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When she reached the stage, Golding held out his hand for hers. He pricked her pointer finger, and we all watched the red drop fall into the vase. The water immediately turned white. Kara let out the breath she’d been holding, and the room erupted with cheers. The first omega had been revealed.
The next guy revealed as a beta, and I immediately stopped paying attention. I started a checklist in my head as the guys revealed, making mental notes about the alphas and basically disregarding the betas. Apparently I was counting on revealing as an omega even more than I thought.
Brenden Dawley: beta. No.
Sean Findlay: alpha. Friendly smile. Maybe.
Daniel Hart: alpha. I vaguely remembered him from a math class and recalled he was smart. Definitely a maybe.
Brian Kennedy: beta. Cute, but no.
And so it went. Not that any of this mattered. Although we might know things about each other, our scents would lead us to our mates.
“Grant Moore!” Grant stood from a few rows back and slowly made his way up front, smiling and greeting people as he passed. He nodded to us before making the last few steps to Golding.
Anna leaned over and whispered to me, “Isn’t that one of Father’s interns?” I nodded, keeping my attention up front.
When his water turned black, he smiled proudly out at the audience as they cheered for him. Loud barking and howling came from the alphas in the room, always eager to show off their dominance. As he walked past us on his way back to his seat, Grant winked at me, and I was sure the smile I returned was more eager than I’d have liked.
Anna, who didn’t miss anything, nudged me and smirked. “And so it begins…”
The next girl called to the stage walked up there hesitantly. She was the girlfriend of the first beta that revealed today, so I’m not sure what she was hoping would happen. She offered her hand, and when the drop of blood turned the vase an obvious omega-white, she burst into tears. Typically, all young girls dreamed of revealing as an omega, but it meant the immediate death of her current relationship. In theory, she would find her ideal mate in an alpha, but I’m sure that was little consolation right now.
Daphne Nichols: heartbroken omega.
“Tanner Olsen, please come to the stage!” My best friend bounded up front with no hesitation. He presented his hand with as much flair as Golding had been displaying all afternoon, and the room chuckled at his antics. A little poke, a drop of red, and the water in the vase turned black. Alpha. The barking around the room resumed, and Tanner threw his back and proudly joined in before he headed back to our row.
He scooted in next to me, turning and barking one last time in my face. Loudly. I slapped his leg in chastisement, but his excitement was so contagious that I couldn’t be mad. I patted his leg like a proud mother and then noticed Anna watching our interaction with a smirk. I’m sure we were practically mated in her mind by now.
I turned back to the stage and frowned when I realized that I’d missed the next student being called up front.
Will was strutting up to the stage, and he was absolutely going to reveal as an alpha today too. He was Briar Lake Prep’s golden athlete, played basically every sport, and was impressively tall and well-built, if you were impressed by that sort of thing. I wasn’t. His hair was short on the sides but left as a curly mop on top, and he had two identical dimples on each side of his wide smile. You know, if you were into dimples. Again, I wasn’t. When the water turned black, the barking started up again. He blew a kiss out into the adoring crowd, the deep dimples reappeared, and I crossed him off my mental list. He was too much of a playboy. Too superficial and shallow. I didn’t know where he was going in life, but it wasn’t anywhere I wanted to go. Alpha Will. Not for me.
“Mia Torres!” I stood tall and straightened my dress, taking a calming breath. This was it. Anna squeezed my hand one last time, and Tanner patted my back in encouragement. I pulled my shoulders back and walked to the stage. I was Governor Torres’ daughter. Even if I were to reveal as a beta today, I would do so with my head high.
When I reached Golding, I placed my hand in his and braced for the prick. I was always a little squeamish around blood, so I looked out at the crowd instead of my hand. I found my sister and focused on her. I could tell she was holding her breath, just like I was. I barely felt the knife before I saw her explode out of her seat, cheering for me. There was only one explanation for that. It had happened. My dreams had come true. I wasn’t just standard. I was anomega.
The flood of emotions immediately overwhelmed me. Excitement. Shock. Hope. Relief.
Don’t cry. Don’t cry.
I looked down at the milky white water through teary eyes and then back up at Beta Golding. “Congratulations, Miss Torres. I’m sure Governor and Mrs. Torres will be delighted to hear your news.” He smiled fondly at me for a moment and then gestured back toward the benches.
Oh, yes. I needed to move.
I floated back to my seat, my mind both blank and spinning at a million miles an hour. Anna and Tanner both wrapped their arms around me, whispering words that I couldn’t absorb. I needed to focus, get my head back in the game, and pay attention to the rest of the reveals. One of these guys would be mine.
“Congratulations, students. I hope you’re all pleased with your designations today.” I cringed, thinking of Daphne. She certainly wasn’t pleased. “I know it’s a lot to take in, but we have advisors waiting that will help our new alphas and omegas through the next few weeks. We’re all excited to see how the Season goes for each of you. Betas, you’re free to go. New alphas, please meet Alpha Douglas outside near the fountain, and new omegas, please meet Omega Reid by the basement stairs. Thank you for coming today. Good luck!”
Beta Golding wrapped up the ceremony, and everyone started congratulating each other. The room was full of high fives, back slaps, and hugs. Anna was practically vibrating next to me as Tanner pulled me in for a hug.
“Congratulations, new omega,” he announced like a game show host. “Ready to meet your potential alphas?”
I rolled my eyes, but Anna tugged my arm. “Yes! Yes, you are! Ahh! When do we start?”
I laughed at her enthusiasm. “You do realize I have to do this on my own, right?”
“Yeah, but can you be trusted to make the right decision here? Or will you choose the safe and boring one?”
