Page 10 of Pack Fever

The apartment building looms in front of me, and the academy bus that dropped me off is already halfway down the road.

My friends are under house arrest, too, so aside from class, we won’t be heading out anywhere anytime soon. I sigh at the notion.

Moving inside the building, then upstairs, I push open the door to our home, the creak a bit too loud for the afternoon. There in the living room, my mom is sitting on the couch in her Sunday yellow dress, her hair styled in waves around her face, and she’s wearing her best shoes, but her eyes are red like she’s been crying. Sitting next to her feet is a black duffle bag. It’s bulging at the seams, as if it’s trying to contain more than just clothes.

“Mom? What’s going on?” My stomach twists, and that sick feeling rises through me.

“You’ve really done it now, Danica,” she says with a brittle voice, her hands tightening over one another in her lap. “I should have known you couldn’t stay out of trouble and that it would come back to bite you.”

I wince, her words striking me in the solar plexus, and I struggle to breathe, feeling all the blood flush out of my face.

“I’m sorry,” I manage slowly, torn because I’m angry we got caught and pissed at the Nexus facility because of all their rules. I don’t regret going out with my friends… or meeting the mysterious Alpha. I’ve still not come to terms with how I feel about my encounter with him and how things ended. “I made a horrible mistake, and I swear, I’ll make it up to you, Mom.”

“It’s too late for regrets now,” she snaps, her gaze falling on the framed photo of Dad on the mantle. Those unsaid words weigh the world between us. I’ve always known she blamed me for Dad’s death. She never said it outright, but she might as well have with her distance from me, her refusing to talk about my singing ever again, and her vague implication that if things were different, Dad would still be with us.

I swallow hard. I try not to be upset with her because I blame myself, too. Gritting my teeth, that raw, bleeding ache in my heart is still as fresh as the day of the accident. When I close my eyes every night, I see his dead eyes, but I’ve never told her. She never once asked me about the accident, and when I try to talk about it, she cuts me off.

“Every day, I miss Dad,” I whisper. “I wish he was with us, too.”

She stiffens, her gaze lifting to mine. There’s a world of hurt flaring on her face, a lifetime of grief, and that unspoken accusation she holds against me.

I brace for her anger, for her blame.

“I actually thought you might have dodged a bullet and that Nexus would let you off with a warning and a fine,” she explains, fidgeting with her hands in her lap.

I study her carefully, then glance back down at the duffle bag. A horrible sensation washes over me.

“Wh-What do you mean? Have you heard from them?”

Her phone, sitting on the coffee table between us, vibrates and dances across the surface. The screen lights up, and she quickly snatches it before I can read the message. Her face blanches, then she glances up at me.

“I’m sorry,” my mom says softly, her throat sounding like she might choke on the words. “I’m sorry you didn’t follow the rules. But I have your sister to think about. It’s just us now.”

“What are you talking about?” I’m barely holding it together as dread snakes up my spine. I hate that she’s so cold… been so cold since we lost Dad.

“Nexus contacted me this morning, advising me that since you’re a liability as an Omega and can’t be trusted, they’re coming for you,” she explains. “You’ll be taken to their facility, earlier than usual, and stay there until you go into your full heat.”

The room sways with her words, and there she sits, brow furrowed, staring at me with disappointment, while I feel like I’ve had all my insides scooped out.

Blood drains from my face, and I feel myself go cold as trepidation, sharp and icy, stabs into me.

“No,” I whisper the trembling word. “They can’t do that. It could be years until then. What about school? I don’t want to leave you and Ruby. And… the rumors, Mom… the things they say happen to Omegas who break the rules…”

My chest hurts with how hard it’s squeezing, my throat thickening. This can’t be happening. I don’t want to be locked away from the world, then matched… most likely sold to an Alpha, from some of the things I’ve heard.

She shakes her head, a stoic mask slipping over her face.

“I attended the facility, and I’m fine. Don’t overreact. You made a mistake, and now you have to take responsibility.” She picks up the duffle bag, arm trembling as she offers it to me.

“Yeah, but you never broke their rules, Mom, so they didn’t do anything to you. What about me? I doubt they’ll be so kind.” I’m shaking all over.

“The enforcer is waiting outside.” Her voice is hollow, as if she’s fighting her emotions, but that’s not what I need. I want her to cry about losing me, for letting them take me.

“Where’s Ruby?” My breath hitches as I blink to hold back the tears. “I want to see her before I go.” My head’s spinning, and panic is slithering over me, swallowing me. I’m trying not to lose my head, but I’m on the verge of bursting out into ugly crying.

“Your sister is at her friend’s place. It’s better she doesn’t see you in this state, it will just upset her. I’ll tell her you’re going to Nexus because you went into your heat today,” she explains, as though it’s so easy for her to lie.

I feel my chin trembling, my eyes stinging. My life’s crumbling, the last threads of hope unraveling as she utters those words.

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