Chapter 6 #3
The whole table cracked up at that. I saw Blake glance my way for a brief second with a raised brow and a smirk, but then he went back to whatever he was doing with his tablet.
Harriet leaned over and whispered to Ben and me, "Don't look now but Mason and Thad got up from their table and are having a heated conversation over by the shelves. They keep looking over here."
Ben, of course, did look because he doesn't give a shit. He just smiled and shook his head while staring right at the two of them.
"Ugh, fuck," I said, whispering back to Harriet.
"Mason tried to say shit to me during Stats earlier.
Gave me the whole 'I'm Knox's righthand man' speech and tried to tell me I shouldn't jump to conclusions about the Pack or Knox.
I told him to fuck off and to tell his buddy the same. I don't think he's pleased with me."
Ben laughed, and Harriet just gaped at me for a second, and then she said, "I mean, I'm not surprised at all because it's you, but.
.. I'm not sure how I didn't realize... what with how you were with Parker earlier, and now you're telling me you just told Mason Hayes to go fuck himself?
I'm... I'm starting to think that who the Pack thinks you guys are is not who you actually are.
..?" She trailed off, then gave me a pointed look.
Ah, shit. Honestly, we weren't trying to hide things from Harriet, and Ben and I had genuinely gotten close with her in those last few weeks of summer.
We'd just been living our lives so separately from pack culture that we didn't even really think much about the whole omega thing. I owed her a conversation, I guess.
"Later," I said quickly.
Ben nudged me. "Sexy nerd incoming."
Our whole group looked over into the aisle between the tables. Thad was making his way toward us, looking bored and annoyed. The students at the Elite table watched him with confusion. Nikka looked livid, and Knox looked pissed off as well. Guess he didn't sanction this little errand.
Thad made his way over to our side of the long table, stopping next to Ben and me.
"Mave, I'd like a quick word," he said tightly. He crossed his arms over his muscular chest and stared at me. His light brown eyes were cold behind his stylish dark frames.
Harriet and our human friends just gaped at him. Ben threw his arm around my shoulders and stared him down like the Alpha wolf he actually was. I managed to keep it cool and looked at him with a blank face.
"Did Man Bun send you to do his dirty work this time?" I asked, batting my lashes at him, and trying to ignore the wave of nausea that was cresting inside of me.
That pissed him off, and he leaned over and placed both palms on the table, getting in my face a bit. "Not a request, omega," he whispered ominously so that only Ben and I could hear him.
"Just go before he makes a scene," Harriet hissed at me.
Point taken, I stood and followed him over to the bookshelves along the outer wall across from our table. Ben, a saint, joined us.
Thad noticed Ben's approach, and for a millisecond, he looked uneasy. He quickly pulled his mean, bored mask back on and said to Ben, "I didn't invite you to join us, Fortune."
Ben just smiled widely at him, then threw his arm back around my shoulders. "Good thing I don't give a fuck, James."
Thad frowned and was about to start with him, so I just said, "Say what you need to say, Thad. Tell me what else I can do for your little elite pack of sadists on the worst day of my life."
To his credit, he did wince at that, but he recovered quickly and said, "Mason was trying to be civil to you, you know.
And Knox is just doing what he believes is best for the Pack.
I think we can both agree that we should all just..
. keep the situation quiet. No need to bring the rest of the Pack as a whole into this sort of unnecessary drama. "
I just stared at him. This is what he and Mason were so worried about?
That I would run off and tell the Alpha what a shithead his son was?
Tempting, but hard pass. Or, maybe they were worried I'd tattle because I wanted the Alpha to try to convince his son to change his mind about the mating. Also never going to happen, clearly.
Ben was pissed now, too. "Aw, are you guys worried us sad little omegas are gonna make Knoxy look bad in front of Daddy? Gonna clue him in to the fact that his son and future leader of the Pack is a cruel and thoughtless piece of shit?"
"Listen, you mouthy little asshole—" Thad whisper-shouted at Ben, who just smiled at him again. I think he was getting turned on, which was not something I wanted to examine further in that moment.
"Thad!" I whisper-shouted back at him. "Go away and leave us alone.
I have no interest in interacting with, much less broadcasting this situation to, anyone in the Pack.
Tell your boss his secret is safe from Daddy.
I'd also appreciate it if you, Mason, Knox, and everyone else in your merry band of assholes never speak to me or my brother again. "
Thad glowered at us. "Knox is a good leader, and the NWLA Pack is a strong, successful group of wolves that you are both lucky to have been allowed to join. Knox has commitments to the Pack and its future as far as his potential mating. I'm sure you can understand," he finished diplomatically.
It was my turn to smile. "Oh, is that why he offered to fuck me on the side? You know, since the bond will make me want his dick and all. Sure does sound like a man serious about his... commitments."
Thad coughed, and then he just sighed. He seemed surprised, but then also not surprised, at that revelation.
Ben was back to being pissed again. "What the fuck, Magic—"
"Look," Thad cut him off. "I think we are on the same page about the important shit. Thanks for your time." He turned on his heel and hustled back to the Elite table. Almost every wolf there glared in our direction.
We returned to our own table. I just shook my head at Harriet and the rest of our friends, indicating I didn't want to discuss it. We only had about ten minutes until the final bell, then I would be able to escape this hell.
Until I got to do it all again tomorrow. Fuck.