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My feet have literally worn a path across the floor by the time Micah finally calls me. It’s been hours since the sirens went off and the alert went out telling everyone on campus to shelter in place. I was in the pool at the time, running some drills with my team. No one had their phones with them, so at first we figured it was just another system test. One of the maintenance workers came running in to tell us we needed to get out of the water, and after that we all grabbed towels and barricaded ourselves into one of the conference rooms in the athletics center.
It got pretty uncomfortable being in a wet bathing suit for hours in a drafty room. Some other people joined us as well, faculty and students who were apparently working out in the main gym when the sirens went off. The body odor mixed with the sour scent of fear got to be a lot. Let’s just say, as a group, we don’t smell great.
Of course, I was too worried about my pack and Espy to really be that bothered by the conditions.
All the university alert said was that there was a campus security incident—vague enough to describe anything from a stray dog stealing hamburgers to some sort of mass shooting event.Helpful.I had a sinking feeling it was related to the terrorist attacks down in Utah, and sadly I was right. Micah and I had just been talking with our parents about the increased threat toward omegas and how the campus was employing extra security measures. It felt like we’d jinxed it somehow.
I hoped maybe this was a false alarm—an overreaction or a misunderstanding. I was panicked, wondering if Espy was safe, and I couldn’t settle until I finally got a text back from Micah and he confirmed she was okay and sheltering in place with him, Cabe, and a bunch of others who were at the soccer scrimmage.
Leo was with me, just as worried about his sister as I was, and he was equally relieved to hear she was with my packmates. I watched as his phone started blowing up with texts from his own pack. Mostly Lincoln. I’d more or less reconciled my annoyance at the alpha and suspicion of his behavior with Espy, at least enough to feel bad for the guy being out of town while something like this went down. I would’ve bet a lot of money he was already driving back, his instincts must have been riding him hard.
It didn’t take long for the rumor mill to start churning, and all around me guys started whispering about an omega being abducted. Or was it an attempted abduction? Or an attack by another student. The intel was all over the place, but it was enough to send me into a dark place mixed with rage and fear. I prayed for the omega—all the school omegas—to be found safe and unharmed. At the same time, I thanked the Gods Espy was safe with my pack.
Between the guilt and lack of information, my stomach roiled for hours.
Eventually, though, the terror faded and was replaced by boredom. My anxiety and adrenaline remained too high to actually relax, but I watched in silence as more of the people around me began talking quietly and playing games on their phones. I gave up trying to reach Espy after Micah informed me she wasn’t in the right headspace to text, so instead I just kept texting other friends and constantly refreshing the news.
The school eventually sent out some additional alerts informing us they believed the threat to be over, but asking everyone to remain in place until security completed a final sweep. It only took another forty minutes or so before a bunch of officers knocked on the door to our makeshift bunker, and after they noted everyone’s campus IDs, we were asked to return home or to the cafeteria. With Micah, Cabe, and Espy still on lockdown, I convinced Leo to come back with me to our pack house to wait for everyone there.
Now, two hours later, Micah finally calls.
“Hey, can you turn that down?” I ask Leo, gesturing to the TV he’s watching the news on before answering my phone. “Hey!”
“Hey, Mason. We’re on our way back.”
“Finally!” Logically I know everyone’s okay, but I desperately need to see Espy to settle my nerves. “Just come straight back to the house. Leo is here, and we managed to come up with enough food to feed everyone.”
It was past five by the time we made it out of the athletics center, and now it’s pushing 7:30 p.m. The campus cafeteria is open, but Leo and I agreed it was a better idea to stay in. We haven’t gotten around to food shopping since getting back to campus, but with two frozen pizzas and several bags of spaghetti I think we’re set. The oven is already on, so after hanging up with Micah I start boiling water before grabbing a beer and joining Leo back on the couch.
“Anything new?” I ask, scanning the text scrolling across the screen. They’ve been reporting on the incident since we got back, but the details are still a little fuzzy.
