Chapter 9

Ophelia

I’d been standing under the spray of the shower, drowning in the thick steam, for nearly half an hour when my phone buzzed from where it sat on the sink’s ledge.

For a moment, my heart seized in my chest.

The last thing I wanted was to speak to Alpha Hunter when everything was so fresh and raw. I’d have to tell him what I’d learned, and I wasn’t sure I could bring myself to speak the words aloud.

‘My sister should’ve aborted you.’

No, I wouldn’t think about it. Not right now.

Perhaps not ever.

Uncaring that I was sopping wet, I tore back the flimsy curtain and plucked my phone up, swiping at the screen with slippery fingers until it unlocked with a quiet click. Relief cascaded down my spine as I zeroed in on Lucille’s name at the top of the text thread.

Wow. What had my life become that I was happy to hear from Lucille?

Lucille: You’re expected at the lounge in one hour. Keys are on the hook by the door. Do not be late. I want the place ready to open by Wednesday.

Well, that w