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“Thanks for the compliment,” I said sweetly. “Now, if you’ll excuse me...” Before I could get even a few steps away from the bitch, someone else stepped into my view—a man with a smarmy smile.
“Well, what do we have here, some fresh meat on the campaign trail? Henry does know how to pick them,” he said in what I assumed was intended to be a sultry voice. He was old enough to be my father, but he wasn’t letting that stop him.
Everyone in this room only judged my worth by how pretty I was, seeing just another stupid, innocent omega in over her head.
If only they knew why I was here.
Maybe I’d have to start keeping a tab on all the secrets that would be spoken here… Take down as many of them as I could while I completed my job.
The thought of ruining their lives had the old Bailey perking up, reminding me that she wasn’t gone forever, just forced to be dormant while this imposter took her place. She’d revel in the chance to bring down the pompous assholes who challenged her values.
“It’s been an honor to work for Mr. Burke. He’s exactly what we need,” I said, and he ate up every smile and batting of my eyelashes. “I’m learning so much already!” The man was practically salivating over my innocence.
He let out a booming laugh that drew the attention of a few nearby men, and they drifted toward us. I felt more like a commodity than someone who had earned the senator’s respect. Was all of this his way of showing offan asset?
“Oh, I hear you’re the one who was responsible for the uptick in voters,” a woman praised. The beta didn’t seem as vindictive as the woman I’d already met, which was refreshing.
“It was just a well-timed visit,” I said as modestly as possible. My goal was to be underestimated and seen as innocent. They needed to believe I was willing to do whatever I could to back our senator, and if they thought some of it was dumb luck, that was even better. “The public really loves to see a senator that cares about his people.” That earned a few murmurs among them and more than one amused glance
“What do you think is next? Surely you have more ideas to keep the momentum going?”
The words came off as well meaning, but I saw the challenge in the man’s eyes. He must have had something riding on this election, though that was nothing unusual. What was politics other than an exchange of status, money, and favors?
I wasn’t about to tell them all the things I’d researched the day prior. For all I knew, they could be ready to spill our secrets to the competition, and that definitely would not win us any favors. Not willing to risk it, I chose something from the bottom of the list I’d started making and went with that. If the competition showed up there, that would only help my cause. I could figure out who the mole was and use that knowledge to take one step further into the senator’s good graces.
“The new public library downtown has a grand re-opening ceremony coming up. They put a lot of grants to good use and are having a big event. With so many important backers and community members there, it would be a perfect addition to the campaign. What better place to praise the changes and talk about plans for community development? Catering our campaign to those members of the community will only give us a boost.”
“You, as an omega, see no issue with the senator’s views?” an alpha in the crowd asked. It was definitely a test this time, so I put on a look of confusion.
“We, as omegas, have our roles in this world, just as alphas do. By instinct, we are just as protective but also are perfect in support roles. That’s why I’ve put my stock in what I do. I believe we make better behind-the-scenes help than leaders.”
My skin crawled, hating that someone actually wanted to hear that bullshit. No one was any less qualified to lead than alphas, especially not omegas. Hell, alphas were just as emotional as we could be and rutted just as fiercely when around an omega in heat.
The man who’d asked looked not only impressed, but interested now. He stepped around to put an arm around me, and he smelled of tobacco and desperation. I wanted no part of it but held my stance relaxed.
“She’s smartandwitty.” His arm holding me too tightly, he called out to the room, “Henry, you got yourself a good one over here!”
The senator’s laughter preceded him, then he walked up with a woman on his arm. I’d never seen her in person, but I recognized her right away. Mrs. Burke. The senator’s wife, an omega. I often wondered how she felt about his campaign, but I doubted anyone would know if she truly opposed it.
It was also creepy as hell how similar we were—long brunette hair, thin but curvy builds, and even our eyes and noses resembled each other in color and shape. No one else reacted, and she seemed unsurprised by our similarities, which meant this couldn’t have been the first time this happened to her.
The senator had a type, and the Omega Syndicate had to have known that before they put me here.
“She is a rare find. In fact, our security detail told me you were working late last night. I respect a hard worker,” he told me with a wink. There were a few whispers of surprise at that.
“After our success, I wanted to make sure that we had a long list of events we could attend. I’ve been doing my research and checking out every angle we can use to gain traction and support.”
I quieted down once Henry began talking over my explanation, regaling the crowd with details from my fake resume, including where I went to school and a few awards I’d apparently earned. I kept my face neutral so I didn’t seem as surprised as they were. Apparently, I hadn’t studied my new life as closely as I should have.
Thankfully, it wasn’t long before we were interrupted by the host’s announcement that dinner would be served soon. The senator dragged me to the front of the table with him, putting me opposite his wife. She shot me a glare, less than amused by the attention I was receiving, but I couldn’t blame her for it. Omegas were naturally territorial, and he was dancing all over the line of their pack.
Men like Henry often thought of omegas like trophies, and it seemed our dear senator was a collector.
I made small talk with the man next to me, who I soon learned was one of Burke’s legal advisors. He was likable enough, and it was nice to have someone to speak to as course after course of fancy tiny entrées came out. It kept me busy and engaged while I kept an ear on the chatter around us.
The entire conversation, I kept it professional but kind. I didn’t want to give my attention too freely to the people here. Burke had to feel like he was the only man that mattered in my life, which was exactly why I needed to keep Sterling and Weston at a distance.
“Tell us, Henry, what’s it like being on the front page every day?” The woman asking let out a peal of laughter that had everyone else laughing along with her, though I saw Henry’s eyes flash with annoyance. He never appreciated someone taking a spotlight he wasn’t ready to relinquish. He hid it quickly with a chuckle and gentle shake of his head. The man was a good actor, so good that anyone unpracticed in studying him had surely bought the coverup.
