And even though they’d gotten a late start, the proceedings ended early since the state had waived its opportunity to cross-examine Dayson.
Teal breathed a sigh of relief. The next day, the state would begin presenting its case. Meaning Teal wouldn’t have to talk as much. Meaning that if his stomach continued its valiant attempt to eat itself from the inside out, it would be easier to hide it.
As Teal made his way from the courtroom, he kept one eye out for Mikel. He wanted to confront him with his suspicions but didn’t think it was the right time. It should probably wait until after the ruling, but in the meantime, he meant to ensure Dayson stayed safe.
“Dayson, since we ended early, do you want to grab coffee in the cafeteria? Barden won’t be here to pick me up for half an hour.”
“Sure.”
As they sat in the court’s small eating area, Teal brought up the subject on his mind.
“Dayson, you know my colleague Mikel, right?”
An inscrutable expression took over Dayson's face. “Truthfully, I know him a little more than I want to.”
“What do you mean?” Teal circled his hands around his cup.
Dayson snorted. “I mean, the universe is apparently fucking with me because your sorta-alphahole fellow attorney smells absolutely amazing.”
Teal startled. “Wait!? What?”
Shaking his head, Dayson clarified, “Yeah. My inner omega is going nuts for him. My logical brain knows Mikel is kind of a dick, but the horny little beast inside me keeps insisting that he smells like fresh mint and wants to lick him.”
Teal chuckled, relieved. “That’s why he keeps getting all weird around you.”
“I’m guessing he senses it too, that we’re biologically compatible, but he’s also fighting it because I’m not the type of delicate, timid omega he’d envisioned falling for.” Dayson’s mouth turned down. “Why were you asking about him, anyway?”
“Oh. I’ve noticed him looking at you during the tribunal. And even before that, he seemed extra interested, especially after you got attacked. Clearly, I’ve been on the complete wrong track, thinking maybe he was secretly causing you harm, perhaps giving up information on you to the pro-alpha groups.”
A resigned sigh escaped Dayson. “I sincerely doubt he’s behind my attack, or the brick, or the other threats. He may eventually cause me harm, but not the kind you’re thinking.”
“Oh my.” Teal couldn’t stop his grin. “Mikel has certainly found a worthy partner. I mean, if you decide to go there.”
“Even though the rational part of me knows I’d be better off with a more enlightened alpha, the thought of being withsomeone whose scent sets me off so much is…exciting. I’ve never had that before and now I’m starting to understand what all the fuss is about when omegas go on and on about alphas smelling amazing.”
“I’m sure you’ll figure it out. When the time is right.” Teal took a sip of his shitty coffee. “I’m just glad he’s not the one behind the problems.”
“Me too.”
“Can I ask you another thing, kind of along the same lines?”
“Shoot.”
“You know that Ronan and I have an omega partner?”
“Yes. Sorcha. He seemed very sweet. You two are lucky.”
“You’re right about that. But I wanted to ask you how common it is for omegas to smell one another. I can smell Sorcha’s blueberry jasmine fragrance, and he can scent my honey lavender. I’ve never smelled another omega before, so I was wondering how common it is.”
Dayson raised an eyebrow. “I can tell you from my research that it is extremely uncommon.”
“Really?”
“Yes. There are recorded instances of it, and it’s possible there have been omegas who felt it but didn’t admit to it, with omega/omega relationships being so taboo until a generation ago. Even now, they’re rare, as you know.”
“But it’s possible, right? I guess what I’m checking is to make sure I’m not just making it up in my mind, because I want it to be true so badly.”
“I doubt you’re making it up, Teal. It’s much more likely that you’ve simply found something beautifully rare and elusive. If I were you, I wouldn’t spend any more time questioning that. I’d focus on hanging onto it with both hands. Enjoying it.”
