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No one is coming after you.
The snow is coming down when I head to the lobby, finding close to a hundred omegas--mostly female, but a few men--in the dining room. They're all wearing nice clothes, some sitting in armchairs by the fire, while others are sitting at tables and laughing. I find the owner quickly, based purely on the fact that she's surrounded by other people.
Inari Toure--the genius omega who controls the city of Oasis.
It feels like a fairytale given everything I've ever known about the world, but here she is, surrounded by other omegas living in luxury.
She sees me walk in and waves me over, and I raise my hand in greeting as she stands. Inari is tall and statuesque, rail thin with dark brown skin and black curls. She gestures at a seat close to her and I shyly walk over, accepting the invitation.
"You must be Emma Worthington," Inari says. "Isla mentioned we had a newcomer from Solstice Bay."
I frown. "Do we know each other...?"
"I met your father a few years ago," Inari says with a wry smile, then leans in and lowers her voice. "He was a bastard. Good riddance."
I look at her, confused. "My father's not dead. He's on the run."
"Oh...what a shame," she says. "And how do you feel about that?"
"Is there a right answer to this question?"
Inari laughs. "I know it's hard to get used to, but you're allowed to have ideas of your own here. So...no, there's no right answer and no wrong answer."
My brow furrows as I shrug. "Well, I guess I wish he would be caught. There's a lot of instability in my life with him missing."
Inari nods, her eyes scanning the room for a moment before returning to me. "I understand. But don't worry, Emma. You're safe here. We take care of our own, especially newcomers like you."
I feel a sense of relief wash over me at her words, and I take a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Thank you, Inari. I really appreciate that."
She smiles, her lips curving up in a way that's both warm and wise. "Of course. Now, let's get you something to eat, and then we can introduce you to some of the other guests."
As we place an order with the waitress, I can't help but feel a sense of wonder at everything I'm experiencing. It's like a dream come true, being surrounded by other omegas who are living their lives on their own terms, not just existing to serve alphas. I'm introduced to a few others and we fall into comfortable conversation.
And then I see him again.
The alpha from earlier, the one who blew past me on the way to the heat spa.
But if he's here...he wasn't going to the heat spa, was he?
He's watching me from near the dining room entrance, light-colored eyes flickering, dark hair messy and damp with snow. I frown and cock my head, then glance over at Inari.
"Do you know that man?" I start to ask.
But when I look back, he's gone.
"Who?" Inari says, frowning.
"A man...an alpha," I murmur. "I ran into him on the stairs and just saw him again."
Inari frowns even more deeply. "That doesn't seem right--it wasn't the groundskeeper, was it? Callum is the only one who's supposed to be wandering around the resort."
My skin crawls as I consider what this means. I thought I was safe here...but twice now, I've seen a strange alpha watching me.
Inari must notice the worry on my face because she places a hand on my arm, giving it a comforting squeeze. "Don't worry, Emma. We'll figure it out. I'll have the security team look into it."
I nod, grateful for her reassurance. But I can't shake off the feeling of unease that lingers inside me.
Throughout dinner, my eyes keep wandering to the entrance, searching for any sign of the mysterious alpha. But there's no trace of him, and by the time dessert arrives, I start to wonder if I'd imagined him...and I start to feel safe once again.
