There was no recourse for a chaperone who abused their position, that Chase was aware of.He wasn’t sure it had even been considered, never mind put into law.Everyone just believed in the role as protective, to safeguard omegas.
“He’s super possessive.He’d never let anyone hurt me or take me away, but?” Lucky stopped abruptly, but his meaning was clear.
“But…hecould hurt you.”
“Sorry.”Lucky laughed and scratched his neck.“Let’s go in and eat.I’ll pay.”He stepped away before Chase could stop him.He didn’t look back until he’d opened the door, bottom lip between his teeth, like he was hoping Chase wouldn’t mention it again.
Reluctantly, he set aside the Lincoln problem.Chase was part of the Student Advisor group, who were the halfway point between students and official complaints—they could discuss this and find a solution, even if it only applied on campus.
Chase dropped his cigarette and ground it out.Laying his hand above Lucky’s on the door handle, he flashed a faint smile.“Make it ten and I’ll pay.”
“Gods, who knew you were so stubborn.”
Chase opened the door and let Lucky head in.“I’ve got three older siblings and one younger.I had to be stubborn to survive,” he admitted, basking in the faint laughter that inspired.
“Hi.How can I help you?”The waitress approached Lucky with a beaming smile.
“Table for two.”Lucky removed his phone from his pocket while the woman glanced at Chase.He didn’t understand the delay because he could see a dozen empty tables.When Lucky noticed that she hadn’t left, he cleared his throat.“Unclaimed.”
The waitress led them to a table on the far left of the café, behind a full-height partition.Chase had never sat there before, having always considered it claustrophobic, the bottom half wood and the top glass.Lucky didn’t argue so Chase kept his mouth shut until the waitress handed them menus and said she’d return in five minutes.
Lucky read the menu, but Chase couldn’t ignore those quick glances, as though he wanted to speak but didn’t have the words.
“Does that happen often?Being asked if you’re claimed or unclaimed.”
“You don’t hang out with many omegas, do you?”
“Other than my mother, the rest of my family are alphas.Most, if not all, of my friends are alphas,” Chase admitted, refusing to apologise because it wasn’t intentional.
Lucky made a face and crossed his arms on the table.“Omegas sit in separate sections if they’re unclaimed.Even though we’re on Heatwave to control the strength of our slick, it can go wonky when we’re close to our twenty-first birthday.Legally, we’re not allowed to sit in so-called ‘adult’ spaces, because we run the risk of causing a riot if we exude even a tiny slip of slick.”
Chase had never had a conversation with an omega who would mention slick in public, but he’d never heard anyone discuss it so freely in front of an alpha.It wasn’t considered polite or normal, but he loved that Lucky didn’t care.He really was no different now than when in class.
He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t fascinated.He’d read one of Lucky’s essays on the class forum online, where he went into great detail about the reproductive organs of omegas.His honesty was brave and bold.
Chase had fooled around with a few betas since he came of age and knew about the skin folds that protected their chamber until their first heat.He’d never realised how different it was for omegas until he’d read Lucky’s essay.A beta automatically opened to stimulation, but omegas were ruled by their heart.If they weren’t emotionally invested, there would be no slick.
“What about alphas?We can use flare to influence omegas.Heatwave is supposed to protect you from that, but an ‘adult’ omega doesn’t have that protection unless they’ve found their true mate or been bonded.Aren’t we a liability to unclaimed adult omegas?”If he followed that reasoning further, that would suggest all alphas and omegas should be separated unless they were claimed.
“But who will tell alphas what to do, where to sit, or how to behave?”Lucky countered, his raised eyebrow as devastating as an eye roll.“Only alphas can hold positions of power within the government.Alphas make the laws, pass the laws, enforce the laws.Omegas just stand three steps behind, wringing our dainty hands, worrying about the dishes and whether we left the stove on in our sad, confused state.”
Chase fought a smile.“You are, by far, the most interesting omega I’ve ever met.”
Lucky blushed, then promptly ignored him to read his menu.“I want sprinkles on my ice cream.”
“How about fudge squares?”
“I prefer brownies.”
Chase nodded, a smile breaking free.“That doesn’t count as one of your ten.”
Lucky pursed his lips.“Do you intend to ask questions or should I just throw facts at you?”The hint of teasing in Lucky’s voice sounded fond and approving.
He was surprised Lucky would give him the leeway to ask questions, but it was a tempting offer.“Let’s see how we get on.If we leave here without all ten, you can fill them in later,” he decided, hoping the walk to campus proved as illuminating as the last five minutes.
“I’m not that interesting.”
Chase doubted that, but he’d be happy to prove Lucky wrong.
