"What a waste of time. He's probably an asshole anyway. Good riddance," I snap irritably.
But I would be lying if I said something inside me didn't react, a sharp, unpleasant twist in my gut.
His face flashes in front of my mind. So young, so beautiful. His eyes were light gold threaded with thin copper lines through the irises. Yeah, I noticed that too.
And the moment he scented my neck… I need to take a deeper breath before I can look at Storm again.
"Well, for now, we're back to square one," Storm says grimly. "It's still early. We don't lose hope. Someone else might show up."
With my gut twisted, I don't reply. I refuse to engage. And I certainly don't want them to sense that I cared in any way aboutthis contract going through, because really, I didn’t! Not with him specifically. Right?
Right?!
I just want any contract to materialize. My plan is always there in the back of my mind, and it can't take off if no one shows up.
Storm and Mr. Gessler leave the hall. Gessler, however, returns fairly quickly and sits back down in his chair next to the officer, and they resume chatting.
An hour passes and Gessler leaves again, then a second hour lapses, then a third. No one shows up in this section. Maybe two or three times a lone omega walks by, glances at me, raises an eyebrow slightly, and then quickly moves on.
What a failure.
My irritation keeps building, and all of it is now aimed squarely at that young alpha.
Bastard!
Asshole!
Idiot!
All right, let’s not kid ourselves. He sparked hope in me, and then just left me hanging like that? After I gave him the green light?
It’s almost like a slap in the face, so I colorfully curse him out in my own head, feeling burning waves of anger roll through me.
I have never given any guythe green lightbefore.
Never.
I’m a fucking twenty-two-year-old virgin in everything; I haven’t even had my first kiss yet, for fuck’s sake! I’ve nevertrustedanyone deeply enough to get close. Not after what Senu went through at their hands. I couldn’t. Sex was tainted for me, something brutal and alien. Even when I watched porn, I tendedto dissociate from what I saw on the screen, so I wouldn’t feel tempted to try it.
And the one time Ididagree to have a relationship, he turned around and simply walked away.
I try not to let myself feel humiliated, but the feeling keeps creeping back in. Jerky, sickening. As another hour passes, then another, the whole situation starts to feel worse and worse.
My mood turns sour, like six-day-old milk.
Unexpectedly, I spot Storm’s tall figure approaching, with that round little red-haired omega of his walking beside him, along with Gessler.
The omega’s face, as always, holds a cheerful smile, which irritates me beyond words. Yeah, the fucker has his True Mate and gets dicked daily. Probably a good reason to sport that silly grin.
Storm exchanges a few words with the police officer. The officer picks up his jacket, which usually signals that we're wrapping things up. But why? There are still at least three hours left until the fair ends.
Meanwhile, the red-haired omega looks at me with a subtle smirk playing on his lips. What the hell is that supposed to mean? I give him an ugly grimace. I have no interest in returning his friendly expression.
Finally, Mr. Gessler and Storm step into my booth.
Storm pulls out two folding stools, and they both sit down.
Damn it, this is going to be a conversation.
