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“Hey, Doc, we’re going to skip on that lunch invite.” Gerald and Courtney came into the back room. “We’re going to finish Courtney’s school registration.”
“You decided to do it?” Theodore asked.
Courtney nodded. “The closest omega college is more than a twenty-hour drive away, so I applied to the alpha college that’s next to Elk Cove.”
“What?”
“North Pacific Coast University has a new program. They’re testing having omega students enroll with the alphas and betas.”
“Is that safe?”
Courtney nodded. “I did a weekend stay with them a bit ago. My friend and I kinda lied and told our parents we were having a spa weekend. But the university seems really nice, and they made an omega-only dorm that needs a keycard for entry, and they have online options for classes and assignments for when we go into heat. They also have campus security. Even before they opened up the omega program, they had options for you to call for an escort to and from late-night classes and such.”
Theodore had gone pale, and his lips smashed into a grimace.
“That sounds great,” Royce offered when Theo didn’t respond.
“Thanks, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little scared, but someone has to be the first to try something new, right?”
“What program are you applying for?”
“They have a vet tech program. I’m hoping for that, but it shares a lot of overlapping classes with the wildlife rehab program they offer too. At least the first year of classes overlap. I might look into that one too.”
“Sandy and Evea would be ecstatic to add another person to the wildlife management team.”
“Good luck on the registration,” Theodore said. “I’m sorry I need to take Mutt out now. I’ll see you both tomorrow.”
With that, Theodore disappeared out the back door with a limping Mutt. Royce got up and smiled at the other omegas before following him.
“You gonna tell me what that was about?”
Theodore stood with his back to Royce, staring up at Mount Rainier.
“It’s not safe,” he said. “Omegas aren’t safe when we’re isolated from alphas; we’re not safe mixed in with them either. We’re never safe.”
Royce’s heart shattered as Theodore’s voice broke. He watched Theo watching the mountains. Turmoil plain on every line of his round face, his eyes wet behind his glasses.
“Maybe, maybe not,” Royce said. “But maybe, if we work with Argus to stop this trafficking ring, if we bring everything forward and make people aware of it, really aware, things will change. People can’t change if they don’t know there’s an issue.”
“I know you want me to give that flash drive to Argus, I just can’t though. How can I know he’s trustworthy? How do I know he isn’t complacent with it? Do you know how many head alphas have shares in ‘legal’ breeding clinics?”
“No, I don’t,” Royce admitted. “And that’s exactly the problem. No one knows.”
“You’re wrong,” Theodore countered. “Some of them know because they’re active participants in it, because they’re complacent.”
“Yeah, some of them are, but some people aren’t given the chance to be against it.”
Turning from the mountainscape, Theodore studied Royce’s face.
“I won’t force you,” Royce said. “But you need to understand, nothing will get better unless someone finally takes a stand. Courtney’s taking her stand by going to an alpha college.
“You’ve already put in so much effort to keep yourself alive, to keep your dad’s flash drive. Let it be used to help other omegas.”
Knitting his brow, Theo turned back to the horizon. He was quiet as he watched the clouds roll by, thick and gray. The wind whistled as they obstructed the once clear blue skies. Somewhere over the mountains, thunder rolled.
“How much did you look at on the flash drive? Did you see the videos?”
“Yes.”
