Kieran and I hurried back across the compound, trying to look unhurried despite the urgency we both felt. The Council representatives were still visible near the training grounds, Marcus a dark presence at their periphery. I could feel his eyes tracking us as we walked.
“Remember,” Kieran murmured as we approached the main building, “morning sickness. That’s all they need to know.”
I nodded, though the excuse felt flimsy. Morning sickness didn’t typically require an urgent, whispered conversation with a technologically gifted omega. But it was the best we had, and with luck, neither Marcus nor the Council would question it too deeply.
Emily was already waiting for us at the entrance to the interview room, her face composed into a perfect mask of calm concern that betrayed nothing of the
