Page 73 of Chosen Beta

“I did,” I admit.

“Then let’s get that sorted out.”

He leads me into the staff room.

My shoulders sag as I follow him.

It kind of sucks that the vaguely flirty energy between us has gone as quickly as it appeared, but I know he’s a taken man with a complete pack of mates, and I’m just a terminally single Beta.

My dating life may have been non-existent lately, but it was jaw-droppingly awful before I quit using apps, attempting to find a halfway-decent human being who wanted to meet someone similar for a shot at a relationship.

My sister kept telling me to lower my standards.

They weren’t exactly high to begin with.

It’s the city, I think.

At least, that’s what I tell myself.

Too many assholes out here, not enough regular people like they have back home.

That would explain how my younger sister is married with a kid at twenty-three, and here I am at twenty-seven, and I can’t even get a date with a guy who isn’t sketchy enough to be a serial killer.

I must be tired to think a hot, sweet doctor might be flirting with me.

This caffeine hit is long overdue.

Ezra is at the cupboard over the sink by the time I make it to the coffee maker.

He pulls out my regular mug and sets it down on the counter.

“Thanks,” I tell him, as I pick it up.

“You’re welcome.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

Owen

It’s pitch dark outside by the time I pull up outside the academy gates. I can hear the wind howling through the trees of the forest that surrounds the building. And I can see a security guard at his post by the side of the gate, in a small booth that’s lit up just enough to show someone’s there.

Sighing, I lean back in my seat.

I don’t want to be here.

If it wasn’t for my mates, I’d be at home right now, cooking dinner and figuring out what TV show I could binge while I have the house to myself for the night.

Yeah, okay. That doesn’t sound like much fun, either.

Still, it would beat having to go onto Goldcrest Academy’s grounds, if my mates weren’t here.

I hate that Shadow did this. Knowing how he feels about Omega academies, and how I feel about them, it’s fucking crazy that he decided to come out here.

It drives me mad that Pete didn’t talk him out of it, but mostly, I wish Ezra had taken time off to drag him home, instead of letting him stay.

That’s the part that’s hard to swallow.

Ezra can be stubborn, sure, but this is more than that.