“Wait a moment, omega,” Alpha Sara said when I turned to leave, and at that very moment a gust of wind blew my hair back.
I pulled my jacket collar tight, imagining that I was casual enough about it not to draw attention.
The way Alpha Sara’s eyes narrowed in on my throat told me I hadn’t been fast enough or casual enough.
“Show me your neck,” she commanded.
“Why?” I asked. Because, of course, I had to make things worse for myself by questioning her.
“My sister might put up with your insubordination, but not me, child,” she told me.
“It’s really nothing. I slept weird, and—”
She pulled my hand from my neck.
Her face was a blank mask.
“I can’t believe her,” she hissed, taking my jaw in her hand and turning my face to see the mark better. “She did this recently. This morning?” she asked. “No, last night,” she concluded, reading me before I’d even thought to school my face.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “It was my fault,” I told her.
“Hey!” Darren called, running over to us. “WTF, Mum? Let her go,” he said.
Alpha Sara released me like I was something dirty.
Darren reached us and saw my neck as well. His face became shocked.
He hated me too.
I ran away from them both.
Darren called to me once, but didn’t follow me.
I had ruined everything.
I should have just been happy with what I had: a break from life with Ashford. I should have made the most of my time with Darren. I should have ignored Cole.
Instead, I pursued and pushed her and taunted her, and now everything was worse. For everyone.
It was later in the day than I thought. I realised as the sun was already beginning to lower in the sky and people were sitting outside the restaurants and food stalls, drinking and eating.
I had to find Cole. I had to make this right.
I wasn’t thinking. Not clearly. I went back to the last place we had been together—the meeting rooms in the conference building—walking through the sports hall, which was still busy with the business fair, and through the building to the meeting rooms on the upper floor. Walking past men and women in business-casual attire, pushing through swing doors, trying not to look lost, trying not to be noticed.
As I walked, I heard a familiar voice. Dread trickled down from the top of my head. Ashford.
I turned around, walking back down the hall and away from the sound of his voice.
I wasn’t fast enough.
“Harriet?” he called.
I walked faster as if I hadn’t heard him. I just had to keep ahead of him until we were somewhere busy. The sports hall or outside, with all the food stalls.
I pushed through another set of swing doors and recognised a poster on the wall advertising virtual assistant services. Was I lost? What way had I come? I pushed on, worried he was still behind me. The stairwell had to be close. The green fire exit signs caught my attention, and I followed them.
I pushed open the door to the stairwell and was pulled backwards by my jacket, off my feet, and I fell to the ground.
