Page 104 of Shattered Omega: Part One

“Okay. So…?”

“Well, it looks from the outside like you’re rejecting the bond… and they’re pursuing.”

“Rejecting?” My voice was high. That didn’t sound good for my reputation.

“It’s not bad. I just mean they seem ready to bite you, but you aren’t yet. Which is… unexpected.”

“That would be really soon for a bond.”

“The star is serious from packs of this calibre. If Oliver and Jasmine were given a star by the Kingsman pack, you could be damned sure they’d have locked in a bite within the week.”

“Oh…” I considered that. There was a beat of silence while I built up the courage to ask. It was hard not to stare too hard at her. She was so pretty, and it was impossible to forget that she was the ideal omega for my mates. Would it be wrong to try and figure out what they liked by studying her?

Probably.

“Were you, uh… going for the Lincoln pack?” I asked.

“Yes, they were on my list. I’m not quite as well known as Oliver and Jasmine.”

I frowned. “How is it? I mean… are they nice?”

Roxy’s pretty pink lips curved up. She wore makeup, I noted, but not much. A bit of mascara, perhaps? Her hair was glossy. Did she use product, or a straightener? There was one of those in my nest, but I didn’t dare touch it. I blinked, noticing a slight stiffness to her expression.

“They’re lovely,” she told me after a beat.

Lovely?

What exactly did that mean? I think that was good. Like… very good, because Dusk was definitely notlovely.

“Would you accept a bite from the Lincoln pack if they offer?” I asked.

Roxy’s eyes widened. “Oh. No. Well. I wasn’t here for romance, and we spoke about that—I think it’s part of why they chose me. I was optioning for the Arkology program, so the Lincoln pack were a perfect match. I’m very lucky to have been chosen by them.”

My mind tried to untangle that.

That was good, right? If she wasn’t interested in them long term? “So… you were going for the Kingsman pack too?” They were also in the Arkology specialty. I spoke before thinking about it, then cringed. It must sound like a brag.

“Oh, no. I didn’t have them on my list,” Roxy replied, seeming not to have noticed. “Your pack had an insane amount of competition especially from omegas who were interested in Arkology sponsorships. The Lincolns, slightly less. Most of my competition was within the specialty.”

“I see.” I nodded. “So, you said you aren’t here for romance?”

“You know how it is for omegas opting in to selection.”

“Uh… Sure.”

She shot me a grin, and thankfully explained, since I definitely wasn’t sure at all. There was so much I was behind on.

“We don’t always bond with the packs we are paired with, so it can give us a bad rep in certain circles. Especially if you’re aiming high. Elite packs don’t love the idea of an omega with another pack for years. It’s better if you stick with the same pack the whole time, though. Jumping is self destruction. But if I can get out the other end with a career, I’m not that worried.”

“What career?” I asked, suddenly curious.

“Pathology,” she said, brightening. I cycled through what I’d read about it.Akologic Pathology deals with alpha-omega specific diseases, such as Persistent Heat Fever, Omega’s Curse, aura sickness, or Rut-Echo syndrome.

“That’s what the Lincoln pack are going for, right?” I asked. It’s why I had memorised it. Arkology was the study of alpha-omega designation, but that was broad. Dusk’s course selection seemed somewhat pathology and aurafocused, but I knew the Lincoln pack were doubling down on pathology. Umbra—well, I had no idea what Umbra was doing. He was in a few Arkology classes with Dusk, and the rest were all over the place. I’d seen philosophy, world history, all the way to marine biology.

“Yes. Another strike in my favour, I think,” Roxy said. “But I think there’s so much to be done in that field. Not to mention if things go well with the Lincoln pack even without a bond, they’re set to go far, so the connections will be good.” Her eyes were bright as she talked about it, and I felt myself relax a little more. “I assume you were going for the Kingsman pack?” she asked me.

“No… I wasn’t.” Shit. Should I be lying about that?

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