."

The principal continued. "There must be some mistake."

"I checked twice. I’m afraid not."

"Then check again."

"I already did." The nurse assured her.

The principal said nothing for several seconds. I could almost picture her standing beside the bed, staring at me as though I had suddenly become someone she didn’t recognize.

Eventually, she spoke again. "How is that possible?"

The nurse sighed. "I can’t answer that. That’s a family matter."

The principal paused for a second. "The Blackthornes have four Alpha sons. They took him into their home and publicly presented him as part of their family. If he were an Omega, they would have known."

The nurse sighed. "I don’t know what they knew."

I felt sick.

I mean I’d spent years keeping that secret. I had always known what could happen if the wrong person found out. But hearing the principal talk about it so casually made my heart flip.

The principal moved closer. "He’s still unconscious?"

"Yes."

"Good." That single word made my stomach tighten and I kept my breathing slow and steady. "If this information gets out, the school is going to have a serious problem," she said. "We have rules for this."

"I know. That’s why I’m telling you."

"Then you know he can’t remain here." The principal’s voice had turned low.

I heard the nurse shift. "He’s a student who has just been poisoned. Surely you aren’t suggesting we put him out immediately."

The principal grunted. "I’m saying that he shouldn’t have been enrolled here under false information."

"He may not have known what was on his records." The nurse tried to defend me, but the principal was having none of that.

"He is an Omega." She hissed

"And?"

The principal lowered her voice. "The university doesn’t permit Omegas to enroll."

I swallowed carefully. She continued, sounding increasingly certain of herself. "If he had disclosed his identity when he applied, he would never have been admitted. Instead, he came here under the Blackthorne name, concealed what he was and took a place that wasn’t meant for him."

I wanted to sit up. I wanted to tell her she was wrong. I wanted to tell her that I hadn’t chosen any of this. Instead, I remained still.

"And there’s the matter of his suspension," she continued. "He was already involved in a disciplinary issue, and now we’ve discovered that he concealed his identity. I can’t simply ignore that."

The nurse sighed under her breath. "What are you going to do?"

"I’ll contact the authorities."

My eyes opened slightly before I forced them shut again, and the nurse sounded alarmed. "For what?"

The principal wasted no time. "For concealing his identity and providing false information to the university."

"He was brought here unconscious, perhaps you should wait until he’s well enough to explain himself."

The tone of the principal’s words sent a shudder through me. "I’ve already given him enough chances."

My breathing became harder to control. Authorities.

If she called anyone, there would be questions. They would contact my family. My mother would find out that I screwed up. My stepfather would find out. The Blackthornes as a whole would find out.

Everything I’d spent years protecting would collapse in a matter of hours.

Then the principal said something that frightened me even more. "And Mr. Blackthorne needs to know."

That was enough and I opened my eyes.

The principal was standing only a few feet away, facing the nurse. She turned at the movement and froze when she saw me sitting up.

For one second, neither of us moved. Then she pointed at me. "You were awake?"

I pulled the blanket away and stood.

"Nicholas, sit down." The nurse sighed.

I didn’t listen. My legs were weak, but fear gave me enough strength to move. I grabbed my bag from beside the bed and stumbled toward the door.

"Stop him!"

But I pushed through the doorway,as someone shouted behind me.

I needed to get the hell out of here. So I ran.

I didn’t know where I was going. I only knew that I couldn’t stay there. The principal was already calling for someone to stop me, and I could hear footsteps coming after me as I rushed through the hallway. Students turned to stare, some stepping aside when they saw me running, while others simply stood there in confusion.

"Nicholas!"

I didn’t turn around. I pushed through the main entrance and ran toward the road.

My body protested with every step. My head was still spinning, and I could barely keep my balance, but stopping wasn’t an option anymore. I crossed the first part of the road without thinking, hearing someone behind me shouting that I needed to stop.

I looked back and that was my mistake as a car came toward me.

I barely had time to react.

The impact knocked me off balance and sent me crashing onto the road. Pain shot through me, and for several seconds I couldn’t understand what had happened. People shouted from different directions, but their voices sounded distant.

I tried to push myself up as the car stopped nearby and the door opened.

Someone stepped out.

I looked up, but before I could recognize the person, a hand struck me and everything went black again.

The last thing I felt was someone grabbing hold of me and pulling me toward the car.