Page 85 of X-Clan The Origin
Clever bastard, I thought, almost amused by his antics. He knew Riley wouldn’t refuse this opportunity.
“Are you trying to get rid of me, Dr. O’Callaghan?” she asked, the teasing note in her voice making my inner animal grumble in annoyance.
“Oh,macushla, if I could keep you, I would. But it would be a crime on my part to hold you back from shining like the jewel you are.”
I’m going to kill him,I decided.I’m going to rip his smooth-talking tongue from his mouth and make him swallow it.
“And Andorra Sector isn’t just an opportunity for you,” he continued, that silky voice of his making my blood boil. “It’s an opportunity for your mate, too.”
“But the Sector Alpha likely won’t let an Omega run his lab,” she argued. “I mean, I assume he’s an X-Clan wolf, right? Andorra Sector is all X-Clan?”
“Yes,” Kieran confirmed. “But Ander Cain isn’t like the Alphas you grew up with. His father is the Norse Sector Alpha.”
Alpha Ludvig,I translated. But I already knew that, as I’d recognized Ander’s name, too.
I’d met Alpha Ludvig before. He was a good wolf. Well-respected, too.
“I’m not as familiar with the European sectors,” Riley admitted. “But X-Clan Alphas don’t typically allow Omegas outside of the nest.”
“Is that what Jonas told you?” he asked, making me want to growl again.
No. I did not tell her that, you fucking prick.If he would just let me wake up, I could speak for myself.
“Jonas isn’t a normal X-Clan Alpha. He grew up in Blood Sector.”
“Which I’m sure added to his charm levels,” Kieran agreed.
Yeah, I’ll show you how charming I am when you let me out of this fucking coma.
“But there are Alphas who not only encourage Omegas to do more than nest; they expect it. And Alpha Ludvig is one of those Alphas. All the wolves in his sector hold jobs, even his Omega mate. I imagine his son has been raised with a similar expectation, which is why he’s already expressed interest in speaking with you.”
Riley’s palm flattened against my chest. “Alpha Ander has expressed interest in speaking with me?”
“Yes. He heard about what happened to the CDC compound and sent a notice through the channels that he’s in need of an epidemiologist with your skill set.”
“Does he know I’m an Omega?”
“Not yet,” Kieran replied. “Only a handful are aware of that detail because of the regional bounty I put up. But it won’t deter Ander’s interest in meeting you. I suspect Jonas will be of interest as well, given his military background. Ander needs strong Alphas to ally with him if he wants to keep his new sector in line. Otherwise, he’ll risk dissent.”
Ander was only twenty-five, maybe thirty, which marked him as extremely young for leadership. His genetics were right, especially as Alpha Ludvig’s son, but there would be challenges based on his age alone. He would need a strong team to maintain his hierarchy.
“And you think Jonas will prefer that over Blood Sector,” Riley said, not a question but a statement.
“Yes.” Kieran paused for a beat. “But you can talk with him to decide. If you want to remain in Blood Sector, I’ll make you a lab. You have options. Consider them thoroughly. And remember what you said to me about Jonas.”
“I said a lot about Jonas.”
“Yes, but there’s one item in particular that you need to keep in mind,macushla.”
“What’s that?” she asked, taking the question right from my mind. Because I wanted to know, too.
“Remember that he wants a lifemate,” he said softly. “A partner. So be his partner, Riley. Talk it throughtogether, and make the decision that’s best for both of you.”
CHAPTERNINETEEN
RILEY
Blood Sector
