Page 30 of An Omega for the Lycan Prince
Ella raises her brows. “Should have been obvious the moment Annie dragged you along.”
“Hey,” Finn frowns. “I am not that much of a lost cause.” He turns to look at his Beta. As always, Anders has been sitting next to him quietly, just watching the scene unfold. He doesn’t talk much in general.
Anders just smiles. “It’s an honor to meet you, Alpha Celine,” he says, ignoring Finn’s complaint.
“Please,” she bows her head gracefully. “Let’s drop the formalities. This is not a pack meeting.”
I can’t stay with them for long because I am meeting Liam soon. It’s the first time we are going on an actual date night. We’ll be going clubbing. It’s not my thing, but I know Finn and some of his friends from his pack like to frequent a few clubs. Liam probably enjoys it too.
What makes me more nervous than anything else, though, is that I am about to meet one of his Betas, his closest ally, his best friend. I see it with Finn and Anders. He sometimes calls Anders his chaperone or pretends he’s annoyed, but it’s so obvious it’s just an act. Anders is always there to help him and fight with and for him.
Their bond is special.
So is Liam’s bond with his Betas. The one I am meeting tonight is a she-wolf named Aryanna. If she hates me, it will be a catastrophe!
I slip into a pair of tight black jeans, which Dave says accentuates my butt nicely, and a simple red top. I pull my hair back into a lazy bun to reveal my neck and my collarbone. I know it means I am teasing Liam by revealing my neck, but that’s part of the game. The only jewelry I am wearing is a pair of gold hoop earrings that Harmony gave me. A hint of makeup, and I am finished.
When I gaze into the mirror, I don’t look too bad. Not great, but presentable.
Liam is waiting for me outside to avoid the usual ruckus once he appears somewhere inside. Next to him, is his Beta Aryanna. She is probably the same age as him. He told me about her beforehand, and until now, I didn’t know how I would react when I first saw her. I should feel jealous, but weirdly enough, I don’t. Nothing is threatening about their bond. She is taller than the average she-wolf and also tall in comparison to many male wolves. Next to Liam, she looks really fun, though, with her blue ombre hair, her flashy fashion sense and jewelry.
“Good thing you are with me, Ari,” Liam states dryly. “Otherwise, Annalise might have had problems finding us.”
“Hey, don’t diss my hair, prince!”
Liam pulls up his eyebrows. “I didn’t diss it. It’s just hard to overlook.”
She grins. “I knew it. You hate it.”
He tilts his head. “Well, hate is a strong word.”
She makes a dismissive gesture before approaching me, reaching out her hand towards me. “I am so glad to finally meet you, Miss Annalise. Liam has been talking nonstop about you. I am Aryanna. You can call me Ari if you want.”
I feel a major rock dropping from my shoulders by her warm, welcoming words and eagerly shake her hand in return. “I am equally happy to meet you. Please drop the formalities. I am just Annie,” I chuckle. “It’s not like I am that important.”
“Yet,” she points out dryly. “I hate formalities too. I can’t believe my favorite prince found such a cute mate. You can’t imagine how desperate he was. He kept searching, looking and-”
“All right, I think that’s enough. You two obviously can never talk alone.” Liam wraps an arm around my shoulders and pulls me towards him.
Ari smiles. “Sure, let’s go. I will drive you.”
“Is Emerson not here?” I ask curiously.
Both Aryanna and Liam throw me a surprised glance. “You remember him?” Liam asks. He sounds surprisingly pleased.
“Of course, he was lovely when we met.” I let Liam take my hand, only noting later how natural it became for me to have him close to me.
“Not everyone views it that way,” Ari points out. “Some think they’re above those with lesser ranks and jobs. Liam and I always try to fight this kind of prejudice.”
“A lesser rank is not a reason to be disrespectful towards someone. Everyone matters. Besides, I’m of lesser rank too,” I say. It shouldn’t matter what someone works as. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect.
Ari smiles. “Technically, you aren’t of lesser rank anymore ever since you found your mate in Liam. But you’re right. It shouldn’t matter. Emerson is a great guy, and you’re a sweet girl. I’m very happy that Liam found such a beautiful mate.”
Liam moves my hand to his lips to kiss it. “To answer your question: His mate is pregnant and might go into labor any day,” Liam explains. “I want him to have his evenings off to be with her.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful,” I can’t help a smile spreading across my lips. “Please tell him my congratulations.”
“I will,” Liam nods, looking at me with a hint of softness I haven’t noticed before.
