“This is on us.” Hale waves his hand like it’s nothing. “What happened wasn’t your fault. Consider it water under the bridge.”
“For you, maybe,” Calder mutters scathingly under his breath. “I still have bruises on my knees.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t have resisted,” Riven comments while mopping up some ranch with his crust.
“I really am sorry for how Warren and the cops treated you.” I hope they can sense my sincerity. “I haven’t spoken to my dad since it happened. I didn’t mean to drag you into our Sinclair family drama, and I shouldn’t have lied to you about my real name. Maybe now you can see why I did.”
I select another slice, mouth watering at how the melty cheese stretches.
Calder lets out a loud exhale of air. I expect he’s going to come back with another snarky remark, but instead, he says, “I get what it’s like to have a family in the spotlight.”
I want to ask him more, but Riven holds out a pizza box which has everyone clambering and rock-paper-scissoring to get the last slice, which I politely decline. After Calder comes out as smugly victorious, I turn to Ezra.
“My friend, Faye, told me that you’re taking a break from teaching.” He scrubs his cheek, paying special attention to the food on his plate. Guilt bubbles in my stomach. “Is it because of what happened with me?”
Ezra shrugs. “Dean Rivers is only being cautious.”
Suddenly, I’ve lost my appetite.
“He can’t do that to you.” Their heads snap up when I slam my fist down on the table. “I’ll speak to the dean and fix this. I was actually doing some research earlier. Wait here.” I jump up and scurry over to my bag to get out a stack of printed paperswith my scribbled notes on them. “He can’t fire you over what happened. I have a whole argument drawn out and prepared.”
“You did research? For me?” Ezra’s dark eyebrows shoot up his forehead. “To save my job?”
“Of course, I did.” I drop the papers in front of him with a whack. “I’m a law student. And from what Faye says, you’re a good teacher. I’m not going to let this rest until you’re back in the greenhouse.”
Ezra flicks through the pages, eyes wandering. “You didn’t have to do this.”
“I know, but I wanted to.” A flood of passion gives me a burst of fresh energy. “My father can ruin my life, but I’m not letting him ruin yours too.”
“I’m guessing your father’s pretty controlling?” Hale scratches his stubbled chin, giving me his undivided attention.
“He sent out a full-scale search party because I evaded campus security.” I cock an eyebrow. “Does that answer your question?”
Calder tilts his head. “You know, you never did mention how you managed to get out of SVU without anyone seeing you. The place is covered in cameras.”
I clench my thighs as the memory of his tongue exploring between my legs comes to front of mind. “Ezra took me through a hidden passageway.”
“I had to get her out fast.” Ezra’s voice thickens, like the words are stuck in his mouth, making me wonder whether he’s also mentally reliving what happened between us. “It was the quickest way. I did what any alpha would have done.”
His words sting, making me recoil. Of course, I was just an obligation to him.
“Regardless,” I change the subject, not wanting to linger on his comment, “I told my dad that I won’t be following his ordersanymore. After the fake Blandon Pack fiasco, maybe he’ll finally stop trying to set me up with available packs.”
Hale looks up from his food sharply. “He’s trying to find you a pack?”
“Of course.” I point to my face. “I’m an omega, remember?” I roll my eyes. “All he wants is for me to bond, settle down, and have babies.”
“Do you want to find a pack?” An unreadable expression crosses Hale’s face, leaving me wondering what he’s thinking.
The atmosphere seems to shift. My pulse quickens, the casual getting-to-know-each-other vibe seeming to have escalated to something more intense.
“I’m not interested in a pack,” I state flatly. That’s still true, right? “I’m independent. I have my own dreams, and a pack would only hold me back.”
“See?” Ezra leans back in his chair, arms behind his head, almost smugly. “I told you.”
“What if you joined a pack that was different?” Hale holds eye contact with me, my palms sweating from the intensity. “A pack who could help you follow your dreams? A pack who would support you?”
“Faye recently bonded with a pack. A good pack. But I know how bonding works.” I chuckle sardonically. “Even with the best intentions, you end up making compromises because of your love for each other. I don’t want to make compromises for anyone.”
