The noise of the ceremony pressed in from all sides—applause, murmurs, the scrape of chairs against the floor—but Iva felt strangely detached from it all, as if she were already standing on the other side of something final.
She leaned closer to Lori and whispered, her voice low but steady,
“I need to go to the restroom.”
Lori turned to her at once, brows knitting together. “Now? Are you sure? Not everyone received yet the diplomas, plus that the Alpha is about to give the final speech.”
Iva pressed a hand against her stomach, forcing a faint grimace onto her face. “I think I ate something bad. I have really bad cramps. I don’t think I can stand here much longer.”
Concern flickered across Lori’s features. “I can come with you—”
“No.” Iva caught her wrist gently but firmly. She shook
