Page 23 of Unsubmissive Omega
“Sure, but these are all trades we need for the pack too, so even if not everyone goes out and gets a job outside, their skills will be put to use here.”
I chewed on the inside of my lip. Here was one more example of how smoothly run the pack was. They didn’t need my input. I was just a cog in the machinery, a tick in the correct box. I could see why he’d decided to tick that box though. The pack was perfectly setup. It would have been heartbreaking to let the Council commandeer part of it.Not my problem, I reminded myself. Anyway, Darius had done his part, fulfilled his obligation. He’d taken a mate. That the mate wasn’t going to stick around, wasn’t relevant - he’d met the Council’s stipulation.
“Darius! You’re needed in the office.” Zendius came rushing up to us. He was red in the face from the exertion, and his brow was wrinkled as if carrying too many worries. He certainly seemed todo a lot around the pack. Any time I’d seen him, he was handling something, running here, running there, bringing a message, or organizing someone.
Darius scowled. “Can’t it wait?” he asked, irritably. “I’m showing Xander around.”
“No, it’s important. I’ll finish taking him around,” Zendius offered, cutting him off. “Go. You’re needed.” He waved the big alpha away.
Darius hesitated, his handsome face twisted in annoyance. Goddess! Almost as if he cared! I started to go weak at the knees. Fuck it, I had to get rid of him before he broke through my self-control.
“Go on, I’ll be fine,” I told him, nodding along with my words and hoping I sounded convincing.
“But I…”
“It’s fine. I’m a grown ass man. I can take care of myself,” I told him, snappily. “You have responsibilities.”
“I’m sorry, Xander,” Darius looked both apologetic and reluctant.
“It’s fine,” I said, expression deliberately neutral. “Business calls, right? Anyway, Zendius is here. He was already showing me around earlier, he can keep doing it.”
That now familiar look of hurt flashed over Darius’ face and was gone again, but I hardened my heart against it. I wasnotgoing to be some weak-minded omega, susceptible to wanting to please my – correction,an– alpha.
“I’m sorry,” he said again. It annoyed me that he looked so genuine. I funneled that annoyance into strengthening my resolve, and shook my head at my weakness.
Once Darius had turned away with one last rueful look, and was striding down the corridor, Zendius asked, “Where were you headed just now?”
“Darius was about to show me the classrooms.”
“Ah, yes, the classrooms,” Zendius said, half to himself as we watched Darius stride away down the corridor, his footfalls heavy and brisk over the linoleum floor.
“Well, there’s not a lot to see, but I can show you.” I jumped as my elbow was grasped by a firm hand, and he steered me in the direction of another corridor running off from the main one.
Zendius seemed oblivious to my discomfort, and I didn’t want to upset him since he was being kind to me, so I accompanied him without saying anything. But what I was experiencing wasn't simply annoyance at an alpha wanting me to do his bidding, I felt physically uncomfortable with his touch. I had the strangest notion that my body was screaming at me'No! This is not your alpha!'
I shook my head to clear it of this ridiculous notion.
“So… this is Darius’ little project,” Zendius told me, poking his head into a small room, apparently oblivious to my unease. There were six two-person desks arranged in three rows in the cramped space. A whiteboard presided over the room. A couple of flyers advertising jobs in town were stuck to the walls.
“As you can see, it’s pretty small.” He leaned in closer, and dropping his voice, added, “I don’t think we’re achieving much here, but the boss wants the program, so we have to do it…"
I was a little taken aback. Surely the pack’s second-in-command should be supporting his leader’s initiatives?
Maybe my face reflected how I felt, because Zendius’ grey eyes met mine, his expression serious.
“Everything is about business here, you’ve got to remember that. Everything he does, is to further the aims of the pack. Not all his ideas are good. I mean, he’s trying with this trade school thing, but I’m not convinced it’s what we need. And just for the record, I really don’t think what he did with you was fair, either. But anyway, what would I know? I’m just the second-in-command.”
I didn’t know what to say, so I said nothing.
“Anything else you’d like to see?”
“I don’t know what else there is to see,” I replied, finding my voice again, relieved for the segue.
“Have you seen the special houses for the elders?”
“Oh yes, Darius showed me those already. They’re a great idea.”
“They were my idea,” Zendius told me, puffing out his chest.
