Page 102 of Labor of Love

I’m not even mad about it. I’m excited to be with our pack finally. It’s going to be a happy life, and I’m confident that at least one of these men will be able to breed with Iri. Maybe our child won’t come from my body, but it’ll still come from my mate. I’ll live happily with that.

I finally answer Daunt’s question. The same question he asks weekly.

Not yet. Soon.

2

IRI

Iwatch my class pile in. I’m in the eight-to-eleven age range this year, and I truly love it. This is the age when your love for learning is either fostered or destroyed. Kids innately love to learn because they want to emulate the adults around them, and adults know things.

School brings them closer to becoming peers instead of children who are often not taken seriously because they ‘don’t know.’

My tablet is open, and I tap their names as they come in and take their seats on their mats, facing me. They’re a good class. Kind to each other. Energetic. And so far, I’ve further instilled their love of learning in them.

I teach ancient history. The history of our species and the history of the world as we know it. Two are missing. Tonian has been sick for the last two days, so he might not be coming in. Jorn is usually just late. Always,alwayslate.

Sure enough, three minutes after the time class is scheduled to begin, Jorn rushes in and practically rolls onto his mat. I shake my head, not bothering to hide my smile, while the kids around him giggle.

“Everyone here?” I ask. “Has anyone heard from Tonian?”

“He’s still sick. His parents took him to the doctor’s office,” Lum says.

Poor kid. I nod my thanks at his answer. “Tablets out. Pop quiz.”

A couple of months ago, those two words would have been met by groans. I take quiet pride in the fact I can only hear one groan today. I know exactly who it’s from.

When the rustling stops, I begin. “Question one—How many designations were there a thousand years ago? What were they?”

I scan the room, watching as everyone’s pens scribble on their tablets. “Question two—How many are there now? Are they the same as what existed a thousand years ago?”

I give them a few minutes to give me their answers before moving on. “Question three—What is the biggest evolutionary change over the last thousand years and when did it occur?”

While these are all relatively short answers, I allow them a few minutes to write as much as they want. I’m expecting a variation between the least number of words possible to answer correctly and entire paragraphs. They know if they don’t have the exact answer, providing me with relevant information, they’ll still earn points, even if not the full points.

I contemplate a fourth question but decide, for now, I’m going to leave it up for discussion. “Turn in your assignment when you’re finished.”

Immediately, the green dots beside their names in the column designated for the quiz begin turning green. Rapidly at first and then more slowly as the rest finish. Frez is always the last. He worries the most about his assignments, and yet, consistently scores full points. He knows his shit, but he lacks confidence.

When it turns green, I nod. “How many designations were there a thousand years ago?” Hands fly into the air. “Lum.”

“Three—Alpha, beta, omega.”

More hands follow his, some waving for attention. “Jorn.”

“That’s a trick question because there are actually five, though only three are genetically recognized. There’s also designation fluid and theta.”

“Very good. I will be accepting three as a correct answer on the quiz, but you’re absolutely correct. Let’s talk about them. Who wants to tell me what an alpha is?”

More hands fly into the air. I’m happy to see that the majority of the class is willing to participate. “Rinly.”

“Alphas were the strongest designation. They were classified as powerful, leaders, and dominant with the ability to growl, purr, bark, and knot—a bark was a command in a certain vernacular where the recipient, whether from a different designation or a weaker alpha, was compelled to obey. A knot is for breeding. They were the only designation able to create a mate bond and form pack bonds. Their incessant, innate hunger was for an omega. Their scents were typically strong and robust.”

“Very good. Lum, tell us about omegas.”

Lum nods. “They are described as the heart of society—soft, rare, and extraordinary. Softness should not be equated with weakness. They were arguably the strongest of all designations because, though they were submissive by nature, they could also bring the strongest alphas to their knees. Omegas had the ability to whine, which was like a soul cry to which alphas were compelled to respond above anything else. They were coveted for their heat and ability to lock a knot. Omegas always wanted their pack of alphas. Their scents are described as sweet and grabbing.”

“Good. Shino, betas.”

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