Finally, my gaze turned to the two men behind them that couldn’t be anything other than brothers judging by how similar they looked. Both had auburn colored hair that was several shades darker than your typical redhead. They also had a pair of matching green eyes the color of clovers, further convincing me that they were related.
The one on the left was broad and tall, looking like he preferred to take out his enemies with a tackle rather than with the weapon that he most definitely carried with him everywhere.
Meanwhile, the one on the right was standing stock straight like he had a board pressed into his back as he stared straight ahead with an expression that made me think he was as unhappy with the current situation as I was. The only movement he made was to reach up and push the black wire-framed glasses he wore back up his nose before settling back to stiff attention again.
“Are these Secret Service agents or SEAL Team Six?” I blurted out as I stared up at them in shock.
My old detail would have at least cracked a smile at my comment but all four men remained stone-faced.
“This is Maverick Onassis and his team,” Arthur said, ignoring my outburst completely as he gestured to them with a bright smile. “They worked for DSS before returning to the Secret Service to run your detail for the election.”
DSS? Why were they pulling anyone from the state department in the first place? I didn’t know the ins and outs of how security worked, but even I knew this was atypical. What about them was so special?
My mother, seeming to see the question on my face, jumped in to answer it. “They worked in high-risk areas internationally and have a lot of experience running security for targets that have the potential to be kidnapped.”
My brows rose at that.
“But you said the likelihood of what happened happening again was low.”
That was the first thing she’d told me when I woke up scared and confused in the hospital.
“And this will ensure it. These men have gotten diplomats out of hairier situations than what you were in, so I trust they can do it whatever you find yourself in too,” my mother said, not looking me in the eyes.
Turning to look at them again, I felt something shift inside of my stomach. They looked serious. Too serious for someone like me to be comfortable around.
“And how do the four of you propose that you would be better at protecting me as opposed to the people who have known me for the better part of my life?”
The main one—Maverick Onassis—finally looked me in the face for the first time since entering the office, his expressioncooling at the clear challenge I had thrown in his team’s direction.
“Your old security detail, because of their attachment to you, made glaring mistakes that left you open to danger. Our goal is to get you through the election, which means sticking to the schedule and to the protocols that the Secret Service has in place to keep you safe,” he answered in a deep voice that, despite my rising irritation with the man, sent a shiver ofsomethingelse down my spine.
Realization clicked in my mind as I frowned at him. Ever since they had walked in I felt almost aware of their presence even when I wasn’t actively looking at them. I only ever felt that way when a certain designation was in the room with me.
“They’re alphas,” I said out loud with disbelief as I wheeled around to face Arthur and my mother. “I thought there weren’t supposed to be any alphas on my security detail ever.”
It was one of the rules my father had insisted on when I awakened as an omega at sixteen years old—which in truth was probably a headache for my mother and her staff seeing as, statistically, most of the Secret Service was made up of those of the alpha designation.
Now they were putting four alphas in charge of my protection? It didn’t make any sense.
“They will be taking scent suppressants the entire time, and you have already been taking suppressants as a requirement for campaigning,” my mother hurried to say, seemingly surprised at my ability to tell what their designation was even without being able to smell them. It was one of the ways she showed how out of touch she was with her own alpha side these days. “That should be enough to keep things professional and allow them to protect you from threats during this election cycle.”
My mother had chosen to marry a beta man so she, like many alphas, underestimated an omega’s observational abilities and their awareness of everything around us.
To so many of them we were just beings meant to be sequestered away in our nests and to be protected and coddled forever, but I knew there was more value to us than that.
“Would Dad say that was enough?” I shot back, anger coursing through me at her seeming to forget one of his core rules despite only a few years passing since his death.
My mother reeled back as if I’d physically reached out and slapped her.
I knew it was a low blow to bring up my father in an argument like this, but she’d been acting so out of character these past two months since I was nearly kidnapped and I was tired of it.
“That is quite enough,” Arthur cut in, his expression cooling as he stood up. “The president has several meetings this morning, Lennon, so you will have to just deal with the fact that you have a new security detail.”
“Even if that means I refuse to do any more election stops for you?” I asked, using the only carrot I had.
My mother’s blonde brows rose as she stared at me with shock. Never before had I threatened to not help her with something political in my entire twenty-six years on this earth. I’d always been her little helper and my role had only grown once I had become an omega and was a more valuable tool to engage the omega vote.
I did it for her because I loved her and I loved Carter who couldn’t handle the scrutiny that came with a campaign, but after nearly being kidnapped I was done being yanked around at their political whims.
