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I scoff.
“Do you honestly expect me to believe you didn’t want to be here? Every Omega in every Academy around the world has been salivating for this opportunity since it was announced that one Omega will be selected from each of them.”
“Yes, but when that announcement was made, I wasn’tinone of the Academies and there wasn’t much of a chance I ever would be. Your family made the announcement when I was sixteen, working hard for a scholarship I didn’t think I would ever be awarded.”
My eyebrows draw together as I process what she said. Slowly lifting my head, I turn toward her and look back into those green eyes that have been in my dreams since I got my first whiff of her scent, though I don’t recall it having been quite this strong before.
“Hang on, am I correct in my understanding that your family is not well off, then?”
She frowns, her fingers fidgeting in her lap as she nods with skepticism flickering in her eyes. “Do you guys not talk to each other, like, at all?”
“Excuse me?”
“You, Tai, and Wolf. They told me to call them that, by the way, so don’t get pissy because I didn’t use their titles. I told Tai all about my family on my second morning here, yet Wolf didn’t know my story either.”
“It’s not that we don’t talk. We have an agreement not to discuss the Omegas until we’ve each had a chance to spend some time with every Omega individually. It seemed fairer to do it that way, once we’ve had the chance to come to our own conclusions before we start influencing each other.”
She rocks her head from side to side before she shrugs. “I suppose that does seem fair. How’s it going so far? It doesn’t seem to be going very well if the mood you were in when I arrived is anything to go by.”
I sigh, surprising myself once again when I laugh a little. “It’s not going very well, but that wasn’t the reason for my mood. Have you ever heard the expressiontimeliness is next to godliness?”
“I thought that was cleanliness,” she says without skipping a beat. “I’ve heard it both ways, though. So, you really were in such a terrible mood because I was ten minutes late?”
When she says it like that…
“In any event, tell me about yourself. That’s the point of this, isn’t it. I’m curious to know…how does a scholarship Omega with no apparent connections to high society get selected for the most highly anticipated Mating Trial of the century?”
TEN
—
M A D D I E
The Royal Packhas surprised me, but none more so than the prince. It was pretty clear when we started our date that he was frustrated, angry, and just wanted to go through the motions rather than getting to know me at all.
Now it’s blatantly obvious he meant everything he said. He wants to bond for love instead of being forced into it. For some reason, his sharp features have also softened since our brief stand-off and now, he’s looking at me like I might have a shot of winning this thing.
Coming in here, I didn’t expect it for a single moment, but as those infinitely dark eyes hold mine, I see a certain tenderness in them. Combined with how pleasant my dates were with the others, it makes me wonder if I stand a chance. My heart skips more beats than what could possibly be healthy at the thought of it.
Contrary to how I thought I would feel, I actually like these Alphas. They’re easier to get along with than I could’ve imagined in my wildest dreams. Even though their proximity does strange things to me, I enjoy every minute I spend with them.
“How did I get selected?” I repeat his question as I try to think of where to start. “Well…because I’m a scholarship kid, I’m not particularly popular, but I’ve always been a bit of a loner anyway. Reading and writing are basically how I spend every day, and I don’t need anyone else for them, so I haven’t made many friends, and I’ve never really wanted to.”
I drag in a shaky breath before I continue. “The librarian at our Academy is also my literature instructor. She…Ms. Framptonbecame more like a friend than anyone else there. We’re very similar, and we get along really well. A couple of months ago, I wrote an essay on the merits and advantages of the Omega system and gave her a draft to read over. That’s what she used when she recommended me to the selection committee.”
I laugh a little uncomfortably before I decide to make the admission. “It—um—was meant to be satire.”
Surprise flickers deep within those dark depths.
“That bit obviously went right over their heads, so here I am.”
“You’re really not from a family who isat allpart of the high society?”
“Nope.”
I smile, but when I see the sympathy creeping onto his features, my stomach plummets.
“What is it?”
