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“I can’t imagine how that felt. It was all the world could talk about for a long time, wasn’t it?”

“I wouldn’t know. I was too busy grieving.”

“Oh, I’ve got a big mouth, don’t I?” Toni chuckled. “You’re an omega, right? I know it’s a bit more difficult to have a career with your Designation.”

Maybe I was stupid compared to her grand achievements, but I knew exactly what she was implying.

I was a Hartlock, and an omega.

Those were the only prerequisites needed to satisfy an alpha like Walden. His hand squeezed mine as his chuckle mingled with Toni’s, unaware of the swift rebuff hidden in Toni’s brief response. She was at the table by her merits. I was there because of what I’d been born with.

I froze, fixed on their white teeth, gleaming with shared mirth.

The spotlight clung to me for a brief, dizzying moment, but when I added nothing, the conversation melted into grants and fundraising strategies. Mr. Nife fell over himself to offer a list of names to Toni, and the more animated they got, the more I shrank.

I picked up my drink and swallowed the entirety, hoping the liquid would numb the crack in my chest.

“Are you alright?” Walden brushed his lips against my ear when the conversation lulled.

Was he embarrassed by me?

“Perfect,” I replied.

I pulled my hand from his and wiped the clammy palm on my dress. What did it matter if it left stains? Walden pressed a kiss to my forehead.

“If nothing else, you look absolutely stunning together.” Toni tapped her spoon against her lips.

This scentless bitch.

Heat bubbled through my veins. We looked good together, because I was an idiot, and Walden was too good for me. That was what she meant.

“Tully is the most beautiful omega I’ve ever known,” Walden agreed.

The compliment dripped with sincerity. But it made my stomach sink even further, and I managed a thin-lipped smile.Hearing him highlight my looks only reinforced what Toni pointed out. I would have rather he mention the name I’d been born with again. I plummeted in the flimsiness of his esteem.

“Don’t you have three omega sisters? They run a PR company, right? Beautiful and talented, I mean, your family lucked out.”

I tucked my hands underneath my thighs to stop myself from scratching her eyes out.

Why was I surprised?

“You’ll be at the One-Hundred-Year-Gala, won’t you? Imagine how special it will be with another Hartlock omega. I wonder what Esta would say if she met you?” Toni said.

My body prickled with heat. Mortification made my heart thump sluggishly. I barely held it together during this dinner. Imagine how spectacularly I would fail if I had even more eyes on me?

Esta would probably wonder what she’d done to deserve such a weak representation of her legacy.

“I don’t think so.” I shook my head.

I had a taste of what it was like to be a Hartlock, and I wasn’t about to subject myself to an entire gala.

Mr. Nife froze and shot Walden a concerned look.

“That’s still up in the air.” Walden added with a rush.

His crisp eucalypt swirled around me but it didn’t feel like the anchor it had been earlier, more like a shackle I wanted to escape. Walden wanted me there. He wanted me to join his pack, but why? What did I bring?

Toni hummed, eyes darting between the two of us.