Page 1 of Team's Omega
Chapter 1
~January~
Ishivered and stomped slush from my boots as I walked through the doors of the Valle Granja University library. The floor mat was already damp and had a buildup of cinder, but it was doing its job, and there was only a short trail from wet shoes leading into the rest of the building.
A wash of warm air hit my face, and my glasses immediately fogged up from the temperature difference. I moved to one side to allow the lenses to clear, tapped my toes against the floor to knock any lingering ice from my boots, then proceeded through the interior set of doors.
I smiled at the familiar setting: the quiet atmosphere, dry air, and scent of books.
A group of students were leaving the circulation desk, shoving books into bags and discussing a project assigned by their professor. I moved aside to let them pass, then continued to my destination.
I chuckled as soon as they were out of earshot. They’d been complaining about being unable to use online sources, and I knew immediately that they had classes with one of the professors who’d had tenure since the stone age.
“Hey Jace,” I said as I rounded the circulation desk to log in.
“Hey Ash,” replied my best friend and supervisor. “How’s the weather?”
“Miserable. But it’s stopped snowing at least.”
He chuckled, reached out and brushed his hand across my light brown hair. When he pulled his hand back, there were clear drops of water. “Are you sure about that?”
I sighed. “Mostly stopped… I guess.”
“Could be worse,” he teased. “I’d finished shoveling my driveway and was just grabbing my phone and wallet when I got the notification that we were on a delay.”
“Did we get enough snow to bother with shoveling?” I asked, thinking about the small amount on my car earlier in the day.
“We did if I don’t want to be walking on ice for the next few days. It gets above freezing for a couple hours while the snow is still there, and I spend the next week doing the slip and slide to get to my car every morning. Remember, my driveway doesn’t get sun like yours does.”
“Seems like you were going to do it anyway then,” I pointed out.
He snickered. “Yeah, but I could have had another cup of coffee first.”
I tilted my head to one side with a nod, conceding the point. “Ok. You win.”
He squeezed my shoulder. “Not many days I’m envious of your closing shifts, but nothing is worse than shoveling snow first thing in the morning.”
“I bet you could find an alpha to do it.” I gave him a sly grin. “Among other things.”
He sighed. “I wish…”
“Can’t find one if you don’t look.”
Jace ran a hand over his black hair. “I browse dating sites, but… ugh. I guess I’m too picky. Even when I do go on dates, the alphas all seem lacking.”
“I hear ya. Close, but I need more. Like one man isn’t enough.” I sighed. “So… anything going on that I need to know about?”
He shook his head. “Not really. Doctor Daniels has assigned his infamous folklore paper, and most of the good books are already gone.”
“So that’s who the grumbles are about.”
He laughed. “Yep. Though apparently he’s getting lenient in his old age, and allowing up to half the sources to be online.”
“How generous,” I deadpanned.
He smirked. “Of course those sources have to be from museums, cultural centers, or official ethnic group websites.”
I snorted. “I’m glad I’m not one of his TAs.”
