10. Lyra
When I finally managed to get my head in the game and focus on work, my body settled down. Situations like what happened between Eli and I were what a certain group of people used to prove Omegas shouldn’t be in the workforce. In their mind, all we seemed to do was become a distraction, so it was better to keep us at home where we wouldn’t bother anyone. What they seemed to be missing in their thought process was Omegas weren’t mindless sex fiends desperate to hump whoever was closest. While there’s always an exception to the rule, most Omegas didn’t become hypersexual until meeting their scent-matched Alphas.
If Eli weren’t my scent match, we would have no issues. However, that wasn’t the case, and I would need to find the best solution for us to work together. One thing I had on my side was the internal drive to prove just how worthwhile it was for my boss to have me. If I made myself invaluable, they couldn’t simply write me off when I needed to take time off for my heats a few times a year.
Working with my previous pack was easier, but we still ran into issues with personal and professional butting heads. Specifically, one Alpha in our pack didn’t know how to separate matters and leave problems at home when we got to work. It created some tension between the others and left me in the middle of trying to make peace. Occasionally, when arguments got heated, this led to being told I should stay in the nest where I belonged.
Of course, I didn’t think that would ever happen with Eli, and he already assured me he didn’t plan on asking me not to work. Yet it didn’t keep my anxiety from pointing out Eli could change his mind if I made things too hard for him. These intrusive thoughts were something I battled every damn day. I’ve worked through many of them with Dr. Barnett, which was helpful but didn’t prevent new ones from popping up. Dr. Barnett believes they stem from survivor’s guilt, and I feel the need to prove my life has meaning and purpose, but deep down, I don’t think I should have lived.
“Miss Clark,” Emily called.
Yanking the pen I’d been chewing on out of my mouth, I looked up to find her in my office doorway. “Yes?”
“I didn’t mean to startle you. I tried to ring back, but you weren’t answering,” Emily apologized. “There’s a Lester on line three who says he’s from customs and is returning your call.”
“Thank you so much. I’ve been trying all morning to get ahold of this guy,” I said, snapping back into work mode. “Line three, you said?”
Emily nodded and waited for me to pick up the call before shutting my office door.
“Hello, this is Lyra,” I answered.
“I’m Lester Day. I believe you left a few messages regarding a shipment of oil we’ve held back?” Lester inquired.
“Yes, thank you so much for calling me back. I was on the phone with another person in your office, but we got cut off when a storm took out our power. Can you tell me if the shipment has been located and what exactly about the paperwork isn’t meeting standards?” I questioned.
“Let’s see…” Lester mumbled as the slow clacking of his keyboard filtered through the phone. “Ah, here it is. Seventy thousand barrels of oil headed for Ethea were delayed due to not having the correct tax code.”
“The tax code for us here in Preidon or for Ethea?” I pressed, tapping my pen against my desk as I heard more typing.
“Ethea has restructured their import-export regulations, rendering the code you entered useless. We’ll need a new form filled out that matches the new regulations. Unfortunately, you can’t get that online, but I believe if you contact the consulate in Windermere, they should be able to give you what you need,” Lester explained. “The shipment will be held here for another five days since this was an unforeseeable issue and won’t accrue any fees or penalties as long as it’s rectified by the end of the week.”
“Thank you so much. I will get on that right away,” I said, typing into my web search to find the consulate’s location.
Lester mumbled some farewell, but I wasn’t listening, and it wasn’t until the line went dead that I realized he’d hung up. Returning the phone to its cradle, I pulled up the map with the consulate’s location marked. Before moving here, I knew Windermere was a large city, and many large companies chose to keep a main office here, but what I was discovering was how multicultural it was. According to the map, I didn’t need to go far, and it would take me roughly a half hour to get there and back.
Calling the number on their website, I confirmed they would indeed have what I needed and someone could walk me through the process. “Yes, we can certainly help, but we close the door for an hour at noon for everyone to have lunch. I would suggest coming by after that break as it might be cutting it close now.”
“Sounds logical to me,” I agreed. “I’ll be down later this afternoon, and I truly appreciate how quickly you could get me an appointment.”
“We’ve been instructed to ensure all import issues are dealt with promptly since it has a rather large impact on our economy,” the woman shared. “If I’d been in charge of all this, I would have given companies plenty of notice that things were changing. It certainly would have saved us a lot of extra work.”
