Three dots appear immediately, then:
She shouldn’t be alone. Ever.
“Ryker is freaking out because Anya is using the bathroom alone,” I tell Lorenzo. “What am I supposed to do? Stand there while the poor girl pees?”
Lorenzo laughs, swirling his wine. “He’s just being overprotective. You know howhe gets.”
“He needs to fucking relax. I don’t see anything happening in this restaurant.”
But as the minutes tick by, I find myself glancing repeatedly at the hallway where she disappeared. It’s been longer than it should be.
Five minutes. Seven. Ten.
A knot of unease forms in my stomach. No omega is safe alone, not even here.
“It’s been too long,” I say abruptly, standing. Lorenzo’s expression shifts from relaxed to alert in an instant.
I stride toward the restrooms, my heart rate increasing with each step. Outside the women’s bathroom, I pause.
“Anya?” I call, knocking lightly. No response.
“Anya!” shouts Lorenzo.
I push the door open, ignoring the startled gasp of a woman fixing her makeup at the sink. “Anya? Are you in here?”
The woman at the sink gives me a dirty look, but I ignore her, checking each stall with growing alarm. Empty. All of them empty.
I step back into the hallway, drawing deep breaths through my nose, trying to catch her scent. There’s a faint trace, but it’s overwhelmed by food smells from the restaurant.
“She’s not in there,” Lorenzo says. “And I can’t even smell her scent here.”
“Fuck,” I snarl, already pulling out my phone to call Ryker. “She’s gone.”
Nine
ANYA
Ineed to be faster.
My sandals slap against the pavement as I run from the bright lights. The men trust me right now, so I have a little bit of time.
My ankle twists as my heel catches in a crack in the pavement, sending a bolt of pain up my leg.
“Fuck,” I hiss through clenched teeth, stumbling to regain my balance. These stupid sandals weren’t made for sprinting. I hop on one foot to the side of the road and bend down to unbuckle them, my fingers trembling with adrenaline and urgency. Every second I spend fumbling with the tiny clasps is another second for them to realize I’m gone, to start hunting me down.
Lorenzo and Alaric will have noticed my absence by now. I picture their faces transforming from confusion to anger, imagine Alaric pulling out his phone to alert the others.How long before the entire island is searching for their precious omega?The thought sends another surge of panic through me, and I finally manage to wrench both sandals off my feet.
I clutch them in one hand and take off again, therough pavement scraping my bare soles. It hurts, but the pain is nothing compared to the terror of being caught. I need to find a way off this island before they find me. I need to escape before they turn me into whatever the fuck an omega is supposed to be.
The ocean comes into view as the road curves, moonlight dancing across its dark surface. The marina. Boats. Freedom.
If I can hide on one of the boats until morning, I might have a chance. I’ll disappear into the crowds, make my way back to the city, and forget this nightmare ever happened.
My toes dig into the sand as I leave the road behind, the cool grains a relief after the hot pavement. I slow my pace, suddenly aware of how exposed I am on the open beach. The moon is too bright tonight, casting everything in a pale blue glow that makes hiding nearly impossible. I crouch low, moving in short bursts, using the sparse vegetation for cover whenever possible.
The distant sound of voices makes me freeze in place. Workers at the marina, their silhouettes visible against the water’s gleaming surface. They’re loading something onto one of the larger boats, their movements unhurried, their laughter carrying on the night breeze. I need to get past them without being seen.
I press my body against the trunk of a palm tree, its rough bark scratching my bare arms, and wait for my opportunity.
