Stupidly intelligent problem solving alphas.
“Your pack isn’t supposed to be here yet,” Lulu babbles. “We’re filming the omega arrivals. This isn’t your cue, Th-Lord Ashbourne.”
He ignores her. His gaze stays fixed on me.
“Do you disagree?” he asks, head tilted like a bird.
It takes me a second to realize he’s referring to what I’d just said about the money. My mouth goes dry. Embarrassment flares, making me stumble over my words. “I-sorry?”
“You made an assertion,” he says, as though this is a seminar. I recognize it, because over the last month I’ve watched more of his lectures than I care to admit. “About being ‘told you have no chance.’ I’m curious whether you agree or disagree.”
My stomach flips. An alpha stepping toward me without warning should send me into fight-or-flight, but there’s something oddly grounding about him. He doesn’t lean in, doesn’t crowd me.
Just… watches. Blue eyes intense behind his glasses.
I can just see him doing this at the front of a lecture hall, waiting out a student as they form their argument for him after he’s put them on the spot.
Which must be why I freeze at first, before I force myself to straighten. “I think…” My uncertain gaze moves to the other omegas clustered at the end of the dock, so shiny and fresh faced and hopeful of the future with this pack. Whoever they pick will become a literal princess. And it's likely that a princess shouldn’t have PTSD and nightmares and a scarred body.
“I think if you were the right pack, I’d have a chance.”
One corner of his mouth lifts. Not quite a smile. “Ah, so the fault is with us, then?”
I shrug. “No, I just think some people aren’t compatible. And I’ll be compatible with therightpack. But this isn’t…” My brow wrinkles as I consider how to put this in a way that won’t offend Lord Thayer Ashbourne.
“This isn’t what?”
“Given this set up. Given who your pack is and who I am… It’s pretty clear now that we won’t be compatible. I can’t imagine fate would pair me with a pack that lives a twelve hour flight from my family.”
A soft huff escapes him, almost a laugh. “Fate?”
The tone with which he utters that single word tells me all I need to know about how he feels about it.Doesn’t exist.
I’d hazard a guess that the Ashbourne Pack and their ilk don’t see many fated mate pairings. They probably all have arranged bondings with respectable, noble born omegas. They’ve never seen the way that Haven’s pack looks at her, like she’s the center of their universe, the best thing that ever happened to them, their heart living outside of their bodies.
“Fate,” I repeat back to him with every ounce of resolve I can muster.
Thayer’s head tips again. Those blue, blue eyes of his scouring over me from head to toe, like I require a second look. Like my belief in fated mates is a novelty.
“And you don’t believe fate would have paired us together?”
It feels like a trap. Like no matter what I say, I’ll be wrong. If I say ‘definitely not’ he might be offended, thinking I’m disparaging his pack. If I say ‘stranger things have happened’ it might come off as coy, blithe, dismissive. And If I say something like ‘of course fate would pair us together,’ I’ll definitely look like one of those crazy omegas who fall in love with the pack at the first glance and cry when they’re let go on the first night, declaring their adoration through their sobs as they’re escorted out.
I glance around, looking for a way out. Lulu looks like she might pass out from the stress, eyes Ping ponging between the two of us.
“Dr. Ashbourne,” she hisses, coming to my rescue, though I don’t think that’s her intention. “You really do need to go. We want the omegas seeing the pack for the first time tonight, not… now. Not here. Certainly not yet. The cameras aren’t running.”
Thayer’s eyes don’t leave mine as he says, “My apologies.” Then, to me, with a subtle dip of his head. “Omega.”
My breath stutters, and all the muscles in my lower belly unexpectedly go hot and melty at the single word uttered so…intimately.
Asshole.
He turns and walks away, back toward the path leading to a roped off area meant to keep omegas from wandering, but he glances once over his shoulder, eyes narrowing slightly like he’s filing me away for later.
Lulu exhales so hard her shoulders drop. “Okay. Wow. That’s… not how we planned your first impression.”
I can’t look away from where he disappeared behind a row of palm trees, humming in agreement.
