Chapter 62: Coffee
Walter Pov
I’m still in a foul mood because of last night. My arms are crossed, my eyes heavy with exhaustion, as I watch the espresso machine pour coffee into my mug. The hiss of steam fills the silence, but it doesn’t soothe me.
I barely slept last night. How could I, when her scent lingered in every corner of the penthouse, suffocating me, reminding me of everything I want to forget? Half the country hates me, the other half pities me.
My haters must be having a field day. I don’t even want to turn my phone back on. I know the moment I see a comment or video about me, I’ll be angrier than I already am.
"Good morning."
Think of the devil, and the devil appears, with a voice far too cheerful for this early hour. I ignore her. I can’t deal with Lorali right now without exploding. The moment my coffee finishes filling, I’ll leave with great speed, mug in hand, before her presence poisons my morning further.
"How did you sleep?" she asks, opening the fridge beside me and pulling out a carton of milk. The way she moves around the kitchen, like she owns it, rubs me the wrong way. She sets a bowl down on the island with a clank.m"I’m guessing you didn’t have a good night, judging by the way you’re ignoring me," she continues, her tone light, almost teasing.
"What exactly are you playing at here?" I blurt, my patience fraying to its end and my voice sharper than I intend.
"I have no idea what you’re talking about."
"Oh, please. I saw you yesterday. That fight was all you, wasn’t it?" I scoff, rolling my eyes, shaking my head in disbelief.
"Oh, that fight," she says, clicking her tongue as if recalling the chaos. "What would I have to do with your packmates fighting?"
"I know you instigated it, Lorali." My voice hardens, cutting through the air. The fact that she’s feigning ignorance and trying to gaslight me, when I clearly saw her enjoying the spectacle yesterday, makes my blood boil. Does she take me for a fool?
"You think I could manipulate headstrong Torin into doing anything?" she laughs, the sound light but mocking. "I wonder what you see in me that I don’t see in myself."
"Perhaps instead of blaming me for what happened yesterday, you should look at your packmates. They’ve been with Torin far longer than I have. They’re more likely to convince him to go public about me." She returns the milk to the fridge, then walks toward me. I don’t look at her, but I hear her footsteps, slowly coming towards me, her scent thickening the air, pressing closer to suffocate me.
"I know you’re trying to turn me against my pack," I snap, my voice rising. "Suspecting them will only benefit you."
"Walter," she says softly, her tone dripping with sincerity, "in all honesty, I’m not your enemy. I would never willingly or knowingly hurt you. I’m not expecting you to share your space. I know this pack is yours, and rest assured, it will always be yours. You can have Pack Spade."
Her words sound genuine, and if I hadn’t seen her face yesterday, I might have believed her. But now, I can’t. Trusting her feels impossible.
"You don’t trust me," she murmurs, reaching out and taking hold of my hand. I flinch at the contact, my body recoiling as I feel my skin crawling at the warmth of her touch.
"Oracle knew Torin was going to go public about me," she continues, her voice low as if telling a secret. "Torin called him and told him everything. Oracle delayed you all from coming back because he knew Oril would never let it happen if he found out."
"You’re lying." The words rip out of me before I can stop them. There is no way this is true. Oracle would never set me up like this. I’m closer to him than he is to his own brother. We were friends even before I met Oril. This cannot be possible. She is lying, she has to be.
"Why would I lie to you about this? I have nothing to gain. I’m literally losing because Oracle did this for me."
"Why would you tell the truth?" I counter, my voice sharp, my chest tight. "Because, as I said, I’m not your enemy. I want you to see I am on your side here, even after all you have done to me."
Her brown eyes burn through me, steady and unflinching, and I feel a chill run down my spine. My throat goes dry, the words sticking like thorns. "Oracle would never betray our bond of friendship," I say, trying to convince myself more than I am trying to convince her.
"Don’t be foolish, Walter. You have a scent match, and I’m sure you’d stab even your closest friend in the back for that bond. No one would ever pick a bond of friendship over one fated by the goddess."
She’s right. No one would ever pick a bond of friendship over one made by the goddess. Not even I. As much as I want to believe she’s lying, I can’t. It makes perfect sense for Oracle to team up with her—not that there are even teams to begin with. This hurts. It hurts in a way I can’t describe, knowing my longtime friend had a hand in half the country mocking me.
