18. Gryphon

Chapter eighteen

Gryphon

M y shoulders are tense as I wait in the seating area outside Governor Lily's office.

It's busy in here. Phones are ringing nonstop, and people bustle around, handing each other important papers to read over.

They're mostly Alphas in here. There are a few Beta employees. They tend to have the lowest-ranking positions, while the Alphas reign supreme above them all.

The Governor thinks she has some new intel regarding Mila, and a knot of anxiety has lodged deep in my chest.

I hope it's good news, and that she tells me that we have nothing to worry about after all and Mila is just innocent.

Because I want to like her, I do. But I'm too afraid of letting her get too close.

I'm afraid that she will destroy everything we have built.

Mila is an innocent party in this, but she is still Governor Frederick's pawn. And I can't forget that.

For that reason, I cannot trust her. Period. No matter how beautiful she is.

And no matter how lovely she smells…

Her scent reminds me of Christmas, and I can't quite pinpoint why.

It makes me feel happy and content.

As if my life is complete somehow.

Fuck. Now my mouth is watering just thinking about her sweet, Christmassy scent, and I quickly think of something else.

Oliver.

Since he perfumed and presented as an Omega, I haven't looked at another woman. No one else came close to the way I felt about him, and once I gave him my bite, it solidified our bond.

But Mila makes me remember why I was attracted to women in the first place.

I forgot the way they made my balls feel tight whenever they laughed or smiled. The sweet, feminine sound of a woman's voice was once a huge turn-on for me.

Mila's voice makes me feel the exact same way, but I feel immediately guilty. It would upset Oliver if he knew that my attention was being diverted to someone else, but I haven't missed the way he looks at her, too.

His perfume… changes. When he's with me, it's sweet, almost edible, but with her, it becomes woodsy… masculine.

He has always smelled like the inside of a honeycomb, but lately, I get a faint hint of cedar.

Is it possible for an Omega to have two scents?

Just as I'm pondering that very idea, the door to the governor's office opens, and a short woman steps out. She is Beta.

Her bland papery scent wafts my way, and it's odd how different she smells from Mila.

Mila should smell just as bland, yet she doesn't.

She smells leagues better than this little stout woman.

I rise from my seat, and the Beta woman moves out of the way, giving me passage.

She is not one of Governor Frederick's pawns. The Betas in the Alpha population tend to be treated like second-class citizens. They do all the menial tasks.

Governor Lily is at her desk when I step into her large office. She wears a light pink business suit today.

The color doesn't suit her at all, but she seems to make it work somehow.

Her brown hair is tied back, and her dark eyes are sharp and focused. She's just finishing signing some papers. When she glances my way, a tight smile forms on her hard face.

"Ah, Gryphon… just the Alpha I wanted to see. Take a seat."

I do as she instructs, and now we sit in silence as she finishes signing her documents.

She does not look pleased with the task, and when she grabs her stamp, she presses it down extra hard.

"There. That should be enough to satisfy them for a while. Bastards."

I wonder what she is signing, but it's not my place to ask. Probably more papers from the Beta government.

They really are pushing their way into our lives. Soon, they will take over completely, and then there will hardly be any Alphas left.

Which is probably their endgame.

They want this world for themselves.

They want our Omegas…

My Alpha growls when I think about them getting their hands on Oliver and Mila, and that's odd.

Why would he react that way? Mila isn't even an Omega.

"So, Gryphon…" Lily asks, leaning back in her chair. She fixes those careful black eyes on me. "Anything to report? How is the new Beta settling in?"

For a moment, I forget where I am as I can't get Mila's big green eyes from my mind. She really is small in every way, and I don't think I have met a Beta so petite before.

It makes it hard to hate her.

I clear my throat, careful not to look the governor directly in the eyes. "Quite well, ma'am. She is respectful and does her duties efficiently."

Governor Lily drums her long nails on the desk. They always stay intact, even after she boxes a punching bag in the gym.

"What duties has she performed?"

I swallow. "Mostly ensuring that our Omega is safe, happy, and comforted."

Lily drums her nails faster, and I almost lose my nerve. "Comforted? In what fashion?"

Shit.

"Well, she has been cleaning and cooking…"

Lily freezes, and her fingers stop tapping the wooden surface of the desk.

I wish I could turn back the clock and stop myself from saying that.

"Cleaning and cooking? Seems to go behind the call of duty, don't you think, Gryphon? Her job is to protect Oliver with her life. She is a trained soldier. Not a housewife."

I know. But I couldn't stop her. The pack just looked so happy when she cleaned the kitchen and cooked for them.

Although I love Oliver, he isn't much of a cook, and he's pretty messy.

He's always leaving candy wrappers in his nest.

"I warned you, Gryphon. This was Frederick's intention. That Beta is trying to ascertain her place in your pack. Soon, she will make you all feel as if you couldn't live without her. Cooking and cleaning is a way to an Alpha's heart after all…"

It really is, and I would be lying to myself if I said that I haven't been enjoying her cooking. My belly is always full when Mila is around.

The house even seems brighter. More cheerful.

But all that changes when I step into the room, sucking all that life away.

"You have to do better than this, Gryphon. Show her who is boss. Tell her she can no longer cook or clean for you. That is an order. I warned you to set these boundaries. Don't let her get too close. There's a reason why Frederick picked her for your pack, and it has nothing to do with the fact that she is good with a gun..."

Governor Lily doesn't have to specify. No one could look at Mila and say that she isn't pretty. She's not just pretty, but small and cute too.

She has the kind of eyes that could break your heart. Sometimes, I want to take that sadness away, but I can't. I can't let my pack get too close to her, but I'm afraid the damage has already been done.

Lachlan picks her flowers for crying out loud.

I have never seen him this way. He was never that romantic, even with Oliver, and what's worse is that Oliver doesn't seem to mind.

He is not even jealous or territorial, and it just makes things so much harder for us all.

I have no choice but to heed Lily's order.

After all, she is our superior. We work for her, and if she thinks we are no longer catering to our Omega's needs, then she will cut us off.

Worse, she could kick us out of our home, sending us to live in the wilds. We would be on our own, cut off from the rest of our society, and I can't allow that to happen.

Oliver's life could be at stake.

"Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Governor. Crystal."

Lily nods her head in approval, and it seems she is satisfied with my answer. My heart won't stop pounding, and I hope she doesn't see how nervous I am.

Sweat drips down my back.

"You may be excused, Gryphon."

I try not to leave too quickly, heading out of the office as calmly as I can.

But my thoughts are turbulent, and the first thing I am going to do when I get home.

Set some boundaries.

Mila is not allowed to cook and clean for us anymore.