I approached the table and took up one of the chairs opposite her. “Well, that was a little brutal. Did those two really deserve that?”
The omega opened her eyes as she straightened out. She took a few seconds to study me, and my inner alpha preened under the attention, as weird as it was. Her eyes were a light amber color, and even though they radiated a coldness, I was still drawn to them.
Hell, I wanted to throw this table aside and do things I definitely shouldn’t want to do to a stranger I just met in public.
Was this what Warren meant? That when you knew, you just knew?
The omega muttered, “If you heard what I said to them, you’re either haughty as hell to think I won’t tear into you, or you’re just morbidly curious as to how I’ll insult you.”
I couldn’t help it. I grinned. “Lay it on me.”
Her comeback was ready: “Does Delilah know you’re taking a break so early in the night? I’m sure your fellow waitstaff really need you.”
I glanced down at what I was wearing, then noticed the waitstaff bustling through the ballroom, bringing out drinks and small entrees of food. It was true: I was pretty much dressed exactly like them. Huh. That’s actually kind of funny.
I laughed. “Yeah, I guess I’m not one for fashion. But look at you. You’re wearing black, too. I think you’re the only omega here wearing that color.” She was wearing black too, probably the most simple-looking dress here—that wasn’t to say she looked bad.
Oh, no. The opposite, in fact. She looked damned good. So damned good it was hard to sit there across from her and act likeI was fine. As it was, I had to tilt my head and breathe in deeply through my nostrils to get a full lungful of that delicious scent.
Damn it. I could feel her scent in every part of me, even parts of me that should not be coming to life while in public.
The omega looked at her own choice of dress. “Oh, yeah. All my nicer dresses were dirty, so.” She shrugged after that, clearly not caring either way. It struck me then how I was so drawn to her scent, and yet she acted as if she couldn’t smell me at all.
Did she find me repulsive? That couldn’t be. If her scent was this delicious to me, surely mine had to at least be acceptable to her.
“I like the blue hair,” I told her.
“Damn. Here I thought the blue would make you alphas think I’m unapproachable.”
I laughed and said, “You really don’t want to talk to any alphas tonight, huh?” The more seconds that passed, the weirder I found the whole thing. How on earth could she sit there and act as though she was fine?
I felt like I was losing my mind, and I just met her. I didn’t even know her name.
“Why do you care? My aunt send you here undercover or something?”
“Depends. Who’s your aunt?”
“If you don’t know who I am, then I am out of your league, big guy.”
I chuckled again before I said, “You’re fun. I like fun.” And I did like fun—but I also liked a challenge. This girl, this omega… there was something about her I couldn’t put my finger on. Not only was she here alone, but she seemed totally unaffected by me. How was that possible?
“Is that why you’re forty years old still looking for an omega?”
Ouch. Going for the low blow there.
I told her, “I’m thirty, for starters. And secondly, no. I’m here because I promised my mom I would come to one of these things. She’s been bugging the hell out of me to settle down for a while. She’s been alone ever since my dad died years back. I’ve been so busy with work lately that I haven’t had the time for much fun.” She didn’t need to know the full story.
“Am I supposed to feel sorry for you?” Her tone came off flippant and annoyed.
“Not at all. I just think you have the wrong idea when you look at me.”
She remained unimpressed. “And what do you see when you look at me?”
I wanted this to stay good-natured, but at the rate we were going, that would be impossible.
“I see an omega who doesn’t give a shit about what other people think, an omega who is probably used to getting her way. Maybe a little spoiled. I see an omega whose only goal is to leave this ceremony without a single offer, an omega who’s so confident in herself and her ability to keep others at bay she doesn’t even care to have a sponsor watching out for her.”
The omega didn’t respond, which was a first. She did not have anything to say to that description of her.
