I left all pretenses behind and rolled my eyes. “I have a wonderful life now. Great friends, a fulfilling job.”
He gave me a condescending look. “But you don’t have a love. And with me as your alpha, you’d never have to work again. I’d take care of you in every way. You wouldn’t have to do housework or cook. You’d be totally pampered.”
“Yeah, I’d just have to give you sex on demand and bear a bunch of kids.”
“But you’d want to have sex, and the kids would be yours, so what would be so wrong with that? Once you’re claimed, you’ll see things differently.”
He sounded so sure of himself, but he had to know none of that talk was enticing to me. Surely, Chilli had told him that I was no fan of being an omega and that I was headstrong. Was he being this way as a test? Did he like that he was getting to me? If he was trying to court me, it was not working. I could easily see why my father didn’t pick him. Chilli didn’t know me at all. She probably just saw this guy’s pedigree and found him perfect on paper. Or he simply put on a good show for her. In a way, I was thankful that he was letting his true nature shine through. I was ready for this date to be over.
I looked to the bartender, hoping to get her attention for the check, but she was busy at the other end of the bar.
Anil raised his hand to signal the bartender, doing a great job at reading my mind. That was witches for you. “I know we didn’t get off to the best start, but I think we challenge each other well. I can teach you things. You can teach me things. Let’s get through the growing pains.”
He made it sound reasonable. Only, I guess I wasn’t reasonable because I wasn’t convinced he was the one I wanted to learn anything from. He didn’t seem so wise. “How old are you?”
The bartender brought the check back, and he instantly grabbed it. How chivalrous. He wasn’t a total jerk. “I’m 110. Is this the part where you ask about why I’m still single?”
Damn. He didn’t look a day over 30. Those slow-aging witch genes were better than any age-defying cream. “It’s a fair question. Most omegas and alphas get paired up before 25. Why didn’t you? Weren’t winning the women over with all the sexist talk?”
He placed a credit card down and slid the bill toward the bartender. His face seemed very unfazed by the question, which irked me because I kind of wanted to get under his skin like he had mine. “I’m picky. As we all should be. Omegas are harder to find in general, but I didn’t want just any omega. I wanted one who was smart and powerful. I know what I bring to the table and I—”
I threw out my hand in front of him to cut him off. “And you want someone who matches your energy and power. Which only makes sense if you’re looking for an equal, which clearly, you are not.”
He scratched his chin, considering me. “Fair enough. I very much think you are my match. And I’m sure I’m yours. We just have different understandings of what being equal means.”
I’d heard enough. This guy was full of himself and he wasn’t getting a fan out of me. I stood up. “It shouldn’t be this difficult. It was interesting meeting you.”
He stood as well. “Think about what I’m offering. But not too long. You can fight your nature, but your nature doesn’t need to fight you. I’d hate to see you caught out there and end up with just any alpha just because you went into heat unprepared.”
I gave him a curt nod. “You don’t have to worry about me. No one’s more concerned about me than me.” I gave him a peace sign with my fingers, spun around and walked away, still unsure what the hell Chilli was thinking.
CHAPTER12
TY
To say Billie was annoyed was an understatement. I’d heard the whole exchange despite my efforts to ignore them. I had to admit, I wasn’t surprised by how the meeting ended up.
Part of me was thrilled to see that this option was dead in the water. Better chance for us. However, I had another issue that tore at my insides. It could possibly set us back, and I wasn’t eager to raise it to Billie. But, I also wasn’t one to lie.
When we got back to her place, Billie tossed her purse on her kitchen counter and kicked off her shoes with force, her face still set in a scowl. “The nerve of that guy. For real, he was so arrogant. Why would Chilli think he was right for me?”
She shrugged out of her coat and threw it over a dining room chair. She had a perfectly functioning coat closet that she seemed to rarely use. The neat freak in me resisted the urge to put it away, at least not while she was looking.
I didn’t like seeing her angry, and the last thing we needed was her meeting an alpha that supported all her negative beliefs. However, that alpha wasn’t unique, and she wasn’t a child requiring shielding from the world. If we were ever to have a chance with her long-term, she had to come to the decision on her own, and she had to have the whole truth.
“Do you want anything to eat or drink?” I asked, walking into the kitchen.
She glanced over to me as if noticing me for the first time, her face relaxing. “No. I’m sorry, Ty. I should be asking you that. I’m a horrible host.”
She looked around the kitchen, seeming lost, fanning herself with her hand. Was she burning up again? With her just becoming an omega, her body was adjusting, and she was probably inching closer to a full-on heat. Mini heats before the first one weren’t uncommon occurrences. I went to the thermostat and adjusted the heat.
I looked down at the tile floor, dreading the upcoming moments. “Can we sit and talk for a moment?”
“Uh-oh,” I heard her say as she walked past me. “That doesn’t sound good.
I wordlessly followed her to the couch, and we sat down. “I didn’t want to keep this from you. I know Anil. He and I used to be friends.”
I paused, expecting her to give me a skeptical look, but her face remained poker player blank.
