2. The World Changes

"Have you heard the rumors?" Alice asked Naomi.

"Who hasn't?" Naomi didn't even ask what she was talking about, as she pulled her bright-pink swimsuit over her golden-brown skin. "You can't go anywhere without seeing people whispering in corners."

"Doesn't it seem odd to you? Nothing on the news? People commenting online, but no photos or proof anywhere?" Alice closed her locker, and they made their way to the gym's indoor pool. It was the end of January, still too cold for the outside pool.

Naomi lowered her voice and looked around to see if anyone was within hearing range, but all the other swimmers in the class were already in the pool. "One of my coworkers was invited to do the procedure. He had lung cancer, poor guy," she said, placing her towel on a hanger by the pool showers. "When he came back to work, I swear he looked younger. And taller!"

"But why is everyone so quiet about it? It's like we're not supposed to talk about this or something."

"I know. Ana, one of my coworkers, actually asked him if he was taller. She has no filter, that woman. Anyway, he just smiled at her and explained that his spine decompressed, and it's normal that he appears taller."

"Doesn't explain why he looks younger," Alice said. They got into the warm water.

"I know, right? If that machine does make people younger, then please sign me up."

"And the other rumors?" Alice insisted. She quickly looked around. They were supposed to be following a class, but both lurked at the corner of the pool, only half invested in the exercises. They weren't the only ones having a whispered conversation. The loud music and the sound of splashing made it impossible for other people to hear them.

"That the reason they only invite men to do the procedure is because they are trying to make some sort of alpha male?" Alice continued.

Naomi scoffed. "That can't be true. First of all, alpha wolves are bullshit. That study was disproven years ago."

Alice laughed. "I know, but we're not talking about wolves, and the alpha idea got ingrained into our culture. Most men like to believe they are alphas in some way."

Naomi huffed. "I know they do. I see guys on Tinder all the time saying they're ‘alpha males.' I bet they're low betas in reality." Both women chuckled.

"Bruno got invited to do the procedure," Alice confessed during a complicated exercise.

Naomi missed a step and fell in the water. When she came back up, she rubbed her eyes and looked concerned.

"You didn't tell me he had cancer!"

"He doesn't. That's why I'm worried about all of this."

"Why did they invite him, then?"

"Daniel said something about Bruno's family history having lots of cancer cases, which is true. But still—"

"Well, nothing bad has truly come out of it, right? No one is hurt by the procedure?"

"Daniel says there is a one-hundred-percent success rate on cancer treatment and prevention."

"I haven't seen Daniel in a while. Will he be at Bruno's birthday party?"

"No, he said he has too much work now. To be honest, I've hardly seen him since he started working on the Tube project."

Naomi stopped her exercise to look at her, both arms in the air.

"Tube?"

Alice couldn't hold back a smile. "Yes, it's the nickname for the machine. The real name is a mouthful, but people call it ‘the tube' because of its appearance."

"Sounds like something from a horror movie."

The instructor stopped the class to distribute some foam weights. They both grabbed the smallest ones available.

"I wonder why they haven't asked any women yet," Alice pondered.

"They are asking women. One of my neighbors had leukemia. She was one of the first to be summoned."

"I meant for those who don't have cancer."

"Oh!" Naomi stopped her exercise again and looked into the distance. "Come to think of it, I don't know of any woman who was invited to do the procedure who didn't have cancer already."

"There you go, alpha males! That's what they're trying to get," Alice teased.

"Oh, no. My Tinder is about to get worse if they are actually creating alphas." They both laughed.

Alice looked at her phone for the fourth time that evening. It had been eight hours since Bruno had entered the Tube. She wanted to be with him, but Daniel had forbidden her to be there, citing security measures. So, she was having a girls' night in with her best friends instead. The procedure was supposed to take up to twenty-four hours, so she had the house all to herself. She'd even placed a friendly bet with Daniel that Bruno would take the full twenty-four hours, to go over all the muscles he had in his ego.

"You know what they say—if it's over twenty-four hours, then it's gonna be an alpha!" Naomi teased now.

"I hate that expression." Marina huffed. "Did you know that they started calling everyone else that converted, betas? My Daniel, the beta."

Alice passed her friend a beer and gave her a smile. "From what I know, alphas are the same as betas, just more stubborn and full of themselves." Then she let her smile drop dramatically. "Oh, no, Bruno is going to be an alpha!"

