"No way," Zakariel said vehemently. "He's a pretty chill guy."
Hearing Nautilus, a powerful spirit, being described so casually as achill guywas appalling.
"I've never seen him get mad," Zakariel went on. "He's kinda like Pops that way. My Dad, on the other hand..."
I knew the one he referred to as Dad was his omega father. Even though I didn't even know him, I got defensive on his behalf on principle alone. We omegas had to look out for each other. "Your Dad has a temper?"
"Oh, yeah." Zakariel laughed, but his grin faded into a sad frown. "We actually had a fight before I came here. He blew up at me because I said something stupid."
He must blow up at you often, then,I thought. But I didn't say it out loud.
"Actually..." Zakariel paused swimming. "When you choked me out earlier, it kinda reminded me of him. Not that he chokes me," he added quickly. "But he did scruff me."
I always thought it was amusing that wolves had that loose area of skin on the back of their necks for that express purpose.
"What were you arguing about?" I asked, ready to defend his omega-father.
Zakariel winced. "Er, it was dumb. I don't want to repeat it." He shot me a sideways glance, sizing me up like he was expecting me to lunge at him the way his Dad did. "I know you won't like it."
Curiosity wormed in my belly but if Zakariel had the smarts to keep an idiotic statement to himself, then I wouldn't pry him for it, especially since he seemed to regret saying it in the first place.
"It's fine," I said. "Let's just focus on our goal."
"You got it, boss."
Something prickled beneath my skin. "Why do you keep calling me that?"
"Why?" Zakariel grinned, baring his wolf teeth. "Don't like it? I'll stop."
"No," I said, then immediately regretted it. I didn't want him to take it the wrong way and assume I actuallylikedit. Even though I secretly did, for some ridiculous reason unbeknownst to me. I wish he'd stop saying it only because the way it made me feel was too confusing to comprehend.
"Cool. Then I'll keep saying it. And I say it because you're like the boss there, aren't you? At the haven?"
"I am."
He casually shook the water off his ears, though there was no point since we were still swimming. "There you go. Plus you're big and powerful. Naturally boss-like."
I wanted to argue but his statement took me off guard. He was right. Iwasbig and powerful. But that wasn't something I heard often, or at all, from alphas. Most of them were jealous that I was stronger than them.
I decided to test Zakariel.
"It doesn't bother you?" I asked in a flat tone, swimming closer until I loomed over him. If the sky wasn't already dark, he would've been engulfed in my shadow.
"What?" Zakariel asked.
I purposely let an ominous note seep into my voice. "That I'm more powerful than you'll ever be."
Zakariel met my gaze evenly for a moment before a strange expression took over his face, halfway between annoyed and amused. He blew out a laugh.
"Unless Granddad magically grants me the ability to shift into a blue whale, then no, not really," Zakariel said. "I mean, yeah, if I'm being honest? It does annoy me."
Typical alpha. Just as I'd started to inch my guard down around him, he showed his true colors. I was glad I pushed him.
"But it's not because you're an omega. In fact, it has nothing to do with you at all," Zakariel went on with a stupid smirk on his maw. "Don't flatter yourself, Kamari. My ambition has nothing to do with you."
"Excuse me?"
"I want to be stronger," Zakariel said, his mismatched eyes seizing mine. "I know I'm better than other weakling alphas who don't deserve an omega's love. But I want to be the best. Iwillbe."
