Raven's POV:
Stupid jerk. And his stupid body.
No, no, no. I was not going down that road. The whole "omega thing," the alpha aura, the dominance making omegas... whatever. I wasn't going to be one of those wolves who gets all horny just because an alpha walks by. Sure, I may be an omega, but I was born from two alphas, for crying out loud. That's got to count for something, right? And if my wolf awakening meant I'd turn into some kind of sexual magnet, then she better stay right where she is. I've had enough problems to deal with without adding that mess into the equation.
I lifted the stupid T-shirt Lucian had dumped on my head. The damned thing still smelled like him—sweat, ice, and arrogance. Ugh. It was the only thing I could use to wipe the blood dripping from my nose as I made my way to the Delta office, my heart hammering in my chest. I kept the shirt held up to my face like some ridiculous handkerchief, hoping I could somehow disappear before anyone noticed me.
I did my best to keep my mind off the overwhelming thoughts about my stupid wolf that wouldn't show itself and how completely out of control I was feeling.
As I stepped inside, I was greeted by the Delta—a gorgeous woman who looked to be in her early thirties. She had that air of warmth about her, the kind of presence that could make anyone feel at ease. No one had treated me like that in years—really treated me like I was a person. The only person who had ever cared about me like that was Rosy, my nanny. And in that moment, the warmth in the Delta's smile was a balm to my cold, paranoid heart.
Too bad I couldn't stop shaking long enough to appreciate it.
"Lay down, sweetie," she said kindly, noticing my pallor. "Calm down a bit, the pressure will pass soon enough. You're probably overwhelmed." She gestured to a bed, and I climbed on, glad to be away from the chaos of the hall. She didn't seem to know what my "condition" was, but she assumed it was the same as everyone did.
"Do you have any medication for your condition?" she asked gently, looking up from her clipboard.
Condition. My condition.
I swallowed hard, trying to keep my voice steady. "No medication. I—I don't really have any. I just... I heal slowly. You should expect me here a lot. I always take a long time to recover from these... sick spells."
She didn't question it. Probably thought I was exaggerating or just trying to sound special for sympathy, but that worked for me. My dad had drilled it into me: "If anyone asks about your condition, make sure it sounds sympathetic. No one will dare question it then."
"That's pretty common for someone not used to the school," she continued, scribbling on a pad. "Alphas are competitive by nature. You'll see, everyone will want to outdo everyone else. And because you're... well, weaker than most, you'll probably be a target for some of them."
I stiffened, my fingers tightening around the shirt. Of course, I would be. I was the perfect target. Small. Alone. Weak.
The Delta chuckled softly, shaking her head, "You're not the first to face it."
I bit my lip, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. "Yeah, I'm definitely not the first," I muttered.
She smiled kindly, not seeming to notice my sarcasm. "Since you're a little weaker than them, you'll need to find someone who'll look out for you. The students can be tough to deal with, but there's always a few who'll protect you."
I didn't believe her for a second. No one would protect me—not here, not in a place full of self-absorbed alphas.
I bit back a snarky response, trying to keep my voice neutral. "I'll be fine. I don't need anyone."
She chuckled, a knowing smile tugging at her lips. "That's what you think now, but trust me, you'll want to find someone to look out for you. Not everyone here is a jerk."
I snorted under my breath. Yeah, right.
As I started to feel a little calmer, the Delta tilted her head slightly. Her eyes flickered toward me for a moment, then narrowed slightly. "Your scent... it's a little strange. Have you been near something unusual?"
My heart lurched. My scent? No, no, no. I hadn't expected anyone to catch that, but of course, the Delta would have the sharp senses and she noticed. My mind raced, panic flooding through me like lightning. Was she starting to figure it out? I couldn't have her catching on. No one could.
If she figured it out... if she realized that I was an omega... I can't even imagine the consequences. My father would—well, there would be no forgiving me.
I swallowed hard, a lump forming in my throat. "Uh, yeah, it's... it's just part of my condition," I said quickly, forcing a weak smile. "The sickness—my... my condition makes it weird sometimes. It's nothing."
"Ah, that makes sense. It's part of the illness, right? No worries. You're fine." She jotted something down, but didn't push further. I almost sighed with relief, but I knew I couldn't let my guard down.
She seemed to buy it—thank the Goddess. "Hmm. Well, take care of yourself, okay? I'll be here if you need anything."
"Rest here for a bit. Once your nosebleed stops, you can go. Just take it easy, okay?"She winked and walked out, leaving me with my racing thoughts.
No one can know.
My father's little lie is nearly impossible to uncover, not because it's airtight, but because of its sheer absurdity. Even though the signs and symptoms are right in front of people's faces, the idea that two alphas could conceive an omega is so ridiculous that no one would ever believe it.
I breathed a sigh of relief once she was gone, but that didn't make the situation any better.
When the nosebleed finally stopped, I realized I had completely ruined my dress. My handkerchief—Lucian's T-shirt—was stained with my blood, and so was the rest of me. I could feel the blood slowly drying on my neck, my arms.
Great. Another disaster.
"Just perfect," I muttered under my breath.
I stood up, adjusted my ruined dress, and headed back to my room to change. It was either that or walk around looking like a bloody disaster for the rest of the day. I knew I couldn't go back to class like this.
And as for the T-shirt... I wasn't about to carry around his sweaty, smelly thing. I grabbed it by the corner, walked over to the nearest dustbin, and tossed it in with a satisfying flick of my wrist.
Good riddance.