Levi Dunham

"It's nothing at all. I'm not taking it personally," Conan said, voice even, like it truly didn't faze him. And maybe that was what bothered me. Why wasn't he jealous? Was he not pissed off that his own mating ceremony was ruined? Was he really serious when he said he didn't want this?

"His mom said he cares about everyone so I'm not surprised. He should be helping the pack where he can, right?"

Rebecca pouted beside me, clearly expecting a different kind of reaction. Honestly? So was I. I didn't think he'd sound so... genuine.

Before I could respond, she took a step toward the bike—and immediately tumbled to the ground with a yelp. "Ouch! Ah, Levi, I think I sprained my ankle. It hurts."

From the corner of my eye, I caught Conan rolling his eyes.

How dare he?

"Don't worry, I'll take you to a doctor right away," I said, already crouching down to help her up. But the second I reached out, something in me screamed don't. Every nerve in my body froze, and I hesitated.

Everyone was watching now. Even the neighbors had come out, thanks to Esme's loud ass causing a scene earlier.

"Levi, what the hell?" Rebecca snapped.

I lowered my voice. "Beck, there's a crowd, and I have to uphold the mate standard."

But that wasn't the full truth. My body just wouldn't move. I couldn't bring myself to touch her—not in front of him.

"Oh, look at you two. So cute. You and Rebecca, right? Everyone knows all about your love story. I even heard you two won best couple award," Esme piped up with a dramatic gasp. "Conan, doesn't that make you the third wheel that broke them up—"

"Oh shut the fuck up already, Esme!" Conan groaned, snapping her head toward him like a viper.

"How dare you—"

"No—how dare you?! Aren't you old enough to know right from wrong?" he barked, voice rising louder than I'd ever heard. "You know damn well how this situation came about! And Rebecca and Levi are innocent! You're the only one here with such a filthy fucking mind!"

He had everyone's attention now. His words echoed across the drive like gunfire. "Why are you trying to ruin the reputation of the pack leader's son and his best friend? Have you lost your mind?!"

Fuck.

Way to flip the script. He'd just turned a messy moment into a defense of me, making Esme look like a fool for stirring shit on my property.

Then, without hesitation, Conan bent down and picked Rebecca up like she weighed nothing. The whole crowd blinked. Even I blinked.

It was smooth, effortless. He carried her to the porch and set her down on the bench with surprising gentleness.

I followed, still stunned, and found him looking at me like I was the one being slow.

"Are you just going to stand there or will you get some ice?" he asked flatly.

I snapped out of it and grabbed his arm, motioning for a maid to help Rebecca before pulling him aside. "What was that all about?" I hissed under my breath.

"You wanted my sister to destroy your family image over false accusations?" he shot back. "Do you need help taking care of her or not? If not, can you let me go already?"

I hadn't realized I was gripping him so hard. But he was right—he was just sticking to the damn deal. Not jealous. Not bitter. Just playing the role. And that... pissed me off.

"You don't have to try to please me. I can see the anger on your face."

"You and Rebecca aren't important enough people in my life to even get me pissed off," he said coldly, rubbing his arm. "There's no reason to be rude to people I don't give a fuck about, is there?"

I followed his eyes to where I'd grabbed him. His skin was already turning purple.

"Your arm—"

"I bruise easily. Don't think about it," he said like it was nothing. "I'm going to ride the bike now."

He turned and walked off before I could say anything, mounting the BMX and wobbling slightly as he headed down the forest path.

I watched him disappear into the trees, feeling something I couldn't quite name.

Interest?

Curiosity?

No. I didn't want to admit it.

But I couldn't deny it either.

I'd never been rejected this consistently in my life. And more than that—he didn't act like an omega. He wasn't timid or shy. He'd just talked me out of two bad situations in one day.

But still, all of this only started because of him. If he'd never shown up, none of this would be happening.

He should clean things up.

"Levi!" Rebecca called, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Yeah?"

"Why're you staring after that omega?"

I turned to her. "Did you really break your ankle? You'd be in a lot more pain if you did."

Her jaw twitched. I knew as an alpha, she wouldn't sprain something so easily.

"I didn't," she admitted with a hiss. "But I didn't expect that omega to act up like that."

Act up? I frowned. He hadn't done anything wrong.

"He's definitely hiding something," she continued. "Omegas shouldn't be that quick on their feet."

How would she know what omegas should be like? And why was she so quick to assume something was wrong just because he didn't fit the mold?

I didn't say anything, but the doubt in my mind was growing louder.

Maybe the elders were wrong.

