Page 9 of Excess

“I have a skin appointment at Étincelle.”

“Étincelle it is,” he called back, butchering the pronunciation slightly as he put the car in drive.

I slumped back in the leather seat, looking out the window at the grey, dreary day outside. Objectively, I had a wonderful life. A better life than so many people had. Most people, even. And yet, I couldn’t help feeling like the walls were always a hairsbreadth away from closing in on me.

It was incredibly frustrating. Because if I couldn’t be happy with everything that I had, then perhaps happiness just wasn’t on the cards for me at all.

“They’re ready for you now, Ms Dara,” Brian said, poking his head around the door.

I stood up, smoothing down my business-appropriate navy slacks and heading into the boardroom. I’d arrived when I’d been told to arrive, and the meeting had been well and truly in progress by then. Whatever I was here for, it was merely as a featured guest.

“Welcome, welcome,” Papa said, gesturing for me to take a seat at the round table between him and Samira. “Thank you for joining us, Inika.”

“Thank you for having me,” I murmured back, struggling to keep my spine straight with so much oppressive alpha energy in the room.

“Have you had a good day, my darling girl?” Papa asked, giving me an encouraging smile. I did my best to relax, discreetly taking a few calming breaths while I sat down and fussed a little in my seat.

He was reacting to my nervous energy, his alpha instincts telling him to soothe an omega under his protection. As if I wasn’t struggling enough to look like a professional.

“Fine. Thank you, Papa.”

“I’m sure you know why you’re here?” Olivier, one of the other board members, asked from across the table.

I suspected that I did, but I wasn’t about to make their lives easier by telling them that.

“I’m afraid not.”

“Ah.” Olivier shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “We’d, uh, like you to be part of the succession planning discussion.”

“Oh?” I folded my hands in my lap and made a show of waiting patiently for them to continue, at which everyone appeared to get uncomfortable and fall silent again.

It was outrageous that alphas were credited with being the bravest of the three designations. In battle, perhaps. But when faced with the possibility of even a vaguely uncomfortable conversation, there wasn’t a shred of courage to be found.

“Inika,” Samira began gently. Condescendingly. “I’m sure we don’t need to point out to you that no International-100 company is led by an unmated omega. It’s never been done before. It’s a big responsibility, and omegas already have so many responsibilities. Other strengths. Impressive strengths! Things that alphas can’t do.”

The fact that they all made such a show of loudly agreeing annoyed me even more than their cowardly silence.

“Unless I had a mate to help me,” I supplied flatly.

The alphas all seemed to relax at the realisation that they wouldn’t have to bring it up first.

“Well, yes. Exactly,” Samira agreed, nodding her head enthusiastically.

I looked at Papa, trying to get an idea of just how far he would push this idea, but he was diligently looking everywhere except at me. I didn’t like to think ill of the man who had done so much for me, but I couldn’t help finding his actions in that moment to be a little spineless.

Would it really have been so difficult to offer me a little reassurance? To let the board know he had no intention of pushing me beyond my comfort levels, as he’d always promised me in private?

Perhaps he didn’t feel that way in public.

“So, is any random alpha I pick off the street better suited to lead Om-Guard than me? Or is there a shortlist you’d like me to choose from?” I asked mildly, revelling in their discomfited looks. As if anyone here had the right to be more uncomfortable than me, and I wasn’t making a production out of it.

“Of course not.” Papa laughed nervously. “We would never expect you to make such a big decision like who you bond yourself to based on managerial skills.” There was another uncomfortable smattering of laughter. “It’s more that when you choose a mate, we will need to meet with him and talk to him… Figure out what his involvement—and therefore your involvement—will look like. Everything can be learned, of course.”

“Absolutely,” Samira agreed. “Temperament is a key consideration. And a general… suitability. For this lifestyle. It’s not everyone, you know.”

They weren’t giving me a shortlist of names, but they may as well have. It was clear that they wanted a particular sort of alpha.

They’d take Hugo in a heartbeat, though none of us had even met the guy yet. Based on Spencer’s words, he perfectly fit the mould.

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