Page 35 of Glitterati Omega

Rupert glanced hesitantly at him, then away. Papers rustling on the desk almost drowned out Winston saying, “I’d like to know—”

“It’s not catching,” Rupert said quickly. “It’s not … contagious, it’s nothing you can get from me.”

Winston held his gaze. “You think that’s the only reason I’d like to know?”

Rupert shrugged. “Well, wearesleeping together now, so I suppose we ought to have disclosed anything of the sort.”

The alpha sighed heavily. “Rupert …”

“It’s not nice to pry.”

Winston drummed his hands on the arms of the chair. Then he said, “All right. Perhaps we ought to establish what we think is going on here.”

Rupert furrowed his brow. “What do you mean?”

Winston held up a hand. “I thought you were perhaps interested in more than a fling.”

“Oh!” Rupert’s cheeks turned pink. “Well, I—I didn’t … that would have been presumptuous of me, to assume that anything of the sort was on the table. You’re forty-one, and I’d imagine quite set in your ways—”

“I am notthatold—”

Rupert looked away again. “And I’m not sure that I … am ready for anything. Although I’d consider it. I think. I mean, Alina tells me I’m the worst sort of omega, you know the kind. I lose my head about an alpha, then mope for weeks after, and I’m not sure that I’mcapableof a sort of … no-strings-attached type arrangement.”

Winston stared at him for a full minute, and Rupert shrank into himself. His face was on fire. “I didn’t think you’d be into that,” he squeaked.

Winston sighed. “All right,” he said, “so we both made some assumptions. I thought you were quite a bit more serious.”

“Oh,” Rupert said. “I didn’t mean to it’s just … it’s not you, it’s me.”

They stared at each other again. Rupert finally averted his gaze, muttering, “That sounded better in my head.”

The alpha drummed his fingers on the desk. “What I’m hearing is that I’d assumed you were seeking a longer-term relationship, and you assumed I was only interested in a short-term arrangement.”

“Well … yes,” Rupert said, twisting around in his chair as Winston strode by him. “I suppose that’s what happened. But I wouldn’t necessarily be opposed. If there were to be a …”

“That’s why I’m asking you an admittedly personal question,” the alpha said. He leaned against the windowsill. “I thought, if we were to make a go of something longer term, then it might be good to know about your health. But that is personal, and you may not be ready to share. I’m sorry for prying then.”

Rupert studied him for a moment, then blurted, “I had cancer.”

Winston blinked. Rupert glanced away. “It was on my right ovary, and the doctors only caught it because I’m under treatment for endometriosis anyway.”

He paused, waiting for the lawyer to ask him what the hell endometriosis was. In his experience, most alphas didn’t know much about it.

“Ah,” Winston said, “one of my sisters has that.”

Rupert nodded. “So—so. They found it—the cancer, that is—very, very early, and they took the ovary and the tube on that side. Then I did a round of chemo to make sure it was gone, because apparently that’s the type of cancer that spreads very easily, and the doctor still thinks she ought to take everything out of there, just in case it goes bad on me.”

“Oh,” Winston said, and Rupert nodded.

“That’s … that’s why I said this might be my last heat cycle. I’m supposed to see the surgeon about the remaining organs.”

Winston nodded. Rupert folded his hands in his lap. “Although, I suppose I’m rescheduling that now.”

“Yes,” Winston agreed. “I wouldn’t let you get on a plane in the state you’re in.”

Rupert frowned. “I’m not that bad.”

The alpha lifted his brows. “I can smell you from here and the window is open.”