I should have fought harder against him being shuffled to the side like this. I should have said if we’re doing this, we’re doing it as a complete pack, but now it’s too fucking late. We’re here. The contracts have been signed and now our beta isn’t a part of picking our omega.
Is it really picking if you don’t have a choice?
I think about Florence, about how she didn’t approach any of the known pack members last night, instead seeking out our beta, getting to know him first and foremost. And that makes my heart get all warm and melty.
Even as the knowledge that Piers is right settles over me. Someone—some alpha—hurt her and now she’s cautious of our designation, anxious about spending time with us.
As soon as we’re alone in our pack suite in the main building of the resort, I blurt out, “We need to be careful with Florence.”
All of my packmates turn to look at me. “What does that mean?” Thayer asks, his voice a threatening growl. Like he thinks I’ve already fucked up somehow. Which, let’s be honest, if anyone is going to fuck up this charade we have going, it’s probably gonna be me.
I run a hand down my face and then grip the back of my neck. “Piers noticed… she’s been keeping her distance from all of us… the alphas. I think… she might… be scared of us?”
Grieves folds his arms over his chest. If I could smell him I would bet that his scent would be acrid with aggression. Not at me, but at the implication. “Why would Ren be scared of us?”
I shake my head. “Not us specifically, but maybe alphas in general? Piers wanted me to just… warn you all that we need to be extra cautious when dealing with her.”
Forsythe tilts his head, then slides his gaze over to Grieves. “How did she seem when you talked to her last night?”
Our grumpiest alpha frowns, mulling over his words before he says slowly. “She seemed… startled at first, but she warmed up to me fairly quickly.” His gaze flicks down to his split knuckles. “Gave me a nickname.” Is that… does he sound smug as he says that?
Yeah, yeah, I think he does.
But then there’s a flicker of… guilt maybe? Or shame? I can’t read the arsehole well enough to know what it is, but he adds, “She did have a moment, just before the end of the party…” He trails off, then shakes his head, maybe deciding it's not his place to tell. “Never mind.”
Thayer arches his brows then returns his attention to me. “If she was comfortable with Grieves, I’m sure whatever recalcitrance she was feeling last night must be nerves. This is a strange way to meet a pack.”
“So I’m the most offensive one of all of us?” Grieves sounds… hurt? I honestly didn’t think that was possible. Dude’s a duck, insults just roll right off his back. What the hell is even happening to my pack? “Not Courtland who fucks anything in a skirt and most things in pants?”
“Hey,” I protest, but not very loud. He’s not wrong. I do love fucking. But it's the first time any of them have made me feel bad about my sexual appetites. Sure they’ve rolled their eyes at my antics and Forsythe has told me on more than one occasion to please try to be more discreet, but it's never been something to be ashamed of.
“If something happened that we need to know about, Grieves, now is the time to tell us,” Forsythe presses.
I wrinkle my nose, not liking that they’re brushing our beta’s concerns aside. But then… Grieves did have a full conversation with her, I vaguely remember him being absent from our group for quite a long time while the omegas swarmed around us. I’d put it down to him being a stoic son of a bitch, with very little in the way of social graces, but if he was talking with Florence that whole time…
Well, then maybe they’re right and it is just nerves.
Still, I think of the way she’d shut down on me when I’d asked if she needed a safe space. The absolute dimming of her light at the question.
I shift. “I just… I think we should be aware that she might have… some kind of trauma or something.”
There’s a long silent pause and then Forsythe gives a weary sigh. “We’ll treat her with as much respect and care as we would any other omega, Court. But we can’t be seen giving her any sort of special treatment. You know that.”
I want to argue. It's right there on the tip of my tongue to say if Florence does have some kind of trauma regarding other alphas, then weneedto give her extra care. We need to…I don’t know. Help her heal from it? But if there’s a pack in this world less up to that task, I can’t think of anyone.
Especially when we all know how this is going to go, and it's not toward a sunshiny omega who glitters with pixie dust.
The beach is even more chaotic than the pool if possible. The omegas are churning around in an excited lump, chattering and giggling with each other as we eye the obstacle course. Most of the omegas dressed for something physical, likely warned by the crew that it would be in their best interest. So there’s a slew of tight yoga pants, tiny lycra shorts and sports bras. My eyes find Florence, and I can’t help but notice she’s wearing the exact same thing as she was earlier, just with a white tank top thrown over her dusty pink sports bra. She’s tossed a pair of well-worn trainers on her feet as well.
So there wasn’t really a reason for her to hurry off like she did. Other than to avoid answering my question.
The other omegas… well, they apparently decided to go for fashion over function. There are some girls wearing skirts that probably cost more than Florence’s entire outfit. Their hair is curled and they’ve got on full faces of makeup. I even see one omega wearing a pair of heels.
The producers finally corral everyone into a half-circle facing us, barking instructions about ‘team balance’ and ‘no favoritism’—which is a laugh—and ‘remember the cameras are rolling!’ as if any of us could forget. The rule is simple enough—pick an omega, but once you work with them in a challenge, they’re crossed off your list until you’ve cycled through all the others. It gives each of us alphas a chance to work with all of the omegas. Fair. Equal. Strategic.
Except nothing about this is fair, equal, or strategic.
Because we already know who we have to choose at the end.
