Page 53 of Dream Mates (Into The Parallel Omegaverse #2)

Chapter Thirty-Four

Grace

“ Y ou ask a lot of questions, Sugar. Are you doing your dissertation on super collider construction?” one of the people leading the tour of the CeCe at the Research Circle Collaborative asked.

“Just curious.” Nope, I was just trying to render them unnecessary for all but the most specialized projects.

Still, the construction site was fascinating and was the culmination of Dr. Alfonso’s tour of the Collaborative. It was interesting to see the types of interdisciplinary projects they were doing.

Dr. Mariano rounded everyone up, which included her students, some of the fellows and interns from PIIP, myself, and a few others.

“Okay, back on the bus. Next stop, Marquess University to see the particle visualizer and some other things,” Dr. Mariano announced, as we got on the little rented bus that had brought us here from the train station.

I was excited about the visualizer, since it definitely had some promising implications.

Oh, this was where Marquess was? I hadn’t realized that. Should I text Creed? After all, he was going to see his sister at the adjoining school. Maybe we could grab a coffee before I met up with Spencer?

Yesterday was so much fun. At the same time, I wasn’t sure if I should meet with Creed again, for the same reasons I’d told Spencer.

Still…

I texted Creed anyway.

Me

Off to Marquess to see the visualizer. Maybe we can meet for coffee? I understand if you’re too busy.

The area was so pretty. I could see the charms of studying here, in addition to the sheer amount of things being developed in what was essentially a giant research park.

Creed

Didn’t realize your field trip was here. Is it okay if my sister Verity comes for coffee, too, if she doesn’t have class?

Me

Sure, why not.

When we arrived on campus, we were welcomed and got a tour of their science facilities, which were beautiful and state of the art. I noticed a couple professors staring at me, but if Creed had gone here, I could understand.

When we got to the visualizer, I was fascinated.

It was meant to predict and visualize particle reactions, complete with animations.

While it wasn’t meant to replace a super collider, and they were dealing with simple experiments, this…

this could possibly be the basis for what we wanted to do.

I couldn’t help but text Blaise and Deb in my excitement.

We finished our tour and Dr. Mariano came back over to me. “We’re going to go to the cafeteria for a late lunch then see a rocketry demonstration. Did you want to come with us?”

“I’m actually going to meet someone for coffee then join Spencer. But thanks for the ride here–and including me on your tour.” I’d made lots of notes.

“I want a tour when you’re ready with whatever it is you’re building.” She grinned.

“Absolutely.” I left the science building and found Creed waiting on the steps.

“Have fun?” Creed stood. Today he was just wearing shorts and a T-shirt, his blond hair in his eyes a bit.

“I did. Where to?” I asked.

“Campus coffee shop.”

I looked around as we walked. “It’s so beautiful here.”

“It really is. But then I’ve spent a lot of time on these two campuses. Hazards of having professors for parents,” he laughed.

“Are all your parents professors?” I asked as I followed him across campus, not really knowing where I was going.

He shook his head. “Just Mom and Dad. She’s head of the chemistry department here at Marquess.

Dad teaches organic chemistry at Briar. Mumsy works for a chemical company.

Baba used to be a professor but now works in pharmaceuticals.

Mama’s a translator and professional wrangler of children. Harry has a restaurant.”

“Mom, Dad, Mumsy, Baba, Mama, and Harry? ” I grinned. Right, families with lots of parents would mean lots of parent names.

Oooh, what would my guys call themselves? Oh my god, there’d be so many dad jokes, wouldn’t there?

Creed laughed. “Harry’s a newer addition to the pack. But the littles call him Daddy. What about your parents? Oh, wait, that wasn’t so good was it. Sorry.” His voice went soft as he looked at his phone.

“My dad owns a hardware store. We all worked there. I don’t even think my parents went to college. My mom was very young when I was born.” I shrugged. “Me going to college was never not an option, though.”

His smile went rueful. “I think my parents were a little disappointed that I went to engineering school instead of a PhD program.”

“I’m sure they’ll be proud of you regardless. Where are we going?” I looked around, as the path grew more fairy-forest-like.

“We’re taking the fairy gate to Briar to meet Verity. Wait, backtrack a minute, I thought you said that you didn’t know your dad?” he asked.

“The dad who raised me has the hardware store. I didn’t know he wasn’t my biological dad until I was getting my PhD. That secret died with my mom.” That had been a tough conversation to have with him.

