Page 19 of The Omega Switch: Part 1
And part of it was that I understood exactly why Elias was interested. Ever since the gala, Ivy had occupied a large amount of space in my thoughts, which wasn't something Iwas accustomed to dealing with. I wasn't a man who obsessed over people. My job required me to assess situations, gather information, identify threats, and move on. Yet every time I tried to focus on anything, my mind drifted back to Ivy.
Part of it was that as an alpha, I was attuned to looking for ways to care for omegas. When I saw her that first time, she'd looked overwhelmed by the crowd, even though she stuck around and acted perfectly polite. Then, I saw her come alive the moment Elias asked about her work. A woman that intelligent should have walked into a room expecting people to listen to her. Instead, she carried herself like she was bracing for the next hit - metaphorically speaking. Maybe it was her personality, but it didn’t matter. I had the urge to stand in front of her that entire night, and almost growled once someone bumped into her. I shook the feeling off. I’d only met her a few times - I needed to get a grip. Otherwise, I’d end up a babbling fool like Elias, who was already talking about how much he wanted to work on projects with Ivy. He’d spent our last meeting at their house completely absorbed in her lab work.
“Let’s focus on our current brand campaign before adding any additional work,” Hunter said, but Elias shrugged.
“That’s your specialty. Let me focus on the research, however that comes about.” Elias said. And it was true - Elias wasn’t just a great physician, but he was incredibly intelligent. He read research papers and studies for fun. I shook my head. I loved the guy, but who knew how he could put up with me. I could barely listen to two minutes of that stuff before I’d nod off.
By the time we arrived, Arabella was already out front. She waved at us, immediately attached herself to Hunter's side, and launched into a discussion about campaigns and brand strategy. Part of me wondered if Arabella might also be the one who perfumed at the gala. It could have been any omega, yet we were all feeling the pull toward Ivy.
I settled into my usual role - standing around and observing - and let my attention drift around the living room once we were inside. Years in private security had made certain habits permanent. I automatically cataloged everything without conscious effort while keeping half an ear on the conversation.
A tiny movement caught my eye. My attention shifted instantly as I saw Ivy step into the room, her hair loosely pulled back and wearing glasses that made her look even more adorable than I remembered. The first thing I noticed wasn't her appearance, though she was beautiful. It was the way she paused after entering, her eyes immediately searching for somewhere to go, hesitating before standing in the corner. It was as if she were scared to take up space. All my instincts wanted me to bulldoze a path for her and guard her so she could walk wherever she wanted.
"Oh. Ivy." Arbella said, spotting the other omega after a moment. "You're late."
The difference in Arabella's tone was impossible to miss. I checked my watch automatically. She wasn’t late - we were actually early. But Ivy stepped back, almost imperceptibly.
"Sorry."
The response almost sounded automatic. I didn’t like it - she hadn't done anything wrong. Yet her first instinct was still to apologize. Beside me, I felt a flicker of irritation from Elias through the pack bond. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who had noticed. He stepped forward, his entire demeanor positive.
"Ivy! I’ve been looking forward to exchanging more theories with you." The moment she looked at him, her entire expression brightened.
"Of- of course!” She said, almost surprised that he was showing interest.
I shifted slightly and opened space within the group. An omega approaching a conversation shouldn't have to linger awkwardly at the edges waiting to be invited in. Ivy noticed the opening immediately, surprise flashing across her face before she stepped forward. There. Now she can feel welcomed.
As soon as the conversation turned toward research, the nervous omega disappeared, and the scientist emerged. Her eyes lit up, and ideas seemed to come out faster than she could explain them. I wasn’t one to care much about genetics, yet somehow, I found myself listening - because listening to her talk about something she loved was unexpectedly enjoyable. There was confidence buried inside her, and I wanted to see more of it.
Halfway through the conversation, one of the household staff approached carrying coffee, and I noticed that the tray wasslightly unstable. When the server approached, I took a cup, making sure to carefully place it in front of Ivy so the server didn’t have to reach and risk spilling on her. A subtle look from Arabella reminded me to do the same for her.
“Don’t want anyone to get burned," I said, and Arabella leaned in, crossing her legs as she smiled at me.
“Aw, you’re so protective! Such an alpha!” She said, her voice soft and sweet. She turned to face Ivy. “And since this meeting is about the campaign, you might find it boring. Maybe you can take your coffee to the dining room?” She suggested, and Ivy shrank, her eyes looking at the floor.
“Yeah, I guess that’s a good idea.” She said, starting to stand.
“Actually,” Elias said, standing at the same time, “I’m not needed for the marketing part either. Care to discuss pheromone theory with me?” He grinned widely, offering his arm. Ivy’s smile could have lit up a room.
“Sure!” She said, placing her small hand on his forearm. He led her to the next room, where I could hear her speaking animatedly, and feel his glow of satisfaction through his bond.
I was stuck listening to the campaign strategy, which I didn’t care about. I also noticed Arabella was fantastic at grabbing attention - she knew the best angles to show off her neck, and her other assets as needed. The way she looked at Hunter and I was downright addictive - she could make you feel like the only alpha in the world. But despite all that, I still found myselfglancing over toward the other room, wondering what Ivy and Elias were discussing.
The meeting dragged on until Arabella shrieked about something, jumping up and down with excitement. My attention snapped back over to her.
“Of course I’ll show you!” She said, motioning for us to follow. I looked at Hunter with a raised eyebrow. He stood, smoothing the front of his suit jacket and pushing back his hair.
“Ronan - Arabella has offered to show us the greenhouse out back. We’d love to see it, wouldn’t we?” He asked and shot me a look. I knew what it meant - he thought one of these two omegas might be the owner of the delicious scent from the gala, and wanted me to put in an effort to get to know her. But I had something else in mind.
“I’ll catch up to you. I need to grab some water first.” I said, then turned and abruptly walked away. I swore I could hear Arabella give a huff before she led the way to the back patio, with Hunter following her. After filling a glass with water from the pitcher the staff member left, I walked over to the next room, where Elias and Ivy looked like they’d known each other for years. But I wanted that kind of closeness as well.
“Elias, Arabella wants to show us the greenhouse. Go ahead, I’ll keep Ivy company.” I said, and Elias gave me a dirty look. I just grinned at him, pulling a chair out and sitting right next to Ivy as she looked over at me with wide eyes.
“Well? Don’t want to be rude, do you?” I said, and Elias sighed and went to follow Hunter and Arabella. Eventually, Ivy glanced over.
“Aren’t you going to go with them?” She asked, a puzzled look on her face.
“And leave you here by yourself? What kind of alpha would I be if I did that?” I said, setting down my glass. “Now. I’m not one to understand a single thing you two were talking about. But I do think there’s more to you than the time you spend at the lab. Am I right?” I asked, and she blushed. I felt my heart rate pick up just at the sight of her rosy cheeks.
