I moved with her, my body remembering the script even as my stomach twisted. I didn’t look at the Alphas. I didn’t speak. But I could feel it—Julian’s gaze trailing after me like a breath of winter down my spine.
There was no judgment in it. No desire.
But something else…Like he was watching a fuse and wondering how long it would take to burn.
Chapter Two
Lilianna
The air in the private suite felt different once we entered—colder somehow, despite the same plush decor and gleaming fixtures as the lounge. My mother's fingers dug into my arm as she guided me to the sofa, her smile never faltering while her grip betrayed her tension.
"Sit," she instructed, her voice dropping to that special pitch reserved for when we were alone. "Not like that. Ankles crossed, hands folded. Yes, better."
I adjusted as commanded, feeling the familiar weight of expectation settle across my shoulders. The suite overlooked the empty tennis courts, now abandoned as evening approached. Shadows stretched across the pristine white lines like long fingers reaching for something they couldn't quite grasp.
"That went well," my mother said, though she wasn't speaking to me. She was reassuring herself, pacing in small, tight circles that made her pearl earrings catch the light with each turn. "They're interested. I could tell. Julian especially—did you see how he looked at you?"
I said nothing, which was the correct response. Opinions weren't required of me, particularly about matters like this.
"Your father will close the deal," she continued, stopping to adjust a vase of lilies on the side table. "The Vale pack needs what we offer. Legitimacy. Connections. A proper Omega."
The word "proper" hung in the air between us. I'd heard it all my life—whispered in the hallways of our estate, emphasized during my lessons, wielded like both shield and sword. Proper Omegas know their place. Proper Omegas speak when spoken to. Proper Omegas bring honor to their families through their submission.
She stopped fidgeting with the flowers after a moment, turning to face me with curious eyes. "You spoke to Julian before we arrived. What did you say?"
"Nothing important," I answered quietly, keeping my gaze steady. "He asked if I enjoyed tennis."
Her lips thinned, eyes narrowing. "And?"
"I told him I liked watching it." Which was a lie, but with how I kept my face blank, I knew she couldn't tell if I was telling said lie.
She studied me for a long moment searching for the lie. Finding none, she resumed her pacing."Good. That's... acceptable. Small talk is fine, but remember your place. Men like Julian—men of his caliber—don't want an Omega who thinks she has opinions that matter."
I nodded, the movement so practiced it felt mechanical. The suite door opened, and my father entered with a tight expression that made my stomach clench.
"They're discussing it," he announced, loosening his tie with one hand, “They said they would get back to us in the next few days.”
"In the next few days?" My mother's voice sharpened. "That's hardly the enthusiasm we were expecting."
"They're not like other packs," my father replied, crossing to the bar to pour himself a drink. Ice clinking against crystal. "Vale doesn't make impulsive decisions. That's how he's built his reputation."
"Did they have concerns?" she pressed, moving closer to him, lowering her voice as if I couldn't hear her from six feet away. As if I wasn't the subject of their conversation.
My father sipped his whiskey, his reflection fractured in the mirror behind the bar. "They want to review her file completely. The medical documentation. Her educational records."
"That's standard," my mother said dismissively. "What else?"
A pause. My father glanced at me, then back to his drink. "The younger one—Miles—asked if Lilianna had been consulted about the arrangement."
My mother laughed, a brittle sound like glass cracking. "Consulted? What an odd concern. She's been prepared for this her entire life."
"I told them as much," my father said, swirling the amber liquid in his glass. "Julian didn't seem satisfied with that answer."
A flicker of tension crossed my mother's face. "Did you remind them how valuable this opportunity is? She's a pure bloodline Omega. The last in our family line."
"They're aware of her pedigree," my father replied, his voice hardening. "Vale isn't impressed by bloodlines alone. He wants... compatibility."
"Compatibility?" My mother's perfectly shaped eyebrows arched. "What does that even mean? She's been trained to be compatible with any Alpha."
