Page 112 of The Other Omega

But I knew better, so I turned and opened the door.

“Elowen, wait⁠—”

My guard looked straight at me.

“Get that woman,” I told him, pointing into the bathroom. “Don’t let her get away.”

He moved past me into the bathroom, and I hurried down the passage.

I needed to get outside.

By the time I reached the counter, though, I couldn’t seem to get enough air. Voices overlapped around me, too loud to follow, and every scent suddenly felt far too strong.

Eira turned from the counter. “Elowen?”

I tried to answer, but my stomach turned.

I pushed through the shop door and barely reached the pavement before I bent forwards and vomited.

Eira came up beside me and rested a hand on my back.

“Elowen, I’m here.”

I turned towards her and caught her arm, holding on while I tried to get my breathing under control.

“We need to go back, Eira. We need to go back right now.”

“We’ll return at once.” She turned towards the shop.

“Guards!”

Chapter 24

Elowen

My hands wouldn’t stop shaking. I rubbed them over my dress, twisted them together and even caught myself pulling at my hair. I hadn’t paced this much since that one time Ivy accidentally emailed her boss a bunch of nudes, and we spent the next twenty minutes trying to work out how to recall the email.

By the time the bedroom doors opened and my mates walked in, the whole room reeked of my fear and shame. They came in together, and as soon as Alaric and Caius started toward me, I stepped back.

“Please don’t.”

They stopped immediately. Alaric’s hand, already half-raised towards me, lowered slowly to his side, and Caius’s mouth tightened.

“Could you all sit down?” I looked towards the nest, wishing I knew how to make any of this easier.

They glanced at one another before Alaric sat on the edge of the nest. The others followed; all five sat in a line, watching me.

“Elowen, whatever is wrong, we will resolve it,” Alaric said.

“Why did you instruct your guard to detain that woman?” Darius added.

“I… I didn’t know I was doing that. I just panicked!” I started pacing, twisting my fingers through my hair. “She knew so much. I was scared she’d disappear, and then I’d have no proof.”

“Elowen.” Something in Alaric’s voice washed over me. “Do not hurt yourself, my heart. Take a deep breath and collect yourself.”

I let go of my hair and did as he said, taking one deep breath, then another, until I could finally speak without everything coming out at once.

“Right.”