5- NO ALPHA, YOU CAN’T READ THIS MIND
986 Words
It was gone.That scent I had perceived so strongly yesterday. The reason I had called for this meeting.
I try to hide my irritation. I thought gathering them together in a place would help me confirm my suspicions, give me a clue, a thread to pull on to but no.
Disappointment slams through me.Now I had thirty women standing before me, trying to stifle their yawns, eyes tired yet alert, waiting for me to address them.
Great.
I search for her in the crowd, the one too confident to bow fully to me.
There you are.
She stood behind a lady that was twice her size. Head down, shuffling her right feet on the cemented floor.
Was she hiding?
Where was that bravado of yesterday?
Clifford raised his right hand, signaling me that it was time. I shift my gaze from her reluctantly.
“Goodmorning ladies.”, I smile at them, they return my greeting with similar enthusiasm.
“I must say thank you for giving us your time and strength this season.” I pause, studying everyone’s reaction, especially hers.
“Some of you have journeyed from far and wide to help us with your skills, and we are grateful. I hope you all are comfortable here, make sure you feel at home. If you have any complaints, tell Lady Rose, or me , if you see me in person - I am always happy to listen”
They clapped, it thundered round the room. She did too.
I turn to my right,“Rose!”, she walks swiftly to my side, bending her face to meet my level.
I had not informed her earlier but I wanted her to do the division of labour right now.
It was the best way to know her name and location of duty without asking anyone. I didn’t want to raise any suspicions, as it stood, Ethan was already suspecting me.
I noticed as his eyes followed me. I’m sure he still remembered the encounter at the balcony yesterday.
“Do you have the list of labour with you”, I ask. She nods bringing out a wrinkled folded paper from her apron.
“Yes my lord I have the list with me”, she confirmed.
Awesome.
I give her the floor, then join the crowd,walking around them, maybe if I were closer I’d get a hint.
How could they mask so fast?
Omegas should not be able to mask that fast.
Rose divided the names into six categories. As she called their names , they came forward to stand behind their category leader.
As I move, I study every movement, breath pattern,scent, speech. You name it.
I had to know who was faking being confident or naive? Who seemed overly excited or disappointed in their location? I needed something, anything.
I find my way close to this mystery woman. I feel her body get stiff as I get closer.
Was that fear? Or awareness?
Had I overrated her yesterday?
“Nyx— right wing, third floor”, that was my wing and floor, I note the lady they called and the other ladies previously assigned.
There were five women left now, she was one of them.
“Sera-” she looked up.
Sera. Her name was Sera.
I let it register in my mind.
“Left wing, second floor”, I watch her move slowly, not so confident, not so shy. Not excited, not uninterested either.
Poker face.
That was what it was.
I hate that she wasn’t expressive.
Out of reflex,I try to push into her mind, a habit I resorted to when I felt someone was trying to outsmart me.
What?
Instead of thoughts, I am met with a blank wall, a void.
She’s unreadable?
Why?
***
I felt him try to intrude my mind, the increasing pressure throbbing in my head could only be that from an alpha. It was the same level I had felt years ago, when Brandon tried.
I watched him come closer to where I was standing, he thought distance was the issue.
No alpha, you can’t just read this mind.
This was what years of trauma from abandonment did. I had built my walls, strong and tight, no one could penetrate their way into my heart or mind.
Not even the most skilled alpha.
After my family thought I was the cause of their downfall, the reason they had been cast down to the level of omega.
I had learnt to be emotionally and mentally strong, that involved blocking out my mindlink. I made sure no one could understand how I truly felt or the thoughts that rummaged my mind.
He looks at me intently, I try to act nervous and flash him a smile. Not a mischievous one, but something cute, something to make his heart flutter.
To my surprise, he smiles back immediately. Flashing the most perfect set of white teeth I’ve ever seen. My heart does something unusual, it betrays me. It skips a beat.
He goes back to where Lady Rose stood;
“Thank you so much for your time. Have a nice day, ladies”, he dismisses us, but he does something that makes me even more confused. He bows to us.
We were the ones working for him? Why was he bowing to us?
I watch his confident stride as he leaves the kitchen, his Beta, Gamma and Enforcer walking behind him.
He doesn’t look back. Something in me thought he would, after all I was certain he was suspecting me, he had just tried to mindlink me.
“Okay ladies, let’s get to work”, lady Rose clap echoes in the room.
I followed the other women, but I knew once it was noon I had to run out of here and meet with Simon and the others.
We needed a new plan, urgently.
- Writer
