8. Chapter 8 #3
Before I could think about it, Hunter leaned forward.
“And while normally this is a premium service, we’d like to offer a complimentary genetic profile test to both of you.
You can have your genetic and bonding information at your fingertips, and it’s up to you if you’d like to submit it for a match.
” His eyes looked between Arabella and me, and an almost hopeful look flashed in them for a moment.
Then Arabella gave a small, breathless laugh. “Wait… seriously?”
Hunter nodded. “We have run our own profiles to see what type of person would suit our pack best. I’m an open book, so we can give you our own profiles as an example. And we’d like to offer you the same opportunity, if you’d like.”
My father leaned in. “So, this could show us who might be the best match for Arabella? Out of all your clients?” He asked, and Hunter cleared his throat.
“Both Arabella and Ivy.” He said, and my father realized his slip-up.
“Of course,” he said, and shook his head. “This is too generous,” Hunter glanced at Elias and Ronan, who, for some reason, looked between Arabella and me.
“Well, we are also offering this for somewhat selfish reasons, I’m afraid.
After all these years of growing our startup, we realized that we have yet to find someone in our databases who matched our pack.
And we’ve had hundreds of successful matches for our clients before we broadened this to the general public.
We figured if we broaden the net, maybe we might find our own match. ” He said, sitting back.
“You think your match might be someone local?” George, my father’s packmate, asked.
Hunter looked around the table, then smiled. “Let’s talk more later. For now, I just want to make sure that the offer is understood. “
The entire table erupted into excitement almost immediately.
My family practically glowed with anticipation, already acting like the outcome was obvious.
Surely, they thought Arabella might be a potential match for any of the high-status packs that had registered with Vale Labs. Maybe even Pack Vale themselves.
I tried to keep my disappointment down because they were probably right. Arabella would have so much more in common with this pack than I would, despite how much I liked them. They were both high-status, public figures who knew how to charm. I was an awkward nerd at best.
I excused myself to the restroom, needing a moment away from the overwhelming intensity of being around the pack and hearing about this matchmaking service.
But the second I stepped out into the marble hallway, heels clicked behind me.
I turned to see Arabella, looking like she belonged in a magazine with the club as the backdrop.
“You need to stop,” she said quietly the moment we were alone, her sweet public persona disappearing instantly.
I faltered. “What?”
Her eyes narrowed. “What you’re doing out there. Stop it.”
“I don’t know what you mean.” I stammered, stepping back.
“Yes, you do.” Her voice sharpened. “Your shy little act, all the talking about research. You’ve been overbearing to Elias practically the whole lunch.”
Heat flooded my face. “I wasn’t doing anything.”
Arabella laughed softly. “Please. You suddenly decide to speak up the second powerful alphas are interested?” She stepped closer. “You’re embarrassing yourself, Ivy.” My stomach twisted at her words.
“They’re interested in working more closely with our company, I was talking business,” I said quietly.
“No,” Arabella snapped, her expression irritated.
“They’re interested in me. This whole match thing?
It’s obviously about me. They want to see where I land compared to their profiles.
I’m sure they invited you along out of politeness.
” Her words stung more than I thought. Yeah, it was true - Arabella was likely a better fit for them.
She was more public than I was, more feminine, more omega.
And if we ran our genetic and bonding profiles, they’d see exactly how bad a match I was for them.
“Don’t try to flirt with them just because you’re desperate for attention the one time in your life that you get invited along.
” She snapped, and I took another step backward, seeing a reflection of the two of us in the large, mirrored wall of the club.
She was the picture of perfection, even when she was angry.
I was hunched over, my shoulders tight, the linen dress looking more like a bag.
I looked like I rolled out of bed. Arabella was like a shining star in the night.
“I’m not. I mean, I won’t. I’m not interested in the test thing anyway,” I said back to her.
It was the truth. Right now, Pack Vale thought I was smart, interesting, maybe even a decent omega.
With one look at my genetics, they’d realize my scent couldn't even come out right. They’d see exactly how bad of a match I was for them, and for any pack, really.
Arabella, sensing my defeat, adjusted her hair and smiled again like a mask sliding back into place.
“Fix your expression before you go back in there,” she said sweetly. “You look pathetic.”
And then she walked away, leaving me standing alone in the hallway trying very hard not to let her words crawl under my skin the way they always did.