Page 42 of Puck & Her Blades

I laugh. “I call it the Omega’s advantage. Sherlock Holmes should have been an Omega. But okay.” I tap on the top of the laptop. “I bet this is Jackson’s. He’s the type to be thoughtful and practical. He’d know that I’d need this.”

Cygnus claps his hands. “Right.”

I bite my lip. “Hmm, who donated the photos of the beautiful dancers?” I study the curves, athletic legs, and gorgeous, muscular shapes of the dancer in each blown up photograph, where the face has been shadowed to darkness. All I can see are gleaming gray eyes that stare out like a wild cat. Then I gasp in shocked realization. “The dancer is Zev, right?”

Cygnus’ expression becomes dreamy, as he studies the pictures. “You would look amazing dancing with Zev. You were fated to become partners.”

“You’re a romantic.”

“What is there, if you can’t love?”

It’s painfully clear that he’s been sheltered…or controlled…for his entire life. But I won’t shatter his dreams.

Determined, I scan the room. “I never admit defeat but still, I can’t work out what belongs to Asher. Can we revisit my right to sniff things?”

“If you did, then you’d be searching for something that smelled of peaches and cream. He has a delicious scent.” Cygnus shifts, uncomfortable. “But nothing here is his.”

“Oh.” I try not to show my painful disappointment but I know that I’m not successful.

Cygnus drops the jersey that he’s holding to grasp my hand, instead. “It’s not because he didn’t want to give you something. It killed him that he couldn’t. He’s the kindest, loyalist, and most protective man I know. He fiercely looks out for all of us. Look, those logs for the fire…? He cut those for you. He stocked the cupboards. He did all the hard work to get this place cleaned. But he couldn’t give you anything because he doesn’t own anything, that’s all.”

Confused, I blink. “I don’t understand.”

“It’s not my place to tell you.”

What’s the mystery? Aren’t all these men millionaires?

“So, what else did I donate?” Cygnus looks up at me through his long eyelashes.

“Apart from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and the blanket?” I tap my chin, pretending that it’s hard to make up my mind. But this is the easiest one of all. I stroke my hand reverentially over the books that are stacked by the bed. “I bet these are all Alpha smut, right?”

He looks outraged. “Not all of them. Disappointed?”

I splutter with laughter. “Yeah, sort of. I have to admit, however, that I probably won’t be opening them. I’m more of a jock myself, the same as your Alphas.”

Cygnus sighs, dramatically. “Surrounded on all sides.”

“I always found reading hard. Then my parents pulled me out of schooling at fourteen to concentrate on my skating.”

Cygnus’ expression tightens, before his eyes light up. “I know. I can become your tutor.”

“Wait, I don’t know…”

Excitedly, he pulls away from me and stands up. He bends over the books, flicking through one.

“Who knew that my weakness could finally count for something? Bookworms will take over the world one day, just you wait and see. So, I can teach you. It’ll help you to have more independence, if you have that skill.” He grabs up a book and holds it under his arm like a baton. Startled, I stare at him. Is he about to go to war? “I can come by each morning.”

I wet my lips. “Can Omegas be teachers?”

“If others won’t teach us,” he replies, fiercely, “then we have a duty to teach ourselves.”

He marches up and down next to the bed.

He looks fucking hot like this. My pocket sized general.

Plus, even in roleplay, I’d love to play tutor and student. That he’d want to teach me for real in order to help me, makes me respect him even more.

“How did you get so smart?” I ask.

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