Page 40 of The Omega Lesson

“I’ll be fine, Noah.” I can tell he’s trying not to roll his eyes at me. “They can try it on, but I’ll just kick their arses, same as usual.”

Jesus, now I’m picturing all those jockstraps trying to drag him into their jerk circles…

“We can pull him out. Make him a day student,” Ben says, his hand gripping my shoulder, and I realise I’m shaking. “I’m his guardian, Noah. No one’s going to question it.”

I nod, swiping a hand over my sweaty neck. Fuck. Separation anxiety sucks, and the big doofus is sitting right there, grinning at me like I’m precious.

“Okay. That’ll work,” I mutter, trying to rein my shit back in. But then my gaze skips over to Lexi, and my sanity starts to unravel again. “So why don’t we just commute from here? I’ve got the room – obviously – and it’s not that far if we take the freeway. Besides, if your place is one of those janky old workman’s cottages off Main Street, you shouldn’t be living there, anyway.”

Jack pokes me hard in the ribs and I realise Lexi is blinking her eyes, like she’s close to tears.Fuuuuuckkk. Is she that hung up on keeping her asbestos-ridden accommodation?

“You’re right. It’s nothing flash,” she mumbles. “It’s old and draughty, but it’s convenient. And cheap. And it has two bedrooms because…” Her voice wavers and she clears her throat, her hands now pressed between her knees. “I have a daughter,” she blurts out. “Her name’s Bree. She’s four. The second bedroom is hers.”

Lexi lifts her gaze, and the expression in her eyes cuts me to the bone. She looks like she expects me to screw up my nose and call her a party-pooper. Like I’m going to be pissed at the idea of an instant family in our pack.

But is she fucking kidding me right now?

I’m suddenly squirming so hard I have to wrap my hands around the underside of the stool to stop myself from sliding off.

A mini-Lexi. Whose hair I can braid while I’m feeding her sugary snacks and taking her for rides on the beginner trails… How does she not know this makes her even more perfect for us?

And holy shit, now I have a legitimate excuse to buy a pony! Like a real miniature Shetland, and not just a small horse I picked up to give my stables some variety.

Not to mention our pack just grew by half a human.

“So, where is she now?” I fold my arms tight to my chest so they can’t see how hard I’m flipping out. “Is she with your folks?”

Lexi flinches, but lifts her chin. Hope and despair war in her eyes, sending my twitches into overdrive. “No, she lives with my ex. He got custody right after the divorce, but I’m trying to prove to the courts I deserve more time with her.” Her hands twist in her lap, her knuckles white with strain. “A requirement for better visitation rights is keeping my job. And my probation ends soon. The headmaster isn’t my biggest fan, so I can’t let anything jeopardise that.”

Her eyes are pleading with me again, and I have to bite back all the words that are burning on my tongue. Fuck her school. Fuck the judge. And fuck her ex. I can get her the best lawyer in the country, and snatch her baby girl right back off that fucking creep. And if that doesn’t work, I have fast horses, faster cars, and a company plane. In no future reality is our half-a-human not a permanent part of our pack.

But that’s the old me. The take what I need, buy what I want, and flip off the world me.

“Okay,” I hear myself saying, while my tongue curls in disgust at my easy defeat. “We take you home, and play nice with the headmaster.”

Lexi smiles at me while Mattie beams, and Jack throws an arm around my shoulders. I know they’re all happy I’m not pitching a fit, but it doesn’t stop me from adding, “And tomorrow we get some heavy-duty soundproofing in those asbestos walls. Because there’s no way in hell I’m sleeping on the pull-out couch.”

Lexi

The first morning back at school is harder than I hoped, but probably easier than I deserve. Travisdidcontact the headmaster, and the official story is I had the flu. No one questions it, given the doctor’s note that mysteriously appears via my email, and the fact I probably look like I’m recovering from a violent illness. One small relief is that Drummond was called away to some kind of cadet conference and won’t be back until next week. I wasn’t looking forward to facing him, even though Noah assured me my scent blockers are masking the last wisps of my heat.

In the end, it isn’t a particularly eventful day, but as I pack up my last lesson, I still feel exhausted. Not to mention I haven’t been able to sit down all day without being reminded of every scorching moment of my heat.

“Hey, babe,” Mattie says, his hands slipping around my waist as I push a box of books onto the shelf in the office. “Miss me much?”

“Shit. You scared me.” I cast a quick glance at the door, but Robyn has already left, and the other students rarely come back here. I turn in his arms and breathe him in, his minty scent working like a balm over my tired body. “God, you smell so good.”

“Pretty sure that’s all you,” he murmurs, his nose against my neck. When he’s taken his fill, he leans back and cocks a brow at my desk. “Gotta say, this place brings back good memories.”

I smile, because I thought the same thing when I dropped my things off this morning. It’s hard to believe everything that’s happened since he asked me to be his alpha. “I feel the same, even though I know we still have a lot to talk about.”

“We’ll get to it,” he assures me, while I admire the new confidence in his eyes. It’s probably not noticeable to anyone else, but I like the way he stands taller. Mattie has never bought into the alpha elitism that runs riot in this school, but I know he’s struggled with feeling wanted. But the bite mark lurking under his crisp white shirt has left him in no doubt about that now.

“Does it hurt?” I whisper, popping his top button and running my fingers over Noah’s bond mark. The bite I gave him is already gone, little more than a patch of grey against his tan skin. But Noah’s mark feels warm and raw, and we both shiver as I lean against him. “I really wish I could even it up.”

“Fuck,” he hisses, his hands tightening on my hips. “I want that too. You can both fuck me while you sink your teeth in. And then you can ride Noah while you give me some aftercare.”

I swallow so hard it makes me wince in actual pain. God, but I want to do that and so much more. Like maybe even nibble on Noah a little. But not yet. We agreed to take it slow, so I can focus on my job and their bond has time to settle in.

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