Chapter Three
Hazel
I never dreamed things could go this far.
Dad had never been father of the year, and his erratic behavior had given me pause more than once, but somehow I’d believed he had my back, as best he could, at least. His drinking and drugging and bad companions should probably have left me more wary.
But he’d never indicated he saw me as an omega with a value he could exploit.
He had neglected me of late, and I’d worried about his health, physical and mental.
So, I’d stayed, trying to make sure he had a roof over his head and food to eat, which, as it turned out, had been a mistake.
Not the being the responsible part, just the fact that I thought it was my job.
That I believed his random kindness meant he loved me.
My father thought of me as a commodity. He put himself first in all things, spending most of his money and a lot of what I contributed on drugs, alcohol, and gambling, leaving us scrambling for rent every month and groceries every week.
If not for my tips and the local human food pantry, we’d have starved.
The power had been out more than once, only turned back on when my father had a lucky bet come through.
Honestly, as I trotted away, ducking through the shadows, I wasn’t even sad to be going.
My love had been misplaced, a mistake I wouldn’t make again.
Omegas were always in danger, but we should be able to count on our parents to protect us.
Unfortunately, that was often not the case.
I’d been pretending I had someone who would make sure I didn’t come to any harm.
Well aware of his imperfections, I pretended they weren’t going to cause me harm.
What a fool I’d been.
I was headed away from the lands when I made a sharp turn back. My friends could not be left to wonder where I went. They’d probably think the worst had happened. That my father had done something with me like he tried to do.
I moved around behind the houses and found my way to Goldie’s window.
She had her own room, and I figured I could speak to her and tell her a little bit about what happened, and she could pass it on to the others once I was gone.
Alone, with just a few dollars from tips in my pocket, and with no plan in mind except to run.
I should have known better than to think my friend would allow that to happen.
Her room was dark, but her window was pushed up a few inches for fresh air. “Goldie,” I called, softly. “Are you in here?”
No response. “Goldie? It’s me, Hazel.” Shoot. It was going to be harder to get to Augustine, but I might have to. I wanted to let them know I was safely away and not in the clutches of one of the horrible people my father associated with.
Just that thought had me nauseated. Those people had been in and out of our place since I was young. Bookies, drug dealers, moonshiners even. But when they came, Dad had me hide in my room and kept me apart from them.
I lifted the window enough to crawl inside. My friend would be in bed by this late hour on any other night, but when I approached her bed and bent over to look, her sheets were rumpled, but Goldie was nowhere to be found.
“Hazel, what are you doing here?”
Spinning on my heel, I turned toward the voice of my friend. She stood backlit by the bathroom light. Wearing a long T-shirt and knee socks.
“Oh, thank the goddess. I thought you weren’t here.”
“I’m here, but why are you? Is everything okay?”
“No, nothing is okay at all.” I lost my control and burst into tears. Nothing would ever be okay again.
“Sit down and tell me everything.”
She took my arm and tried to guide me over to her bed, but I shook my head and extricated my arm. “I can’t stay. My father has run up a lot of debt and he has promised me to these males in exchange. I have to go, but I didn’t want you to be worried.”
She planted her hands on her hips. “Now, why would I be worried just because you are all alone in the world with nobody to take care of you and, if I had to guess, with about fifteen dollars to your name.”
“I have twenty-five,” I blurted before realizing how ridiculous that made me sound. “But that’s enough to get me a few towns away, and I can get a job at any diner or coffeehouse.”
“I’m calling the girls.” She grabbed her phone from the charger on the bedside table. “We’ll put our heads together and figure out what to do.”
“No. Don’t. If they come here, someone will see them, or overhear you talking, and my father will find me. I have to keep running.”
She held up a finger. “Augustine, get Clover and get over here now. What’s going on? Hazel is running away and we’re going with her.” She spoke for another minute or so while I gaped at her.
When she disconnected, I said, “You’re insane, you know that right? Why would you think first of all that either of them would come, and secondly, why would it be a good idea?”
“Because you don’t stand a chance running into the night all alone, and you need us.
Also, we are omegas as well and in danger of a similar fate if some alpha decides we are nothing but chattel.
My parents are not in trouble like your father, but any of the elders could make the call on one of us. How long before we lose one of us?”
“It was almost tonight.” Augustine had one leg over the windowsill. She tossed a duffel inside. “We are stronger together. Get packed, Goldie.”
“You can’t be serious.” I backed up and sat on the edge of the bed. “Nobody is threatening you at the moment, are they?”
Goldie emerged from her closet with a backpack in hand. “No, not yet. But why wait around and hope for the best when we can make a life on our own terms.”
“But neither of you has much money, either. I can’t stand the thought that we might starve on the street.”
“But you’re okay if you do?” she asked, throwing underwear and bras from her dresser drawers into the pack.
“No, of course not,” I spluttered.
“Lucky you all have me,” Clover said from the window. “Now, if everyone is ready?”