“Your pills were placebos?” Maryann asks, piecing things together.
“I swear I’ve got mine here somewhere.” Min-ji keeps digging in her purse.
Lucy pulls out a little bottle. “Here’s mine.” Shedumps one into her hand, and we all lean in to look at it, then breathe a collective sigh of relief. “It’s good.”
By now, Min-ji and Maryann have found their bottles as well.
“Mine are fine,” Min-ji says.
“Same.” Maryann caps her bottle and slips it back into her purse.
I’m so relieved they’re all fine that it takes me a minute to realize what that means. This was personal. Someone didn’t just want to sabotage omegas. They wanted to sabotageme. Or it’s someone who only had access to me.
“I’ve got contact info for the other omegas. I’ll check with them when I get back to my room,” Lucy says.
“If someone messed with your pills, you need to report it.” Maryann adjusts the strap of her purse higher on her shoulder.
“And what if the Olympic Committee is the one who did it?” I fiddle with the neckline of my dress, pulling at it to try to get some airflow. This hall is so much hotter than the main room. “They haven’t exactly set us up for success.”
Min-ji gasps. “They may have been reluctant to let us compete, but they wouldn’t go this far.”
“Maybe not the whole committee, but if it was one of the members who was really against omegas competing? But then they would have tried to swap more than just mine, I guess. Now, I’m thinking…” I shake my head. “I really don’t know what I’m thinking.” I lean back against the wall, flushed and needing a little support. This bonding sickness is no joke.
“Are you okay?” Lucy sets a delicate hand on my shoulder. “Did you catch it early enough?”
I look up at the taller woman, then at each of the other omegas huddled around me. Some part of me wants to tell them what happened. No one would understand as well as they would. Instead, I straighten away from the wall and force a smile.
“Congratulations on winning gold, Min-ji,” I say, changing the subject. “I saw your competition and it was incredible.” I look at Lucy and Maryann. “All of you did so well.”
Even though Lucy and Maryann didn’t make the podium, they both excelled, ending with high scores and rabid fans.
They look at each other.
“You did too,” Lucy says. She touches me again, but it feels all wrong, her hand too soft, too delicate, not what I want. I shake her off with tears threatening my eyes. Why am I feeling so emotional tonight?
“Yeah, until you fell,” Maryann adds tactlessly.
I can’t help laughing. The other girls join in, most of the tension breaking.
“Well, let us know if you need anything.” Min-ji says. “Really.”
“We should all scatter.” Maryann tilts her head toward a man taking a picture a few feet away. “We’re starting to draw attention. Don’t need them comparing us to gossiping housewives or some sort of high school, mean-girl’s clique.”
I almost laugh at the absurdity of it. I was never part of the popular cliques. Tanner made sure of that. Somehow the memory doesn’t sting as much now. A half-smile even tilts my lips as I think about him beating up those guys inhigh school who talked about me disrespectfully. I still can’t believe he did that.
As the rest of the girls disperse, I scan the room. If my pills were the only ones targeted, it must have been someone who doesn’t want me here specifically. Someone with access to my things.
Security dug through my bags when we came into the village. Could someone have switched them out then? I spot the journalist from my first press conference back in Milan, the one who asked how I’m going to prevent a heat. Could he have done something? I don’t know how he would have had access to my pills, though. Maybe it wasn’t even someone here. It could have been my doctor back home. Plenty of people didn’t want to see omegas at the Olympics.
It could be anyone. As I look around the room, I feel exposed and vulnerable, more so the longer I stand here alone.
Foster is only a few feet away, eyes glued to me, but constantly assessing the area. He’s been extra on edge ever since we learned I was taking sugar pills. I think he worries that whoever did it will try something else if I don’t go into heat like they wanted.
Tanner and Orion are both talking animatedly to a group of sponsors I vaguely recognize. Vann and Rhodes are by the buffet table. Vann leans over and whispers something in Rhodes’ ear, and the beta turns a subtle shade of pink. They look so good together.
My gaze swings away, only to collide with Coach giving me a reprimanding look that I can’t understand. What did I do wrong now? Harriett smiles from beside Coach, but tilts her head not so subtly toward a group of sponsors.
I pluck at the fabric over my stomach, trying to cool off. I could really use a cold drink. Ignoring Harriett’s not-so-subtle cue that I should talk to the sponsors, I head for the bar and order an ice water. After guzzling it down, I feel a little cooler and more collected, but still on edge. My omega instincts are begging to leave and go cuddle up with my mates. I can’t do that yet, but I can give my omega a little of what she wants.