“I agree. I was just wondering why they didn’t give any notice, but we’re just the worker bees. What do we know?” I commented, with a little more sarcasm in my tone than I meant to come across. Thankfully, the woman chuckled and confirmed someone would meet with me after they came back from lunch.
Thrilled with my progress, I bounced out of my chair, grabbed my purse and phone, and headed out to get some lunch. Eli was standing next to Emily, looking at something on her screen.
“Now click here, see how this says note?” Eli asked, pointing. “Whatever you enter here is what will be put on the little card sent with the gift basket.”
“Really?” Emily gasped, amazed by the feature. “So I don’t need to worry about sending a separate card to make sure my niece knows I was the one to send the basket?”
“Correct,” he confirmed, looking tenderly at the older lady.
“Now, I have to think of the right thing to say. She’s been trying to have a baby for some time. Oh, I’m just so thrilled for her,” Emily chattered excitedly and smiled when she spotted me. “Miss Clark, did you hear the news? My niece, April, just found out she’s pregnant. I dare say she’s about your age, maybe a little older.”
“That’s wonderful news,” I said, returning her smile.
“What about you? Do you plan to have kids soon? They say it gets harder for women over thirty, and it certainly was for my dear April,” Emily shared, her brow wrinkling slightly in distress.
My stomach clenched as my mouth went dry, and panic washed over me being put on the spot in front of Eli. I clutched my phone to my chest and tried to answer, but nothing came out.
“Lyra, were you heading somewhere?” Eli cut in, keenly aware of my distress.
“Lunch,” I managed to say and awkwardly pointed toward the elevator.
Eli looked at his watch, seemingly surprised it was already that time. “So it is. Would you mind if I joined you?”
Shaking my head, I waited for Eli as he excused himself from helping Emily, then wrapped an arm around my shoulders, guiding me to the elevator. My gaze latched onto the elevator’s shiny metal doors, trying to talk myself off the ledge of a panic attack. Eli didn’t try to fill the silence. Instead, he held me against his side and used his thumb to stroke my arm, offering me what comfort he could. The doors opened, but instead of bringing us to the second floor, where the cafeteria was located, I looked out at the garage.
Without a word, Eli swept me along until we exited the garage and came out on the main street. “Where are we going?” I asked, my brain finally catching up to what was happening.
“Lunch,” Eli answered and kissed my head. “I don’t mind the cafeteria, but the food gets old when you’ve worked for the company for as long as I have. There’s a café about a block away that has excellent lunch choices.”
The walk was exactly what I needed to calm down before we were seated in a booth tucked away in the corner of a lovely-looking café. It was called the Slice of Life, and I would guess it was called that because of the delicious-looking pies I saw in the case.
“This place looks amazing,” I said, reading over the menu. “They have a little bit of everything you could ever want.”
Eli gave me a small smile, but it reached his eyes. “I don’t share this place with many people, fearing they will become so busy I won’t be able to enjoy it. The only thing I’d suggest you stay away from is the steak sandwich. Roy tends to go cheap, and the meat is a little too fatty.”
My brows went up at the casual way he talked about the chef. “Wow, first-name basis with the head cook… you really do like this place.”
A surprised bark of laughter came out of Eli, shocking him as much as it did me. The next moment, I was clamping a hand over my mouth to keep from making a scene, but seeing him so stunned by his reaction just hit me funny. Eli looked down as if a little embarrassed, but that only made me find him even more handsome than I already did.
“When I found this place, it wasn’t long after losing my father and stepping into his role at the company. Things didn’t transition smoothly, and I found everyone in the building felt more comfortable when I didn’t eat in the cafeteria. I needed some place close by if I needed to hurry back but where I wouldn’t be noticed. SoL, as Roy calls this place, wasn’t doing well which meant it was quiet, and I got fast service,” Eli shared as he reached out to grasp my hand and laced our fingers together.
After a moment, he continued his story, “When I met Roy, he’d just recovered from a car accident that left him with a broken arm and leg, forcing him to find someone else to do the cooking. That hadn’t gone well. His wife isn’t a businesswoman. She’s a baker. Although she tried her best when Roy returned to work, the place had gone to shambles. I guess you could say we both met when we needed each other. Roy needed capital to do some much-needed renovations and upgrades. Then they planned to do a relaunch, letting people know he was back. Meanwhile, I wanted a safe place to come and not have the weight of the company on my shoulders while I was still grieving my father. We both got what we needed and became friends along the way.”