Her friends laughed and she joined them on the sofa, all snuggled under a blanket. It was an unusually cold March, with polar winds enveloping the country in freezing air.

They were playing Mario Kart and drinking—Alice's version of a good time. Naomi had suggested they go to Gabriel's nightclub instead, but Alice wasn't fond of the idea. She didn't feel comfortable going clubbing while her husband was stuck in the Tube. What if she missed a call?

"Have you guys met an alpha yet?" Marina asked.

"Yes," Alice replied while she hit Naomi with a red shell. "Bruno's brother was turned into an alpha."

"What?" The other two women turned their attention from the game to look at Alice. "You didn't say anything!" Marina gasped. "And you're usually so clueless, you're always the last to know about anything."

Now Alice paused the game. "Clueless? I'm not clueless."

"Hey, don't pause! That's cheating," her friends complained.

She focused again on the game, now more determined to win.

"Yes, you are clueless. You are always the last one in the group to know things," Marina teased.

"Like what?"

"Like me being bisexual," Naomi replied.

"Not true. I've known since you tried to kiss Fernanda in seventh grade."

"Like Daniel having a crush on me?" Marina offered.

"Who do you think set you guys up?" Alice retorted.

"Oh."

"About Gabriel bein—" Naomi began, then shut up with a huff.

"About Gabriel what?" Alice asked, before getting distracted by falling off a cliff.

"He's going to go in the Tube in two weeks, right?" Naomi asked.

"Yes. I'm afraid that if any man can turn into an alpha, it's him," Marina replied.

They all laughed.

"He would become insufferable," Naomi complained. "He's already full of himself because he has half of Lisbon's women falling head over heels for him. Imagine what he'll be like after going to the Tube."

"I wonder what Bruno will look like. Maybe he'll look younger than me," Alice mused.

"That's impossible. You've got a baby face," Marina joked. "Besides, they are going to start inviting women too, soon. You will get an even baby-er face."

"Really?" Naomi paused the game this time. Alice didn't complain; this was news to her too.

"Whoops." Marina looked awkwardly at them. "I wasn't supposed to tell anyone. Please don't tell anyone."

"Sure, but now you have to tell us more about it," Alice insisted.

"Well, from what Daniel told me, they are going to start with potential cancer cases, then go by age."

"Potential cancer?" Naomi huffed. "Like we believe this is what it's all about anymore."

"I know," Marina replied. "But hey, Daniel is going to pull some strings to get us ahead in the queue."

"Why would you want that?" Alice asked.

"Hello?" Marina looked surprised. "Getting taller and younger? Also, the procedure removes all scars."

Marina looked at Alice's left arm.

Alice touched her arm above the elbow, letting her finger trace the bump of the scar there. It would be nice if that was true. It would be one less daily reminder of…

"Alice?" Naomi sounded apologetic.

"Sorry. Was daydreaming about tank tops."

Her friends smiled. To them, it was just a scar; one of many on her left side. To her, it was a daily reminder of something precious she had lost.

The game ended with Naomi in the lead, and Alice got up to get them some more beers. She checked her phone again. Still nothing.

"You know, ladies, it's just us here tonight, so we can bring out the expensive whiskey if we want to," Alice proposed to her friends.

"The one Bruno brags about all the time?"

"That exact one."

Both girls got up and followed Alice into the kitchen, woohooing in celebration of good booze.

"Wow, look at your ass!" Alice watched her husband strip to get into the shower. "It's like two peaches in a handkerchief."

"I think the saying is two eggs, but close enough." Bruno smiled appreciatively, and turned around.

Alice looked between his legs. Oh, no! No, no, no…

"You are not touching me with that thing."

Bruno looked down. "What?" He moved his hips to swing his dick around playfully. "What's wrong?"

She laughed at his joke, but she was genuinely worried. "It's huge!" No wonder every man was desperate to get in the Tube, if that was the end result.

He laughed. "We will find a way." He kissed the top of her head and got into the shower. He was taller now, like most men that went in the Tube, but he always had muscles so he didn't get more buff, like his brother did. But there was something very different about Bruno. He held himself differently, and was exuding authority.

Alice didn't quite understand what being alpha meant; the information about it was scarce. She had asked her sister-in-law about it, but the only thing she said was that her husband was even more stubborn now, and complained that they were having trouble in bed since the procedure. Alice understood that last bit a little better now. This was the sort of thing that could cause issues for a couple.

