Page 16 of Happy Valentine's Day, Omega
11
My earlier confidence has withered and died like my plants in Gardening class.
I've been running too high on vindictive anger to delve into the implications of the exclusive courtship. It's felt like a dream I will never wake up from.
Standing outside the Floral Arrangement classroom, I'm struck by the enormity of my situation.
I'm about to meet the Alpha who made a serious bid for my companionship.
It wasn't a casual, 'hey, let's court and see if we're compatible.' No, this guy came out of the gates confident I'm the only Omega he wants to pursue.
I shove my hands into my pockets, staring at the wooden door with a scowl. Determined to not chew my fingernails anxiously, I shove my hand into my pocket and stroke the ribbon.
Behind my bluster, I am at my core, flattered. This Alpha has paid an insane amount of money for the exclusive right to court me.
It just doesn't make sense.
I've been told I'm a terrible Omega for so long, I never thought there'd beanyonewho'd want me as their mate.
I was raised by a bunch of Alphas and behave like one. I'm of a pure bloodline, but have never been a part of pure society. I've scored horribly on every test the academy gave me. I hold the academy record for the amount of classes failed.
Fashion? Fail.
Housekeeping? Fail.
Social Etiquette? Double fail.
Floral Arrangement? Pass.
…Until they realized I snuck into the classroom at night and switched vases with Patricia. Then it was an epic fail, and I was banned from the class. Despite my previous breaking and entering, they still don't lock the Floral Arrangement classroom door at night.
"Okay, Nat. He said to be brave. And you are. You're a big brave Omega," I whisper into the empty hallway, rolling my head from side to side, bouncing on the balls of my feet like a boxer getting ready to fight.
"So what if you're meeting a strange Alpha in the dark in the middle of the night? This was your idea to begin with, and an Alvez doesn't back down from a challenge."
I turn the brass doorknob and slip into the classroom.
The room is dark, only a hint of silvery moonlight illuminating the tables scattered around the room. The floor-to-ceiling windows aren't open, but it's colder in here than the hallway.
I take another two steps into the classroom.
"Hello?" I call out into the darkness. There is no response, only the hammering of my heart.
In the front of the room is a single wooden chair. The kind that's behind each school desk in the academy.
I slowly step closer, hugging my arms as I shiver.
On the chair is a silken scarf, the same shade as the ribbon he gifted me. It feels like so long ago.
I lift the fabric. It's exquisitely soft and runs through my hands like water.
The same golden threads lining the ribbon in my pocket gild the edges of the scarf. In the low lighting of the room, the brief flashes of gold draw my eye to a small piece of paper that flutters out of the folds of fabric.
Cover your eyes and sit down, Omega.
Flicking my eyes around the space, I search for his presence in the deep shadows creeping at the edges of the room.
I scoff, balling the silken scarf in my fist in irritation.