Maybe we were wrong.

"I feel like he's already having a bad effect on you," Rebecca said, shaking her head.

It was an effect, alright.

A bad one.

Because now I couldn't stop thinking about him.

⸻

I found the omega later standing in the backyard, his gaze locked on the flower bed like the rest of the world didn't exist. The sun hit him just right, highlighting the relaxed slope of his shoulders, the way the wind tousled his long hair. For the first time since he arrived, he actually looked... peaceful.

There was a softness to him I hadn't seen before. A kind of peachy glow around his presence. His guard was down, and something about that quiet made my chest feel tight.

He was kind of... beautiful.

Then the wind shifted. He tensed—like he could feel me watching.

Was I really that scary?

No one's ever reacted to me like this before. I'm really... lost here.

I cleared my throat, trying to act normal. "Hey, this is the face cream that Rebecca asked me to give you. She said to thank you for carrying her to the porch."

Total lie. Rebecca wouldn't thank an omega even if her life depended on it. But she did tell me to give him the cream. And for some reason, the way she refused to do it herself rubbed me the wrong way.

He looked at the bag like it might explode, but took it anyway.

"She didn't have to do that."

"Anything else you want to say?" I asked, too quickly. Shit. I didn't mean to sound so... needy. But I wanted him to say something. Anything good about me.

"What else is there?" he asked, eyes distant again.

He could've asked me to apologize—for bruising him, for not thanking him, for the dinner table tension. He could've scolded me like he did earlier. Something, anything.

"Well, I guess there is one thing," he said finally. "You should really start learning to think and speak for yourself. Weak men like you are very unattractive."

My whole body tensed. Weak? He called me weak?!

Fuck him.

He was lucky I couldn't hit him without getting in trouble with my father.

"Rebecca didn't break her ankle. It was just a scratch," I snapped, trying to wound him back. Maybe if I said it fast enough, he'd shut up.

"No shit. Alphas can't get hurt easily," he said, voice sharp, turning back to the flowerbed with a colder edge. "I come from a family of them. They're all manipulative and arrogant and troublesome. Always thinking they're the strongest and smartest in the room, when statistics show it's actually betas who are the superior ones."

I frowned. "How so?"

"Betas are born at 82%, alphas at 10%, and omegas at 8%," he said. "Numbers."

"But alphas are better."

He turned and looked at me like I'd said something pitiful. "Sure. Alphas are great."

"Why say it when you don't mean it?"

He stood up straighter. Now we were face to face in the garden, staring each other down. His eyes were unreadable, calm—but not in a good way. Calm like someone who was done with the conversation before it even started.

Why am I so easy for him to dismiss?

"Does what I have to say actually matter to you?" he asked, steady and level. "At the end of the day, aren't I just some omega you're being forced to be around?"

I froze.

He wasn't saying it with bitterness or hurt. It was just... fact. Like this was his reality, and I was a footnote in it.

"I already thought there was no need to be fake," he said before I could even breathe out a reply. "We made a deal, and that's what we operate off of. You don't have to care for me, and I won't care for you or your friends. Remember?"

My fists clenched at my sides. I hated hearing him say that. Hated how dismissive he was. I wasn't just anyone. I was Levi. A fucking catch.

How could he so easily not like me?

It was me who didn't like him.

I scowled and shoved the jar at him. "Just take the face cream!" I snapped.

He sighed, unbothered, his fingers curling loosely around it. "Thank her for me."

His disinterest lit something sharp in my chest. Before I even knew what I was doing, I yanked the jar back, popped it open, and smeared the cream across his face.

He shoved at me, hard. Hands against my chest, twisting his head away. But I didn't stop until the thick, cold cream was smeared over his cheeks, his nose, even his lips.

When I stepped back, the full weight of what I'd done hit me like a punch to the gut.

He looked like I'd shoved his face into a birthday cake. The cream dripped from his mouth, and he spat some of it out, wiping furiously at his lips.

"Fuck!" he barked, eyes blazing. Then he stormed into the house without looking back.

I stood there like a complete idiot, jar still in my hand.

If anyone had seen that, they'd think I was a bully. Hell, maybe I was.

What the fuck am I doing?

He had me so spun around I didn't even recognize myself anymore. One minute I want to hurt him, the next I want to protect him. To hold him. To say sorry.

But I didn't chase after him.

He's just an omega.

He's used to this kind of treatment... right?

I let out a frustrated sigh and ran a hand through my hair.

God, that thought made me feel even worse.

Rebecca was right. Somehow, that omega really is having a bad effect on me.