Gray and Tyler are already inside, seated near the back. Gray's expression darkens when he sees me.
"You're late," he says as I slide into the seat beside him.
"By thirty seconds."
"Still late."
I roll my eyes and pull out my notebook. "Met your girlfriend in the hallway."
His body tenses. "Ex."
"Not according to her."
Gray's bergamot and driftwood scent spikes with the sharp bite of irritation. "Kinsley and I broke up months ago."
"She seems to disagree."
"Kinsley disagrees with reality on a regular basis. It's part of her charm."
Tyler leans forward. "She cornered you?"
"With her entourage."
"Olivia and Madison," Tyler supplies. "The unholy trinity of the women's team."
"They were... welcoming," I say dryly.
Gray's jaw tightens. "What did they say?"
"Standard territorial posturing. Stay in my lane. Don't disrupt team dynamics." I pause. "Don't bond with the crew."
Gray's pencil snaps between his fingers. "Ridiculous."
"Is it?" I ask, genuinely curious. "Is there a rule against it?"
Tyler adjusts his glasses. "Yes and no. Bonded teams get special housing and funding, but a female cox bonding with only part of a male crew would create... complications. That’s why they banned unbonded omegas from being on male teams. So the university monitors all athletic teams for designation compliance. Mixed teams get extra scrutiny, especially if there are signs of bonding behavior. They've disbanded programs before."
"Antiquated bullshit," Gray mutters, surprising me. "Team dynamics are about communication and trust, not designation."
"Tell that to your ex."
His steel eyes lock with mine. "I have. Repeatedly."
The professor begins the lecture before I can respond. The topic, competitive psychology and group dynamics, feels painfully relevant. I take notes mechanically, my mind spinning with this new information.
Mixed teams under scrutiny. Programs disbanded. Extra oversight. And now Kinsley knows something's different about me, even if she can't identify exactly what.
What would they say if they knew an Omega was commanding their precious Alpha team?
Gray spends the entire lecture in tense silence, his scent shifting between irritation and something I can't quite identify. When class ends, he stands abruptly.
"I'll walk you to your next class," he says.
"Not necessary."
"Wasn't asking."
"I'm perfectly capable—"
