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It made Audrey sick.
Things used to make sense to Audrey, back when it was a given that Alphas and Omegas presented after they reached adulthood.
Omegas stay in Lincoln City, close to the Alpha military base, where their scent is used to keep the Alphas in line. Other cities across the United States do the same.
Does she like it, necessarily? No.
Did she question it before now?
No. She had heard little complaining from the Omegas, either. They receive a generous stipend from the government so they’re more than comfortable, all in exchange for their scent.
But now that a child has presented…
The system could collapse.
It’s been two weeks since she quit, and she struggles through job applications. She frowns as she submits each one, her pessimism crushing her in waves.
She needs a purpose. Soon.
Maybe, if she hadn’t dedicated her entire social life to the lab, she would have more friends.
“Meow.”
A black void of a cat jumps up on her desk, purring as loud as an engine.
Audrey has Pearl, at least. She’s not entirely alone.
She had thought Tabitha was her friend, or at least a mentor that she could go to for problems in her personal life.
It turns out that was a façade.
Pearl digs a claw into Audrey’s hand, immediately grounding Audrey in the present with the burn of her razor-sharp claws.
“I know, I know,” she murmurs to the feline, who obnoxiously thumps her tail on the desk. “I’ll figure it out.”
* * *
The interviews are pointless.She stutters through her reasons for leaving the laboratory, and none of them sound convincing.
By the end of the third week, she becomes restless and finds herself pacing around the house. She can only talk to Pearl for so long before the cat eventually tires of the one-sided conversation.
Her sister’s wordsrepeat in her head.
“You should make more friends, Audrey.”
“Your whole life shouldn’t revolve around work.”
“You don’t always have to be the smartest person in the room.”
She doesn’t want to have the conversation with her older sister aboutwhyshe left the best job she’s ever had just yet.
Her doorbell rings on Friday afternoon and she frowns.
She’s not expecting company and she didn’t order a package.
But there’s an annoyed huff behind her front door, followed by another round of panicked knocking.
“Audrey! It’s me!”
