SETH

Troubled.

Ever since Sean was expelled from Ravenwood, I have been paralyzed regarding my potential prospects. I had plenty of boys on my radar before I settled down with him, but those guys were dismissed for a reason.

Now that my strongest candidate is gone, I am forced to consider the same guys I had dismissed, but now they are all I have left. And here is my conundrum. I do not want any of them, they were not chosen before for a reason. I do not wish to be a trophy Omega, being someone's prize, giving them the bragging rights for having nabbed a Stronghold.

Call me crazy, but I would like to be with someone who chooses me for who I am, not my last name. I know it's a weird thing to say when I was sent to a school precisely to choose from young people with famous last names, wealth, or powerful packs. I know I did not come to Ravenwood to be romantic about my choice, I am well aware of that.

But now that my brother has broken the mold, I want just that. I would love nothing more than to be with someone who would not consider my family's money a factor in their decision to accept me as their partner. That is what Sean had that was so special. He made me feel seen and heard like I was the only boy for him.

I did not go into Ravenwood thinking I would ever move to a different country, but I would do it for him. Because of who he was and what he represented, as far as prospects are concerned. It might sound silly, but I valued his heart much more than what he had to offer me. I miss Sean a lot, even though we hadn't been together for long. He was special.

Now all I have are leftovers.

Don't get me wrong, there are no wrong choices here at Ravenwood - that would defeat the purpose of the academy - and anyone I decide to prospect could be an excellent match for me, for various reasons. But I do not want an advantageous match, I want love.

I do not want Kyle, for instance, who is infatuated with another boy but can only pick an Omega like me for himself. I know why he wants me, but that is precisely why he can never have me. I want more than being wanted for political reasons. Sorry, not sorry.

My brother was right all along, why should we pursue the best option for our pack if we do not need additional money or power? I understand why Kyle wants me as his prospect, but I do not share his vision. Well, not anymore.

Unfortunately, I am trapped in a platonic relationship with the only boy I actually wanted apart from Sean. He is the only person I can think of who wouldn't want me for the same things as all the other guys want me. Well, you know what they say, what you can't have, you can't resist. That is my theme and it has never been truer than now that I am at a crossroads.

I need to pick someone before my parents arrive at Ravenwood a week from now, but I do not want to pick anybody whatsoever. See my dilemma? This is where I am right now, caught between a rock and a hard place. The rock being my father choosing a random student to be my partner for me. That is the worst case scenario I am trying to avoid.

I rather prospect a Beta than have my father select a boy for me. Not that he would ever allow me to do that. There are rules of engagement for someone like me. I can have a boy, no problem, but he has to be an Alpha. Well, I am an Omega and we were practically created to mate with them, so it is what it is.

It's Friday night in Colorado.

After a tough week of studies and surprising declarations, the weekend is upon us and tomorrow there will be a party for the single students to mingle and make a choice. We should be in contract negotiations by now and though we still have until April of next year, by February our contracts should be ready for signing.

What happens in April is just a formality, a ceremony of claims. Right now I have no Alpha to claim me in public like young debutants do in the cotillion. That cannot happen, will not happen. My father will sooner bribe someone than allow his sons to leave this academy unprospected. That is simply not happening at all!

Oh Goddess! Can you imagine the shocking situation?

Yes, the Alphas and Betas are the ones who do the claiming. This is a werewolf society after all and breed matters in these things. That is why in the old days, the Alphas were the ones who accepted the Omegas once they got mated and we had to agree to the mating or not. It would be wonderful to be mated to someone and not have this horrible decision relying on me.

But I do not want that to fall into my father's purview. That would be catastrophic.

Tomorrow's party will be decisive for me, as it turns out. It's do or die for us single folk.

There is a knock on my dorm room and I am shocked to see Jayden standing there when I opened the door.

At first, I thought he came to talk to Jake but he is not here at this hour, he is spending time with my brother in the common area of the Gamma House. Jayden knew that already and he told me he came to talk to me.

"What can I do for you?" I asked him, sitting down on my bed as he sat down on a chair.

"Funny you should ask. I don't even know what to do with myself." He snickered, not that it made any sense to me. I just kept staring at him in silence, waiting for him to tell me what he wanted from me. The awkward vibe filled the room quickly until he stated his business.

"I came to make you a proposition. As I see it, you don't want to prospect anyone right now, but you also cannot afford to be prospectless when your father comes to visit. I am in the exact same situation as you, so I say we should prospect each other." He finally announced his intentions and I gasped in shock.

"You... Want to prospect me?" I double checked, baffled by this.

"Look, Seth, I am not going to lie to you and say that I am completely over Jake. It just happened days ago! But I would be lying if I didn't tell you that you are the only boy I see myself prospecting now. I do not want to deceive you, but that is my thought process so far." He spoke, genuinely.

I understand what he is saying. Like me, he has to make a decision regarding prospecting someone. Like me, he has no good alternatives here, so I am the next best thing. It's not the most romantic thing in the world, but it would be totally fake if he came here with a bouquet of roses, trying to prospect me. I know he is not over Jake, it doesn't take a genius to figure that out.

"Okay, I hear you, but what will happen in April? Are you sure you want to claim me at the ceremony? What happens if Skylar and Jake's contract doesn't pan out? Would you still make a play for him if he is available then?" I asked him, worriedly.

There is only one thing worse than being second best to my roommate. It is being the guy someone leaves for them to be with him. I can handle being the second option, but what I cannot handle is being left at the altar for another guy. Figuratively speaking, of course.

"That's a fair question. I am not going to lie, I would laugh out loud if that happened..." He replied, imagining the situation in his head and planting an evil smirk on his face. I see where he is going with this... Nobody said we were saints.