As far as anyone can tell, between three and five young men approached two omegas on one of the campus walkways and asked for help finding a building. Shortly afterward, some of the men tried to grab the two women and drag them off, but the women drew so much attention with their screams that the men quickly gave up and fled. Some bystander ran and hit a campus safety button when she saw what was happening, and it was a few minutes after that the sirens went off and the shelter-in-place directive was given.
“Nah, they just keep repeating the same things over and over again,” Leo replies, sighing. “Lincoln doesn’t have any updates either, only that they’re still thinking this was a bunch of amateurs. Might be inspired by what happened in Utah, but so far there isn’t a clear connection.”
Lincoln returned from his parents’ place an hour ago, going straight to his unit commander to report for duty in helping secure the campus. It didn’t sound like law enforcement had caught any of the men yet, but they have some reason to believe the men aren’t part of a formal terrorist group. At least not a sophisticated one. Though at first I was relieved to learn this, in the hour I’ve spent pacing I’ve slowly realized this just means the threat against Espy is harder to pin down. And it’s growing.
I’ve finished my beer by the time I hear them at the door.
It’s hard to hold myself back, but somehow I manage to let Leo greet his sister first before I grab her out of his arms and pull her into my own bone-crushing hug. Her normal scent is sour and dull, and as I pull back to take in her face, I see she looks withdrawn. I don’t bother to ask how she is; the answer is clear.
“What do you need?” I go with instead, keeping her tucked securely within my arms.
“I’m cold. And honestly, I really want to get out of these clothes. Can I take a shower?” she asks, looking up at me.
“I need to change too—the eau de locker room is giving me a headache,” Micah agrees.
I help Espy get settled in the bathroom I share with Cabe while Micah uses the fancy one in his room. Cabe shares that he needs to report for reserve duty because of the incident and sticks around just long enough to change out of his soccer gear and scarf down three slices of pizza straight from the oven before heading off again. Micah emerges first, then eventually Espy, wearing the oversize sweatpants and sweatshirt I lent her to change into. I’d be totally into it under different circumstances, so I take a few mental snapshots to pull out later when the situation isn't so tense.
We all tuck into the food, quietly swapping accounts and trying to piece together everything we know—and what we don’t. Espy stays quiet but doesn’t seem to be having a full-blown panic attack or anything like that. We eventually decide to watch a movie, and I put on something light while Micah steps away to call our parents and assure them we’re fine. I feel Leo’s eyes on me as I very obviously bundle Espy up with blankets and settle her in next to me, but his mouth stays shut.
My brain is still struggling to process everything that happened this afternoon, but one thing that’s become clear to me is that I don’t want to keep waiting to ask Espy if we can court her. People have already been making assumptions given how much time we spend with her, and honestly, the only thing keeping us from making it official is our desire to give Espy the time and space to feel ready. Leo hasn’t said anything to me directly yet, but I know he’s wanted to. And when Micah gets off the phone and joins us on the couch, tucking in tight against Espy’s other side, I know it’s past time to acknowledge our intentions. Not that Leo’s in charge of her or we need his permission or anything. Espy’s is the only opinion that matters. But still, as her brother and my friend and teammate, I feel I owe him a heads-up.
A purr starts up in my chest unbidden, still a weird and wonderful feeling for me. Leo’s eyes sharpen on me even more, but after the earlier craziness I’m too content in this moment to bother being self-conscious.
The movie plays on, but I’m not sure any of us are paying attention. I feel Espy drift off just a few minutes in—something I’m extra pleased by when Leo eventually stands up and announces Lincoln is swinging by and that they should be getting home. I point out she’s asleep and he should just leave her here for the evening instead of waking her and taking her out into the cold again. He hesitates but ultimately decides not to fight me on it.
Lincoln isn’t as easy, judging by the whispered conversation Leo has with him when the alpha arrives. He looks determined to override his packmate’s decision to leave Espy with us, but once he catches sight of her sleeping form his determination seems to deflate, and the two quickly leave.
