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“They’re not sure,” Lincoln responds. “Leo’sfatherwas working with BFOS, ‘Betas for Order and Submission.’ Before we pulled Espy out, it doesn’t seem like the military knew the group had gotten into the omega trade and become so extreme. Originally, the group was focused on betas and promoting their position in society. It’s normally the alpha-affiliated groups messing with omegas.”
My pack all listen raptly as Lincoln goes on to lay out the different groups operating in the US. As far as I knew, omegas have a biological safeguard against kidnap and rape that helps protect them from alphas wanting to claim them against their will. Something about being unable to survive the trauma of an attack and dying, therefore making the alpha’s “investment” worthless.Motherfucking evil bastards.
I feel my lunch wanting to come back up as Lincoln describes how criminal groups have been working on different brainwashing methods to override omegas’ natural instincts, simulating the conditions of safety and pack relationships to bring on their heats and force them into bonds. Then Leo jumps in to explain his father had been using physical abuse, including starvation and beatings, to try to force Espy into heat. It seems his BFOS cell wasn’t aware of the brainwashing methodology, and so they tried a different—and equally inhumane—approach. A ringing fills my ears when I hear Leo’s father brought alphas over to their house, forcing Espy to lay with them in her nest after beating her in the hopes their pheromones would trigger a sense of safety. The thought of what they might have done to her ...
Leo gave me such an abridged version of the story before. I almost feel stupid now for not realizing or even beginning to imagine the depth of Espy’s trauma.
“My outfit has upped our efforts to gather intel on BFOS, as well as Alpha First, who we think are behind the brainwashing activities,” Lincoln continues. “There’s been chatter, though, about chemical experimentation. Fucking terrorists are apparently trying to come up with some Gods-damn cocktail that mimics the biology shit that tells an omega’s body to go into heat.”
“Synthetic hormones,” I breathe, horrified.
“Something like that.” Lincoln nods. “We haven’t found anything to suggest the groups are active around here, but Utah isn’t that far away. Neither is Wyoming,” he adds, cutting his eyes to Leo meaningfully.
Right. That’s where he and Espy are from. Both states are Colorado’s neighbors.
“So again, sorry,” Lincoln finishes, still sounding a bit brusque. “I didn’t mean to jump down your throats. But the way I see it, everyone could stand to be on higher alert right now.”
The whole table is silent in response, everyone presumably lost in the same troubling thoughts as me. Suddenly, I’m not as bothered by Lincoln’s overprotectiveness.
15
Esperanza
“He’s super-cute,” Claire giggles, winking at me as Micah retreats back to where his and my brother’s packs are eating.
“Some good genes in the Hayes family, that’s for sure,” Silver agrees.
“It’s not thejeansI’m staring at—I’m too distracted by what’s underneath!” Claire declares, all three women around me bursting out into laughter at the double entendre.
I find myself chuckling too. She’s not wrong. If I thought Mackenzie and Silver were confident and outgoing, they’re minor-league compared to Mackenzie’s roommate Claire. She is loud, bold, and unapologetically flirtatious. It took me a little while to get used to her, but now I’ve adjusted, I find I enjoy her larger-than-life personality.
I take another bite of the cake Micah gave me, savoring the tangy lemon icing. He was right: it’s delicious.
“Look at you, Ms. Thing. Only here a month and you already have boys bringing you dessert,” Claire continues, grinning. “Must be some good genes in the Alvarez family too. I know Mackenzie over here has a thing for your br— Ooomffff.” Her words turn to gibberish as Mackenzie slaps her hand over her roommate’s mouth.
I smile. The past few weeks it’s become clear to me that Mackenzie has just as much of a crush on my brother as Em has on her. But she’s being courted by another pack, and I’ve never seen either one do anything other than some light flirting. So far, I’ve decided to just let it be.
“Espy has been helping Micah with a project he’s working on.” Mackenzie changes the subject deftly. “You should show Claire those pictures you sent me a few days ago!”
I pull out my phone and bring up the Photos app, passing it over. Both Claire and Silver ooh and ahh as they scroll through, and I can’t say that doesn’t fill me with a warm wave of pride. I’ve illustrated quite a few panels at this point. He let me take some pages home after I left his house the other day so that I could keep working on some of the parts we talked through and sketched out. I’ve been using them as an excuse to procrastinate studying for my SATs.
My application is almost ready to go. Both Em—or rather, Leo, as I’m trying to train myself to call him—and Tanner have been hugely helpful.Leoespecially. He helped me get my high-school transcripts transferred over, and Tanner worked with me on crafting an essay that conveyed more than just “my dad tortured me and tried to sell me on the black market, please take pity on me and let me into your school.” Now I’m just waiting on one more letter of recommendation from an old teacher and I’ll be set.
I have just under three weeks to get ready for my SAT exam in early November. If I completely bomb this one, I’ll have one more shot to retake the test and still get my scores into the university by January 5, as promised. No pressure or anything.
I mostly listen in as Mackenzie, Claire, and Silver continue chatting. They’re talking about people and places I’m not familiar with, but it’s still nice to be included while I eat. Silver and Claire eventually leave to go to class, and Mackenzie and I wander back to my brother’s table so she can say goodbye before she does the same.
“Gotta get to class!” she chirps, walking up to the edge of the booth. “I return to you one sister, unharmed other than having to listen to Claire going over her extensive list of options for a Halloween costume.”
She clearly means it as a joke, but I’m taken aback to see matching frowns pop up on nearly every one of the guys’ faces. Things are awkward for a moment, but then Tanner breaks the silence.
“I’d better get going too. I have to make it all the way over to east campus by two.”
“Yeah, I need to meet some folks for a group project,” Cabe agrees.
With that, everyone starts packing their bags and cleaning up their trays, the tension gone.
“You’re headed to the science building, right?” Em/Leo asks, looking at Mackenzie.
