My hair tumbles around my shoulders, wavy and dotted with tiny pearls. I look pretty, but it’s all empty, like window dressing on a vacant storefront.
Knock. Knock.
“Are you ready?” Dad asks.
“Come on in David.”
The door swings open, and my father steps in with Canyon trailing behind them. Dressed in crisp white button-ups with nice ties and black slacks, they step inside and shut the door.
I place a hand on my churning stomach. This is the last time I’ll see my family until after the month-long bonding period. I don’t want to sleep with a stranger, let alone be trapped with him for a month.But where would I go? To Moss.
“I can’t believe my daughter is being honored by Alpha.” My father holds out his arms, and I step into them to accept his hug. “You will continue to conduct yourself in a manner befitting a Michaels.”
“Yes, Sir,” I whisper, reading the threat in the depths of his green eyes. The wedding ceremony has been their goal for me since I first presented at fifteen. It’s the main contribution of Omegas in the Fellowship of the Moon.
“We know you’ll make us proud, as you always have.” My mother adds, refereeing like she’s always done.
“We’ll give you a few minutes with your brother, and then we’ll return to say our final goodbyes.” He squeezes my upper arm and leaves, wrapping an arm around my mother’s waist.
Canyon watches them go. The door closes behind them, and he grabs my hand. “You have to leave right now.”
“What?”
“I can’t watch your life be ruined. Not my sister.”
“Can. What’s happening?” I shake my head confused.
“If you knew the things I did.” He shudders. “Everything we’ve been told is a farce.”
“What?” He pulls me toward the door, opening it to peer outside for our parents.
“I’ve arranged for a distraction. When all hell breaks loose, I want you to run for it. I have your car parked out front. The keys are under the mat. Use the code to get in.”
“Canyon, this is insane.”
“No. Staying here a second longer would be. You trust me?”
“Yes. With my life.”
“Run and don’t look back. Go to *town. Find Moss, and start a new life.”
“What about you?”
“I’ll join you when I can.”
Pop. Pop. Pop. Ijump.
“They’re just fireworks.” Canyon shoves me. “Go.”
Stumbling slightly, I began forcing my way through the rush of people moving to investigate the sound. Tossed to the left and right like a salmon swimming upstream, I grip my skirts tightly, liberally using elbows.
The boney points of my arms meet soft bodies, earning grunts and groans as I keep my head down. I move through the crowds like a ghost amid the turmoil, undetected and silent. Boxed on all sides by woods, the community center is the largest building in our town. *town name is protected from the rest of the world that would destroy us if they knew of our existence.
The thought of going out into the chaos has me rethinking my plan. The fear and certainty in Canyon’s eyes keep me moving forward. I take a sharp left down a small hallway, escaping out a side exit. Panting, I gulp down fresh air and hike my dress higher. Running toward the front of the building barefoot, I pray to the goddess of the moon to keep my path clear.
I spot the silver SUV and breathe a sigh of relief. Stopping in front of it, I quickly enter the four-digit code and open the door. Climbing inside, I shove the rest of my skirt around me and bend over to fumble with the rug. My hand grazes the cool metal of the keys.
Pulling them out, I hold them up triumphantly and jam them into the tumbler. Turning over the engine, I shift the car into drive and pull away from the curb. A buzz begins under my skin.