“You didn’t want to try a genscan and see if you could find him?” He opened a little wrought iron gate, with a sign that said Briar University.

“Why? I don’t care why he ran out on us. If he has a new family, I don’t want to be reminded of what I missed out on.” Very real tears pricked my eyes. I’d never know who he was. And I was fine with it.

This was also exactly what I’d told my therapist when she’d asked if I wanted to take a DNA test to try to find him.

“Hey, it’s okay.” He went to put an arm around me and froze. “Sorry. I have to keep reminding myself that you’re not my sister.”

“It’s okay.” I sighed as we walked through a rose garden. “I look that much like them?”

“You do. Mercy has brown hair but has a lot of your features. Hope’s a blondie and probably going to be a little thing like you. But then I was a little thing and look at me now.” His smile went baleful.

I was missing something. We walked through an area filled with some sort of lily. It was similar to the basic Easter Lily I knew but smaller and with multiple flowers on a single stem. A beautiful aroma drifted through the garden.

Stopping, I smelled them. “These are amazing.”

Taking a picture, I sent it to Evan and Brennan.

Me

I like how these smell. Can we have them in the estate garden?

Evan

Omega lilies are always a good choice.

Brennan

There’s lots of them at the estate. They probably haven’t bloomed yet.

Creed was smiling at me. “My sister bred these.”

“That’s what your sister does in plant genetics? Breeds flowers? I love it. Flowers make people happy.” This garden was beautiful.

He nodded as he led us out of the garden. “They do. And that’s what she does–she makes happy flowers. The parents think it’s frivolous. But not all discoveries need to change the world. Sometimes they only need to touch one person.”

That was profound.

“Did they think you would be an omega?” I asked softly. “Sorry if that’s a weird question.”

Briar had a very different feel than Marquess. It was just as pretty, but cozier.

“Yeah, they did. I tested as an alpha in middle school, but they thought it was wrong, which happens sometimes. Growing up, I was never big or muscular and I had a thing for stuffies. Mumsy is quite the statuesque woman. I shot up but never filled out. It was a surprise to everyone when I actually became alpha. Me included. Dad wanted nothing more than an omega child, and so far, it’s been alphas all around.

Though the younger ones are too little to test, and I’m pretty sure one of them is a beta,” he explained.

“Oh.” Right, that was a very real thing here–expecting to become a certain designation and becoming something else. Did people throw fits when they were disappointed about their children’s designations the way they sometimes did at gender reveals?

He shrugged as he led me through the campus. “It is what it is.”

The coffee shop he led me to was airy and full of plants. Students filled the outdoor patio, studying, chatting, and enjoying the afternoon.

We stood in line and got our coffees, along with a chai latte for Verity, who was on her way.

“How long are you here?” Creed grabbed us a table inside.

“We go home Saturday,” I told him, taking a sip of my coffee. “Tomorrow we’re going to go to the beach.” I couldn’t wait.

“That sounds fun.” He waved at someone behind me.

A young woman with golden skin, long dark hair, and blue-green eyes bounced over to us. Tall, willowy, and lithe, her cute outfit and confident demeanor made me think of some of the popular rich girls at my university. The sort that joined sororities and had fancy cars.

“Is that for me? Thanks.” Verity grabbed the other cup, took a long drink, then plopped down into a chair.

My heart twinged. Once I got to middle school I hadn’t had that sort of relationship with my brothers.

“Verity, this is Dr. Grace Ellington. She has been traipsing about the Circle looking at super colliders.” Creed gave me a big grin, his tone teasing. “Grace, this is my super-annoying little sister who prefers plants to people.”

“Plants can’t talk back,” she joked. “Hi.” Her hands clapped together, then went to her mouth, as she looked from Creed to me and back again, a huge grin on her face. “Oh my. Wow. This… this… oh my.”

Creed chuckled. “I know.”

Verity checked the time on her phone. “Dad’s got a lecture in a bit. We should go sit in the back and see how long it takes for him to notice. Has she met Hale? We should all go to Mercy’s skate smash game–her team’s really far in the finals. Then maybe have dinner at Harry’s?”

She was practically bouncing.

“Ver, that’s not why she’s here. She’s from the PIIP conference. Ina introduced us as a possible job connection.” Creed’s voice got a little stern as he put his hand over hers.

“Oh.” Verity looked puzzled.

I realized that like Creed, she was an alpha and smelled of driftwood and sea salt.

“Thanks for the offer, but I can’t stay all that long. I’ve got a hot date,” I explained.