Chapter 76: #SEVENTY-SIX

NICHOLAS’S POV

I was walking through a narrow alley with my hood pulled over my head, my hands buried inside the pockets of my sweatpants as I tried to get home before it became too dark. I knew the route well because I had taken it several times before, but that day there was something uncomfortable about being there alone. The buildings on either side blocked most of the sunlight, and the shops along the street were already closing. I kept walking anyway, telling myself I would be out of the alley in a few minutes.

Then I heard footsteps behind me.

I looked over my shoulder and saw three boys coming in my direction.

Oh shit.

I recognized two of them from school, although I didn’t know them personally. They were the kind of people I usually avoided, and the moment they noticed me looking at them, they started laughing. I turned away and continued walking, hoping they would pass, but they caught up quickly.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" One of them called out but I ignored them.

One of them stepped in front of me. "Didn’t you hear him?"

I stopped. "I need to get home."

The boy laughed. "Home? You mean you’re just going to walk away after coming here and pretending you’re one of us?"

I didn’t understand what he meant until another boy grabbed my shoulder.

"Leave me alone." I shouted.

They laughed again. Then one of them said the word that made my stomach drop. "Omega."

My entire body went rigid.

They knew. Oh fuck, how could they know?

I tried to pull away, but they surrounded me before I could get anywhere. One of them grabbed my hoodie while another pushed me toward the side of the alley. I kept telling them to stop, but they weren’t interested in listening. They dragged me toward a closed store where a container of filthy water had been left outside.

I realized what they were planning too late when they forced me down. "Why would someone like you think you can play basketball with us?"

My voice shook. "Please, just leave me alone."

They laughed.

The next thing I knew, I was struggling to breathe while they continued taunting me. I tried to get away, but I couldn’t. My hands slipped against the ground as I fought to pull myself free, and all I could think about was getting away from them.

Then everything went dark and I woke up with a gasp.

My eyes flew open, and for several seconds I didn’t understand where I was. I tried to move, but something stopped me. I looked down and saw the restraints around my wrists.

The memory slowly returned.

I was still there.

Fuck.

I leaned my head back against the chair and breathed heavily, trying to calm myself. The alley hadn’t been real. It had been a memory, something my exhausted mind had brought back to the surface while I slept.

I’d forgotten about that day for a long time.

It had happened during my first year at college. I had tried to pretend it hadn’t affected me, but after that incident, I stopped going to classes. I couldn’t bring myself to return to the same environment where I had spent so much time worrying about people discovering what I was. Eventually, I dropped out.

I closed my eyes because I didn’t want to think about it anymore.

Thinking about the past wasn’t going to get me out of the warehouse.

I opened my eyes and began looking around again. No. I wasn’t going to sit and wait for Jayden to return.

I studied the room carefully, searching for anything that could possibly help me. I had already checked some of the obvious places, but now I forced myself to pay attention to things I’d previously overlooked.

Then I saw I — a knife. It was lying on a table several feet away and my heart immediately began beating faster as I stared at it.

It wasn’t close enough for me to reach while sitting in the chair, but it was there. That was enough to give me something I hadn’t had since I woke up in the warehouse.

A possibility.

I tested the restraints again, but it didn’t budge. I looked toward the door to find that it was still closed.

I didn’t know how much time I had before Jayden came back, so I made my decision. I shifted my weight carefully and pushed against the floor.

The chair moved slightly and I stopped and listened.

Nothing.

I pushed again, harder this time and the chair tipped.

I fell with it, landing awkwardly on the floor. Pain shot through my body, but I forced myself to stay quiet because I didn’t want Jayden hearing me.

For several seconds, I simply lay there trying to catch my breath.

Then I began crawling.

It was slow and uncomfortable, and every movement reminded me that I was still weak from everything that had happened. I had to stop several times, but each time I looked at the knife and reminded myself why I was moving.

I reached the table and my fingers stretched toward the edge, but I couldn’t quite reach it.

I pulled myself closer and tried again. This time, I managed to grab the table.

I dragged it toward me with what little strength I had left, then knocked it sideways. The knife fell from the tabletop and landed nearby.

Finally. I reached for it and my fingers closed around the handle.

I used the knife to work through the restraints carefully. It wasn’t easy, and I had to keep stopping whenever my hands became unsteady, but eventually the material gave way.

My wrists were finally free.

I immediately worked on the restraints around my legs.

When those came loose, I remained on the floor for a moment, breathing heavily.

I was free from the chair, but not free from the warehouse.

But that would do for now. My legs were aching and it felt like jelly. My limbs were screaming at me as I tried to stand up. Being tied up here for so long had taken its toll on me.

I pushed myself upright and looked around the room again. I needed a phone. I needed a way to contact someone before Jayden returned.

Quickly, I searched the main room first. Nothing. I checked the table, still nothing.

Then I remembered the small bedroom I had seen Jayden enter several times and I moved toward it.

The door was slightly open and I pushed it wider and searched the room. There was a phone on a small table and I grabbed it immediately.

My hands were shaking so badly that I nearly dropped it as I turned it on and searched for my mother’s number and called.

No answer. What was happening?

I tried again and watched it ring as I stared at the screen. "Please..."

I didn’t know whether the phone had no signal or whether something was wrong with the number, but I couldn’t waste time trying repeatedly. I needed someone else.

Elijah.

The thought came immediately, followed by a problem.

I couldn’t remember his number.

I had never needed to memorize it. He was always around, and whenever I needed to contact him, I simply found his name in my phone. Now I stood in a strange bedroom with someone else’s phone in my hand, and suddenly those numbers that had once been so familiar seemed completely out of reach.

I closed my eyes.

Think.

I checked what I remembered against the first few digits and realized I was right and immediately, I dialed.

The phone rang three times and my heart was pounding so hard I could barely hear anything else.

Then someone answered. "Hello?"

I couldn’t speak immediately, I just held the phone against my ear.

"Hello?" Elijah said again. His voice sounded cautious, as though he didn’t recognize the number. "Who’s this?"

I swallowed. "Elijah."

There was silence on the other end and I heard him breathe shakily. "Nicholas?"

My eyes filled with tears. "Yes."

He didn’t answer for several seconds. Then his voice changed completely. "Is that really you?"

I leaned against the wall, struggling to stay upright. "Yes. It’s me."

His voice came out sharp. "Tell me where you are right now."

My voice shook as I looked around. "Uh— I don’t know. I just— it’s pretty— I don’t know where he took me."

"Where who took you?"

I took a deep breath. "It’s Jayden."

Elijah cursed under his breath. "I knew it. That freaking bastard."

My voice came out as a shaky whisper. "Look, I don’t know where I am. The door to go out is locked. I have no idea when Jayden will come back in. What do I do?"

Elijah groaned. "Oh fuck, Nicholas. If you can’t see anything that can tell you the place where you are. Just stay on the line, okay?"

I nodded shakily. "Yeah—"

"Do. Not. Hang. Up."