Heprah inched closer. “Being pretty is helpful, but when it comes to marriage, the most important thing is that the omega knows who’s in charge.” He thumped a fist against his chest.
Zeller realized that this man was less menacing than simply oafish. The clarity gave him confidence.
“Oh?”
“Yeah. I want the kind of omega our grandparents had. One who takes care of the house and the babies. None of this new shitwhere they go to college and have careers. That’s for the poors. Not for people like us, right?”
Zeller barely maintained his blank face. While it was true that many wealthy families adhered to traditional gender roles, was this supposed to be enticing?
Heprah clearly assumed so.
“Everyone knows Deveron Parkenson is like that—old-school—so I figure he raised you to be that way too. That making your husband happy is what will make you happy?”
Unfortunately, the alpha made a fair point about Daddy. Zeller’s omega father prided himself on being a good partner, and he definedgoodassubservient. Perhaps there were omegas out there who sought that type of life, but Zeller never would.
But he did not want to antagonize Heprah in front of his parents’ guests by rejecting him outright. He needed to extricate himself from this conversation.
“I definitely plan to make my husband happy,” he replied truthfully, plastering on a smile.
Heprah nodded. “Good. Good. Then I bet you also won’t mind if we don’t go for that monogamy horseshit either. Alphas need to fuck. And not just one omega for the rest of our lives.”
Zeller flinched. “I…um…wouldn’t know.”
“No. I guess you wouldn’t.” He licked his lips. “I like that you’re innocent.”
“Oh.”Ew.
“And you don’t have to worry. I promise to be discreet with my extracurriculars.”
Stars!What slimy rock had his fathers turned over to find this guy?
“Discretion is important,” Zeller mumbled.
“It is. That’s why I decided to be direct with you and put it all out there. You needed to understand that I’m different from the other alphas here.”
“Yes, that’s…evident.”
Heprah’s eyes lit up. “I knew you’d appreciate it. Knew you’d be an omega who wanted a firm hand. I saw you talking to everyone tonight. You looked bored.”
Zeller’s jaw ticked. “I’m not bored now.”
How could he be bored when he was speaking with the most repugnant alpha he’d ever met? Until this evening, he hadn’t given too much thought to his parents’ hints that he needed to start thinking about marriage, but after this conversation…
“How about we continue this—”
“Apologies for the intrusion,” the Parkensons' butler, Antoni, interrupted whatever foul thing Heprah was about to suggest. “Zeller, Asher requires your presence upstairs." The beta looked at Heprah. “Family emergency, you see.”
The alpha hmphed. “I guess.” He turned to Zeller. “We’ll talk again soon.”
Zeller nodded, determined that they would, in fact, never speak again. Out of Heprah’s eyesight, he mouthedthank youto Antoni.
The butler winked.
Chapter Two
Zeller
“What are you complaining about? That guy sounds like a total catch.” Asher smiled at Zeller’s animated recounting of his conversation with Heprah.