Hearing Eli as he talked about losing his father tugged at my grief. “I’m sorry about your father. It’s hard to lose a parent. I can’t even imagine dealing with taking over a company on top of everything your family must have gone through.”
His thumb stroked over the back of my hand as he studied me. “It was incredibly hard, but I was fortunate to have the rest of my family to lean on. From what I’ve gathered, you had to face all that alone, didn’t you?”
Dropping my gaze, I tucked my hair behind my ear and nodded. “All of my parents have passed, and my mother never had any other children. I believe there might be extended family somewhere, but the courts couldn’t find anyone who would take me in.”
“No one?” Eli asked, a growl of anger in those two simple words.
“I think they found one of my father’s parents, but due to the sensitive nature of my grandfather’s health, they couldn’t take care of me,” I explained. “It ended up working out fine since I decided to go to boarding school. I didn’t need to worry about money with what my family left me, and I technically still own the company my fathers started, but I’m not involved in its business. Once I graduated, I moved from boarding school to college and got my degrees.”
When Eli didn’t say a word, I glanced up and saw such sadness in his gaze that it worried me. Had I upset him? Did I share too much too soon? Either way, I was sure I’d ruined lunch by telling him about my sad, pathetic life as an orphan. Oh God, what if he thinks I said all that to make him pity me and guilt him into feeling like he had to accept me as his Omega?
I tried to pull my hand back as I reached to get my purse. “Lyra, what are you doing?” Eli questioned, tightening his grip on me.
Pausing, I glanced at him. “Well, I was going to head back to the office so you can eat in peace. You come here to relax and have time for yourself, and I shouldn’t intrude on that. Also, forget what I said about growing up. You were being sweet, sharing something with me, and I dumped all that mess in your lap without even realizing it. If you’ll excuse me, I have to run over to the Ethean consulate and get a new form for a delayed shipment.”
“No,” Eli stated.
“No?”
“You’re going to stay here, eat something, and then we’ll go to the consulate together,” Eli instructed. “I brought you here because I wanted to spend time with you alone, where we could feel comfortable and not have to dodge questions we didn’t want to answer.”
“Oh…” This was the only response I managed to come up with.
“I don’t think you understand that I want to know everything about you. The good, bad, and all the in-between. You’re my scent-matched Omega, the person who was born as a perfect match to me and vice versa.” Eli spoke almost as if he were pleading for me to hear what he was saying. “Lyra, I’m not sure why you believe you’re not good enough just as you are, but if I ever find out who made you doubt that, I’ll be sure to set them straight. Within the short time I’ve known you, I can’t say I’ve met a stronger, more resilient person. Okay, maybe my sister, but for a vastly different reason. You, my sweet Omega, have survived so much loss and loneliness, but now you have me. I hope you’ll let me in, in time, and allow me to share that burden with you.”
Tears burned in my eyes, but I didn’t want to cry. I have had so many tears in my life, and I was tired of shedding them. What Eli was offering me was something I’d been dreaming of for years but didn’t believe could be possible. Yet here I was, sitting across from a man who didn’t scare easily and wasn’t willing to let me run from my feelings. Those two things terrified me as much as I wanted to throw my arms around Eli and let him hold me forever.
“I-I don’t know if I can let you in,” I whispered. “What if you leave me too? Then there will be nothing left of me to survive.”
“You were right to tell me I can’t promise I’ll never leave you, but I can promise that no matter what, I’ll fight like hell to get back to you,” Eli stated boldly. “Life is full of twists and turns we can’t predict… you know that better than anyone. However, I am a man with nearly unlimited resources, and I have zero fucking issues with using every last one of them if it means getting back to you.”
He released my hand to cup my cheek and wipe away a tear that slipped out. “I know this seems ridiculous to say with how little time we’ve spent together, but Lyra, you are precious to me, and I won’t be able to live a happy life without you in it. All I ask is that you keep talking to me, sharing your thoughts and feelings, and we’ll figure out the rest together.”
I covered his hand with my own and sniffled. “Okay, I can do that.”
