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“Of course, it is. Just look at how Colleen naturally defers to you and the two betas you brought to Cypress House… What are their names?”
“Cleo and Beth.”
She nodded. “They’d be lost without you.”
I froze as understanding dawned on me. “You want me to convince them to come here? The betas?”
She nodded. “Do you think you can?”
I stared out at the sparkling water, the hugeness of it all. Of course, I thought it was amazing— I’d always dreamed of freedom. It’s what made me … different. When Elizabeth says I’m special, she means that I’m weird. Not like the other betas.
That’s never been a good thing, as far as I can remember. Most betas revel in the safety of their lives, listening to their alphas, and going through the mindless motions required of them. I learned early on that asking questions was a bad idea.
Could I actually get them to leave it all behind?
“Probably not, but I can try,” I whispered, turning to face Elizabeth, echoing her earlier words.
Her face broke into a dazzling smile—far more reassured than me—and she grabbed hold of my hand. “Perfect. I think you’re going to like it here.”
And she was right.
I do like it here.
I have my own room in Rill and Elizabeth’s cabin—the biggest one located closest to the lake—and Elizabeth gave me three more dresses. They’re old ones of hers that I hemmed to fit me. Soft pink, grassy green, and sunshine yellow.
The most beautiful dresses I’ve ever seen.
But there are times when I don’t like it here. When it feels too big. Too foreign. When that happens, I come to the lake and think about Goldenrod and Gran … but mostly, my thoughts are consumed by Noah.
That’s what I’m doing now as I stare at the sunset’s purple-pink reflection on the shimmering water, my feet sinking into the wet sand, and the cold, gentle waves lapping the top of my feet.
He’s especially intrusive in my thoughts today. I don’t know why—maybe because of the heat.
I’ve felt a lot cooler since arriving here, but also … emptier. While I’m not crawling out of my skin, I’ve lost some of my fire—my ghost or whatever this thing is inside of me that forces me to be special. Not a normal beta.
But today is hot and strange. I have the same irritated feeling that plagued me for so long in Goldenrod.
I grimace and remember Noah that last day, standing outside town hall. He didn’t look like himself. Not the quiet, noble alpha I grew up with…
Maybe that version of him is gone now … or maybe he never existed at all.
“Hetty!” I jump, pulling my eyes from the colorful water, glancing behind me. Cleo’s stomping through the sand. Even in the dusky evening light, I can see she’s upset. Her face is fixed in a scowl, and she has a peppery, angry smell around her.
She, Beth, and Colleen have been here for about a week, and there’s been a bit of a learning curve, to say the least. I can only imagine what she’s upset about now.
“What’s wrong?” I ask worriedly, pulling my feet from the sand and approaching her.
“It’s Beth,” she hisses, wiping tears from her eyes. “She’s fighting with Colleen again. I don’t know what to do about her. She’s been so mean lately.”
“Go easy on her,” I soothe as we walk up the shore. “I know this has been hard on both of you, but Beth is much more stuck in her ways than you are.”
“Well, I don’t know that I’m not stuck in my ways,” she wails as she stops in her tracks, red-faced and arms flailing. “When are we going home anyway? I thought this was just temporary?”
My heart sinks. I may have stretched the truth a bit to get my friends here. But it was as hard as I thought it would be—if Colleen hadn’t immediately signed on, I’m not sure Cleo and Beth would have ever agreed.
I open my mouth to reply but stop when I catch movement in the bushes. My eyes meet a pair of familiar brown eyes emerging from the dark tree line.
Cass.
