Page 13 of Want It All
Sebastian laughed; his fingers tightened as an excited-looking student came over to speak to us. ‘Hi! We’re wondering about …’
I tuned Sebastian’s chatter out; I’d loved English in high school, but I wouldn’t choose literature as my speciality. I was almost certain that Sebastian wouldn’t choose it, either, but he kept asking questions regardless. Tristan had stepped away, although not far, and was having an intense conversation with an equally intense-looking alpha.
A movement by the door caught my eye, and I saw that the alphas who had watched us at the sociology mixer had followed us here.
‘Omega,’ one growled. Without thinking, I pressed myself into Sebastian’s side.
The room fell silent, waiting. I waited, too, because I couldn’t do anything else. They were blocking the door, my only escape.
‘Walk with us,’ the other said, and Sebastian trembled.
I cleared my throat and looked them in the eye. It was hard for omegas to meet an alpha’s gaze; our instincts told us to lowerour eyes, to stay safe, not to challenge their dominance. They both had brown eyes, short brown hair, and matching broad, tall frames; they almost looked like brothers. ‘No, thank you,’ I forced out, managing to keep my tone polite.
I was proud that my voice didn’t shake.
The feeling only lasted for a moment because, as one, their expressions turned thunderous. ‘You want to try that again?’ one of them said, drawing himself to his full height, as if that would somehow change my mind.
I knew what they were trying to do. It was how omegas got trapped in unsuitable packs or were abused by alphas who kept but never bothered to bond them. Every alpha was dominant; it was what they were. And some misused that power by manoeuvring betas or omegas into situations where they couldn’t say no.
‘I don’t,’ I managed. Sebastian’s fingers were digging into my hip and I concentrated on the pressure instead of ducking my head and wriggling into his arms like I wanted to. ‘I don’t want to walk with you. I don’t want to walk withanybody.’
I said it as loud as I could, so that every person in the room could hear.
One of them snarled, and the hair on the back of my neck stood on end.
‘I think she made herself clear,’ the intense-looking woman with Tristan said; her unimpressed expression wouldn’t have been out of place at the front of a classroom full of teenagers. ‘Either come in and talk about the literature specialisation or move on to your next mixer.’
Sebastian huffed a tiny laugh. The dark-haired alphas exchanged a look, then melted away from the doorway.
I sagged against Sebastian, my knees suddenly shaking.
‘No, you don’t,’ he said softly, holding me up. ‘You brave little thing. Stand up straight like the badass you are, Rose.’
Tristan strode towards us, his expression tight, and I realised he’d moved since the last time I’d seen him – he’d been standing between us and the door.
Opposite Byron, who’d moved to do the same thing.
I raked in a breath, realising that I hadn’t been in any danger. They’d both been there, standing between us and the other alphas.
Byron’s stormy gaze fell on me, questioning.
‘I think I’ve had enough,’ I said softly.
The student speaking with Sebastian exchanged a glance with the intense-looking woman. ‘We’ll report them,’ he said. He nodded to a corner of the room, where another woman had her phone out. ‘Julianne recorded the whole thing.’
‘I’d appreciate it, thank you.’ I forced a smile and looked back at Sebastian. ‘Would you walk me back to my room?’
‘Of course,’ he said immediately, and steered me gently towards the door. Tristan fell in behind us, before Sebastian paused in the doorway, looking back. ‘Alpha?’
I glanced back, too, but he wasn’t talking to Tristan.
He was talking toByron.
Who followed us out, silently.
He didn’t say a word the whole way. Sebastian chattered, not seeming to require responses, and Tristan interjected occasionally, but Byron was silent.
As was I.
