2
Owen
“Didyou see thealpha who just walked through here?” Lucian Bracknell, Owen’s patient, asked. “He came through the dorm with Counselor Torres and I spotted him while I was making my way to come see you. I’m pretty sure half the other guys in this place did, too. Do you know who I’m talking about? The alpha in the suit? And the dark stubble? Andthoseeyes.”
“Most people have eyes, Lucian, alpha or not,” Owen replied, dodging the subject. He’d more than seen the alpha—he’d run into him. It had been a few hours since their paths had crossed, but Owen’s skin still tingled in anticipation of Mr. Daniels’touch.
“Buthiseyes were different. When he walked through the hall with Counselor Torres, I was on my way to your office, and… he looked at me. Oh my god. I’m surprised my knees didn’t turn to jello. It was like those eyes pierced me all the waythrough.”
Owen twisted in his chair, trying very hard not to think about how the alpha’s steely dark gaze had pierced him and left him feeling vulnerable. The things those eyes made him feel weren’t normal. Owen blamed the remnants of his heat. He’d only just returned to work, and sometimes he was still sensitive to an alpha’s smell for a few days after the last oppressive symptoms stopped. That had tobeit.
“And the suit he was wearing?” Lucian continued. “He was… umph. That’s the only way I can describe it. Tall, dark, and handsome. Brooding.Powerful…”
“Well, let’s try to spin this into something positive. How can we turn this toward a growth mindset?” Owen clicked the top of his pen. “He looked at you, but did you lookathim?”
“You bet I did.” Lucian laughed. “I don’t think I could keep myself from looking. That’s the kind of alpha that demands respect. You think he already has an omega at home, waiting on his hands andknees?”
“Lucian.” Owen frowned. “That’s not very forward-thinking. Omegas aren’t meant toserve.”
“Equality or not, I think I would lick the floor if a man like that askedmeto.”
“Lucian.Focus.”
“I’m sorry, Counselor Ellis.” Lucian sighed. “I really have been listening and learning, and I’ve even been doing the exercises you gave me the last time we met. It’s just… there’s something aboutthatman.”
Owen understood what Lucian was feeling all too well. The touch of the alpha’s hands lingered on his arm, and the low, rolling sound of his voice still echoed in Owen’s mind. The dark pools of his eyes drew Owen in and refused to let him go. Even now, Owen felt like he drownedinthem.
Mr. Daniels. The name wasn’t familiar, but there was no way a man like that didn’t have influence. As soon as Lucian’s session was over, Owen was going to Google him. With any luck, he’d be a donor with limited investment in Stonecrest, and Owen would never see himagain.
Ifnot…
Owen didn’t want to think about it. A simple touch was enough to rewire his brain and make him crave the alpha’s touch, and he didn’t do alphas. Not since what had happened when he was sixteen. The less he saw of Mr. Daniels, thebetter.
“Let’s use him as a hypothetical, then,” Owen said, determined to continue the session as best he could. Lucian had made tremendous progress since he’d been admitted, but there was still a long way to go. “Let’s say you meet a man like that in public—an influential alpha who speaks to you on a level you can’t begin to process. What doyoudo?”
“The Lucian I am right now would drop to his knees and do whatever he tells me to do.” Lucian stuck out his tongue. “But I’m pretty sure that I’m supposed to remember my counting techniques to keep my mind focused on other things, right? Because the simplicity of counting is familiar and grounding, and it should help give me the strength to either conduct myself as his equal, or excuse myself from the situation if I feel like I can’thandleit.”
“Terrific.” Owen smiled. “What about other coping techniques? It’s natural to feel submissive sometimes, especially when your heat isencroaching,but…”
“But as human beings, we all deserve to be treated with the same amount of respect, and I don’t have to be subservient to anyone.” Lucian beamed. “So if my head’s on straight enough, I can reason with my primal impulses using that logic. In the end, we’re all responsible for the way we conduct ourselves, and it’s my duty to stand up for my own rights as much as it is an alpha’s to respect those rights, and understand that my skill sets are as vast, varied, and as valuable as anyoneelse’s.”
“Bonus points for the V Team,” Owen said, holding back a chuckle. “Sounds like you’re gunning to take myplace.”
“You’re being way too nice.” Lucian winked. “You haven’t even heard me talk about self-care yet. Wait until you hear all the things I’ve been learning from you about taking care ofmefirst.”
Hearing a battered omega say those words was worth every moment of struggle and heartbreak. When Lucian had come in to Stonecrest, he’d been quiet, sullen, and convinced that he was only as good as his mouth and his ass were. He’d since blossomed into a smart young man with growing confidence who knew he deserved a place in the world. It wouldn’t be long before he finished his rehabilitation and was reintroduced to society. Owen couldn’t wait to see what he’d do when equipped with the tools he needed to succeed. So many of the omegas who’d graduated from Stonecrest’s rehabilitation program were doing fantastic things with their lives, and Owen was proud of each oneofthem.
He was sure he’d be proud ofLucian,too.
“Why don’t you tell me about them?” Owenasked.
“Well.” Lucian grinned. “I could, but you’re the one who told me in the first place, and I’m not too interested in repeatingmyself.”
Owen snorted with laughter and shook his head. Lucian’s confidence was showing, and it meant that he was ready to get out in the world and find a job. Owen would look into getting the appropriate clearances soon. There had to be at least one open position at a local shop that Lucian could use as practice. “Your confidence isshowing.”
“Is it?” Lucian looked pleased with himself. “Sorry. Let me tuck it back in. Sometimes it just slips outlikethat.”
Owengrinned.
