Page 39 of The Feisty Omega

Mocking laughter rang out across the distance between us. My ears burned, and my cheeks flamed. Why was he laughing? I was doing this the way it was supposed to be done.

“You do know that we are one of the forming families, don’t you, young man?” Alpha Mensen said. The note of condescension in his voice was irksome.

“Yes, sir, I do.”

“What could you possibly have to offer our son?”

That was easy.

“Myself.” I had to force myself not to cringe. Even to my ears, that didn’t sound very persuasive. Maybe I hadn’t thought this through far enough. I had prepared a whole speech but for the life of me I couldn’t remember it.

“And how do you propose to provide for my son? Are you a pack Alpha?”

No, obviously I was not. I was too young to have attained that status. And he knew it.

“No, I…”

He cut me off.

“Are you perhaps a CEO?”

“No, sir, I… ”

“A lawyer or a surgeon, perhaps?”

I shook my head, frustrated. Why wasn’t he letting me explain? I had the feeling he was pushing me into a corner and then he’d attack.

“Then what qualificationdoyou have?”

This was a game. There was no way I was old enough to have my qualification yet, and he knew it. He was playing with me. But I kept my cool. He was just making me more determined to stay in control of myself.

This time he let me answer.

“I’m in my third year of a double degree in Business and Sustainable Agriculture.”

His brows raised. A scowl crossed his face, pinching his cheeks and creating dark hollows under his eyes. Beady black eyes speared me through narrowed eyelids.

“A farmer,” he sighed, shaking his head. “That’s not very encouraging… Well come back to see me when you’ve got your degree,” he continued. “Not before. As I see it, you don’t have anything to offer right now. And I’m not sure you will after either,” he finished disdainfully.

I lifted my head up, pushed out my chest and stood tall. I was done with submission. I narrowed my eyes at him.

“I love your son,” I told him coldly. “I just wanted you to know.”

“We’ll talk about it when you’ve got something to offer him,” the Alpha returned calmly, beady eyes narrowed, “in the meantime, I forbid you to mention it to him, do you hear?”

“I hear you,” I replied through gritted teeth.I hear you, but I’m sure as hell not going to comply.

“Then I think we’re done here.” He picked up an old-fashioned brass bell from his desk. It made a dreadful clanging sound, and seconds later the beta who had shown me in, opened the door. He stood stiffly, awaiting the Alpha’s instructions.

“Our meeting has concluded. Show theboyout.”

Alpha Mensen picked up a document from his desk and began perusing it, humming to himself. He picked up a pen and made a few notes on the paper. He didn’t look up. I was dismissed. Clearly, he didn’t take me seriously. And he didn’t intend to.

Seething, I turned on my heel and without another word, stalked out.

???

As humiliatingly badly as my first semi-official act as a fully mature alpha had gone, it was tempting to say nothing about it. But I didn’t feel right keeping my visit a secret, despite Alpha Mensen’s clear warning not to talk to Irian about it. His instruction to return when I ‘had something to offer’ his son, suggested that maybe there was no plan to make arrangements for him, that perhaps there was more time than we thought. Yet still I felt uneasy.

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