Andrea's laughter echoes across the dining hall, light and unrestrained. Beatrice laughs along with her, clearly enjoying the moment, while Alpha Torrin smiles and nods at both of them. From the corner of my eye, I catch him awkwardly glancing at me from time to time, while I force myself to look unbothered, as though none of this is affecting me.
When the Omegas serve the food and drinks, Alpha Torrin reaches for Andrea's plate first, carefully cutting her steamed fish into neat pieces. Then he does the same for Beatrice.
Pain creeps through my heart, but I bite back the sharp sigh threatening to escape my chest.
When Alpha Torrin gestures toward my plate, asking for permission to cut my fish as well, I pull it away before he can touch it, not even sparing him a glance. Not only was I clearly the last person on his mind, but I'm also the only one he feels the need to ask permission from, something he never did before.
