Page 7 of Knotty Lessons

“Damn right, I can’t. It was one thing for there to be an error and miscommunication with her age. But this is different. I’m her professor.” Professor Hart balls his hands into fists.

My breathing quickens as the five men crowd together, turning their attention away from me. This is it. This is the moment they’ll kick me out and leave me floundering, packless, and an utter disappointment to my parents.

“The solution to that is simple, Jonah. You either choose to abstain from bonding with her, or she drops out,” the fifth man says, glancing from his pack mates to me. He must be Dominic, the Mathematics instructor who also teaches ceramics. I’d have taken his art class had it not filled up so quickly. Small mercies, I guess.

“That’s easy for you to say.” Professor Hart groans. “She’ll resent me. We need to discuss this more. Things have changed.”

I can’t listen to their conversation anymore. I’m not far from my old dorm, and I can stay the night there until I figure shit out. I’m sure my roommate will let me in. She has to. I just need time to call Emma and ask her for help. I know I can always rely on my best friend.

I dart my gaze to the door, calculating my escape and how long it will take me to run downstairs and to the driveway. It’ll be a hard as fuck trip down the steep hill, but it would be better than listening to these men shout at each other about not getting what they expected from an omega.

Adrian smacks his hands together, trying to draw order with the rest of his pack. “Everyone, calm down. If you can’t talk rationally, then you need to go cool off. None of you should be here. This wasn’t the introduction we agreed on.”

Professor Hart growls again, the noise reverberating through my bones. “Cool off? We spent a fucking fortune—”

I don’t wait to hear what else they have to say and spin on my feet, charging toward the door and dodging around them. My heart breaks, and not even because I like these men. I feel utterly and completely rejected all over again. I just don’t understand what I’m doing wrong. I didn’t think I was that bad. I know I’m not unattractive. If I were ugly, I wouldn’t get checked out all the time. I wouldn’t have lost my virginity to a beta at a party back in prep school. And just this morning, I wouldn’t have been hit on by a classmate.

Maybe I’m boring. Undesirable on paper. My mom told me as much a dozen times.

Obviously, these men are looking for someone older, probably for the experience, and I just have none of it. I’ve been sheltered and pampered by my pack due to my order. I’m not a great lay or a master with my tongue because of my lack of experience. I’m just an omega with a passion for art and an admiration for things that I have no business really being obsessed with.

My bare feet slap the concrete drive, my mind refusing to comprehend what’s going on. I just keep moving. Keep breathing. As soon as I get over the shock of it all, I’ll be able to process things. I’ll be able to lift myself back up and move on. It’s funny. My older sisters weren’t into the whole betrothal and finding a pack thing, and I was. Yet our lives couldn’t be more opposite now.

A shadow catches my attention in my peripheral vision, and I spot a figure coming into view. A man pops out from between the trees, spreading his arms wide to block my way. I don’t have time to stop before I crash into him, but he doesn’t let me fall. At least not this time. His salty lime scent envelops me, the runner and apparently one of my alphas now, locking me in his arms.

“Shit, you’re fast. I didn’t think you were athletic. There weren’t any sports listed on your profile.” The alpha’s beard tickles the side of my cheek as I gasp, my body going completely out of whack with our closeness. Maybe it’s the desire lingering from watching the porn Emma sent me or something else. Whatever it is, I can’t stop the tingles exploding over my skin. “I’d love to see your skills under better circumstances.”

I smack my hands to his back, wiggling. “Put me down.”

He doesn’t hesitate, setting me on my feet. He bounces on his tennis shoes, following my movements, prepared to grab me if I try to dodge around him to run away again. “I know you’re confused and scared because of Jonah’s reaction, but he doesn’t speak for all of us. I think you should come back inside. I’m sure you’re just as surprised by the circumstances. You probably think we’re so fucking old and boring. I mean, finding out you’re engaged to your Lit professor? Yuck.”

Except that’s not it. Professor Hart is far from unattractive. Many people on campus take his class just to hear his passion for books...or how sexy he sounds reading aloud. “No, I don’t think that,” I automatically say, my mind just wanting to get through this without angering anyone.

He chuckles. “Your mouth says one thing, but your reaction says another. I get it. I’m sure you had your own expectations about who you wanted to marry. I just hope you decide to give us a chance. I’m Leo, if you don’t know. From what Adrian said, it sounds like Pack Steele didn’t give you any information about us.”

“Because it doesn’t matter. There are expectations I need to meet. I’m just...grateful to have finally been proposed to...if that’s still something. I know about the clause in the contract about transparency. I’m sure my mom lied about a lot of things. Including my advanced education.” I cross my arms over my chest, feeling ridiculous as I stand barefooted, in the dark, amid a failed escape plan.

“We are absolutely not going to cancel our proposal. As for the lies? I don’t think it was intentional. Your age was a typo. We had just assumed that you had completed some sort of extra education. It’s not required to be disclosed.” Leo inches closer, respecting my space but also trying to be near me. “And honestly, I didn’t read half of the stuff. I like the idea of getting to know you and learning about you as a person compared to setting these expectations that might not even represent you properly.”

“Oh.” I don’t know what else to say, really. This isn’t exactly how I imagined things going tonight. I thought I would be a little bit awkward and excited, meeting the men who would be my partners for life. If only I had realized just how significant things would be. I wasn’t aware that I had expectations, but I guess I did expect my alphas to desire me because of who I am on paper. It’s probably due to my mom’s breeding mindset and the government’s idea that omegas are completely responsible for our futures, considering we seem to now be the only ones able to procreate and the birth rates have been on a downward trend for a while.

Leo holds out his hand to me. “Come on, Scarlett. It’s cold out here. Our pack won’t bother you for the rest of the night, and we’ll figure out everything together tomorrow. It might not seem like it, but we are happy you’re here. I want you to know that. You’ll be an amazing addition to our pack.”

I don’t respond, afraid that if I do, my voice might crack. All of this is so surreal. A small part of me fears letting my guard down. Leo might be welcoming and charming as hell, but he can’t speak for the rest of his pack.

I guess I’ll take it one day at a time. One moment at a time. Just like I have been my whole life. As always, I’ll just have to wait and see.

4

Scarlett

Pack Meeting

Psycho:Sorry,myphonedied. Did you survive the fiasco? How fucking hilarious. They can’t think you’re so innocent now. You’re welcome.

I ignore the message from Emma and tap my finger on the table, my stomach still in knots after last night. I stayed up until almost three in the morning, reading and rereading my new alphas’ profiles, trying to figure out how things might be. Leo wasn’t lying about everyone leaving me alone. I overslept and missed the alarm for my Biology lecture and then my lab. Not that it matters. I assume my education is now over. Jonah won’t risk his career.

Psycho: Hello? It’s already past noon. What’s going on? Getting the D?

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