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“What’s happening to me?” I asked again.
Gabriel sighed and looked down at me.
“Didn’t your mother tell you anything?”
I shook my head.
“She said I’d never have to worry about…about women’s issues, since I’m a blank…a dud.”
“Well, you’re not a blank anymore, little mouse,” he said grimly. “Mierda! You had to go and have your First Blood now, while the Pack Master is out of the Compound!”
He often referred to his father that way—as though their relationship was more formal than familial. From the way I had seen both him and Christopher interact with my stepfather, I thought that was probably true. They never called him “Dad” to his face—it was always, “Sir” or “Pack Master.” And they weren’t immune from my stepfather’s quick temper or harsh punishments either. He would beat either of them at the drop of a hat—and he’d drop the hat himself.
“Please, Gabriel…” I struggled to sit up and close my legs, embarrassed by the smears of blood on my inner thighs. “What’s happening to me? You know, don’t you?”
“You’re becoming sexually mature,” he said bluntly. “You’ll have your first Heat Cycle soon—you’ll probably be an Omega, like your mother.”
I wasn’t completely sure what an “Omega” was. There was so much to learn—and I didn’t really want to know any of it. All I knew was that six months ago, I’d been living a reasonably normal life with my father and mother and now my father was dead and I was stuck here, at the Compound.
“Please, Gabriel,” I said. “I don’t understand—what’s a ‘Heat Cycle?’” I had heard several references to this mysterious phenomenon but no one had ever actually explained what it was or what it meant.
But Gabriel didn’t seem inclined to explain either.
“Never mind, little mouse,” he said grimly. “You just better hope yours doesn’t kick in right after your First Blood ends. It’s better if you’re mated by the time you have your first Cycle.”
At that point, Christopher came back with the things Gabriel had sent him for.
“Has anyone noticed her scent yet?” Gabriel asked, plugging in the heating pad.
“There’s a few Alphas sniffing around,” Christopher admitted. “But no one’s connected the smell with Zoe yet—I don’t think, anyway.”
“Lock the door and stuff a towel under the crack,” Gabriel ordered. “Let’s hope they don’t put two and two together.”
As I watched Christopher do as he was told, I felt the icy hand of fear caressing the back of my neck.
“Why do you have to make sure they can’t smell me? I don’t understand!”
“Because First Blood is often followed by the first Heat Cycle—especially when it comes late, like it is with you,” Christopher told me. “And since you were supposed to be a blank, the Pack Master hasn’t designated your status or picked a mate for you.”
“Which means it’ll be open season on your little pussy if I can’t keep the fucking Alphas in line,” Gabriel growled.
“What?” I gasped, feeling sick. “What are you talking about? What would they want to do to me?”
“What do you think?” my older stepbrother snapped.
“C’mon, Gabe—no need to scare her.” Christopher sat down at the top of my bed and pulled my head into his lap. “Take it easy, Little Sis—we won’t let them hurt you,” he murmured soothingly.
“Christopher’s right—they’ll have to get through both of us.” Gabriel’s face was like a thundercloud. “Here—take these and put the heating pad where it hurts,” he added, shoving some ibuprofen and a glass of water at me.
I swallowed the pills and then allowed Christopher to place the heating pad over my lower abdomen, where the cramps were the worst. To my surprise, the gentle warmth slowly seemed to ease the pain—or else the pills were working really quickly. But that didn’t stop the bleeding from between my legs—in fact, it seemed to get worse.
“Hijo de puta—she’s making a fucking mess!” Gabriel growled.
Looking down, I saw that he was right. The blood had seeped out onto the thin white bedspread that covered my narrow twin mattress, making a crimson stain.
The sight made me start crying again. I really didn’t have any idea what was happening to me. Mom had home-schooled me from kindergarten on up and there had always been parental locks on all our TVs and devices. I wasn’t even allowed a phone of my own and my Mom strictly policed what books I checked out at the library—so I honestly didn’t know anything. Was I dying? Was I wounded inside somehow?
“There’s too much blood,” Gabriel snapped at Christopher. “Get her into the bathroom and clean her up!”
Just as he finished speaking, a heavy fist started hammering on my bedroom door. Then a deep male voice crooned,
“Hey little girl—are you bleeding in there? I can smell your Heat!”
“Get the fuck away, Manuel!” Gabriel growled. “Zoe’s off limits!”
“Why the fuck should you get her all to yourself—just because you’re the Pack Master’s son?” the voice demanded. “He didn’t designate a mate for her—she’s free game for any Alpha who wants to breed her!”
