Page 90 of Claim Me
"Oh,definitely." Veyron twists my arm a bit, and I let out a grunt. "He has enough charisma for five people."
"And he’s insanely smart!"
"Oh?" Veyron smiles mockingly and tightens an armbar, making me groan again.
"Remember how everyone used to be amazed that I could multiply and exponentiate big numbers? Well, he’s on a wholly different level. I’m shocked a mind like that even exists."
Veyron releases the hold, having secured it perfectly, and we sit for a moment on the mat. I glance toward Blue again and catch his gaze once more, a quick, assessing look, almost like he's checking whether I am still within his reach.
Today he’s wearing light sapphire linen pants and a short-sleeved shirt, thin silk patterned with white and pale blue swirls. His dark navy hair falls loosely over his pale neck, and I feel this silly anddeadlyurge to step closer and breathe in his scent.
And then, just like that, I say it.
"I want him."
Fuck.
Who even says things like that out loud? My cheeks burn hot.
Veyron’s eyes widen at first, then he grows serious and asks quietly, "And what… he doesn’t feel the same?"
"Unfortunately not. Our marriage contract is only… on paper, and he doesn't want more."
Veyron is silent for a moment, then says, "If you want him, don’t give up, Gabriel. Stay by his side, show him you can be a good partner, no matter what, just keep being there for him. Consistency wins people over."
I stare at him, not expecting advice like that, actually… a useful one. I thought he would try to discourage me, but Veyron and his enthusiastic personality are exactly what I needright now, because he gives me something I had lost before: he restores my hope.
"They say some people are hard to win over, but I think anyone can be, you just need patience."
"Do you really believe that?" I whisper. "That sooner or later anyone can be won over? What if it’s just… a lack of interest, you know, sexually?"
"Judging by how the more we sweat, the more he seems to glance your way, I’d say there’s some kind of interest there, even if he’s not fully aware of it himself," Veyron says with a wide, amused grin, and I blush.
"But he was always very open about his low interest in those kinds of things…"
Veyron makes a strange face. "Are you talking about what Blue says about himself in interviews?"
"I didn’t know you had read about him."
"I think most people have heard something about this, he’s ridiculously famous. If that’s true and he’s asexual, your task might be harder. You need to think carefully about your approach." He bites his lip slightly and tilts his head.
I glance at Blue again, who seems to have noticed that we stopped sparring and are chatting quietly, his eyes flicking toward us even more often. Does he suspect we are talking about him?
"Sometimes I wonder if he says that because it’s… like a wall he built between himself and any kind of romantic life, for safety," I admit, my voice tight. "And he started to believe it after repeating it over and over."
Fuck, should I continue? These are myunverifiedtheories and suspicions, dragging Veyron into this is unnecessary. But at the same time I desperately want someone’s perspective, to know if my chances are not zero.
"You know, I think everyone needs closeness, unless they went through something that shut them down completely, like trauma," Veyron says quietly.
"Well! Losing his entire reproductive system could be exactly that kind of trauma," I murmur sourly. "I thought about it a lot. As an alpha, imagine not being able to knot, to go into a rut, to sniff Allure scent, to impregnate…"
Veyron winces. "You’re right. That would be crushing."
"On top of it… there’s shame about how the other person might react, fear of being different, of not being a ‘complete’ omega. That could paralyze him."
Veyron nods slowly.
I glance at Blue one more time and feel horribly bad for gossiping about him like this. He’s leaning over a chessboard, moving pieces around. He must have just taken Axel’s bishop. It is incredible that even with a person at that level, someone like a state runner-up, he still goes head-to-head with him. He really is… remarkable. I keep staring at him, probably with a dazed look, because Veyron smirks.
