Page 87 of Daughter of Garnet

Cliff's smile at the Alpha is genuine, even though we're being interrupted. I think he and Ray are developing a real friendship. "Heard what?"

"The Alphas are saying the Omegas are gone. Like, left the campus gone. And that there won't be a Winter Solstice presentation because of it."

Looks like Cameron's rumors really are making their way around.

Is it a rumor if it's true?

"They can't be taking that well," Cliff responds. "I know most Alphas look forward to it all year. Are you upset?"

Ray turns his attention to me, and the look in his eyes has me flustered. Even from here, I can smell his peppered scent. "No, I'm not. I wasn't going to go this year anyway."

Maybe Cliff is onto something, thinking that Ray may be my scent match. I'm convinced that at this point we are scent-sensitive, at the very least. I'm not sure what, at this point, is holding me back from taking off my necklace around him to see, but I'm not there yet. I think I trust him, but it still feels like crossing a line I'm not ready to, yet.

My throat is drying out, so I take a sip of water before I speak. "How are the others taking it?"

"Horribly. Apparently, a few people have cornered the Director, which I'm not sure I believe, and that he says he cannot speak to why they're no longer here, that it's not a big deal, that the chance to bond with an Omega will still be available, just not until we complete our education here." He squeezes a lemon into his water and rolls the cool glass between his palms. "It's all anyone is talking about. If I were the Director, I'd be worried about an Alpha uprising."

"That bad?" Cliff gives me a loaded look. "What is the Director going to do about it?"

"No idea. But," he lowers his voice so far we both have to lean almost across the table to hear it, "do you think this could have anything to do with what we talked about in the chapel?"

Ray may not have picked up on the fact that the sermon was for my benefit, but that doesn't mean he missed the subtext.

"It's not unrelated," I answer, nearly showing my hand that I have more information about this than I should.

"That's what I thought. I've been trying to find a way to visit my parents. They're both in the military, pretty high up. I wonder if they'd know anything about this."

How can I tell him that right now, I don't think we can trust anyone connected to the government, not even his parents?

I don't have to come up with the words. Viv sits down beside him and does it for me. "I love mom and dad, but if this is a government thing, I don't think we should bring them into it. Not yet."

Ray wrinkles his brow. "What would we be bringing them into?"

Shit. He doesn't know that the rumors about the missing Omegas are true, or why they're gone. He doesn't know what my mission is. Fuck, I barely know, but Hierophant Caius's journal all but confirms that her Blessed were being taken, and ostensibly, killed.

Ilota never answered me whether the other Gods have started to withhold their Blessings too, but it seems obvious they are. Why else would there be so few Omegas?

No one answers Ray for too long. I know he can feel that we're all keeping something from him. The question is, will he push the issue?

"We don't want them to know we went to an Ilota service, do we?" Viv's words are tentative, like she doesn't believe her parents would have an issue with it, but she's hoping Ray does.

He takes the bait.

"Yeah, you're right. Plus, we don't have anything concrete, do we? Just a passage from an old ass journal and a rumor passing around the Alpha dorms."

I am feeling increasingly bad about leaving Ray in the dark, but am I ready to put my life in his hands.

CHAPTER 42

Zoe

It takes Warren over fifteen minutes, but eventually he gets Dominic to shift out of his sabertooth form and back into his human one. He throws on his robe and leans against the table as Professor Trisha rounds the desk.

"Warren did something interesting that Dominic's tiger did not respond to. Did anyone notice what it was?"

Our exam happens during our study group time, so the other groups don't get ideas from each other on how to calm their Alphas. Next quarter, we'll be calming down Alphas that are not our Aides, but this time, it's Dominic.

To say I'm dreading it is an understatement.