He pulled me closer and kissed me with such tenderness I thought I would melt along with the outer shell of ice that I’d wrapped around my heart. There were many more layers to get through, but this was a start, and everyone needed to start somewhere. Eli waved over the waitress, and we ordered our lunches. Once we had our food, we chatted about lighter topics that anyone would ask on a first date and got to know each other a little better.
“So, what were you saying about needing a form from the consulate?” Eli asked as we finished up.
I took a second to wipe my mouth, feeling some barbecue sauce from the burger on my skin. “Friday, Emily got a call about a shipment of oil that was delayed due to customs. Today, I finally got to speak to someone who would tell me what happened and how to fix it. Ethea had a change in their import-export requirements, and the only way to get the new form is from the consulate. I have a meeting with someone once we’re done here.”
Eli looked up from signing the bill he refused to let me even touch. “Did they know you’re an Omega?”
Frowning, I tilted my head slightly. “Why would that matter?”
“In Ethea and a few other countries, Omegas are not allowed to work. They are to be kept in the pack’s home and doted upon as they care for the children they’ve birthed along with managing the home,” Eli explained. “They believe Omegas were created to give life, and that is the only job they should have since Alphas and Betas were created to provide.”
“Seriously? I’ve heard people talk like that before, but I didn’t believe it was the current way of thinking anywhere in the world,” I admitted. “So what would have happened if I went there alone?”
“Nothing bad, but I would have been called since I’m your Alpha. They would have demanded I stop whatever I was doing and pick you up to return to our home,” Eli shared. “Since I’m going with you, there won’t be any issues or fear of a wasted trip.”
“It seems I have a lot to learn about the world,” I said, sliding out of the booth. “Honestly, this is a little embarrassing to see how ignorant I am, especially after spending so much time in school, my face buried in a book studying.”
“That’s the beautiful thing about life. There is always something new to learn,” Eli pointed out, taking my hand. “I have no doubt you’ll learn fast. Being in the oil industry, you interact with people worldwide, and it’s always smart to learn about the culture. I could blow a whole deal by offering the wrong hand to shake, plus it shows respect.”
We returned to the office so Eli could have the driver take us to the consulate. What would have taken me thirty to forty minutes round trip ended up being twenty. It was for the best that Eli came with me since it gave him the chance to ask about other issues we might run into with the changes. It was amazing to see Eli as he interacted with the consulate official. He had an ease of dealing with people I’d never known, but it was also obvious Eli wasn’t a man to be pushed around. It was clear to me why his father chose him to run the business. There are some things you can’t teach a person. They simply had the knack for it. Form in hand, we returned to work just as Eli’s phone buzzed with an urgent message.
“Do you have any questions about the form?” Eli asked, guiding me to the elevator. “I only ask because Emily just alerted me some are people waiting to speak with me.”
“I should be good, but if something comes up, I’ll email you,” I assured him.
I yelped in surprise as Eli pulled me into a hug and kissed me deeply. “Thank you for going to lunch with me. I enjoyed it immensely.”
I’m sure I was grinning like a fool when the elevator stopped, and he released me, putting on his business face. I watched him walk into the sitting area where four men were seated. I had to admit I was kind of loving I was one of the lucky few to see the real Eli. Taking my time as the men shook hands, I grabbed the callbacks Eli needed to make from Emily. I was unsure about what to do next since I assumed Eli would take the meeting in his office, but they hadn’t moved. Feeling it was more awkward to linger out here, I slipped into the sitting room and tried to walk by unnoticed.
“Wait,” a man called. “Please?”
Pausing, I glanced over my shoulder at hearing the question in his voice, even though I doubted he was talking to me. One of the most beautiful men I’d ever seen had indeed been talking to me. Caught in his hazel gaze, I didn’t notice he was quickly moving toward me until his face was buried in my neck.
“Holy fuck, you smell amazing,” the man moaned against my skin.
He then wrapped his arms around me so tightly his entire body was pressed against mine. The feel of his lips as he tentatively kissed up my neck felt like heaven. Then his scent finally hit me, and I was gripped his curly, pastel-pink hair, moving his head so I could access his neck. This man smelled like the sweetest strawberries and decadent cream to make a dessert fit for the gods.
“Who are you?” I managed to ask, rubbing my last two brain cells together.
“Fawn,” he answered, nuzzling against my skin. “You’re mine… how are you mine? I’m an Omega. Fuck it, I don’t care. I’m keeping you because you’re mine.”