So I did try, but right away I knew that this was not a match meant to last.
Father was right. She was a stunner, tall for an Omega with long, blonde hair and hazel eyes, her makeup flawless and her outfit on-point. She wore a skin-tight black cocktail dress with a slit up the side that showed off smooth legs and richly-tanned skin, no doubt from hours spent in the tanning beds.
She was beautiful, sure, but that was all she was. She smiled at me when I took the seat across from her at our table-for-two, wine glasses already at the ready. She gave me the once-over and pretended to fan herself, like it was suddenly too hot in here.
“Richandsexy? How did I get so lucky?” She giggled, covering her mouth. “My name is Jennifer. My daddy thought you’d be a perfect Alpha for me. He always wants the best for his baby girl.”
Gag me… “I’m Adam,” I said, picking up the menu. Small-talk. We needed small-talk before this girl started humping my leg beneath the table. She was eying me like I was a piece of prime rib. “Do you have any interests? Hobbies?”
She beamed and pulled out her phone. “Well, if you count two million Instagram followers a hobby, then sure. I’m a fashion influencer. One of the best, actually.”
Then her gaze turned a little sultry, her smile sliding into a smirk. “And Daddy doesn’t know this, but I run a little…side-project on the side. Spicy stuff, you know? I enjoy the freedom it gives me. You won’t tell him, will you, Adam?”
“Of course not,” I told her. “It’s none of my business what you do in your spare time.”
I set the menu back down, having decided on the ribeye and a baked potato with sour cream. I wasn’t that hungry, but my wolf was on edge, and I was hoping a little red meat would satisfy him.
We chatted while we waited for our food to come, and of course, Jennifer was all about herself. That wasn’t typical of an Omega, but she seemed to be the spoiled princess type. How my father could ever think this was the kind of woman I could settle down with was beyond me.
“Do you like kids?” I asked her, and she wrinkled her nose.
“Not particularly. But I suppose it’s an Omega’s job to give her family heirs to the throne.”
She sighed, tapping her long, manicured red nails over her bottom lip. “I’m worried it will make me super fat and give me stretch marks, you know? What would people think? Plus I hate puking. Like. Maybe one kid. Max. And if we could get a surrogate to carry it, that would be even better.”
I frowned, but said nothing. I thought of Fletcher, of the sorrow on his face when we’d found out he wasn’t pregnant. How much he’d wanted a baby. He wouldn’t have cared about his weight or bodily changes.
After what felt like an eternity, our food came. My steak oozed with juices when I cut into it, and Jennifer made ahorrified face. “Ew! It’s raw! Send it back. They didn’t cook it all the way through.”
“I always order my steaks rare,” I told her, popping a bite into my mouth. The meat was tender and juicy, seasoned to perfection. I moaned softly, if only to get a rise out of the spoiled princess. “Delicious.”
“Gross.” She looked down at her meal, a Caesar salad with grilled chicken and croutons, and pouted at me. “Maybe we should go vegan once we get married.”
I deadpanned. “You’re kidding me, right?”
“Why not? It’s healthy.”
“We’re wolves,” I told her. “Not deer. Not rabbits. Wolves. Wolves eat meat. Haven’t you ever gone hunting before? Eaten deer right off the bone?”
The horrified look on her pretty face told me she hadn’t. I shook my head slowly. “Besides, there will be no wedding in our future.”
This made her head snap up. “What? But Daddy said?—”
“I don’t care what your father said. I don’t even care what my father said. I agreed to a date—one date—not a lifetime of marital bliss with a woman I have nothing in common with.”
She gasped. “We don’t even know each other, Adam. That isn’t fair.”
“I’ve seen enough,” I told her. “I’m sorry, Jennifer. I’m just not ready to settle down yet. I told my father I’d go on this date to get him off my back and?—”
“What does that mean?” she snapped, her face mottling red. “You aren’t interested in me at all?”
I couldn’t help the harsh laugh that expelled from my lungs. “Honestly, no. I’m not interested in you. I’m not interested in anyone. I don’t know what people don’t get about that.”
She stood up, nearly toppling her wine glass in her haste, then threw her napkin down. “Fuck you! Wait till Daddy hears about this!”
With that, she stormed off, her high heels clicking on the stone tile of the steakhouse.
I took a deep breath, did my best to swallow the knot of anger and sorrow building up in my throat, and paid the outrageously large bill for the dinner we didn’t even finish.