She pushed the thought away from her mind.

"Tell me more. How was the procedure itself?" She was burning with questions. "What did Daniel say? How are alphas different?"

Bruno put his head under the shower to rinse out shampoo. There was no steam coming out, so she put her hand through the curtain to test the water. It was cold. Did the heater go out again?

"Aren't you cold? I'll go check on the heater."

"It's okay. I want the water like this." He grabbed her hand to stop her from going. He felt hot.

"Do you have a fever?"

"No, meu amor, don't worry." He peeked out of the shower. "It's normal, apparently. Alphas are warmer than most people."

She leaned against the sink to watch him shower. "Tell me more about what happened," she begged.

"Not much to say. They test your blood, put you in the machine, and you fall asleep. Then you wake up, all shiny and new." He paused. "Well, all smelly and new."

"That's it?"

"Yeah, what were you expecting? A bunch of mad doctors with saws and scalpels, ready to carve you up?" He laughed.

"Maybe," she replied softly.

Three months living with an alpha was enough to give her a very good idea of what they were. They were insufferable.

Bruno always thought he was right, always had to make the decisions, and was always overprotective. And that was before the change. Somehow, it got worse. Now he could order people around, and they would obey him blindly.

"It's a command. I give an order and people are compelled to obey," he had explained to her. It was awkward during those first few days, as he kept accidentally giving orders to everyone, even their friends. Unchanged humans seemed to be able to resist his orders up to a point—at least, that's what she heard, since no one had tried it on her yet—but betas obeyed him blindly.

And just like her sister-in-law had warned her, his libido had increased tenfold. That became an issue for them, as she just couldn't handle him and his new sex drive. There was no way she could meet his increased sexual needs, and it took a toll on their intimacy. And his over-protectiveness was now bordering on paranoia. He had nearly demanded that she leave her job and come to work with him instead. He was going to start a new job for the government in a few months, and he wanted her to join him as his secretary. She took an unpaid work leave, not willing to fully give up on her career, but she still got daily texts from her boss, asking for help. Bruno had sold his company for a reasonable profit, but she was afraid they were burning through their savings while waiting for a job she knew nothing about.

Every day with him became harder to navigate.

After lunch with friends one day, she entered her home to find Bruno and another alpha close together, discussing something in low voices. At least, as close together as two alphas could be, with their imposing figures taking up more space than normal. They both stood and greeted her when she walked in, and she had the odd feeling they'd been talking about her.

"Hey there, Alice," the tall alpha greeted her. She was taken aback for a moment. She hadn't seen Gabriel since before his conversion. He had always been a handsome guy, but now… He was both taller and wider than when she last saw him. His shirt hugged new muscles, and his posture was straighter. He looked like an Olympic swimmer. And his face, which had been handsome, was now beautiful. His skin was smoother, his jaw was more angular, and his blue eyes sparkled with mischief. His hair was darker and shinier, like wavy obsidian, and his lips looked fuller. Oh, the poor women of Lisbon—how were they going to manage him now?

"I know what you're thinking: ‘How did he become even more irresistible?' Right?" He grinned at her.

She couldn't help rolling her eyes, his charming hold over her gone. "Any hope we had of you being cured of your pride is gone. I guess there are still limits to modern medicine."

He laughed and sat back down on the couch, his back unusually straight. "You guys coming to my birthday dinner next week? And I was hoping you would finally visit my club after."

Bruno greeted Alice with a kiss. "Dinner, yes. Club, no," her husband said to Gabriel without consulting her.

"Why not?" Gabriel fake pouted. "Alice, tell your husband you want to go to my club."

"Being in an overcrowded space with music that will make your ears bleed is not my idea of fun," Bruno replied in her stead.

"You're no fun." Gabriel huffed.

"Is that cute girl you are dating coming? What was her name? Maria?" she asked Gabriel.

"Nah, she isn't changed yet. It's no fun going out with basic humans anymore."

Alice was surprised at Gabriel's flippant tone.

"Did you break up with her because she's not changed yet?"

"Of course not. We weren't in a relationship or anything like that. She was just a hookup." He looked at her as if she was being silly. "It's not a breakup. I'm just not going out with her anymore."

She couldn't help but shake her head at him. "Someday, Gabriel, you'll fall for a girl and feel the same heartbreak you put these women through."

