Page 40 of Curvy Nerdy Omega

I couldn’t decide if I was impressed she thought we’d be able to leave the property of our own free will after this conversation, or concerned.

Either way, the gun tucked in the waistband of my pants kept me from bristling too much, but I was still on edge as I tucked my hands in the pockets of my leather jacket.

“Just do what you do best.” Frankie waved her hand and started up the wide steps to the front door. “Pretend like you don’t exist. I’ll handle the rest.”

“And your cousin?” I kept two steps behind her and to the side, like I was nothing more than hired muscle.

“I’ll explain everything.” Frankie hesitated before pressing her thumb to the touchpad next to the double doors. “I assume Liam gave you instructions for the potential outcomes of this meeting?”

I nodded, annoyed at the reminder that she came from a legacy pack. Only someone who grew up in this kind of life would suspect something like that and find it completely normal.

“Just follow my lead and everything will be fine.” Frankie leaned forward so the camera in the doorjamb was full of her face and nothing else. “Let me in already, Peter.”

One of the doors opened and an older man stared down his nose at Frankie. He was a beta by the smell of him and he didn’t wear any scent blockers. His brown eyes were cold and his salt and pepper beard told me he was somewhere in his fifties, but his impressive muscles indicated he was very capable of protecting what was inside this manor.

“Miss.” Peter arched an eyebrow in a silent question, keeping his eyes on her and ignoring me completely. “You didn’t say you’d be coming by today. I don’t have you on the schedule until Sunday.”

“Yeah, but I need to talk to my father. It’s time sensitive.” Frankie leaned against the doorframe and tucked her hands in her jean pockets, giving the man a smile that definitely meant trouble. “Are you going to let me in my own fucking house or what?”

Peter didn’t say anything, but he stepped back and held the door open wider so she could come in, slamming the door closed before I could follow, the ornate wood hitting my shoulder hard enough I winced.

“Now, come on. That’s not nice.” Frankie ripped the door out of Peter’s grip so I could get inside, proving she was just as strong as most alphas if not stronger. She just didn’t have the strength of Liam or the red eyes, but that didn’t mean she was weak or average.

“And who, may I ask, is this?” Peter turned to inspect me and I could see the moment the beta realized how far up he had to look.

“This is Cas. He’s helping me with a case I’m working on.”

Peter’s eyes narrowed and he inspected me from head to toe. It was impressive really when so few even noticed me let alone had the balls to study me so openly. “This is Valor’s dog.”

“He bites too, so step back,” she warned, pushing Peter until he was no longer within my reach. “Can you tell Suzie we’d like some snacks? Bring them to pop’s office.”

“He’s in the greenhouse.”

“Fine. Then bring them there.” Frankie let out an exasperated sigh and shoved the man toward what I assumed was the kitchen. “This won’t take long. I promise.”

Whatever I’d been expecting, it hadn’t been this.

From what I could tell, Frankie was welcome here. She even saw this place as hers despite giving up her pack name.

“Why?” I didn’t mean to ask the question out loud, but I couldn’t help it when she led me through the house to the center where there was a huge atrium. No one was breathing down our necks despite who I was.

“Why what?” Frankie went through the atrium and turned right, leading me through a wide hall before pushing open the French doors to the yard in the back.

“Why did you change your name?”

She glanced back at me and I could see her weigh whether it was worth explaining or not. Then she shrugged and turned back to the massive, Victorian-looking greenhouse. “I wanted to prove myself without the Lopez name. I thought that if I could show my father what I was capable of without his influence giving me all the possible opportunities I could ever want, he’d reconsider naming a legacy alpha without red eyes as his heir, but that’ll never happen.”

“And why not?” Normally I didn’t ask so many questions, but Lucy was tied to Frankie and she’d grown up in this life. All this would affect any relationship I had with her, and hearing why would explain a lot more than just knowing the facts.

Maybe Lucy wasn’t as complicated as I’d thought. That or her mannerisms were starting to rub off on me.

“Because I’m not the alpha this pack needs.” Frankie opened the door to the greenhouse and I clenched my teeth to keep from asking any more questions.

It was a beautiful greenhouse. I couldn’t stop myself from looking around and it wasn’t just because I needed to know all the entrances and exits – every possible place someone could hide, waiting to ambush us.

No, the smell of the plants actually reminded me a lot of Lucy.

There were roses in every color of red imaginable. Some as bright as Frankie’s hair, and some so dark they looked black. I leaned in to smell one of the dark purple ones, eyes widening when I realized this was almost exactly the same scent as the one tucked under Lucy’s black currants.

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