Chapter 17
Holden
Ihead out to my car, already knowing Nash will be waiting.
We’ve always been close, only six months apart in age, practically raised as brothers.
Technically, we’re cousins, but after my parents died in a car accident, my aunt and uncle took me in.
They made it official when I was fifteen, letting me decide for myself when I was ready.
From that point on, Nash wasn’t just my cousin.
He was my brother in every way that mattered.
We’re both juniors at Cortland Preparatory College.
Roman, our older brother, insisted we were getting a degree, even if he had to kick our asses to make sure we came here, every day.
As I walk through the crowd of people I wave at them, but keep moving.
I’m ready to get out of here and head home.
Roman’s fighting at the club tonight and we need to be there with him.
Construction company owner by day, cage fighter by night.
Stepping out of the building I head toward the parking lot.
“Hey Holden.” A deep voice calls my name from behind me.
Stopping, I turn around to see Henry, a fellow beta in my English class. “Holden.” He bends over as he catches up to me, gasping for air. ,
“You okay?” Clearly he needs to hit the gym more.
“Yeah, fuck man you move fast. I’ve been calling you all the way from English..” He manages to stand upright but he’s still breathing heavy.
“Sorry, in a hurry to meet my brother.” I look back over to the parking lot, wanting to skip out on this guy but knowing I’d be an ass if I did. He’s an all right guy, just aligned with a couple of alphas who are pricks.
“Did you get your partner for the assignment yet?” My brow raises at his question. Why would he care if I got my partner yet or not?
“Not sure. Haven’t checked my email.” I knew they were coming out today, but I hadn’t really been worried about it. Or even cared for that matter.
“I did, it’s a forty-year-old beta woman, with a pack. Trade with me, man.” He clasps his hands together in front of his chest as he begs.
“How do you know how old she is?”
“Looked her up when I got the email with her name. Not to mention she’s ugly as fuck. Come on man, I know you and your brothers are already a pack and not looking for an omega.”
That’s where he’s wrong. We’re looking for the right omega.
We know there’s one out there that’s meant for us, and we’re holding out for her.
It’s foolish, I know, but hey, we want what our parents had.
While my biological parents were Kismet, my adopted parents were Luminary.
But the love they had, we knew the three of us wanted as well.
“Are you really trying to use your assignment as a potential omega hookup?”
Henry smirks, running his hand through his hair.
“Really. Man, that’s the lamest shit I’ve ever heard. Besides, we can’t switch.” I remind him.
“Okay. It was worth a shot.” “Henry, is this you or those alphas you’re hanging around with that you’re wanting to be your pack?
If it is, then you need to separate yourself from them.
They're only going to lead you down a road of misery.” I reach out, placing my hand on his shoulder, and look him dead in the eyes.
“I mean it. You’re too good for them. Your pack is out there, but it’s not them. ”
With that I turn and leave, really hoping that he takes what I said and really thinks about it.
I weave through the cars in the parking lot, seeing Nash perched against our hunter green Camaro, arms crossed over his chest as a couple of beta girls flirt with him.
His tousled brown hair falls in his face as he gives them his winning smile back.
If they only knew he was just messing with them.
They’ll be good for a fuck but that’s it.
“Sorry ladies, but my brother’s here, so it’s time to go.” Nash blows them all a kiss as he pushes off the car and moves around to the driver's side. The three beta bitches huff at his dismissal.
“Oh, Nashie baby, drop him off and come back and meet us at our dorm. We’ll help you study for the Biology test.” The head beach blonde Barbie coos at him, making me want to vomit.
“No can do, I’ll take a raincheck.” He tosses them a wink, then opens the door, sliding into the driver’s seat as I step past them and get into the passenger side.
I’ve barely clicked my seat belt in place before he’s shifting into gear and peeling out of the parking lot.
“Dude, why do you put up with those airheads?”
Nash looks over at me, biting on his lower lip as he laughs.
“Pussy, man. I have a cock that desperately needs one. And last I checked we haven’t found our omega.
’’ He shifts his gaze back to the road just in time for the light to change and him to hit the brakes, causing the tires to squeal as the smell of burning rubber hits me.
I brace my hands on the dashboard, “Fucking dickhead. You did that shit on purpose.”
“Me? Never,” he mocks. “Why were you so late?”
“Henry stopped me, wanting to trade partners for our English assignment since he got stuck with a beta who is older and has a pack already,” I tell him as I take out my phone and scroll through my messages.