"Wouldn't that be something…" He relaxed into the couch, spreading his arms over its back. He smiled oddly, but then focused on a book sitting on the coffee table.

"What's this?" He picked up the book and flipped through the pages. "The Mathematics of Video Games. Is it any good?" he asked her.

"You know, it could be my book, not hers," Bruno joked.

"Right. When was the last time you read a book that wasn't about finance and management?" she teased her husband.

"Let me see…" Bruno crossed his arms and scratched his chin. "I think it was before we were married."

She laughed. "It's a very good book. It goes all the way from Atari to modern gaming," she told Gabriel.

"Can I borrow it?" He flipped to the introduction and started reading. "Unless your husband wants to read it too."

Her husband just ignored him.

"You can borrow it after you return the two books you already borrowed," she teased.

They heard the ding of an incoming text message and Bruno checked his phone. "Daniel finished early today. Someone was quick in the Tube. Dinner?"

"Dinner sounds nice," she agreed.

"How about you, then?" Gabriel asked her eagerly. "When are you going in the Tube?"

"I don't know. Daniel hasn't said anything yet."

Bruno headed to the kitchen. How could such a big man walk around so silently? She had the odd suspicion that the delay in her own procedure was due to his interference. Most of her female friends were already converted. The only ones in their group of friends that were still just human and didn't have a date set up were her and Naomi.

"Don't worry, they will get to you sooner or later." Gabriel glanced up from the book and smiled at her. Then he waved the book. "Can I take this or what?"

She sighed. Alphas were so demanding. "Yes, you can take the book."

"Thanks. I promise I will bring—" Gabriel's and Bruno's phones started blaring with an annoying sound. Gabriel shuffled to get it out of his pocket, and Bruno rushed into the living room with his in hand.

"What's wrong?" The intensity of Bruno's frown made her nervous.

"France. Some jerk tried to move ahead too early!" Bruno said to Gabriel, his face bunched with an intensity that scared her.

"We need to go." Gabriel got up and almost raced to the door.

"What is going on? Please tell me." She followed Bruno as he grabbed his keys and wallet. Then he turned to her so quickly, she had to stop herself from running into him. He hugged her and looked her in the eyes with such a serious expression that she would step away from his embrace if she could.

"Please stay inside the house. Don't go out unless I tell you," he told her.

"Bruno—"

"It's not safe. Call Naomi. Ask her if she can join you here."

"But what's going on?" Alice demanded.

"I'm sorry, meu amor, but I can't tell you." Bruno hugged her with all his strength, which was enough to take her breath away. "I'll call you as soon as I can."

And with that, he left the house.

Before Alice could even pick up the phone, Marina was already calling her and asking if it was okay to join her at her home. As she disconnected the call, Alice's phone rang with a text message from Naomi.

"Dinner at your house, please? There is some trouble in Paris, and the news is getting scary."

Trouble? It was a coincidence, right? She raced to the television in the living room and flipped through the channels, looking for news. One channel was showing some riots, but she couldn't understand where they were. With a quickening heartbeat, she looked for more information.

Riots, and more riots…

The images were focused on the violence, and little explanation was offered.

Alice was searching through her phone for more news when the doorbell rang.

"Bruno asked us to eat here. Something about not being safe outside?" Daniel and Marina greeted her with a quick kiss on the cheek and entered the apartment with takeout bags.

"Did you guys see the news? Something is happening in France. There are riots everywhere," Alice told them. "And Bruno and Gabriel were called somewhere all of a sudden. I don't understand."

"They are alphas. They have to keep the beta population controlled," Marina explained.

"But it's not betas rioting," Alice replied. "It's unconverted humans."

Alice showed them a news article she had found on her phone: Riots in France due to unexpected government shift.

"What government shift?" Daniel asked, quickly flipping the television channels, looking for more news. They saw fires. People throwing rocks, turning cars, shooting.

The only images of the police, were of them standing calmly in a line, taking the rocks on their shields. A newscaster explained what they were seeing.

"A government takeover by an alpha has led to riots by unconverted humans all over France. The police and armed forces are handling the situation with the use of deadly force. Some casualties have already been reported."

Casualties?Deadly force?

"I was afraid of this…" Daniel sighed, pulling Marina into his arms.

"Afraid of what?" Alice asked.

"There's news that reach only converted people, you know? Not meant for unconverted ears," Marina explained.

