Beta's Love (Irresistible Omegas #8) - Nora Phoenix Page 0,2

been so very different and sheltered compared to most of you. My father is… He’s my whole life. He only has me, and I’m kind of lost without him. Like I’m a boat without a rudder.”

“I can imagine,” Lucan said softly. “As much as I’m upset with him at the moment, if my father had disappeared like that, I would’ve been worried sick as well. I really hope your father will be found safe.”

“Me too…”

Lucan’s hand was light and gentle on Sando’s shoulder. “If you need someone to talk to, I’m here.”

“Why would you offer that? You don’t even know me. I mean, no offense, because I realize that sounded harsh, but… I guess I don’t understand?”

Lucan gave a little squeeze, and it sent warmth through Sando’s body. “Because you seem lonely and look like you could use a friend. I’m offering you friendship.”

Sando slowly shook his head. “That’s…unexpected. Or maybe it’s normal? I don’t know. It’s not like I have a frame of reference. So I guess the correct response is to say thank you? I did warn you about my lack of social skills, so keep that in mind. Papa has been a phenomenal teacher my whole life, but he focused on my cognitive development, not the social and emotional part. Probably because they’re not his forte either. So please don’t get upset if I accidentally offend you. Just tell me. I’m a fast learner, so if you tell me what the correct response is, I’ll apply that knowledge the next time.”

When he finally forced himself to stop rambling, Lucan’s eyes were dancing with laughter. “I’ll be sure to read your user manual, but so far, I find your so-called lack of social skills a welcome change and not a deterrent at all. So let’s be friends, Sando. I have a feeling you and I are gonna get along great.”

Lucan had waited four days after the announcement that Enar would run a clinic on pack land. Four whole days where he’d gone back and forth on whether he should wait longer, whether he should offer at all, or if he should stay where he was, helping Bray. He didn’t hate the work he was doing for his brother, organizing the security detail he was still setting up, but he didn’t love it either. Bray was as appreciative as Lucan could expect his older alpha brother to be, and Lucan did get satisfaction from knowing he was doing a good job, but it didn’t have his heart.

As hard as it was to accept, he knew that he’d never work as a pharmacy tech ever again. If by some miracle the threat on his life disappeared, he’d have one hell of a challenge explaining why he’d been fired from his previous job. The cops might have changed his statement, meaning that he didn’t have a record, but his boss had still fired him for cause. That was difficult to explain in a job interview.

No, he’d have to change careers. Helping his brother was fine for now, but he wouldn’t be doing that for the rest of his life. As soon as he’d heard about Enar’s clinic—or the Hayes Clinic, as it was officially called—he’d known what he wanted. He’d taken four days to mull it over, to prepare a pitch for when he’d approach Enar, to come up with arguments in case Bray or his father would protest. He was as ready as he would ever be, so right after breakfast, he cornered Enar as he stepped outside.

“Enar, can I have a word, please?”

“Wow, that sounds official. Am I about to be reprimanded, Principal Whitefield?”

Lucan laughed, his nerves instantly gone. Enar had that effect on people, making them feel like they could be themselves. “Sorry, I guess it did come out a bit more formal than I’d planned. I just wanted to ask you something.”

“Sure. Is it a medical thing? Do we need to find some privacy?” Enar gestured at the men walking past them.

“Nah, that’s fine. I heard about the clinic. That’s amazing.”

Enar’s whole face lit up. “I’m still blown away. This will be such a crucial step forward in guaranteeing free health care for omegas, especially those from underprivileged backgrounds. I can’t wait for it to open, though it won’t by anytime soon.”

“What does the proposed schedule look like?”

“They’re starting today, but it’ll be four, five months before we can open. The building process will take a while, even when using prefab structures for part of it. The