I’d never considered that we would maybe be able to find the same omega that we all felt drawn to.
I had always just assumed I would have to eventually leave our team to find my own pack because, while they weren’t interested in omegas, I had always known that I wanted to have an omega and a family of my own.
“I was trying to calm her down,” Maverick finally said, his voice even, but he wouldn’t meet my eyes.
“You sure as hell did that and then some,” Dallas scoffed. “You purred for her, Maverick.”
Maverick’s syrupy brown eyes narrowed at the other alpha. “What, like you wouldn’t have done the same if you were in my position? You were the first one to pull her hands away from the door.”
“Hey…” I tried to cut in, realizing just how quickly I was losing control over this situation and we were about to traipse into argument territory.
“Yeah? So what if I would have, I’m not the one who’s constantly lecturing the rest of us about professional conduct,” Dallas snapped, his face twisting with anger as he shoved his glasses aggressively up his nose.
“Guys,” Brooks tried, catching my look from across the counter.
Maverick drew up to his full height. “And I’m not the one who’s picking fights with everyone because I can’t regulate my own emotions long enough not to stick my foot in my mouth.”
I was about to step in between them to stop the inevitable fisticuffs when someone politely cleared their throat.
“Excuse me,” an older man’s voice cut through the noise and we all whirled around to find a well-dressed older man standing next to Agent Hollis who had been outside guarding the door.“We knocked, but I wasn’t sure if you could hear us over the, ah,discussionyou seemed to be having in my granddaughter’s suite.”
I knew this man. I’d met him many times during my childhood and it also seemed like he remembered me too.
“Hello there, Ezekiel, or should I call you Agent Adams while you’re on duty?” Former Vice President Farrow Holloway asked, his gray eyes twinkling with amusement as he leaned on his ornate cane.
“Whatever you prefer, Vice President Holloway,” I said, rounding the counter to give the man a hug.
“I prefer you to call me Mr. Farrow, just as I’ve said every time I’ve seen you since you were twelve, young man. Now, perhaps if you are all done arguing you might show me in to see my granddaughter?”
Maverick hurried to join us, his expression completely professional again. “Of course, sir, this way.”
Farrow rolled his eyes. “You and Ezekiel are all the same. Treating an old man who is years past his political prime with too much respect. I’ll have to tell your grandfather to whack it out of you the next time I see him at chess.”
Maverick and Farrow disappeared into the bedroom, leaving me behind with Brooks and Dallas who looked confused.
“You know Lennon’s grandfather?” Brooks asked, frowning.
“My dad does. They’re a part of the same political party and now they play chess together.”
“Of course they know each other,” Dallas snorted, clearly still feeling the same urge to fight from earlier.
Brooks on the other hand looked hurt. “Why didn’t you tell us? We’ve worked together for almost a decade.”
“I didn’tnottell you, B. You knew my dad was a senator. It just never came up that he was close with Lennon’s family.”
“You could have told us when we were put on her security detail,” the other alpha pointed out. “You and Maverick.”
They were both looking at me differently right now and it made me think of all of the friends in school who had immediately changed when I told them who my father was.
Going to school in D.C. had been a nightmare growing up.
All of my older siblings had managed to graduate back in Washington state before my father’s political career really took off, but I’d been brought to the states after he had been elected and had grown up most of my life as the son of Senator Adams.
It was like having a stamp on my forehead growing up.
Children of other politicians treated me differently based on their parent’s political affiliations while others acted like any accomplishment I made was only because of who my father was.
It was exhausting then and that same exhaustion was creeping up the back of my neck now as I looked between Dallas and Brooks. They were two people who I considered my team. My family.
