Page 117 of In Doubt

A warmth has been sitting firmly in the centre of my chest ever since. The result of pleasing my omega. It seems making her happy is the key to making me happy.

I thought it was success. I thought it was proving to my parents that I was worthy of their attention. It isn’t, it’s caring for this woman.

Maybe if my parents had spent more time trying to please each other, rather than themselves. If they’d fought for happiness, instead of with each other, things would have been different. For them and me.

In a way, I feel sorry for them. But I’m not going to make the same mistakes they did. Heartbreak isn’t inevitable. Not if you fight for the one you love.

The professor hears our scuffing footsteps and glances up from her laptop screen, blue light reflecting in the lenses of her spectacles. She sweeps them off the bridge of her nose and into the tangle of salt and pepper curls on her head.

“Ahh, so you’re back, then?” she says.

We stop before her, both a little out of breath from racing here. Our excitement carrying us along.

“We are,” Giorgie says, beaming at me. “Professor Weaver, we found evidence of the path that connected the two temples – connecting the alphas’ and the omegas’ places of worship. My theory was correct!”

My eyes are locked on Giorgie, unable to drag them away. Her whole body buzzes with excitement, her eyes sparkle, her smile is radiant and she bounces on the balls of her feet, unable to contain all her enthusiasm.

Fuck, I love her.

How could I not? I could listen to her talking about the things she’s passionate about every day for the rest of my life and I’d never bore of it. There’s something about it that lights my soul, blows away all the cobwebs and shadows. Happiness could be as simple as Giorgie Martinelli.

“I see,” the professor says, and her tone has my gaze flicking to her. She doesn’t sound as excited as I expected. “Talk me through what you’ve found.”

Giorgie scurries around to join her on the other side of the table and spreads out her notes. She talks the professor through what we found, showing her the pictures on her phone, and explaining like the intelligent academic she is why this backs up her ideas.

I stand transfixed by this woman. Pride blooming in my heart and I know I’ve made the right decision. Giorgie deserves the spot on the professor’s team more than I do. She’s earned it fair and square.

The professor leans back in her canvass chair, tapping her fingertips together. It’s clear she is thinking. Finally, she slides her glasses back down onto her nose.

“Congratulations, to you both. This is great work and excellent research.”

Giorgie nods, that smile drawing impossibly wider.

“We can start writing it up as soon as we get home,” Giorgie says, glancing towards me. I grin back at her. I can’t think of anything better than spending my days with this omega, working together.

“Giorgie,” the professor coughs. “I would strongly advise against that.”

I blink and the smile falters on Giorgie’s lips. Did I hear that right?

Behind us the generator keeps chugging away and someone taps loudly on a keyboard.

“What?” I say.

“I would advise against you publishing this discovery.”

“But why?” Giorgie gasps.

The professor sighs and leans back in her chair, her hands falling into her lap. “You’re both still so young and relatively inexperienced. You haven’t discovered yet how cut throat and political this field can be.”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying,” Giorgie says, her hands hovering over her notes.

“This theory directly contradicts Professor Lichenstein’s.”

“So what?” I growl, anger stirring in my gut.

“His reputation, his whole career, has been built around his work on societal hierarchies in Ancient Egypt. He has always maintained that alphas were dominant and omegas submissive, rarely seen, barely tolerated. This discovery of yours will place you in direct opposition to him.”

“But the theory is right,” Giorgie whispers.