She’s a great girl, but the spark just wasn’t there.
So sweet and genuine, but what can you do? The heart wants what it wants.
It’ll make them look thoughtful and kind and like they’re here for the right reasons when really it’s all for show, and I’m just a prop.
“Florence,” Forsythe’s voice hits me between my shoulder blades, making me wince. “A moment?”
I school my expression before glancing under my armpit at him. “I’m busy.”
Tamsin sucks in a sharp breath, but she keeps holding her downward dog, which is good. Tristan snorts and Petal makes an adorable little growling sound at the prince.
“Okay,” I say in my best soothing voice. “Everyone make your way to the top of the mat. Forward fold. Generous bend in your knees to help stretch the lower back.”
“Florence.” The prince grits out and when I look at him again his hands are fisted and his jaw is clenched tight.
“Ground down through your feet. Really press your toes into the mat as we roll up to mountain pose. Hands together at the heart. Close your eyes and take a deep breath in.”
“Ren,” Lulu hisses at me, followed by the snap of her fingers. With a sigh I open my eyes and find her glaring hard at me before she points at Forsythe. The order is clear.
But… I just really don’t want to hear what he has to say. I don’t want to hear an apology, or a gentle let down or a ‘you knew that was coming, didn’t you?’
“Fine,” I say, sharper than I’ve ever been while leading a class. But that’s what this pack does, what this situation does, makes me prickly. Haven is going to be so disappointed when I come back not as her sunshine girl, but as a stormy little raincloud. “I suppose we’ll leave it there.”
“We’ll put the mats away, Ren,” Petal says softly, reaching out to squeeze my fingers, while Tristan folds his arms over his considerable chest and glares at the prince. Which is a new development. He’s usually all simpering smiles and outrageous flirting.
“Thanks.”
The male omega slides a look my way. “If you need help later with some deeper stretches, I’m available. We can really get in there and work out any tension you’re feeling.”
I can’t stop the smile from forming on my lips. I know exactly what he’s doing. The self-satisfied smirk on his lips when Sythe lets out a low growl tells me he got the reaction he wanted.
“I’ll let you know, Tris. I really appreciate the offer. I do have a lot of tension to work out, so it might take a while.”
He bends and presses a kiss to my cheek, lingering for a moment, before he murmurs, “Go get ‘em, tiger.”
Forsythe is seething when the male omega pulls away from me, knuckles white. But he only gives me a polite nod when I arch my brows at him. “Shall we?”
I follow him through the pool area over to a white curtained cabana, with two lounge beds inside. The rest of the pack is there, waiting, tense. Even Piers is lingering at the edges of the space.
Steady, Florence, don’t let them see they’ve hurt you.More importantly, don’t let thecamerassee.
With that thought in mind I straighten my shoulders and lift my chin. Sythe’s hand brushes against the bare skin of my lower back sending a jolt through me, but I keep that reaction on lock down, and resist the gentle nudge to move further into the cabana.
“Bubbles,” Grieves murmurs, dark grey eyes latched onto me, elbows on his knees, hands clasped between them. “Sit down.”
“No, thank you, my lord. I prefer to stand. I’m sure I won’t be here all that long. After all, I’m rough around the edges and over enthusiastic and unpolished. Very…midrange. Would hate to force you to spend time with someone like that.”
“Pix, come on. Don’t be like this. You-”
“No,” I hold up a hand to stall whatever he’s going to say, because I can tell it's something like, ‘you can’t be mad at us for this when you’ve always known where this was going’. “You don’t get to tell me how to feel about anything, my lord. I can be exactly like this after- after-” My fists clench together and my chest gets tight and hurt and frustration seep up into my throat, into my words. “After youembarrassedme like that.”
“That was never the intention, killer. You must know we would never want to hurt you.”
I bark out an unamused laugh. “Right. Let’s see, what did you say to other omegas to let them down gently? ‘Technically perfect but missing the chemistry behind it.’ ‘Graceful, elegant… it just felt like something meant for the cameras, not for me.’ ‘Lovely energy, but it felt more like a greeting than a kiss.’ Whereas I got… downrightinsulted. Seems pretty intentional to me.” They all exchange a look that I don’t bother to try to decode, instead I squeeze my eyes shut and pinch the bridge of my nose, like that will help alleviate the stinging in my eyes, the threat of tears. “I assume I’ll be sent home tonight? That’s what you wanted to let me know, right? That’s why you wanted to speakto me. It's really not necessary. I got the second lowest score. Of course I’m going home.” I drop my hand and open my eyes. “Are we done now, my lords?”
A big broad palm lands on the back of my neck, squeezing gently, easing a lot of the tension I’ve been holding since Forsythe approached my tiny little yoga class and asked to speak to me.
I hate it.
