Page 22 of For What It's Worth

“The male who owns this bar? His family founded the academy. And I think he has a packmate that teaches there,” Han said. “I can’t remember the professor’s name though. Some old guy name, I remember that. The other packmate is in the band that’s playing tonight.”

“I have a Professor Bert Stockfield,” I said, thinking of the first ‘old guy’ name to come to mind. Stockfield was a professor at the academy before it allowed betas in, and he’d made his opinion on the change very clear: he didn’t support the designations mingling. “But he’s older than I would expect for someone who has a packmate owning a club like this. Although a pack mate that plays jazz, I could see that.”

Han shook his head. “No, that doesn’t sound right. I hope Seb shows up before they make their rounds. He’s the one that’s friends with the bar owner.”

I took another sip of my drink before realizing I needed another. And why not? I was forgetting and moving on … and not driving. And I’d made a friend. Definitely a cause for celebration.

Chapter Fifteen

Hannah bounced in her seat, wanting to greet her alpha, but was too polite to tell me to get the hell out of the way. I grabbed my drink and got up, letting Hannah fly to the man I assumed to be Sebastian—or Seb as they seemed to prefer to call him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed her fourth mate like she hadn’t seen him in years instead of hours.

“Seb, you made it!” Hannah squealed loud enough that I heard her over the crowd and music.

“Hey, princess. How’s the club?” Sebastian moved to sit down in what had been my spot, and I took that as my cue to leave this pack alone.

I headed to the bar along the right side of the wall, finally taking in the actual club. The space was made up of a large sitting area, a stage, and the bar. Lights were dimmed to an orange hue, the large U-shaped seats were black satin, and the tables had a thin film over them for easy clean up in case of spills. Speakers were strung up alone the top of all the walls like the greatest surround sound of all time. Two feet off the ground was the raised platform with bright lights shinning down in various empty spots. The background played jazz music that must be from a radio or a playlist, but it was still good as the deep female voice sung about her love of an unnamed woman.

There weren’t any stools to sit at the bar, forcing me to stand and wait while the bartender took a bunch of orders—mine included—and started mixing. When I finally got my refill, I looked around for an empty place to sit. I glanced back at Hannah’s table and happened to catch her eyes. She waved me over, still wanting me to sit with her and her pack, and my body decided it was the perfect time to be nervous.

Her kindness toward me could’ve easily been excused as her thanking me for helping her, but now she wanted to get to know me. Potentially be friends. And my experience with meeting new people started and ended when teachers forced their students to introduce themselves.

“She wants you to sit with her, you sit with her,” a deep voice growled beside me.

I looked up, finding none other than Jackson, his hands somehow balancing four drinks. He had big hands. But I would’ve guessed that just based on how wide his shoulders were.

I shrugged, having no objections to sitting with Hannah, although I felt better about my decision being taken away by Jackson’s demand. The truth was, Hannah fascinated me. An omega who had found an alpha pack who not only cared for her but ‘let’ her go to college. There wasn’t any question in my mind if Guard One or Two had an omega, they wouldn’t let him or her attend college. But these alphas did. Even if it was online, she was still doing something unheard of in the omega community.

I had to admit, it made me wonder about my own potential alphas. They knew about my inner omega and promised to stay silent so I could continue my education. But would they still say the same thing if they’d claimed me as a proper omega?

When I sat down next to Sebastian, he didn’t even stop telling his story to introduce himself, which was fine by me, but had Hannah rolling her eyes, making me smile.

“Did you ask him if the omega would be willing to at least meet you?” Zeke asked Sebastian.

He shook his head in response, taking a long sip of the dark drink Jackson handed him. “I did. He said the omega was alpha shy. Which makes sense. Hiding in plain sight, completely alone without anyone to explain what’s going on? I wouldn’t be too quick to trust either. But I’ll ask again when he shows up here to make the rounds.”

I must have look confused, because Hannah leaned around Sebastian, giving me the short version of his story. “Sebastian’s friend, the alpha that owns this bar, has been asking him for help. Apparently, he found an omega who presents like a beta. And get this, the omega isn’t registered at the Omega Compound either.”

My breath caught in my lungs, forcing me to choke on my drink. The more I tried to hide my coughing fit, the sharper the pain came in my throat until I simply had to hack away like I was dying.

An omega that smelled like a beta? I had never considered anyone else being like me. My entire life, it had been a weird mix of being around others but always being alone. Always having to keep my secret to ensure I could have the future I wanted. Everything I’d ever done had been about ensuring the decision I made years ago to go to school. But if there was someone else like me, unable to enjoy their life because they were too scared of being close to alphas, I could help them. They could help me.

I couldn’t wipe the shocked look from my face. My eyebrows couldn’t go higher up my forehead, and my eyes couldn’t widen any more. Being alone was something I’d always taken on. But the possibility I could share my secret with someone without worrying about my future? That had my heart beating in overdrive and my tongue turning to lead.

I finally opened my mouth to say something—although I wasn’t truly sure what—but any sound was cut off from the words spoken behind me.

“Hello, Koda bear.”

Even if I hadn’t recognized his voice, I would’ve known that nickname anywhere. It was so brand-new I could’ve listed the number of times it had been used on one hand.

Everyone at the table was looking at either me, or Aidan behind me. Their questioning gazes made me blush. Some shuffling was done, and then I was pushed over to sit between Sebastian and Aidan.

“What? No hello for me?” Aidan asked, his voice filled with amusement.

I glanced up, Aidan’s eyes immediately meeting mine. Of all three alphas that had recently entered my life, his eyes were the most expressive. Like now, despite the amusement I heard in his voice, I saw a flash of possessiveness in his eyes.

Pulling my eyes away from his green ones, I gave his outfit a cursory glance but couldn’t make out much in the dim lighting besides the fact he was in a fancy suit that was matte black. His hair was down, brushing the tops of his shoulders, and his blond locks were perfectly, imperfectly curled. Aidan was always eye candy, but when he put the effort in, he was probably the best looking in his pack. Not that it was a competition, just something to note.

“Hi, Addie,” I said, my voice barely a whisper. My inner omega was beyond ecstatic that he was here, ready to be bent over the table from a single word from him. And my beta side wasn’t far behind.