Taken and Teased

Chapter 3 - Veena

My head throbs as though I took a beating from an Enforcer's fist, followed by a few swift kicks of his boot. I don't want to move for fear of waking worse pain, but memories begin to resurface from the inky void swirling in my mind.

Red lights. Terrifying alphas. Omega screams.

Aashna, so frail and vulnerable with a brutal grip on her bound hands.

I force my eyelids open, the movement taking more effort than it should. My eyelashes frame my vision, gunk clumping them together.

A ceiling of metal greets me, bright lights streaming down from the top of the walls and temporarily blinding me to the rest of my surroundings.

In my confusion I expect to see a face half covered with a white surgical mask, the last few years conditioning me to expect the worst when I wake feeling so groggy. I struggle to make sense of the male's face as it pops into view, his concerned eyes and genuine smile so unexpected I don't know how to react.

He leans over me, blocking out the headache-inducing fluorescents, and startles me by resting his fingers around my wrist. I try to jerk away only to meet resistance.

I can't move. Panic wells up, making me fight the straps binding me. I count four in total—one over my biceps and chest, another securing my waist and forearms, yet another around my thighs, and the last one near my ankles—all keeping me strapped to a hard surface.

"It's okay, omega. You're bound only because we're in transport. It's for your safety. No one is going to hurt you."

"Wha—?"

My voice croaks and heart pounds, cutting off my ability to finish my question.

"I'm only taking your pulse. The monitor keeps losing it, so I've been manually checking every few minutes. I need you to answer a few questions for me, okay?"

I blink a long, slow blink, my mind taking its time to process his words. When I try to nod my head, something stiff digs into the underside of my chin. He must see fresh panic growing on my face because he quickly speaks.

"You hit your head when you passed out. We want to make sure you don't have any added trauma during transport, so we put a brace on your neck. It's just a precaution."

It's been so long since anyone besides my sisters have shown me any warmth. I don't quite know how to handle the situation. He seems truly concerned, but I stare at him warily.

"First question: what's your name?"

When all I do is stare up at him, he leans back and holds up a card attached to his shirt pocket. I take in his black attire, both relieved he isn't wearing scrubs and uncertain because I've never seen an outfit like the one he's wearing. The card shows his name, age, and a bunch of credentials and characters at the bottom that I don't understand.

"My name is Brynt. I'm a medical officer, fully trained to be a first responder, paramedic, and nurse. I'm here to help you. Will you answer a few questions, so I can figure out the best way to do that?"

He's beta. My nose finally registers his dynamic, sorting through the harsh smell of disinfectant and sterilized equipment.

I want to answer him. I want to tell him everything, but shock and fear keep my mouth closed.

"That's okay. How about this? I'll explain everything I'm going to do, before I do it. You nod to let me know you understand. Okay?"

I force my mouth open and respond.