"But no, if Jake became available for some reason, I would not pursue him again. He left me for Skylar, so as far as I am concerned, we have nothing else to talk about." He asserted, sounding decisive.

"Are you sure, Jayden? Because I will die if you leave me for another boy. I don't have a problem with you making an executive decision about our prospect, but if you leave me for him for some reason, I will never live this down. I will be humiliated!" I demanded to know, deeply unsure of this. I know it's far-fetched to imagine that the contract negotiations are going to tank their relationship, but I wouldn't put anything past my father.

"Seth, I promise you, I am not that guy! I have never lied to Jake and I am not lying to you now. If I commit to you, then that's it for me. I would never be with him again, even if he and Sky broke up. I swear!" He pledged himself, sounding sincere.

Well, when life gives you lemons, you know what to do next. I am not going to get a better offer than this one right now. Certainly not from any boy that I would consider prospecting.

"In that case, I accept your proposal." I agreed, smiling widely. So what if he did not come here to woo me? So what if he is being practical instead or romantic? It would be highly suspicious of him to act like he wanted me if just the other day he was advising Kyle about how to win me over. I know he doesn't have feelings for me yet, but neither did Jake when Skylar first tried to prospect him. Nothing is impossible if you set your mind to it.

"Great. Is it okay if I ask your father's permission to prospect you?" He asked me without missing a beat.

"Yes, you have my permission." I replied, smiling the widest I have ever smiled in my life.

"Fantastic! Thanks for doing this, Seth. I know this is a marriage of convenience, but I promise to treat you well and be faithful to you. I do not believe in cheating on your partner." He said, ecstatically happy about this.

"Good. Neither do I. If I ever find out you were cheating on me, I would be devastated." I told him, furrowing my eyebrows. It's a nightmare to be dealt such a terrible hand. I don't know how my mother can deal with this - she knows about dad's other woman. Women always know, F.I.Y.

"Don't worry, my dear. I have many flaws, but backing out of my word is not one of them. I promise you, I will never cheat. Though no one said anything about open marriages." He winked at me with a mischievous grin.

"If I ever get married, it'll stay closed for as long as I live. You should know that now before you walk out that door. I expect commitment and fidelity." I stared him down with a menacing expression on my face.

"Yes, I heard you loud and clear. I was just joking." He appeased me, laughing nervously.

"As long as we are on the same page about it." I spoke, getting up from the bed.

"Can I hug you?" He asked me with a kind look on his face. Who can resist that?

"Of course!" I agreed wholeheartedly.

Our bodies intertwined in front of my bed as we stood there, hugging each other. A strange sense of comfort enraptured me completely. His scent is delicious to smell up close. He has such a strong, wonderful body. I felt protected by his embrace, which is what every Omega wants to feel from his Alpha. Not to say that he is my Alpha just yet.

"Wow! Your scent is delicious! Are you in heat?" He asked me, jokingly.

"If I were, this hug would develop into something else entirely." I replied, not amused by the question. I doubt he would have the same restraint my brother demonstrated when he was alone in a room with a heat stricken Omega.

"That's probably true, so I am glad you aren't." He spoke uncomfortably, parting from the tight hug.

"I am sure we can make arrangements when January comes. But for now, thanks for stopping by." I said, seeing him out.

"No, thank you for giving me a chance, Seth. I know you have no reason to do so. I am sure you had better options than me to be prospected to, so thank you. I promise to be worthy of you." He pledged himself and I swooned at his gorgeous eyes that were enchanting to look at.

"You already are worthy of me. And no, there was nobody better than you to be my prospect. I am not going to lie to you. You have always been the one that I want." I declared, not wanting to disguise what was so clearly known by anybody with a pulse.

He looked at me in a way that made my heart start palpitating faster.

"I should have pursued you from the beginning. We would be already locked and loaded by now and we are the ones who would be making out in the common area." He flirted.

I stared at him as we were still standing close to each other near my bed.

"It's best if you leave now or I won't be responsible for my actions." I declared, lustfully gazing at him. He smiled at me with a naughty grin, then walked to the door.

"See you tomorrow." He pecked my cheek before he exited my room. I was flushed with all sorts of impure thoughts about him. This is everything that I ever wanted since the start of the semester. I can only hope he stands by his promise to me. I will certainly hold him to that.

"See you tomorrow. Dream of me." I smiled at him, being flirtatious. And off he went back to the Alpha House. Meanwhile, Jake was returning to our dorm room, jaw dropped to see him exiting our bedroom. Suddenly, I was feeling embarrassed for having hosted him alone, though I had nothing to hide.

I can only hope to be able to make Jayden fall in love with me the same way my brother managed to do with my roommate. Fingers crossed. I cannot wait for the party tomorrow! *ecstatically happy*

https://youtu.be/5HI_xFQWiYU

A|N: Next is a very special 80th chapter that is not expected by anyone.

Twist?

That's just a normal day for me.

OFF: When I started writing, I never imagined in my wildest dreams that I would be here, almost three years later. I did not imagine my work could reach the people that it did or that most of my books would reach 100K views.

All I wanted was to tell a story from a fresh perspective and I haven't been able to stop doing until today. God only knows how I managed to keep it diverse after 11 werewolf books, but here I am.

With all that being said, I could never have imagined that I would ever get paid to be an author. I truly appreciate every single one of my patrons. You have single-handedly changed my life forever! Now I can say I don't do this just because I love to do it, I can also argue that my loyal fans are waiting for a new chapter on my Patreon.

patreon.com/LeonardoMontero

You are cherished with all my heart, please know this.

Of course, this would never happen if it wasn't for @PinkCookieLove - who gave me the suggestion to start my own Patreon, even when I thought no one would ever subscribe to it. I will love you until the day that I die. Always and forever.

Next is "Boys 'Round Here".

Love,

Léo.