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ONE
THE SEWING CIRCLE
Mina
* * *
I hissed,popping my fingertip in my mouth and sucking hard. It always amazed me how the tiniest prick of a needle could hurt so much. I examined my wound and squeezed it, cringing at the tiny drop of blood that pushed up in the center. At this rate, my finger was going to be littered with teeny holes.
"Careful there, youngin'," Pearl flashed a gummy smile. "Or that pretty tapestry is going to be splattered red."
I nodded politely at the elder, smoothing out the white and gold fabric on my lap. The delicate silk was dotted with tiny glass beads, feeling both rough and sleek beneath my fingertips.
"Mina." Summer leaned toward me, her frizzy blonde hair falling into her face. "Is the presence of a certain alpha too distracting?" she hummed, raising her eyebrows in a suggestive manner.
"Stop it," I whispered harshly, hoping no one overheard her. As much as I loved the young omega, she was too eager to find distractions. "Finish your embroidery," I scolded, giving her stitchwork a pointed look. Her nose scrunched as she bunched up her green and red wreath, hiding the design from me. "The festival is tomorrow, and the walls will be half bare at this rate. I swear you move slower than a turtle stuck in mud."
"You sound like my mother." Summer gave me a teasing glare. "And it's not like you'd notice the walls anyway. With Ivor there, the entire village could burn to ash, and you wouldn't have a clue. Oh!" She perked up, pointing out the window at a tall, muscular figure. "There he goes again!"
"There goes who?" Pearl's bushy brows raised at the prospect of gossip.
"No one," I said quickly, hoping she'd go back to her needlework. I pulled my tapestry up to my face, pretending to concentrate very hard on an iridescent gold bead.
"What's happening?" Helena, Pearl's twin sister, asked loudly.
The two elderly omegas weren't exact copies of one another, but their resemblance still made it difficult to tell them apart sometimes. They had the same sleek gray hair, bright brown eyes, and matching gummy smiles that exuded far too much mischief.
"Who is that?" Pearl squinted out the window. The figure strolled off, continuing his patrol of the area.
"Alpha Ivor." Summer quickly offered. I glared at her, and the brat's smile didn't falter in the least. "What?" Her voice pitched higher, feigning innocence. "It's rude not to answer your elders."
I scowled, trying like hell not to look outside, but I couldn't help it. Ivor came into view once again. He stopped and scanned the yard, a look of fierce intensity on his face.
He was so handsome.
A neat, short beard covered the sharp cut of his jaw and his dirty blond hair was a bit wild, the wind whipping the long locks into his face. He turned his head slightly, and his soft brown eyes met mine. I let out a quick squeak and snapped my head down. My face burned with embarrassment at being caught staring.
"Ivor is mighty attractive," Helena smirked, glancing between me and the window. "With his strength and your hips, you'd have very sturdy pups."
I stifled a groan and buried my face in my work.
Since the day I came of age, the older omegas took every chance they had to comment on my curvy shape and how much an alpha would appreciate it.
Hoping no one noticed me, I peeked out the window once again at Ivor's impressive form. He was so tall and broad, with muscles so thick they even flexed when he stood still. He crossed his arms, pushing his pecs together. His shoulders seemed to double in size. How was it possible for shoulders to be so sexy?
My mind wandered as I imagined once again what I'd say to him.
Ivor was kind, considerate, and wonderfully giving of his time. He had helped my brother many times over the last few months. As a new member of the guard, Nix was still learning and a bit clumsy, but Ivor never so much as raised his voice. I was determined to tell the alpha how much I adored him, but now that he was so close, I suddenly couldn't remember my own name, let alone how to tell him I had feelings for him.
I sighed hard as my courage scattered, disappearing like a mess of rabbits in a fox's den.
Pearl laughed, and Summer groaned, the elder omegas finally turning their attention to something other than me. My eyes pulled to my gray wool coat hanging on the wall. The tiny box tucked in the inside pocket seemed to hum, mocking me for being so spineless. I had carried the little gift around every day for the last two weeks, trying to gather my courage to give it to Ivor. It wasn't customary for omegas to make the first move, but if I waited for an alpha to approach me, I'd die of old age. Pathetic and alone.
For months, I had been trying to tell Ivor about the intense pull I felt toward him, but I chickened out every single time. And now, with Pearl and Helena throwing me knowing smiles and playful winks, there was no way I was going to approach him and let the entire sewing circle see my fumbled attempt to flirt.
I would have other chances to speak to Ivor.
I hoped.
