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At the sound of her sister’s voice, Audrey startles.
Mindynevermakes unexpected visits. She always calls first.
When Audrey opens the front door, she meets her sister’s pained expression.
“Have you turned on the news?” Mindy demands, without so much as her usual overenthusiastic greeting.
Audrey shakes her head, confused.
“Shit,” Mindy hisses, walking through the door before Audrey can even invite her in. “Turn it on. Now.”
Audrey powers on the television and reads the news headline twice before she can process it.
“Oh, my God.”
CHAPTER 1
AUDREY
Compartmentalize.Don’t panic.
“Why didn’t you tell me you quit?” Mindy demands, pacing around Audrey’s kitchen. The television in the front room has stayed on, and the scrolling headlines at the bottom of the screen make Audrey’s stomach churn.
Lincoln City evacuated!
Omegas to remain indoors with a trusted family member.
Report any Alpha sightings!
A video clip of a masked Alpha plays over and over, the one considered to be the orchestrator of the chaos.
Abel.
She skims her brain for any recognition, any time where that name would have rung a bell, but there’s nothing.
Of course, she never really bothered to learn the Alphas’ names while studying their files at the lab.
Tabitha said it didn’t matter.
“Audrey! Hey!” Mindy grabs her shoulders gently, turning her around so they’re face to face. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Distrust bubbles in Audrey’s stomach, but now is not the time forthatfight. She bites back any retort that would make the stressful situation worse and replies as honestly as she can.
“I didn’t like what they were doing, Mindy. It went too far, and I couldn’t be a part of it anymore.”
Compartmentalize. Shove those emotions into a box for now. Revisit them later.
But her older sister, abrasive and intrusive as ever, doesn’t let up. “You should have called me. You shouldn’t make decisions like that so quickly! What about graduate school?”
Audrey sees her mother’s soft features in Mindy, and perhaps it’s why she never bothers to argue with her. Mindy means well and she loves Audrey fiercely, but if Mindy doesn’t agree with something Audrey’s done, she’ll never let it go.
Before Audrey can try to defend herself, realization dawns on Mindy’s face.
“It was because of the kid, wasn’t it?” she asks quietly, and Audrey looks away, unable to meet her gaze anymore. “It’s what that Alpha was saying in his speech. Is it true? Was a child showing signs of presenting?”
Audrey sighs and nods, then turns away from her sister and flops down on the couch. “Yes,” she whispers.
Mindy curses under her breath and joins Audrey on the other end of the couch. “Oh my God,” she mutters. “I’m so sorry, Audrey.”
