A/N: Simone is pronounced as
[SI] + [MOHN]
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“Henry, I’d like you to meet Simone. Simone, Henry.” I introduced my new friend to Henry with a smile. Simon was a sweetheart, but a bit shy and I felt drawn to her almost at once.
I felt a sense of familiarity with her. I felt like we were meant to meet each other. When I asked her for her name, she was such a shy little thing that a found cute.
When Simon noticed who I was introducing her to, she immediately lowered her gaze to the floor, trying to make herself look small. “Alpha.”
Henry furrowed his brows after taking a sniff at her scent. “Why did you bring an Omega to me?”
“I didn’t know she was an Omega.” To were-shifters, Omegas were seen as servants—no less than slaves—and they were treated as the least in the pack. Shifters and weres were made Omegas as punishments if they could not handle being a rogue and the punishments are passed down to their children and the generations after them.
“But can’t she be my friend? She’s such a sweetheart.”
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Chloe, love, you know the laws. We cannot associate ourselves with the Omegas.”
“But that’s not fair,” I said angrily. “Why should they be made to suffer for their parent's mistakes? Why should they be born into a punishment that they knew nothing of? Can’t you change the laws?”
“It isn’t that simple. You can’t change the laws, they are as old as the pack itself.”
Simone nervously played with her fingertips and I knew that she was already uncomfortable under Henry’s scrutinizing gaze. “Simone, you can go to class, I’ll catch up with you later.”
I smiled at her when she nodded and almost ran away from us like a frightened little mouse. When she was out of earshot, I turned to Henry so fast, I almost got whiplash. “Then you shouldn’t have me as a mate. After all, Darius was right; it would only make your pack vulnerable and besides, it's against the law for a wolf to mate a human.”
He growled threateningly. “Don’t talk about that with me, milaya. Don’t talk about walking away from me, because I will find you, and when I do, I will never let you go.”
I stepped closer to him until I was staring directly at his eyeballs. “Then, do what you must,” I growled, poking his chest. With that comment, I flipped my hair at him and strutted away, giggling to myself.
Chloe—1
Henry—0
❀❀❀
I avoided Henry for the rest of the day—which wasn’t easy because we had almost the same classes together—and after school, I went to Expresso to work a bit.
“So, who’s to the lucky guy?” Emma asked.
“What are you talking about?”
“Seth said that you got a boyfriend.” She slammed the register shut and turned to me. “When were you going to tell me about this?”
“I…”
“And you didn’t even come to me for any advice!” she sighed in exasperation.
“I’m sorry. You’re right, I should have told you.”
“Damn right, you should have. You don’t even look like the type that goes bow-chicka-wow-wow. And out of nowhere, you get a boyfriend—”
“Why does everyone keep telling me that?” I muttered.
“—while the rest of us are left in the dust!”
“I’m sorry, Emma.” She huffed and turned her face away from me. “Come on, you can’t be mad at me for long.” I nudged her elbow playfully and pouted when she looked at me.
She groaned jokingly and pulled me to her for a hug. “Fine, I forgive you. I can’t stay mad at you.”
“I know you can’t,” I smirked.” You absolutely adore me.”
She made a disgusted face. “With that big head of yours? No way.” We burst into giggles at her teasing voice. “So…who is the lucky guy?”
“Well…” I blushed slightly under her gaze. “It’s Henry.”
Emma’s jaw dropped and she stared at me stupefied. “Your boyfriend is Henry Daniels? The guy that comes here every day with a different girl for a cup of coffee?”
“Yes, he—wait, what do you mean ‘he comes here every day with a different girl’?”
“You didn’t know that Henry is a player?” When I shook my head in denial, her expression changed to that of surprise, then pity and finally anger. “That ąsshole!” She cursed a few times in Spanish while I had become frozen like a china doll.
I told you, my conscience reminded me, I told you they were all the same. It was only a matter of time before you realized the truth…
A flicker of hope ignited a small part of me that refused to believe Emma. It’s not possible. He’s my mate…isn’t he? I shook my head and laughed sardonically. “Emma, stop lying to me. I can’t do this again. I can’t…” With my mind made up, I untied my apron, threw it on the counter and grabbed my backpack. “Cover my shift for me, will you? Thanks.”
“Wait,” Emma called after me, “where are you going?”
“To get the truth and it’s going to be a delightful ride if I find out you’re right.” Slinging my backpack across my shoulders, I opened the exit backdoor. “Don’t wait up for me, hon.”
There was hell to pay, I thought with a smirk.