Page 117 of Citius

“The players don’t flirt with me,” I said. Cal raised a brow, a teasing spark in his eye. I poked him in the chest, emphasizing each word. “They do not.”

“Right, right,” said Cal, shifting to set his keys and phone on the lowest shelf of the bookcase, then placed his glasses beside them. “Just like you aren’t gorgeous.”

I gave him a flat stare, even as warmth bloomed in my cheeks—andmy omega preened like a peacock. “We’re not doing this.”

Tenny prowled around the edge of the nest, out of sorts that Cal had stolen nearly all the available space. He plopped down at the bottom of the cat tree to sulk in silent protest.

“Okay, there’s plenty of time to talk about how attractive you are later,” Cal murmured, kissing the crown of my head. His tone shifted to something a touch more serious. “Was today the deadline for the sports medicine job?”

“Yeah, Reyhan and I both applied. Not that I’m holding out much hope.” I rested my chin on his shoulder. “Dr. Sethi—Anya—tried to talk me out of applying at a volleyball game a few weeks ago.”

“Gilbert mentioned that. What was your take?”

“Seemed like cryptic but well-intentioned career advice.”

“That’s her style,” Cal said with a nod. “Anya understands your strengths. Honestly, you’d be better in a more omega-friendly sports medicine program than ours. She doesn’t want you to settle. Neither do I.”

I ran my fingers across his sweater, focusing on the silken texture rather than the solid muscle beneath. “Was she good to you growing up?”

“She’s fond of me in her own way. Heather’s the one with a grudge,” he said, fingers wandering along my spine. “Can’t say that I blame her.”

Tilting my head back, I studied his face. “Why? You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Except be born an alpha.”

I hesitated, unsure if I was overstepping. But the question had been bothering me for ages, and if we were going to be together, that meant being honest. Heaven help me.

“Is… Is it true your cousin got Heather’s promotion?”

Cal attempted to smirk, but it crumbled part-way, resulting in a wince. “Someone did their research.”

“Yes, I did eventually do some internet sleuthing,” I admitted, heat crawling up my neck. “Not exactly proud of it, but… I wanted to know you better.”

“I looked you up right after you started. Checked out your legs in those flashy little leotards—” Poking his stomach was enough to make him stop talking but did nothing to quell his laughter. “Okay, okay, I’ll behave.”

Tenny let out an offended yowl and abandoned the library in favor of a different, less hormonally charged nap spot.

“Well, since you know the basics, I can skip to the ugly parts.” Cal pressed his forehead against mine, trying to mask the brittleness of hissmile. “Grandfather will only hand over the company to a male alpha. Which meant Chaz needed an alpha son, not a beta daughter. Since omegas have the best chance of birthing an alpha, he found a young one with an outstanding academic background that had no idea how screwed up rich people could be. He mated and knocked her up during their first heat together.”

Anya’s stack of diamond mating rings flashed through my mind. “Did the others approve?”

“In theory. They thought they were getting a high-society omega, fresh from finishing school, who could schmooze at parties and build connections for them. Instead, they got my mom. The omega rights advocate.” He scoffed. “It didn’t go over well. But personal feelings don’t matter to my father. Not when there’s power involved. All he cared about was getting what he wanted—the position of Verray’s CEO.”

I tightened my hold on his sweater. “Did he at least love your mom?”

“In his own way—at first. Ate dinner with us, took her to parties, and supported her charitable efforts. But it was painfully shallow. Never integrated her into the rest of the pack. Kept us in a cottage that used to belong to my widowed great-grandmother. Amazing views of the bay, lovely garden. But it’s so far from the main house, and…” His voice faltered. “I was at school when she miscarried, and no one could hear her. Hemorrhaged so badly, she almost died…and couldn’t get pregnant again. Lost all her value as far as Chaz was concerned.”

My heart broke for Laurel Carling—a brilliant woman, reduced to nothing more than an alpha incubator by the man she trusted.

“Was Brizo House a coping mechanism for her?” My fingers trailed along his neck, trying to soothe us both.

He nodded. “Yeah. Money was the one thing he wasn’t stingy about.”

“It’s such a great name.”

Brizo, the goddess who protects mariners. Fitting for a coastal city like Northport,but also a perfect encapsulation of the founder’s intent—to be a safe harbor for those struggling with the rough tides of life.

“So good, in fact,” I continued, “I didn’t even bother to read the mission statement before becoming a long-term donor.”

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