The flash of irritation in Bari’s eyes made me wince. Damn. The last thing I wanted was to offend the Omega I needed to be my new BFF for the next few months. I actually sighed in relief when he just shrugged instead of seeming upset.
“No, I suppose I didn’t realize that,” he acknowledged. “As long as I’ve lived in this country, some of the intricacies still escape me at times. As I’ve already sent word of my location, there is no point to changing it,” he mused before turning back to his book with a yawn.
Bari read for a moment and then looked up at me curiously. “Although rude, his question did hold merit,” he pointed out. “While I’m certain my scintillating personality and rapier-like wit are extremely appealing, I have to wonder if perhaps another reason for you to have begun seeking out my company could be for camouflage?”
Choking for air, I couldn’t stop myself from glancing at the door, afraid we’d be overheard and my secret revealed. “What?” The word came out as a weak croak.
Bari just smiled and patted my arm. “Your secret is safe with me, dear. I’m simply curious as to why there is a need for discretion when this charity doesn’t seem to be averse to assisting pregnant Omegas,” he explained, resting one hand on his pregnant belly.
I began to chew my bottom lip, a stress behavior left over from childhood. “How did you know? My scent shouldn’t have changed yet.”
“My senses of smell and hearing are both much keener than most shifters,” Bari explained. “I could hear the infant’s heartbeat before I noticed their scent.”
“Really?” My jaw dropped. “You canhearhim?”
“Or her,” he laughed.
“Her?” My eyes widened and I swallowed hard. I was having agirl?
Bari laughed again. “I was just saying it’s a possibility,” he said soothingly. “It’s much too soon for me to be able to determine gender.”
My sigh of relief made him laugh again. “I won’t push for an answer to my questions,” Bari assured me, “and you’re more than welcome to shadow me for as long as it works, but you know that eventually others will notice, yes?”
I was still worrying my lip and began to taste blood. “I know, but my situation is a little complicated.” I shrugged helplessly. “I’m not sure what to do.”
“I understand and if you decide you want to talk about it, I am willing to listen.” Bari dropped a handful of colorfully wrapped candies on the table. “Try these when your stomach is bothering you. The taste is strong, but they will help.”
The simple act of kindness made tears well up in my eyes. “Thank you.” I impulsively leaned over to hug Bari just as Director Keir stepped into the room. Another man, a stranger, was close behind him. He was shorter than the director, stocky without being overweight. His dark blond flattop framed a classically handsome face and his oddly silver eyes seemed to shimmer as he took me in with interest, a small smile playing on his lips.
“Bari, would you mind if I had a word with you?” Keir looked past me, assuming he’d even noticed I was there.
“Of course, sir,” Bari agreed, handing his book to me. “Do you mind running that back to the library? You’ll excuse Paul, won’t you, sir?”
“Hm? Oh, yes, of course,” Director Keir agreed promptly. “There’s someone I’d like to introduce to you.”
I could have happily kissed Bari for finding me a quick exit before one of the two Alphas could pinpoint that there was something off with me, instead I seized on the excuse and ran.
Chapter Two
Silas
The drive to the Omega Destiny, International compound took less time than expected and I arrived well before dark. Actually, I arrived well before dinner -a fact that Chuck wasted no time teasing me about.
“I guess I should have known you wouldn’t miss a hot meal,” he snickered, reaching out to clasp my hand, his thumb brushing over the small, stylized sun tattooed on my inner wrist before he pulled me in for a hug.
I snorted. “Please. I learned how to cook a thousand years before you were born.” When Chuck’s grin widened, I rolled my eyes. “And, no, I’m not talking about the usual steak or burger on the grill and scrambled eggs in the microwave.”
“A likely story,” Chuck smirked as I hoisted my duffel over my shoulder and we headed for the building.
We bullshitted and traded barbs as he saw me settled into a large guest suite on the second floor of the administration building. I swiveled my head to take it in and whistled under my breath. With walls painted a pale silver, carpet in charcoal gray, and touches of pale yellow and pink throughout, it was classy and understated. “Fancy digs, man.”
Chuck grinned. “We usually save this room for the bigwigs whose donations keep us going,” he admitted, “so it’s nicer than most, but there’s a festival in town this weekend so all of our standard guest rooms are spoken for by family members of students.”
Tossing my bag onto the chair by the door, I raised a brow. “If the situation is as dire as you suggested, maybe we should get this show on the road?”
Chuck grimaced slightly but nodded his agreement. “Did you want to freshen up or anything?”
“No. Better keep those pheromones stacked until after your ward has his first dose.”
