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“Anything?” Avery asks as I step back into the room.
“No,” I reply. The apartment even smells normal, except for the scent dampener spray on the counter. “I’m sure everything is fine.” Glancing out the window, I notice the sky darkening with the approaching storm.
“Humor me, sugar,” Avery nearly pleads.
“Alright,” I say, barely suppressing an eye roll, and head to the kitchen, the last room to check. I spin around in the compact space, scrutinizing every detail. I lined the cat dishes up along the wall. “Cat dishes are still here.”
“Max only took the cats,” Ashton calls from across the room. “He didn’t even grab their food or treats.”
“I’d better check on those,” I say, turning to open the pantry. The cat food is right where I left it, but the treats... They are open and spilled on the shelf. “Damn it, Tuna.”
“Wait!” Avery nearly vaults over the island. “What is it?” he asks, pulling me back from the apparently perilous cat treats.
This time, I do roll my eyes. “Tuna always sneaks into the pantry for treats. Usually, she can’t open the bag and just leavesit chewed up on the floor.” I reach for the treats, but Ashton stops me this time.
“Let me check. It’s probably nothing,” he says, glancing at his brother over my head. Ashton reaches for the treat bag, gripping it in his hand.
A knock at the door startles us.
Ashton drops the bag.
Time slows as the treats scatter across the floor from the fallen bag. Ashton heads to the door, but I can’t tear my gaze away from the cat treats.
“They aren’t coated,” I murmur.
“What?” Avery quickly pulls me aside and crouches to inspect the treats. His nostrils flare, and he steps back, dragging me along. “Poison.”
“Oh hell no,” Violet bursts into the apartment, pushing past everyone, followed closely by a tall albino man with red eyes. He scans the scene, pauses at the treats, and, after a sniff, pushes Violet back, confronting Avery. “Poison.”
“Yeah,” Avery agrees, running a hand along the back of his neck, his eyes ablaze with blue fury. “Someone broke into her apartment.”
“Excuse me?” Violet stomps on the man’s foot and rushes to me. “Where are the babies?”
“Max has them,” I whisper, fixated on the treats. It’s hard to look away, even as voices surround me. My eyes glance to the window, then back to the treats. My mouth opens and closes as I grapple with the reality of the situation.
In the back of my mind, I know what this means, but shock envelops me like I’m swimming upstream against a strong current. I understand the futility, yet I keep swimming.
“Someone tried to kill my cats.” Tears burn in the back of my eyes as I look up. “Who would want to kill a cat?”
My pulse roars in my ears as I struggle to steady my breathing. Ashton steps close, wrapping me in his arms. I rest my head on his chest, comforted by the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
“Come on, munchkin, let’s get you out of here, okay?” he whispers, kissing my temple before turning me around. With his palm on my back, he guides me into the hall.
The world around me becomes a blur of murmurs and buzzing lights. Time loses its grip on me. Only when I’m sitting in their car, with the heat blasting, do I regain my senses. Ashton is outside on the phone, and Avery is still in the apartment. I realize I left without grabbing anything—not my bag, not my phone, nothing.
I feel foolish yet detached, as if the past week’s events happened to someone else. It’s like watching my life unfold on a movie screen, detached from reality.
Can this really be my life? Such things don’t happen to me. They are more characteristic of Thea’s life, not mine. Seeking chaos was never my intention. All I ever desired was a peaceful life, waking up to cuddle with my cats, and enjoying a job I loved. Chaos was an unwelcome guest. Perhaps that’s the reason behind my contentment in living life on my own terms, free from anyone dictating my daily routine.
The first time I indulged in a lazy morning in that little apartment still lingers in my memory. Waking up close to noon, I stretched until my jaw cracked, a novelty I’d never experienced before.
Ordering breakfast in bed, an unheard of luxury for me, didn’t lose its charm, even though it was just food from the bakery below. Someone had brought it to the outside door, and coinciding with my need to use the bathroom, I picked up my food and coffee. Afterward, I nestled back into bed, immersing myself in movies for the rest of the day.
Simplicity. That’s all I’ve ever craved in life. Maybe my hesitation in joining a pack stems from its complexity. Packs have dynamics that an omega needs to be mentally prepared to embrace.
For some, this acceptance might come easily, especially in packs that form early and iron out their kinks before taking on an omega to reduce her stress, but that’s not always the case.
I just wanted peace, and this is anything but peaceful.
