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“That’s the same thing!” Abbott calls out, proving my theory.

Oh, for fuck’s sake.

“Just ignore it,” I suggest. “It’ll pass.”

Walking faster, I wrap my arm around myself to get some space. Maybe this isn’t a great idea. They all seem to see too much. Taking a deep breath of fragrant air, I tell myself to bury it. I can’t just walk back home so I can hide because I’ll look even crazier than I already am.

Cassidy catches up to me easily, but I ignore her. I’d rather soak up every second I’m allowed outside until I’m locked inside again with my mother.

Abbott is true to his word, and as we walk down to the trail, the sun begins to rise over the lake. My smile is real as I stop to watch it, and I sigh happily at how pretty it is.

“Experiencing the world through you is incredible,” Abbott says, gazing at me. “It doesn’t feel as if you take anything for granted.”

“I don’t, because I’ve learned not to,” I explain. It says so much and yet not enough.

“Can I ask a question?” he asks. “The way you interact with the world is like someone who was sick and couldn’t go out for a long time.”

“Or like a prisoner,” Cassidy sighs.

“The answer is somewhere in the middle, I guess,” I say.

“I would say you’re a brat that needs taming, but I really don’t think you mean to be,” she grumbles.

Down the recesses of my memory, something twinges, but I don’t know why.

“Too many truths are dangerous for me,” I state. “Seriously, take my word for it.”

“Well, we’re going to keep you as busy as possible,” Abbott decides. “My pack may or may not be in a group chat with the others from the day we met you.”

“Now that doesn’t sound ominous at all,” I tease him.

“Shh, Little Brat,” he teases, picking up the nickname. “Typically, courting an omega is competitive, and full of posturing. You don’t need to say anything either way, but we’ve made it our mission to get you away from your mother.”

“It’s kind of like a weird bromance,” Cassidy teases. “They really are all growly and adorable about it. Alright, look, we’re done for now. We want you to know you’re not as alone as you think you are. Now get your cute ass moving.”

Chuckling, I jerk into motion as I move into a jog and then a run. I love the way the world blurs as I run, and the breeze moves over me. My shirt is sticking to my skin, but I don’t mind it. I feel as if I’m chasing something I need. Running is where my mind empties of everything, and calm washes over me.

My feet keep moving, my legs reminding me of my limitations, but I keep going even as my chest heaves. The alphas keep pace with me, some ahead or beside me, doing exactly what they said they’d do.

Keeping me protected in the middle of a makeshift pack of people. I feel safe, and just able to do what I need to. I’m not being suffocated by them, I can’t even smell any of them, though I can see here and there that the sweat is also pouring off of them.

I’m still completely nose blind, the pollen in the trees making my sinuses swell worse than normal. It doesn’t hurt, it’s just another reminder of how much Weeping Willow’s torture has impacted me.

I’ll never be the same, always fractured in a way that’ll make people uncomfortable around me. I can’t even be broken in peace, since apparently my scent betrays me. It’s just not fair.

Gasping for breath, I begin to slow down, mindful of the people around me. Finding a hole to slip out of the circle, I come to a stop, leaning forward on my knees as I gasp for breath.

“You made it two and half miles,” Cassidy says, glancing at her watch.

They’re all jogging in place, and I smile.

“I think it helps to have someone to pace with,” I wheeze. “I just need a breather so I don’t collapse. I’m really out of shape.”

“I think you’re well on your way to fixing that,” Cassidy says, winking at me.

An alpha steps out of the group with dirty blonde hair and a worried look. “I’ll hang with her, guys,” he says. “She should get some water in her and rest.”

I don’t know him, and I figured they would argue with him, but shockingly, no one does.