Red Ribbons (Forgotten Series #1)

Chapter Seven

I stared at the small plate of food in front of me. I had stopped hallucinating an hour ago and Amber had helped me have a bath. She had been so nice and gentle as if she were afraid I would break. Her eyes were sympathetic and I wanted to ask her why. The kindness in her eyes she had before had been replaced by sympathy and I wanted to know if I had said something during my hallucinations because I couldn't remember anything. It was a blur in my mind, nothing concrete and everything hazy.

After the bath she had helped me into some clean clothes. Some flannel pants that were too big and had to be tied at the waist and a button up shirt that had the sleeves rolled all the way up to my elbows. They were warm and felt nice against my skin. I couldn't remember the last time I wore pants. It was a strange feeling but the warmth they provided made me push it all away. I had relished in the feelings but then the hunger set in. My stomach was gnawing at my spine uncomfortably. I hadn't felt hungry in a long while and it was a strange experience to have it once again clawing at my insides.

I looked at the food in front of me with a stark expression. For lunch I always had bread and a glass of milk, just like all the Omegas. Breakfast was porridge, lunch was bread and milk, and supper was a tiny bit of meat and four small potatoes. I didn't even know what they had placed in front of me. I knew it was a type of noodle but I never spent any time in the kitchen besides eating my meals. I never paid attention. It wasn't my place too.

"Are you going to eat?" Davin sat down beside me and I glanced at him, swallowing against the lump in my throat. I glanced at him from the corner of my eye and swallowed again. I didn't want to ask because I knew it would upset him but I needed to know.

"What is it?" I looked at the plate and at the red sauce covered noodles. It smelled wonderful and my stomach ached to have something in it but I was worried. I didn't want to be punished for eating pack food.

An Omega cannot eat pack food.

"What do you mean? It's spaghetti and meat sauce, Maricella." He chuckled slightly and I felt ashamed at not knowing what it was or what he had told me.

"Oh." I looked at my hands in my lap and tried to blink back tears. I hadn't meant to appear that way but the memories I had in my head were painful and I wasn't supposed to know them.

He seemed to suddenly realize what I had meant with the question. "Have you... have you never had spaghetti before?" His voice sounded slightly horrified and I shook my head slowly.

"For lunch I am only allowed one slice of bread and one cup of milk." I ached for the familiarity but I knew they wouldn't give it to me. I felt my breathing increase slightly as I stared at the unfamiliar food. Amber had called them anxiety and panic attacks when I started to feel like this. The knowledge didn't stop the fact that I wasn't supposed to eat what they had given me.

An Omega cannot eat pack food.

"Why?" He sounded stricken at my words and I didn't like it. I knew I felt more at ease with everyone when I was so exhausted I could barely hold my eyes open. I didn't have to worry about punishment, despite how that voice screamed at me like it was doing now. I wanted to push the plate away. I didn't want to look at it. It made my head hurt.

"Because Omegas are not allowed to eat pack food." Uncle Jace's voice rumbled slightly and I glanced up at him, my shoulders hunching forward. He knew the rules, he would take it away like he was supposed to. "It's part of the Omega's Mantra. The brainwashing they did on her." I wasn't brainwashed. I was an Omega, there was a difference. I watched as Uncle Jace picked up the plate. I sighed in relief and I looked at the table expectantly. I needed the bread and the milk.

"Collin and Jay have something they would like to show you, Maricella. Davin, could you bring her to the living room?" Uncle Jace looked at me with a slight sadness and I tried to hide my wince as my stomach growled loudly.