LORALI POV
The rhythmic hum of the bus engine vibrated beneath my shoes. It was late, late enough that the streetlights cast long, amber ribbons across the empty seats around us. I clutched the crinkling plastic bag tighter in my lap as I stared at Sash in shock. What were the chances that I’d meet her here on a night like this. Completely taken aback, I ask. "Sash. What are you doing here?"
She blinked, tilting her head. A single, dark eyebrow arched high over a pair of sharp, calculating eyes. "Who’s Sash?"
"You," I said, shaking my head slightly, my mind scrambling to piece together the sudden encounter. "That bulky hockey player at the rink...I heard him call you Sash."
"No," she said, her voice dry and completely unbothered. "That’s not my name. My real name is Scarlet. Sash is just what those idiots call me." She paused, resting her chin in her hand as she leaned against the back of the seat. "I’m guessing I haven’t been around those boys in a while. I’ve already forgotten they called me Sash."
I stared at her, genuinely surprised. The sheer disrespect of it left a strange, uncomfortable knot in my chest. The audacity, I thought, the strict, unyielding rules of Alma Academy instantly echoing in the back of my head. Alma Academy would have had my head on a spike if I ever dared to address someone older than me by a made-up nickname. Yet here she was, brushing it off as if it were nothing more than a minor inconvenience.
Scarlet shifted, her sharp eyes scanning my face before dropping to the plastic bag in my lap. "So, what are you doing on a bus at this hour?"
I lifted the plastic bag slightly, waving it back and forth. "Buying food. There’s literally nothing in my house." I narrowed my eyes, leaning in just a fraction. "What about you? What are you doing here?"
Scarlet shrugged, leaning back against the seat with an almost terrifying air of nonchalance. "Sneaking out of the hospital."
My mouth practically dropped open. "You were in the hospital?!"
"Yep, felt healthy enough and ready to go. So, I left," she said bluntly, not a single trace of hesitation in her voice. Before I could process the absolute absurdity of someone casually absconding from a medical facility, her expression hardened. The effortless indifference vanished, replaced by an intense, laser-focused stare. "Why did you leave me and never get back to me with a proper answer?"
The abrupt shift caught the breath in my throat. I knew the conversation would somehow lead me here.
"You never came back to the ice skating rink after I gave you that offer," Scarlet continued, her voice flat, demanding, and utterly direct. "Why didn’t you come back? You could have at least had the decency to say no to my face."
I looked down at the plastic bag in my hands, my fingers tightening around the handles. The memory of the day she gave me the offer to skate for her clawing back into my mind. I remember being over the moon for getting such an offer but even then I knew deep down I’d never skate for her my life unfortunately had no room for it.
"My life was going downhill at that moment," I admitted quietly, the truth heavy on my tongue. I lifted my head, meeting her gaze squarely. "But I’m better now. I’m back in the city."
A heavy, lingering silence stretched between us. The bus swerved gently around a corner, streetlights sweeping over Scarlet’s sharp profile. She didn’t press for details about my personal ruin, nor did she offer pity. She simply measured me, calculating every millimeter of my posture.
"So," Scarlet finally broke the silence, a slow, scheming curve touching her lips. "You’re ready to skate for me now. Perfect. I already have a whole plan mapped out for you."
My eyes widened, and I violently shook my head. "No! Wait—no. I never said I was going to skate for you, Scarlet."
"And why not?" she asked instantly.
Because no, I thought fiercely. Because my life is already a tangled mess, I don’t want to waste my time doing stupid things that probably won’t get me anywhere, when I could be making Spade suffer, the only thing I truly enjoy in this life.
Scarlet didn’t wait for the answer I refused to give. Seeing my silence, her eyes lit up with a dangerous, brilliant spark. She leaned closer, her voice dropping into a persuasive, magnetic purr. The type of purr omega’s such as myself do when they are trying to convince you to do something you don’t want to do, I’ve been a victim of this purr so many times at Alma.
"Think about it, Lorali. You’ll be famous. You’ll have opportunities handed to you on a silver platter." She gestured wildly with her hands, building the image in the air between us. "I know how good you are. I’ve seen you on that ice. Imagine what it means in a world like ours, where Omegas are constantly shoved into corners, expected to sit quietly and smile. Imagine winning a championship. You could be the leading Omega in the entire industry. All industries."
She leaned in even further, her voice carrying an electric intensity that made the hairs on my arms stand up. "You’d be up there in pictures right next to the First Lady. You could lead. You could give little omega children hope—real hope—that they can actually be someone in life. That they can be independent. Show them they can be something more than just an Alpha’s Omega."
My heart gave a sudden, violent thud against my ribs.
"Show them they could do sports. You could do things that actually leave a mark on a world that’s entirely rigged against us," Scarlet urged, her eyes fiercely bright. "Because I know for a fact that you are capable of winning against Alphas. I just know it. I can’t forget the way you skated back then. I know what you’re holding. Don’t you want to earn your own money? Don’t you want to be the Omega everyone thinks about when they hear the word?" She leaned back, breathless, placing her final card on the table. "You’d be great."
Her words hung in the dim air of the bus, heavy, glittering, and intoxicating.
Me. The Omega everyone thinks about. The thought is tempting.
My mind spun. I honestly didn’t know I was as good as she’s making me out to be and the things she is saying I am capable of being is honestly awesome. I stare at Scarlet, the wheels turning rapidly behind my eyes.
"Do you know Walter Spade?" I asked quietly.
Scarlet scoffed instantly, rolling her eyes. "Of course I know Walter. Who doesn’t know Walter? He’s literally a top model. Wasn’t he just embroiled in some massive scandal with that second Omega not too long ago?"
I’m that second Omega, I thought, a bitter, triumphant satisfaction pulsing in my veins. But aloud, my voice remained smooth, entirely composed.
"Yeah. Him." I locked eyes with her. "Will I be more famous than him? When people think of an Omega, will they think of him... or will they think of me?" Scarlet went silent for a brief moment, assessing the raw ambition suddenly pouring out of me. A slow, knowing smile spread across her face.
"They’ll think of you," Scarlet declared without a shred of doubt. "If you win the Champs, you’ll be the most popular Omega on the planet. You’d only be second to the First Lady, and honestly, for some reason, people just really love her. But other than her, you’ll be basking in glory."
That was it. That was all I needed to hear.
"Okay," I said, a cold, sharp resolve settling into my chest. "As long as Walter Spade becomes a thing of the past, I’ll do this. Pass me your number. Let’s communicate."
Scarlet pulled out her phone, and we quickly exchanged contact information, the digital ping confirming the pact between us. As she typed in my digits, Scarlet raised an eyebrow, looking up at me over the screen.
"So," she asked casually, "are you going to ask your main Alpha if you can do this?"
I let out a soft, dismissive laugh, waving my hand in the air. "Oh, he’ll agree to this anyway. Don’t worry about him."
I don’t give a damn if he doesn’t, Torin doesn’t decide shit for me. If I want to do this he or any other member of Spade will not stand in my way. This was going to be my winning strike. Walter was always right up in everybody’s face, constantly reminding the world that he was the top model, the premier, untouchable, the first Omega to do what he has done. But if he wasn’t the only famous Omega... then he was nothing.
A wave of warmth rushed through me as I envisioned it. I could practically feel the bright lights on my skin, the roar of the crowd echoing in my ears. I was going to pull him right off his self-made pedestal and bask in every single ounce of the glory I took from him.
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter