Page 97 of Dream Mates
Like baby Grace building nests in the laundry.
The team certainly was good. The show finished and everyone poured into the adjoining gym for a reception.
Grace darted off to find the omega science teacher who’d once been one of my clients so she could talk to her about recruiting students for the Compass BioTek internship program.
I made my rounds, finding all my clients and complementing their performances. Finally, I went over to Rose.
For a moment she looked anxious, and her voice lowered. “I thought I saw some bad alphas, like the ones my uncle always owes money to.”
“Thank you for telling me.” That didn't sound good.
Had the uncle wanted part of the money to pay his debts? Perhaps they were who the doctor had gotten the drugs from that had made Rose an omega? There was so much we didn’t know about Rose’s circumstances even with her mom and uncle being in jail.
Wes joined me. “There you are.”
“Where’s Grace?” I leaned into him.
“With Spence, who’s chatting up the headmistress,” he said. “Thanks for letting us know we were needed.”
Rose looked at Wes and her mouth formed a little ‘o.” The first time I met her, she looked at a picture of my mates and told me that Wes was her favorite.
“This is Wes. Wes, this is Rose.” We went back into the gym. There were less people now, as families took their students out for an ice cream or a late dinner, but there were also alphas talking to omegas–and students speaking to each other. I spied Riley in a group–some of her schoolmates probably had siblings here.
“Thanks for coming.” Rose gave me a hug then went off to join her friends.
“Let’s find Grace,” I said to Wes.
Headmistress Nikita found me first. “Evan. Did you like it?”
“Amazing as always,” I said. “So many people.”
“I know. But it’s nearing the end of the year, which always brings interest. Speaking of interest,” she looked around and lowered her voice. “Can we talk?” She was tall for an omega, and on the younger side for a headmistress.
“I’ll round up the others,” Wes told me, giving me a squeeze and leaving.
“Some men were asking about Rose. Something about her uncle talking to them about a possible match. It didn’t feel right because I know Rose is a ward of the Center.” The headmistress frowned. “Also, beyond the age gap, they were… how do I put it? Not the type of pack I’d encourage a Finchley student to choose? Not that alphas in, um, thefamily business, don’t deserve to be matched with omegas, but these particular ones… you understand my concern here?” Her eyes pleaded with me.
Gangsters. Gangsters were asking about Rose. These were probably the bad men Rose was talking about.
“No. Rose’s uncle isn’t allowed to do such things. She’s still a ward of the Center. And sixteen.” I frowned. “Are those men still here?”
“No, they asked when the next mixer was, and left. They didn’t ask for an introduction and I didn’t see them speak to her. It was a little odd,” Headmistress Nikita said.
“We don’t have any record of who they are, do we?”
She shook her head. “Other than getting a clip from security footage and running facial recognition?”
“We can do that. Sorry, with everything going on, this makes me worry,” I said.
“Me, too. Because it affects everyone’s safety,” she stated, expression serious.
“I know.” I recalled what she’d said previously about not being able to keep Rose if she put everyone in danger.
“Also, I got notification from the Morris Foundation that they are discontinuing funding for the scholars here. However, it seems that Spencer Thanukos is starting a foundation and offered to cover it. Do you know anything about that?” she asked. “I definitely want these young people to continue their education, and we can’t internally fund all of them. It just seemsodd that he’d do that. I’m pretty sure his omega isn’t a former Finchley student.”
“Spencer’s my packmate. When we were blindsided by the Morris Foundation’s decision, he decided it was time to step up. And Grace, I wish she would have gotten the opportunity to go to a place like Finchley.” What would it have been like for her, had she grown up omega?
The headmistress gave me a look of surprise. “You’re in a two-omega pack? I didn’t know that.”
