Page 68 of Daughter of Garnet

"One?" Cameron rolls his lips inward, like he's keeping a secret. "I must be mistaken." He doesn't look like he thinks he is. "I like the Beta, despite my initial misgivings."

"Why did you attack him?" It's hard to reconcile this Cameron with the one who slammed Cliff against the library stacks.

He waves my question away like an annoying fly. "He startled me. At the time, he meant nothing to you, and I don't like being interrupted."

"You realize that is not a valid reason to choke someone, right?"

"It's the one I have."

This feels like one of those things we'll never be able to agree on.

"What are we going to do about the Omegas?"

"Do you know the best part about being invisible to others?" He shuffles on the bed and wraps his arm around me, pulling me until my head rests on his shoulder, and he can kiss my temple.

"What's that?"

"The gossip, lovely Zoe. The secrets that I keep can fill a textbook."

I have to hold back a purr as he strokes his fingers through my hair. "What does that have to do with the Omegas?"

"It works both ways. I can spread a rumor, and no one will know where it comes from." His fingers snag on a few tangles, but he works them out effortlessly, like he's done this a thousand times before. "And what do you think is going to happen when Alphas realize that there is not going to be an Omega presentation this year? That their chance of meeting their scent match is gone?"

I can hear the weight of his words, the promise of chaos that they hold. "What do you need from me?"

"How about that dinner you owe me?"

CHAPTER 33

Zoe

By the time Cameron and I were done talking, it was the wee hours of the morning, well past dinner time, so that will have to happen some other time.

I'm exhausted, but at least it's Friday, which is my light class day. I skip lunch with Viv, choosing to head back to my room to get a little bit of rest before Calculus.

My eyelids are heavy, and I'm close to nodding off when a knock on my door startles me enough to make me yelp. The sleepy haze over my brain is banished, and I stomp to the door, whipping it open.

Warren stands there, arms crossed, glowering.

We haven't had the chance to talk since he saw me kiss Cliff. I wasn't expecting him to seek me out, but I haven't made the effort to find him, either. I'm not sure I'm ready for whatever bullshit he's going to spill.

That's unfair of me. Maybe he needed some time to cool off, and he'll be happy for us. This is Warren. He's been my best friend forever.

"So that's it? You weren't even going to tell me that you're fucking my roommate?"

There goes that hope.

"Hi, Warren, how are you? I'm fine, thanks for asking." He shoulders past me into my room. I'm getting tired of him acting as if he belongs here, but we've got enough to argue about right now. "I was going to tell you."

"When? It's been two days."

"It was yesterday morning."

He huffs, waving my words off. "All day yesterday, and most of today! You should've told me when it happened."

I get the feeling this is going to be a long conversation, so I make myself comfortable on my bed. "It's new, Warren."

"It's a mistake. You don't know him like I do."