Page 7

So, I tell them everything. About the girl and the pull, I felt. And how I know she’s an omega without a pack.

“She has a scent like honey. And despite her beauty, she has this shyness about her. It’s really-”

Kane snorts. “An omega without her pack? Working in a coffee shop? Jace, if you want to have a fling with a human, have at it. You don’t need to spin these wild stories. You already know I don’t give a fuck what you do.”

I look to Finn for backup, but he just shrugs. There’s a thoughtful look in his eyes as if he believes me, at least.

I glare at him, and he looks away, his long black hair falling into his face. But I can see the color rising on his face.

“I’m telling you, she’s an omega,” I insist to Kane.

Kane shakes his head, tugging at his suit sleeves. “The ‘obsession’ will pass once you’ve had your fun. Just get her number and move on.”

For a moment, I almost wonder if he’s right. But I know what I experienced. That woman is an omega. And she needs us.

Mia

“Bye,” I call out to the last of the workers as I leave the little building. My eight-hour shift became a double when Alice had to run home for a family emergency.

Not that I minded. It meant more money.

Of course, by now, my feet are aching, and it’s hard to walk. I really need to buy more appropriate shoes for a double shift.

Exhausted and sore, I make it back to the apartment building just as it’s starting to get dark. The winter chill seeps through my coat, and my hair is a little wind-whipped, but more than anything, I’m just relieved to be home.

Oh fuck, I forgot.Justin’s snacks. After the hectic switch in my schedule and the last-minute rush at the café, I completely forgot to stop by the gas station on my way home. My eyes water a bit as I curse my forgetfulness.

For a moment, I consider backtracking. The gas station is still open, after all, and I don’t want to deal with him right now.

But my feet are sore. I’m exhausted, and the last thing I want is to walk to the gas station. Swallowing past a nervous lump in my throat, I grab my keys and head toward the door.

It’ll be fine. I try to reassure myself as I put the key in the lock. He might have forgotten and passed out in front of the TV.

I turn the key in the lock and enter the apartment.

It’s dark in the small living room, the only light coming from the TV. Justin is in the same place I left him, smashing buttons on his PlayStation controller. His eyes are bloodshot, and I can’t tell if it’s from playing video games all day or if he has been drinking.

“Hey, Mia. Did you get those snacks?” He doesn’t even look up from his game. “I’m hungry as fuck.”

I stand in the doorway, twisting my purse strap in my hand. Cold dread grips my heart, and I open my mouth to speak, but at first, nothing comes out.

“I…”

“Mia? Are you deaf or just stupid?” Justin finally glances at me.

“I forgot them,” I blurt out. “I’m really sorry. I ended up working a double shift, and it was late, and I just forgot. I’m sorry.”

The words all come out in a rush, and I feel a certain relief when I’m done. That relief freezes into ice when Justin sets down his controller.

“I’m sorry?” he says. “I must have heard you wrong. I asked you for one simple thing, Mia. All I wanted was that snack. I don’t ask for a lot, and somehow you still manage to screw this up.”

It isn’t just the words but the rage I hear in them that makes me flinch.

“Why don’t you cook something at home? Or get your own snack?” I ask, breathing hard with adrenaline.

Justin rises from the couch, knocking his controller to the floor. My eyes widen as he whips off his headset and hurls it at the wall, hitting it with a CRACK. With bloodshot eyes and a terrifying snarl, he stalks toward me.

He’s never hit me. Not once, but the underlying threat has always been there. Tonight, however, something is different, and he’s taking his rage out on me.