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PROLOGUE
AUDREY
“You’re quitting.”
Don’t freak out. Stay strong and calm.
“Yes,” Audrey replies coolly, watching as Tabitha reviews her letter of resignation. Audrey stands awkwardly in front of her boss, her heart pounding rapidly as Tabitha regards the paper on her desk. With a sigh, she looks up at Audrey, her eyes narrowed.
“You shouldn’t do this, Audrey. Everything will die down soon. Is that what you’re worried about? That any of this will fall back on you?”
“Of course not,” Audrey replies. “I just don’t feel comfortable here anymore. For personal reasons.”
She hopes Tabitha doesn’t notice her nervous swallow.
Audrey doesn’twantto quit. She has dedicated the last three years of her life to working in the lab as a research assistant, taking notes and comparing data of Alphas and Omegas. It fascinates her.
In six months, applications for graduate schools open, and Audrey’s resignation all but ruins her plans for the future.
“Personal reasons,” Tabitha repeats, shaking her head and scoffing. Even seated, the older Beta woman’s presence is commanding, and it’s difficult to not apologize for wasting her boss’s time. Audrey digs her nails into her palms, forcing herself to remain as professional as possible.
She’s doing the right thing. Sheis.
“You realize that by ceasing your employment with us, you lose any recommendation the company might have offered,” Tabitha continues, drumming her manicured fingers on her desk and gazing up at Audrey, unamused. “I would advise you to rethink this before yourmoralsimpede your future.”
Audrey unclenches her hands. “They took a child, Tabitha. I don’t want to be a part of this anymore. Even if the kid was showing signs of presenting as an Alpha, how they handled it was not right.”
“No, Audrey,” Tabitha says softly. “Wetook a child. You are a part of this, too. How eager were you to jump at the chance to work on this special project? A childpresenting? It was unheard of, and you all butbeggedme to let you be a part of the research.”
Tabitha has a habit of twisting words and making her target second-guess themselves. She’s brilliant, one of the top Beta scientists in the United States, and it’s always both stressful and exhilarating to work under her.
“You’re making a mistake,” Tabitha continues, standing up and circling Audrey. Tabitha is almost a foot taller than her, and the added inches force Audrey to crane her neck upward. “You want to throw away all you’ve done for a child that’s in perfectly safe hands? It’s research. It’sscience, and we need to do this. For humanity.”
It sounds too much like a villain's speech out of a superhero movie. Even if Tabitha’s right…
“I’m sorry, Tabitha,” Audrey whispers, even though she promised herself shewouldn’tapologize. “I don’t belong here anymore.”
The grey-haired woman holds her gaze for an uncomfortable amount of time, but Audrey refuses to look away. She stares into the older woman’s eyes; deep blue, surrounded by lines of age and hard work.
Tabitha is brilliant. At one time, she was Audrey’s hero.
But the guilt that festers in Audrey’s soul after hearing the pleas of a mother begging for her child has torn through her dream of following in her mentor’s footsteps.
“Fine,” Tabitha sighs, shaking her head. “I can’t stop you from leaving or becoming a victim to your own idiotic decisions. You’re an adult.”
Audrey sucks in a breath. The barb stings, especially coming from Tabitha, but she holds on to her resolve.
I’m doing the right thing. I can’t be a part of this anymore.
Tabitha walks back to her desk and pulls open a drawer. “You need to sign this before you leave, though. Sit.”
“I’d prefer to stand.”
Tabitha raises a thin eyebrow and meets Audrey’s gaze. “Fine,” she barks. “This is a non-disclosure agreement.” She slaps a piece of paper and pen down on the desk and pushes them towards Audrey. “If you share any information from your time here, you will be subject to a lawsuit.”
Audrey glances down at the paper and skims it quickly.
She never wants to talk about this place again. She wants to put the past behind her and start somewhere new and not dwell on the last few years.
