She smiles brightly. “Ready to go?”
“All set.”
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Her hand pauses on the door handle. “If you’re not ready, that’s okay.”
“I want to,” I lie. I don’twantto, but Ineedto. I have to get back to normality at some point, right?
We set out into the sunny morning. It’s been a few days since I’ve been outside, so it takes a few seconds for my eyes to adjust to the brightness.
Kady waves at a few omegas as we stroll through the village. She chats away about theValley Voice, telling me how hereditor is moving soon, and that she’s considering applying for the position. I nod along and listen, but I struggle to pay close attention as worry creeps up on me the closer we get to the main street.
A stunning beta girl with black dreads in a cute crop top finishes attaching a poster to a wall as we pass.
“Kady!” the girl greets us, making the colorful stack of bracelets around her arms jingle. “I haven’t seen you around in forever. I hope you’re not hiding from me?”
“This is Nia,” Kady introduces me. “She’s president of the Feminist Society here at SVU. Nia, this is Faye, our new Stella.”
“It’s great to meet you,” Nia says brightly. She exudes an effortlessly cool vibe and radiates positive energy. When she smiles, she makes you feel like it’s only for you. “Are you both going to the O.U. rally later?”
She thrusts a leaflet into my hand. I knew about the march taking place this Saturday, but seeing the Omega Unite logo out in the wild sends a surge of pride through me.
“I’m not sure yet,” Kady replies. “Although I could cover it for theValley Voice.”
“I’ll be there,” I chip in.
This is exactly what I need. I’ve never been able to go with Gram to a rally, and this is the perfect opportunity.
“Awesome!” Nia claps her hands. “We’ll have banners, but if you want to make more, that’d be great.”
I smile—a real one this time. “I’ve had a lot of practice making banners.”
“Love that!” Nia’s grin widens. “If you want to join Fem Soc, we meet every Tuesday in the basement of Bouncing Bunna. There are plenty of other omega members, and we’re really prioritizing heat safety on campus this semester.”
“I’ll think about it,” I promise.
Nia bids us goodbye, scampering off to hang up more posters.
“She seems nice,” I comment as we continue our walk.
“Nia? She’s too nice, if you ask me,” Kady scoffs. “She wants to save the world, and that girl just doesn’t stop. I swear, she doesn’t sleep. She was exactly the same in school.”
“You went to school together?”
Kady has talked to me about her time at the boarding school her father made her attend. Let’s just say she didn’t speak favorably about the privileged peers she met.
“Nia was one of the few friends I had there because she cared about something other than marrying rich and designer handbags.” Kady rolls her eyes.
The greenhouse is just up ahead when I catch a familiar scent on the breeze, my legs suddenly feeling like lead weights.
It’s him.
“What is it? Are you okay?” Kady halts, her expression turning stony as she sees the source of my unease. “Nuh-uh, this isn’t happening right now.”
As soon as he glimpses me, Cole strides forward with purpose. A crowd of betas part to let him pass, practically drooling. I don’t blame them. He’s gorgeous, especially with the sun hitting him at the right angle to highlight his muscular arms.
“Just stay beside me, Faye.” Kady pops her hand on her hip.
“Faye!” Cole catches up to us. “Can we talk?”
