Page 16 of Pack Fever

Without pause, I move faster than I thought possible in the sound’s direction. I push through the underbrush as a scent hits me—the mouthwatering smell of freshly baked bread.

“I’m close,” I murmur under my breath, praying I’m not hallucinating. Pushing out of the dense woods, I emerge at the edge of a park. In front of me, a town spreads out.

I gasp loudly, close to crying that I’m free of the damn forest.

I’m suddenly sprinting toward civilization, happy to see a small town tucked in the valley of the mountains, the streets alive with people and cars. Of course, I drift right for the bakery, sticking to the shadows. My mouth is salivating for food.

I stumble past the Women’s Haven door, with the words Sanctuary for Women’s Growth and Healing printed on the glass. It’s the same place we have back home in my town.

Someone’s definitely watching over me.

As tempted as I am to drool at the baked goods I can’t afford, at this shelter, I can at least get some food and new clothes. The important thing is they aren’t affiliated with Nexus, and they don’t ask questions.

I push open the door, deciding this might be a good sign of things actually going well for me for a change.

Huddled from the cold breeze near the local community building, I clutch the receiver of a weathered public phone that should be a relic in a museum somewhere. It’s been two days since I arrived in town. Mom finally answered the phone, and hearing her voice again calms my frayed nerves that something had happened to her. My voice crackles through the line.

“Mom, what’s the news? Have they… have they said anything about me and the other girls?”

There’s a heavy sigh on the other end, and I can almost see Mom’s weary expression.

“Sweetie, the news is saying they only found Jess after the crash, and Nexus has her safe and secure. The others, you included, are still at large. Nexus is claiming they’re worried for your well-being and doing everything to find you three. They came to interrogate me, and I’ve never seen them this way before when I had my time at Nexus.”

“Maybe because you never tried to escape from them.”

“I don’t know, but it worries me.”

Her words twist my insides. On the bright side, Nexus has no clue where I am yet. But where are Casey and Kayla, then?

“So, I don’t think it’ll be safe for me to come home for a while,” I say, hating the words. Even calling Mom is a risk, but she and Ruby are all I have left, and I needed to check on them and see if she had any news about my friends.

I glance around me to ensure no one is close enough to hear my conversation. The few bystanders are two elderly women with shopping baskets on wheels on the sidewalk, heading away from my location.

Another sigh, this one deeper. “It’s for the best.” There’s more emotion in her voice now than the lack of affection she’d shown me since I got busted at the club. “Karen from down the road, her third cousin’s dating someone who used to work at Nexus. They say the facility has enclosures in the building…” She swallows heavily. “They’re for Omegas who’ve broken the rules, kept there like criminals. When I was there for my match, I heard similar rumors, but we were told they were just fiction. Except the person who told Karen yesterday said they’re real.”

My heart plummets. The rumors are as horrible as I’d heard. I’m shaking as I keep glancing around me, suddenly feeling exposed being outdoors.

“Stay hidden, Danica. Don’t let them find you. Maybe things will calm down after a while.” She pauses for a moment, and I swear I hear her sniffling. Is she crying?

“Mom–”

“You need to be careful. There are others who want an Omega if Nexus doesn’t get to you first. There are underground organizations that steal and sell Omegas.”

“You’re scaring me.” I curl in on myself more.

“Once you go into heat and find an Alpha, they’ll leave you alone. That should be your focus, okay, Danica?”

I almost choke on my breath at the words, find an Alpha. That’s the last thing on my mind, and it’s not like I can trust a complete stranger.

“I’ll try.” I hiccup a breath that goes all the way down to my lungs. I’ve spent the last two days working at the local soup kitchen, which gets me a safe and warm bed each night. I’m making do. “How’s Ruby?”

“She’s been crying for you, but she’s safe. Our streets here are full of enforcers.” She pauses, her breath quickening.

I brush away the tears with the back of my hand, hating that I’m being hunted down, hating the idea of being thrown into enclosures, hating that my mom even now struggles to show me she misses me.

“Your sister’s calling me. I have to go,” Mom says, her voice thick.

“Okay, love you both.”

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