"What kind of news?" Alice insisted.

"We are getting a separate government system from basic humans," Daniel said. "You can't have a democratic system if betas can vote. We follow our alphas, and what they say, goes."

"You mean that if Bruno told you to vote for someone, you would follow his command?" Alice asked.

"Yes, we wouldn't have a choice," Marina confirmed.

"But then, what is the government going to do? A lot of people are converted already," Alice argued.

"I know. We are around seventy percent of the population converted," Daniel replied. "There have been talks of the strongest alphas becoming responsible for the converted population."

"But that's almost everyone," said Alice. "Why would governments allow for conversion in the first place, if they knew alphas would be in charge?"

"They didn't know," Daniel confessed.

"What?" Alice was baffled.

"No one knew that treatment in the Tube would also lead to conversion. And those who were converted kept quiet about it at first, remember?" Daniel explained. "Doctors were the first to convert, and we invited politicians next. They saw people getting younger and they jumped at the opportunity. The ones who converted didn't say anything, even took days off work. The ones who failed conversion still came out looking younger and healthier, and didn't know something went wrong."

"But the scientists who made the Tube? Why didn't they warn people they would change?" she insisted.

"Because then, people might choose not to convert," Daniel replied. "Can't you see, Alice? They are forcing change upon the world. And they are at the top of the hierarchy now."

The news interrupted the images from France to show the Portuguese prime minister getting ready for a speech. The doorbell rang just before he started. Alice let Naomi in, and both joined the others in the living room.

The prime minister's voice came from the TV. "We can guarantee that there will be no changes to our democracy, to our freedom, and to our way of life."

Daniel scoffed. "There are already changes. He's not even converted. He has no chance of ruling over the beta population."

"Why isn't he converted?" Naomi asked. "He should have been one of the first ones to do the procedure, right?"

"His conversion failed," Marina replied.

"Is that why Bruno is delaying my conversion? Does he think it can fail?" Alice asked Daniel, but it was Marina who replied.

"No, it's probably because of the stupid lists." She huffed and let herself fall back on the sofa.

"Lists?" Alice and Naomi asked at the same time.

Daniel gave Marina a warning look. She shrugged and looked unapologetic.

"They need to know. It's the most stupid rule I ever heard." She frowned at her boyfriend.

"What lists?" Naomi asked.

"When a woman is converted, converted men who are interested in said woman can sign up for… kind of a waiting list," Daniel explained.

"Waiting list?" Marina shook her head. "It's a fuck list."

"What?" Both Naomi and Alice gasped.

"It's not a fuck list," Daniel argued with Marina. "You have a list, Marina, and no one bothered you. It's to protect people from unwanted alpha advances. Besides, women who are already in relationships can just register their partner at the top of the list. And hardly anyone signs up for the list of an already-married woman."

"Why not?" Naomi asked.

"Because you can't sign up for more than one list," he explained.

Alice raised her eyebrows at Daniel. "Unwanted alpha advances?"

"An alpha can command any beta. So, imagine if an alpha is interested in a beta woman who is already married, for example. The alpha could command the couple to separate and keep the woman for themselves."

"Shit! Is that a possibility?" Naomi asked.

"No, because of the lists," Daniel said, exasperated. "Each man on the list has a certain amount of time to court a woman. If it doesn't work, then the next one can try."

"But what if you don't like men?" Alice asked.

"What if you're gay?" Naomi asked at the same time.

"It's taken into consideration," Daniel said while changing channels again. The prime minister had finished his speech, and the president was now talking. Naomi, however, didn't let the subject drop.

The news of the list scared Alice, but there was something more important on her mind right now. The sound of shots came from the television. A camera shifted from a man throwing a Molotov cocktail to a police officer shooting him dead. Everyone gasped, and the feed quickly shifted to another place in France, where people were protesting more quietly.

"Shit, they aren't playing around," Marina commented.

Everyone's eyes were glued to the television.

"I still don't understand that list thing," Naomi complained. "Why does there need to be a list at all? If alphas can control themselves to be on a list, they can control themselves to not bother women."

"You'll see things differently when you're converted, Naomi," Daniel replied. "You're not converted yet. The difference in libido is staggering. You've noticed it, right, Alice?"

Alice blushed when reminded of her husband's newfound sex drive. "So it's not just alphas?" she asked Daniel.

