Page 98 of Want It All
She laughed again, surprised. ‘Oh, Mr. Grace,’ she said. ‘What makes you think we wanted to know more aboutyou?’
I froze, thoughts whirling as it finally clicked.
The Revels hadn’t been testingmeat all.They’d been testing Sebastian, or Rose – orboth.
I thought about everything the omegas had been through since they’d started at Banksia. What I’d done, the issues with Heathcote, navigating other students in the close confines of the discipline mixers and class, responding to the feral alpha. They’d managed all of thatandthe demands of Banksia’s exceptionally high standards and complex curriculum – while they’d also been balancing the needs of their designation with the drive to succeed.
How often had the Revels been watching?
How many of thosetestshad theyarranged?
I heard a soft step behind me. ‘See you soon, Mr. Grace.’
‘Wait,’ I said, panicked. ‘Could you not knock me out, please? I really have to get back to –’
Something sharp pierced my neck, and I crumpled.
I woke to freezing water pelting my face, and the sky lit by lightning.
‘Fuckingfuck,’ I groaned, rolling onto my side. From the citrus scent around me, they’d put me back in the maze again –in the middle of an electrical storm.
‘Thank youveryfucking much, you assholes,’ I muttered.
I pushed myself to my feet, trying to ignore the dull pain in my muscles; I realised that my head was covered. Looking down, I could see that someone had thoughtfully wrapped me in a garment – in acloak, of all things. I rubbed the material between my fingers. It was ridiculous and pretentious, but it was also waterproof and warm, so I pulled it more tightly around myself and stumbled towards the maze entrance, wincing at the thunder right above me, its rumbling loud enough to hurt.
At the maze entrance, I heard a faint sound coming from the double back doors.
‘Tristan!Tristan, please!’
‘Fuck.’ Lightning flashed to illuminate Rose’s pale face, her hair plastered to her cheeks. ‘Rose!’
She stumbled, righting herself with difficulty in the gale. I rushed towards her; when she looked up and saw me, she shrieked, stumbling again.
I caught her before she fell – something I planned to keep on doing.
Maybe for the rest of my life.
She seemed dazed, so I bent and scooped her into my arms, holding her tight against my chest. I was already saturated and I could see rain dripping from her nose, so I jogged until we wereunder cover, protected by the terrace. The door was difficult to open with one hand as the wind slammed against it, but I wrestled with the handle and managed to fight my way inside.
‘What the fuck are you wearing?’ Rose said breathlessly.
I tugged the cloak off and wrapped it around her. I didn’t know how to explain what had just happened, but I did know one thing.
When we’d first come here, Sebastian had wanted the Banksia Prize more than anything. He’d wanted to prove himself to his parents, to set himself apart, to show that his journey – his interests, his strengths – were just as important – and just asimpressive– as theirs, even if they were different.
Now, Sebastian seemed to want something else. Oh, he still wanted the prize, I was sure of that. But he’d found this omega – found his scent match – and his priorities had shifted.Shemattered to him now. Prize or not, it didn’t matter, because either way, he’d have Rose.
My priorities had changed, too. I’d been obsessed with what I could provide Sebastian, fixated on joining the Revels to ensure he got the prize. But it wasn’t justmethey’d had their eyes on. Despite that, I could now give him something even greater than I’d originally planned: the chance to live life ashimself, to build a pack, to visit doctors, take a break from his suppressants, and to exist without the constant, lurking fear of being found out. It didn’t sound as impressive as the prize, but I was beginning to understand that love didn’t have to be flashy. Simply being present was more important than the material things I could provide.
And also, I’daskwhat he wanted this time.
‘Never mind, it doesn’t matter,’ Rose continued, when I didn’t answer. ‘I’m guessing you haven’t seen your messages. Sebastian’s in heat.’
The words washed over me, far warmer than the freezing water on my cheeks; I almost dropped her in shock. ‘That’s impossible.’
‘Of course it isn’t,’ Rose retorted. ‘He found his scent match and his second pack alpha. The only thing I’m surprised about is that it didn’t happen sooner.’
‘Youhaven’t gone into heat, and the exact thing happened to you!’
