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“Our bond is strong,” I assure her. “I suspect they favor the same Omega I do after the ceremony, but we’ve agreed not to talk about it until we’ve spent some time with them.”
“How serendipitous then that that’s the plan for the day,” she muses sarcastically. “Have you decided what you’re going to do while you’re getting to know them?”
I shrug. “My firstdatewill be tea in the gardens. After that, I think it’s a stroll to the lake, and later, I’m having a picnic lunch near the stables.”
Ripples of exasperation pass through me, and Mum notices, her head tilting slightly to one side as she reaches out to take my hand. “You might find your true love through these Trials, darling. I can’t imagine what it must be like doing it on such a public stage, but when you’re spending one on one time with them, there won’t be any cameras. Forget about the Trials and the queen. Just focus on the Omega you’re getting to know.”
I blow out a breath, but I know she’s right. “I don’t like having everything scheduled this way. It’s unnatural. There are twenty Omegas left. I already know who I don’t want to spend time with, yet everyone will get a date with each of us over the coming days. Why? We should focus on those we want to focus on.”
“There is a method to the madness, Taiyo,” she says quietly, squeezing my hand before she releases it. “Sometimes, these things take time. Feelings develop that aren’t always there at first sight. If an Omega is still here, then it’s for a reason.”
“Yes, but that reason is political in some instances,” I murmur after looking around to make sure none of the staff are close enough to hear me. “Kaz is so aware of Catherine’s expectations that I worry he’ll deny what his heart is telling him.”
“Your bond is strong.” She repeats what I said just a minute ago. “The three of you have been leaning on each other and counting on each other for years. Kaz needs you and Wolf now, just like he always has, and you’ll guide him just like you always have. It’s all part of being pack, isn’t it?”
I nod, filling my lungs with a deep inhale before I swipe a strip of bacon off my plate. “You’re right. We just need to take it day by day.”
“Exactly.” She grins. “Tell me about this Omega you favored. Which one was it?”
I shake my head, flashing her a sly smile and making a show of checking my watch. “Well, would you look at that? It’s almost time for tea. I don’t even know which Omega it’s with, but I do love the tea.”
“It’s the one good thing about living in the palace, right?” she teases.
I roll my eyes, but I get up to give her a hug before I leave her to finish her breakfast in peace.
I swear, I’m never going to live the tea thing down. That quote is everywhere, and it was a damn joke. Wolf and I were giving Kaz shit one day about being forced to live in a palace because we formed a pack with him.
We werebanteringwhile on a goddamned yacht, but it turned out that Wolf’s socialite friend never made her staff sign the obligatory NDA. One of them overheard us and made a quick buck telling the press all about it.
That wasn’t the only thing he told them about, but it’s the only thing that stuck with the public. No one seemed to appreciate the irony of a reject being on the fucking yacht to begin with, let alone thatrejectsaying something so unimportant about fuckingtea.
Instead, the most interesting thing about my personality became my love for herbal tea. Now, I get asked about it during every interview.How’s the tea, Taiyo? What’s the brand, Taiyo? How much tea do you drink every day, Taiyo?
A heavy sigh falls out of me, but as I approach the old oak where the tea has been set up, my footsteps falter and my heart lurches. I wasn’t expecting to see her so soon, but sitting at the little metal table in the shade of the giant tree is none other than the beautiful redhead with the scent that almost had me tenting my damned trousers on the dais. Maddison Darling.
Omega Mighty, that female’s scent did things to me last night. Fuck, it didallthe things to me last night. Judging by what I felt through the bond, I wasn’t the only one either. Wolf nearly drowned me in his lust, and even Kaz seemed to be toeing the edge of his never-ending self-control.
As I approach, I take the opportunity toreallylook at her. She hasn’t noticed me yet, seemingly fascinated by what I assume is her first unimpeded, unhurried view of the palace from the grounds.
Last night was such a blur that I hardly realized the next Omega had been announced until Maddison fell. Then she kept her head down and her eyes on the stairs as she ascended. I only had a few moments to look at her face before I scented her, and then, she was already moving along to Wolf while I was fighting the most ridiculous wave of desire I’ve ever felt.
Now, though, she’s dressed in casual jeans and an oversized cardigan instead of a ballgown. Her rich mahogany locks are down, tumbling in a wave of loose curls nearly to her waist. Her expression is one of unashamed awe as she stares at the spires, the light, blue-gray stone walls, and the large windows of the palace we call home.
My footsteps are muffled by the lawn as I draw closer, but she notices me anyway, sitting up a little straighter as she schools her features and presses her lips into a thin line. When I sit down across from her, I stare into eyes that bring back memories of springtime on the French Riviera.
She stares right back at me, but neither of us says anything. We’re silent for so long that it becomes awkward, but in that silence, I won’t deny that I’m entranced by her scent .
Having caught a whiff of it last night and replayed it a hundred times since, I’m attuned to it. That zesty, energizing burst of citrus combined with the spicier notes of pink pepper and rounded off with a grounding, almost woodsy hint of patchouli.
I’ve never smelled anything like it, but it’s a perfectly balanced combination of the sexiest female scents around. Sweet and crisp, but withdepth.It’s alluring as fuck that it even has undertones of spice and woodiness usually more reserved for male scents. On a female, it tells me right off the bat that she’s different. More nuanced than the sweet freckles on her face would have me believe.
“So, Maddison—” I start at the exact moment she says, “I’ve never met a earl before.”
An easy chuckle slides out of me as I motion for her to continue. Her eyes widen, but when I incline my head at her, her cheeks flush the most gorgeous shade of pink and her scent grows just a little in the air around us.
Then, she smiles.
It’s small and embarrassed, but the sight of it knocks the breath clean out of my lungs. “What I mean is that I don’t know what to call you. I’ve never met a earl before, so I’m uncertain about how to address you.”
