AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Any last-minute questions about my parents?” I ask, regulating my voice, and she shakes her head, soft hair spilling over her shoulders.
“You’ve covered everything,” she says. “I know enough about their careers to sound interested, but not so much that I will sound like a know-it-all. Other than that, I answer their questions politely, don’t give specifics, and pray like hell that I make it through the discussion.”
I swallow back a laugh. “That works.” The doorbell rings, and we both jump. Her eyes meet mine, hers filled with barely concealed horror that I’m sure matches what she sees in mine.
“Show time,” mutters Miles, standing from the island and closing his laptop with a snap.
Riley follows me to the door, her steps even and quiet. When I open it, all three of my parents are there, smiling at me. Big wide grins, showing teeth, even though their eyes don’t show the same excitement. Instead there is a cautious surveyance. Analyzing. Calculating. Judging.
They crow out their hellos and hug me, but all the while, their gazes are darting behind me to where Riley stands, awaiting their judgment.
“Mom, Dad, Papa,” I say, stepping out of the doorframe so they can walk inside the house. As soon as they’re inside the foyer, Riley curtsies to them, her dress hem almost touching the floor. Her eyes stay on the ground as she says, “It’s lovely to meet you.”
“It’s lovely to meet you too,” says Mom with a genuine smile at her perfect little curtsey and soft tone. “You must be Riley.”
“I am. Can I take your coats for you?”
My parents all hand over their jackets, and Riley disappears for a moment, hanging them in the coat closet. Knowing her, she’s already taking a quick breather while she’s safely out of sight, but when she returns, her face is as calm as can be.
“Thane’s prepared a lovely meal for us,” she announces, sounding like the perfect hostess. Honestly, it’s a little unnerving and I can’t say I like it. “Would you like to join us in the dining room?”
“Of course,” says Papa, eyeing her from head to toe. I can’t tell what he’s thinking, his expression betraying nothing. Papa is generally a kind man, but he is boisterous and stuck in his ways, and isn’t afraid to speak his mind. My worry is that Riley will in turn speak her mind, and this will all go to hell.
We all sit down at the table, including Fox, who has joined us from wherever he was hiding. He hugs my mom, always having had a special relationship with her. They banter about his season, and Dad politely teases him for the games he lost. Papa is asking Levi about his current course load, and Miles is pouring himself a glass of water. I sit between Riley and Papa, feeling like a wall between two enemy countries.
To an observer, it seems like a simple lunch with the folks, but the air is rife with tension. I pass around the pear and goat cheese salad I prepared, and the interrogation begins.
“So, Riley, tell us about yourself. Where are you from originally?” asks Dad, fixing his dark-blue eyes on her.
Riley gives a polite smile. “Alexandria, originally. I moved here quite recently. I find that Rogers City is full of culture with many resources for Omegas.”
A decent enough answer. Levi blows out a relieved breath, and she continues. “What about you? Thane has told me about some of your research. He’s very proud of you.”
“Of course he is,” says Papa, clapping me on the back. “He knows all about the challenges of working with cervus patients. Perhaps someday he’ll rejoin us in the field.”
I give them a thin smile. It’s never going to happen. “You mentioned you were working on a new treatment last time we talked on the phone. How is that going?”
Mom’s eyes light up. “The lab has isolated one of the chromosomes that may possibly be an indicator of cervus. We’re still trying to determine whether it’s something apparent from birth, or if it mutates through the life of the patient, but either way, this treatment focuses on altering that specific chromosome. We are very hopeful for the results.” She beams, exuding pride for her work, and I can’t help but beam back.
“A new treatment?” Riley echoes, and her eyes are strangely wide, her eyebrows raised. I didn’t realize she was so interested in cervus research. Her interest seems acutely genuine. “How does somebody get into the trials? Would it be very expensive?”
I quirk a brow at her in question, and she smiles sheepishly, shrugging. “I mean, there are a lot of Omegas with cervus out there who could benefit from a medicine like that and a good number of them wouldn’t be able to afford a very high price tag, you know?”
“Well, we want to have a good array of different patients with different presenting symptoms. We also want patients at various stages in the life cycle of the disease. But really, anyone who is willing to join, we find a place for them. Since it’s a trial and may not yield results, there is no cost to the patients who sign-up.” Dad lets out a huff. “But lord knows we have a never-ending supply of test subjects, regardless.”
Riley’s nostrils flare, and I get a sinking feeling in my stomach.
She lifts her chin, and I brace myself in my seat, trying to give her a ‘don’t do it’ look but she isn’t paying any attention to me whatsoever. “But you also focus on the comfort of the patient during the trials, right? It’s not just about the data they can provide? They’re people, not justtest subjects.”
Fox starts coughing into his fist. Levi rubs at his temple, and alarm bells ring in my brain.
This is not good. Riley’s independent streak is coming to the surface, and I don’t know how to warn her to settle down without giving her away.
“That’s what the nurses and caregivers are for.” Dad smiles at her, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Our job is to save lives, not make people comfortable.”
Riley drops her gaze, once again the demure Omega, but a shudder goes through her. The protective instinct rises in me, and I place a hand on her shoulder. “Riley, my parents pick the very best caregivers in the world. No Omega is ever made to feel uncomfortable.” She raises her eyes, doubt swirling in their depths. A breath stutters from my lips as the sudden urge to kiss her, to erase that doubt, ricochets through me. I swallow, forcing the feeling back.
“Thane’s right, of course,” my mom interjects quickly, softening the mood. “I’ve made friends with many of the nurses. They’re good people. Kind people.”
