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She simply gave him a flirty smile and took the second round of shots Maximo was handing out. The alcohol was a smart move; there wasn’t an ounce of tension left, and it seemed we’d all easily resolved to enjoy the evening and see where it went.
Sutton leaned over from the seat next to me and whispered in my ear, “I see you watching her, and I can smell her on you. I told you she was different.”
A shiver ran down my spine at the proximity. I held my tongue and didn’t say anything, but as Hazel shifted, her thigh brushing against mine, I knew he was right. The twins were enthralled, so focused on the omega that they barely ate. Maximo and Sutton’s alpha tendencies were both coming to the forefront, anticipating everything Hazel wanted and ordering without her asking. All the while, Hazel laughed, ate, and looked to be enjoying herself immensely, but under that laughter, I felt her anxiety rising. What was going on in her head? Would we be able to help her through it? Would she let us?
The date had been amazing.Great. Even wonderful. All those stupid words could be used to describe a night that went well, even if Valentina had left out somesmalldetails.Stop thinking about them, you idiot. As if they would ever really wantyou.My chin wobbled, and I tried to push off the intrusive thoughts that sounded like my father. That was a whole ass can of worms that I wasn’t going to open.
Cleaning. That’s what I should be doing.I should be focusing on scrubbing and organizing; maybe it would help me sort my thoughts out. Padding into the living room, I opened the door to the small laundry room and grabbed the plastic tote full of cleaning supplies. I set it down in the kitchen, grabbed a fresh roll of paper towels from under the sink, and slipped on the ugly yellow cleaning gloves we had. My friends were still asleep, so I couldn’t play any music, but I would just make do.
I worked through the kitchen, scrubbing the countertops, the entire fridge, and the floor. With each task done, something in me started to calm, bit by bit. I honestly wasn’t sure if this was some weird omega thing. Maybe it was just me? In any case, there was more to work out of my system and a lot more kitchen to clean. Grabbing the grout cleaner and an old toothbrush, I got to work on the tile floor, losing myself in the task at hand until the past came back to smack me in the face.
“Omegas are meant to serve,” my father told me sternly. All I had done was ask about getting money for a college application, which I hadn’t thought would set off a lecture. “You don’t need to go to one of thoseplacesto serve an alpha properly.”
“But Father—”
“See? You are already being defiant, and that’s only after the idea of such a thing!” He looked at me with disapproval and something akin to pity, making me instantly more upset. “You’ll never find your pack if you get all uppity, sweetheart.”
“What if I don’t want a pack?! What about whatIwant?”
“You aren’t an alpha,” he told me coldly. A shiver ran down my spine whenever I heard that particular tone. “Besides, having a pack isn’t your choice.”
What the hell did that mean?!
“Hazel?!” I jerked my head up to find Eliza and Sienna standing there in their pajamas. They were staring at me with equally concerned expressions. “How long have you been at this?”
I blinked and looked around, realizing that I had probably blacked out. I wasn’t in the kitchen anymore. I was in my bedroom, all my clothes piled on the bed, and I was apparently wiping down the empty drawer. My hands itched to continue; I wanted to refold all the clothes I had piled up high. I could almost see the wrinkles forming on the cotton as it laid on my bed.
“What time is it?” I asked absently.
“It’s almost two in the afternoon,” Sienna answered, sharing a look with Eliza who approached me slowly.
“Hazel, sweetheart, what’s wrong?” Her voice was so gentle, so damncarefulthat I wanted to lash out, scream, something,anythingto get this anxiety out of me. “Was it the date?”
I swallowed hard and let her pull the cleaning gloves off my hands. “Yes.”
“Did they try something?!” Sienna asked, anger filtering across her face. She was usually the most timid and laid back out of the four of us, but the idea of someone hurting me had her ready to fight. The sight settled me, and I managed a wobbly smile.
“No, no, they didn’t try anything.” I laughed a bit hysterically as I ran a hand through my long inky black hair. “They were perfect, actually. Funny, attentive… hot as hell.”
“They?” Eliza asked. She pushed some clothes to the side so she and Sienna could sit down and listen.
I walked over, grabbed a shirt off the pile, and folded it meticulously, making sure every crease was crisp and exact before putting it away and getting another one. My friends said nothing; they watched me slowly calm down, waiting for me to answer her question when I was ready.
“Valentina said she was setting me up with her nephew, which she did, but he’s part of a pack which included another alpha and a beta. Not to mention two betas who were also her nephews…” I bit my lip, recalling the men from the night before—Maximo taking charge and the twins’ wicked sense of humor. Sutton and Maximo took turns taking care of all of us, ordering more food or drinks, dealing with the check while we all kept talking. Zaven had mostly remained quiet, but I could feel his intense stare on me and the others in between his occasional contributions to the conversation. “They were great.”
“Okay… then why the rage-stress cleaning?” Eliza asked.
“Because they mentioned a second date.” I swallowed hard. “I don’t do second dates. I don’t dodates!”
“You deserve to be happy,” Sienna said softly as I crumpled the shirt in my hands. “Why not go on another date?”
“Besides one of the alphas being my boss? The younger nephews are the twins you pulled me away from at Neon Nights, Eliza.” I snorted when their jaws dropped. “Yeah, it’s complicated on more than one level, so it’s not just about me not dating. I can’t go on dates with my boss!”
“Well, if they ask, say no,” Sienna pointed out after a minute of heavy silence. “If it’s stressing you out this much, then don’t do it. After all, they can’t push for more if you say no. The only way things can progress is ifyouinitiate things.”
“That’s true…” I trailed off, realizing that was true.
Innormalsociety, omegas were the ones that started things, the complete opposite of how I was raised as part of the Humble Creed. Unlike the rest of the world, THC’s values revolved around alphas. Their mission was to preserve the ideals of old where alphas ruled the world. They refused to see the dangers in following this principle where the dominant had the only say that mattered. Omegas were torn apart in the streets and left for dead. Alphas maintained their power through the threat and use of sexual and physical assault. If the people were afraid, they wouldn’t try to take any power back for themselves.
