“We’re not in school. You can call me Perdy,” she said. “Will we see you next week then?”
“I think so.”
“I’m glad. I actually wanted you to meet somebody. This is my friend, Tammie. She runs the drama club.”
I froze, feeling completely awkward. “Oh, hi.”
Tammie looked me over. “Perdy told me about what happened. My girls aren’t perfect, and it can be hard to see things from somebody else’s perspective. We’ve had a little talk about exclusion, so when you come to our next class, there shouldn’t be any bad blood. From either side. Are we in agreement?”
I nodded slowly, unsure of myself.
Tammie smiled, and warmth filled her face. “Good stuff. See you on Saturday then!”
She bounded off to speak to somebody else, leaving me to smile shyly at my art teacher. “Thanks,” I said. “You didn’t have to do that.”
A fierceness I hadn’t noticed before flared in her eyes. “Yes, I did, or nothing would ever change.” She gestured around the room. “We’re capable of getting along. I hope you’ve seen that not everything about this place is completely awful. You look so sad most of the time, Margo. It worries me.”
“I know not everyone’s the same.” I glanced over at Dorian. “And I miss home still, but sometimes I’m kind of glad we moved here.” The truth of that statement shook me. Was I finally settling down?
I felt like a completely different person by the time I went home that night. It had taken some time, but there were places where I fit in, people I could talk to. I just had to make sure I didn’t ruin it all.
Chapter 20
Dorian
The next morning,the sky was dark and gloomy. Something felt wrong, but I wasn’t sure what. I’d gone to bed in great form, but that mood had vanished somewhere during the night. I got up, still groggy, and went downstairs, starting in surprise when I saw Amelia standing at the kitchen window, staring outside.
“Sorry,” I said automatically, fighting the urge to back away.
“You’re not disturbing me,” she said, whatever she was looking at holding her attention for a few seconds longer. When she finally broke away, she turned to look at me. “I’m supposed to be staying in my old room, but I keep coming here. I’m worried that…”
“Something else will happen?” I offered.
Her shoulders relaxed. “Have you ever had that feeling in the pit of your stomach when you know something bad is coming, but you can’t figure out what it is?”
I nodded dumbly. I’d lived with that feeling for a long time, learned to ignore it, mostly.
She sat at the counter. “Go make some breakfast, Dorian. You must be hungry.”
I obeyed, partly out of habit.
“How are you getting on with the pack?” she asked. “Are you still happy with Nathan and Perdita?”
“Yes,” I said enthusiastically before clearing my throat. She was smiling at me. She had a very nice smile that never quite reached her eyes. I often felt she belonged to two worlds, never committing to either. “They’re good to me.”
“I worried about the responsibility they were taking on at first, but they seem to really love having you around. You know, when we first found you, Byron thought you might be another omega.”
“Sorry,” I said again.
“Don’t apologise for who you are.” She arched a natural brow. “Perhaps that’s too heavy a conversation for this time in the morning.”
I turned my back to stick some bread in the toaster—and avoid meeting her gaze.
“That girl…” Her words slid across my skin in a manner that made us—wolfandI—alert and aware of incoming danger. “Margo, was it?”
“Yeah, Margo.” My back stiffened. If Amelia noticed, she didn’t address my anxiety.
“I’ve talked to everyone about what’s been going on.” She hesitated as though waiting for me to respond. “Your friend’s been around for every incident.”