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“What happens after the testing is done?”

“The Alphas happen,” the Omega in the neighbouring cell said.

Cold spread through me. I stared at the woman across the corridor and shook my head. “That won’t happen to me.”

She said nothing.

“I am Lady Elowen Hart, Omega daughter of Pack Hart of Kharith. This is a mistake. My physician is coming, and she’ll explain everything to them. I was meant to be given shelter, not—” I gestured at the cells around us. “Whatever this is. I am not meant to be here.”

“Neither were we,” the Omega beside my cell replied.

“What?”

“Meant to be here. We aren’t meant to be here either.”

“That doesn’t matter. I’m different. I’m nothing like you.”

Something tightened in my chest, and I turned my face towards the wall.

I was Elowen Hart. My fathers were influential, and my mother hosted the Season’s opening ball every year. I had danced in the Crystal Ballroom of the Azhara Palace and worn commissioned pearls for my presentation. I spoke three languages and had been educated by some of the finest tutors in all seven kingdoms.

The women around me were nothing like me. What other reason would keep them here? Surely someone would have come by now if they had families like mine.

I looked across the corridor at the woman beneath the blanket. She had tried to reassure me, and I had repaid her kindness with an insult.

That night, I prayed for my family and the strange woman I had left unconscious in my room, but most of all, I prayed for Mireya. I prayed she would walk in and apologise for the awful misunderstanding.

Then I prayed that every instinct warning me about Mireya and the danger I faced was wrong, because the alternative would break me.

Chapter 8

Elowen

There are very few benefits to having an alcoholic as your only parent, like learning to spot a predator long before they choose you as a target. Even when they hide what they are behind kindness and offers of help.

Mireya had fooled me at first, but I put that down to the shock and confusion of waking up to find my dead parents alive. I was fully awake now, and she wasn’t going to fool me again, not after years of experience dealing with people like her.

I was still young and innocent when Jimmy started coming to the house and telling me how exciting it would be for us to have a bath together. Even then, something about him set off every alarm in my head. I’d called my aunt and told her, and she’d made me put the phone on speaker and threatened to call the police if he ever came near me again.

Father raged that his friend no longer came over, furious that there would be no more free lagers or pizza. I pretended not to know why.

That was our life growing up. We dodged one bullet after another, never knowing what Father had done for extra money, but the three of us told each other everything. We learned early to choose our battles carefully. Sometimes you put up with something painful because fighting it would only bring something worse.

It had been days since I’d woken up screaming into the pillow, furious and helpless at the pain below my waist. I hadn’t needed to look at myself to know that every nightmare and every vision I remembered had happened.

This woman, this monster, had done terrible things to me, and she was a fool to think I wouldn’t remember. I remembered everything.

The doors opened, and Eleanor walked in, followed closely by Lysa, carrying a tray. Lysa was there to help with anything I needed, though she had little to do since I slept so much.

“Good morning, sweetling.” Eleanor was practically glowing.

“Good morning, Mum.” I started to get up, but she gestured for me to stay put.

“No need to leave your nest. May I join you instead?”

She was always so careful to ask permission before sitting with me on the bed. Stranger still, everyone here insisted on calling it a nest.

“Please do.” I gave her a genuine smile. She might not be my mum, but she was very kind to me, and I liked spending time with her.