Page 28 of The Alpha’s Heir

I pointed to my chest. “That’s me.”

“If you’d like to view the articles in depth, please log in with your credentials or update your paid streaming services.” The glass behind her flashed with a bunch of light boxes.

I leaned closer, coming nose to nose with the woman who didn’t smell like anything. “What are you saying?”

“I can turn the volume up,” she said. “Commute times are as follows…” Her voice grew louder with each word. “Jefferson Avenue is experiencing a twenty-minute—”

I clapped my hands over my ears as the woman’s voice seemed to fill the room and looked for the remote control like we had on Uncle Jareth’s TV.

Turn it off, my wolf growled.

I’m trying, I growled back.

I sensed more than heard the knock at the door and gave up my futile search for the remote.

“Good morning, Miss Meg.” Katrina stood in the hall. “I heard you were awake. Is there anything you need?”

“How do we turn it down?” I asked with my fingers plugging my ears.

Katrina smiled. “Alice, lower your volume, please.”

“Of course.” The fake woman’s voice grew quieter. “Maddison Avenue is clear this morning,” she whispered.

“That’s enough.” Katrina winked.

I unplugged my ears, wincing when I realized I must’ve woken up the whole house. “How do we turn her off?”

“Alice, off,” Katrina said.

The room behind me went blissfully dark and silent again, all except for that continuous humming noise I was learning made up the pulse of the house.

“Thank you,” I breathed out the words.

Katrina frowned. “Your teeth.”

I clasped my hand over my mouth, embarrassed that I hadn’t yet brushed them this morning, when I felt the tips of my fangs.

“Oops.” I grinned as they retracted, hoping I hadn’t scared the poor woman all over again. “They come out when my wolf gets anxious. I have a feeling that’ll happen a lot while I’m here.”

“Might I suggest you find a way to hide them? The citizens are more accepting than in years prior, but there is still real bias and fear of mutants. Not that you’re a mutant,” she hurried to add.

I decided not to take offense at what she said, since she was the closest thing to a friend I had in this house and I still wanted more book recommendations. “I’ll take all the advice I can get, and thanks for saving me from Alice.”

Katrina nodded, trying not to smile. “Of course, is there anything else you need?”

To get out of here. To go back to my pack.

My wolf raised her paw. I’ll take Roman’s address.

“I’ll be fine, I should just…”

Katrina tensed. The sound of heels clacked across the marble floors below the staircase.

“Is my future daughter-in-law awake?” Helen’s voice drifted up toward us as the front door opened.

“I am.” I swallowed back what I wanted to say, still not sure how to get out of this mess.

Or if it was even possible.