Now it was Marina's turn to blush. "It's everyone, have you guys been to Gabriel's club recently?"

"No, it's converted-only now." Naomi pouted.

"Well, let's just say that a few hotels have opened up around it, due to high demand."

"What? Are we gonna have a baby boom soon?" Naomi asked.

"No baby boom. The Tube locks the reproductive system until you're ready to have babies."

"Bruno didn't tell me that," Alice said.

"It's temporary. People are having sex like rabbits. It's a preventive measure," Daniel explained.

"So we've got government takeover and population control. Great." Now it was Alice's turn to fume.

"It's helpful, Alice," Marina said. "Conversion makes people absurdly horny, and improves fertility. When you're converted, you'll see. It's better not to have to rely on anything for birth control than to always be in fear of pregnancy."

"And when you want to get pregnant?" Alice asked.

"Then you go in the Tube again." Daniel replied.

They watched the news for hours. Other countries' leaders were now speaking about how the government would have to adapt to the converted population, but all their solutions were just to have alphas in charge. Riots were breaking out in other countries also.

By the time Bruno returned home, Alice was in an anxious state. He looked as distressed as she felt.

"Do you know what's happening?" Alice asked him. "Where did you go?"

"I'm so sorry, I can't tell you yet." He hugged her and took a deep breath. Then he let go of her and joined the others in the living room.

"I think the riots will go on for a while, at least in France," Bruno told the group.

"Are they replacing the whole government there?" Alice asked.

"Maybe," Bruno said. "Most of the population is converted. This could be an alpha trying to take over."

"Then what keeps other alphas from taking over too? Will there just be takeovers until the strongest alpha wins?" Naomi asked.

"There is a group of alphas that has the higher power right now. If this is happening, then they must have approved something," Bruno replied somberly.

"So, are they the ones in charge now? Are they trying to take over?" Naomi asked.

"In charge of converted people, yes, but not the rest. We are supposed to make a separate system for converted people. But what happened in France… I don't know." Bruno leaned against the couch.

Everyone looked nervously at the television. It seemed surreal that something like this could happen.

"People won't want to be converted after this. Not if it means losing your rights," Alice pointed out. It was how she was feeling right now; she assumed others would too.

"People will have to convert no matter how they feel," Bruno told her with sadness in his voice.

"What do you mean?" Alice asked him. Naomi turned away from the television to look at him also.

"There will be some restrictions to what kind of jobs basic humans can have," Bruno explained. "Conversion increases your intelligence and your mental agility, improves your focus. Who will want to hire an unconverted human?"

"But… everyone has to obey alphas blindly? Why would anyone want that?"

"Why would people mind that?" said Naomi. "You get younger, taller, healthier, and smarter. Even with the stupid list thing, I still want to convert."

"You told them about the lists?" Bruno snapped at Daniel.

Marina hid behind her boyfriend.

"Don't talk like that to our friends," Alice intervened. "Marina was being honest, which is more than I can say for you."

Bruno looked at her with hurt eyes. He pursed his lips for a moment before turning back to their friends.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you."

"It's all right," Marina muttered, still half hidden.

"Well, I guess I should come clean then," Bruno said. "I need you to convert as soon as possible, Alice."

"What? Why?" she asked, surprised.

"I want you to come work with me, but you can't until you're converted."

"What? But you said you already had everything worked out."

"I know, meu amor, I know." Bruno pulled her closer. "But this is a new restriction I have to follow."

"I can go back to my old job. We will be fine," Alice offered instead.

"No, no way you are going back!" Bruno said, surprisingly angry. He took a deep breath. "I'm going to be one of the alphas in charge of the converted population. I need you with me."

Everyone in the room gasped at the news, and congratulated him. Daniel and Marina seemed particularly pleased.

"I will look at available dates as soon as I get to work tomorrow," Daniel said.

"I…" Alice didn't know what to say. On one hand, everyone made conversion sound like a fantastic thing. But on the other, she felt like she would lose control of herself if she went through with it.

Bruno pulled her near the window and held her face gently in his hands.

"I thought you wanted this, Alice," he told her gently. "You know you can't stay unconverted forever."

"I know…" Alice hugged him. He was so big now, but her head still fit perfectly on his shoulder. "But I'm afraid of it at the same time."

"I know, meu amor," Bruno whispered. "But I promise it will be okay. I'll make sure of it."