“Who did you get?” he asks as he taps his fingers on the steering wheel in beat to the rock song playing on the radio.
“Don’t know. I haven’t checked my email.”
“Maybe it’ll be an omega.” Nash’s voice bubbles with excitement, and I can’t help but shake my head.
“First, I doubt they’d pair an omega with me. Last time I checked, I don’t think we even had that many enrolled at the college.”
“They’d pair one with you before an alpha. Especially if she’s unbonded. Man, she could be our scent match.”
“Nash, keep living in that world of delusion.” I let out a sigh, as he presses down on the gas and takes off again.
“Run through the drive thru at Zaxby’s. I’m starving.
”“Me too. They have the best cheese curds.” Nash reaches down and turns up the radio, continuing to bob his head to the song while I flip over to TikTok and scroll aimlessly.
***
River Ashbourne.
Nice name.
I click over to the messaging forum the school uses and send her a message while we kill time before the fight tonight. Roman is busy carbing up in the kitchen, then he’ll hit the gym in the basement for about an hour.
To River: Hi, I’m H0lden, your English partner. I figured I’d go ahead and introduce myself so we can get to know each other before we start working on the assignment. In my email we didn’t have the details yet. Not sure if yours had any additional information on it.
To River: So. I’m a junior, 2o and an on site student. Obviously, since you’re the online student. I have two brothers and live off campus with them in a house. Umm, I like to eat. LOL Not sure what else to say.
My fingers rap rhythmically on the desk as I wait for a response, but when five minutes passes and nothing appears, I figure I’m not getting one.
I log out and go ahead and work on my math assignment.
I loathe math, but it’s a core requirement.
So it was doing it now or never. It helps that Nash is a fucking math prodigy.
Dude can literally do any mathematical problem in his head.
I don’t know how long I’ve been working when there's a knock on the door. Turning, I see Roman standing there dressed fully in black from head to toe: boots, jeans and shirt. His dark hair is pulled back from his face, and his beard is closely trimmed.
“Ready to go?”
“Yep.” I close my book and stand from my chair, grabbing my hoodie off the bed, pulling it over my head. “So, who's your opponent tonight?” I ask as we step into the hallway and head down the stairs.
“Some dude named Hancock. Not much on him other than he has a big fucking mouth that he likes to spout off.” Roman’s voice is full of the distaste he has for this man already.
“Running his mouth?” I ask as I step off the final step of the staircase.
“Yeah, the fucker actually thinks he can knock Roman out in less than five minutes.” Nash bursts out laughing before taking a bite of the apple in his hand.
“Oh, the asshole’s fucked up if he thinks that.” I cackle. Roman is currently undefeated. Only a fool would boast something as ridiculous as that. “Make sure to toy with him.”
“Oh, I plan to. He’s going to be begging to end the fight.” Roman growls as we all exit the house. I stop long enough to lock the door, before following behind them and getting in the backseat of the truck behind Nash.
On the way I pull out my phone and check the messenger app for the school to see if River’s responded. I don’t know why I’m so eager for a return message. You’d think I was waiting for a message from a girl, but I don’t even know River’s gender.
Nothing.
I can’t help but huff in frustration.
“What’s the matter with you?” Roman asks, as he looks at me from the rearview mirror.
“Nothing.”
“Since when do you get all huffy about nothing, lil bro?” Nash adds in, turning around in his seat to face me.
“It’s nothing. Just trying to hook up with my partner about this assignment, but I haven’t had any luck,” I reply, laying my phone face down on the seat beside me.
“So, is it an omega?” Nash asks hopefully. “What’s the name? I'm going to look them up on the student registry.”
I roll my eyes at him, but give it to him. “River Ashbourne.”
The registry for the school provided a picture, if given, of every student in attendance. It also has their designation, age and any other information they wish to provide.
“Gender neutral. I like it,” Nash says as he opens the school app on his phone and quickly types in the name. “Why didn’t you look it up yourself?”
I just shrug my shoulders. It’s not that I couldn’t have. Laziness, maybe. Or, possibly, I wanted River to tell me. I don’t know. Ever since I opened that email and read the name I’ve been feeling funny.
“River Ashbourne, twenty, female and a beta,” Nash announces, his voice trailing off at the beta part. “Well, the two of you have that in common. Too bad it wasn’t an omega.”
Yeah. Too bad.