I had a suspicion he was involved when I saw how calm he was yesterday, when Torin announced Lorali was back. Oracle didn’t flinch. He didn’t look surprised. He looked like he knew the entire time. But Oril told me I was wrong, and I chose to build myself a wall of denial from all the clear evidence, just because Oril said so.
I’m such an idiot.
My throat strains, my eyes blur. Oh god, I can’t cry. Not now. I can’t let her see me cry. She may be telling the truth about Oracle, but I’m sure she only told me to hurt me, not because she cares.
I reach out my hand to grab my coffee mug, desperate for something to ground me, but my fingers close around empty air. Confused, I look down at the espresso machine. Nothing. My coffee is gone.
"Where is my coffee?" I exclaim, turning to scan my surroundings. Was I so out of it that I didn’t notice when I moved it?
"Thanks for the coffee. I’m sure you don’t mind me taking this."
I look up to see Lorali already halfway up the stairs, holding a bowl in one hand and—my coffee—in the other.
That thief. She stole my coffee when I wasn’t concentrating. I waited a long time for that coffee, and it’s in my favorite mug. She’s going to drink out of my favorite mug.
"You don’t mind me taking this, right?" she says, turning to lift the mug, giving me a smile that feels like mockery.
"Of course not. You’re used to taking things that aren’t yours. I’m sure this is nothing for you," I say, smiling through my anger, forcing my voice to stay calm.
I know she wants me to lash out, to crash, to lose control. But I won’t play into her plan. Never. I’m not as dumb as my packmates.
Torin Pov ~Mid Afternoon
You can ask anyone on the street what the best hospital in the entire country is–not just the city–and I can guarantee you will get the same answer every time. New Hope Hospital. It is the very best, created specifically for omegas, though it has since expanded to include all designations. The name itself was chosen by the Boleyn Pack, the ones who built it from the ground up.
I still remember when Erin told me he was going to build a hospital straight out of his own pocket, no funding from the government, and make it free. Free, universal healthcare from a private hospital. I thought him an idiot for starting something he wouldn’t be able to maintain, all because he once went to a hospital and saw an omega denied care because she didn’t have money.
Erin is soft at heart, and sometimes he makes decisions using that heart instead of his head. I expected the hospital to fail soon after opening. But it didn’t. In fact, it expanded, becoming the largest hospital in the country, with the best healthcare anyone could ask for. People from abroad even come just for the treatment. Imagine if he charged even ninety‑nine percent lower than the average hospital, he would be making a fortune instead of running a loss. How he manages to keep such a massive institution open, I have no idea.
"So, you want me to do a full check‑up on this omega here?" The words of the doctor sitting in front of me snap me out of my thoughts.
I blink, realizing I am in Doctor Quid’s sleek office, filled with plants and polished furniture. But the man in front of me is not Doctor Quid. He looks young, barely in his twenties, with a bald, shining head.
"I’m sorry, but who are you?" I ask, lifting my brow.
He flashes me a professional smile. "I’m Doctor Rose, Doctor Quid’s apprentice. I’ll be conducting the tests today since Doctor Quid is currently unavailable."
Apprentice? Seriously? I roll my eyes internally. Am I supposed to trust this boy with my omega?
"Umm... no offense, but we prefer Doctor Quid, so we’ll—"
Lorali cuts me off, her tone dripping with excitement. "We would love for the tests to be done by you."
Surprised, I turn to face her. She’s sitting in the chair next to me, her eyes bright, her hands folded neatly in her lap.
"What?" I mutter, confused. She grabs hold of my hand, squeezing it. "I’ve always wanted to be under an X‑ray. I can’t wait, now that we’re here," she whispers, leaning closer.
I sigh, rubbing my temple with my free hand. "We can’t trust this man. What if he doesn’t know what he’s doing and messes up? He’s just an apprentice."
"Please, Torin. I’m sure he’s trustworthy. He’s not just any apprentice, he’s Doctor Quid’s apprentice. Doctor Quid wouldn’t have him if he wasn’t good."
I keep silent. It’s a good point, but I’m still not convinced. This is all too sudden. Something feels off. Why would Doctor Quid tell me to come to the hospital if he wasn’t going to be here? He made it sound like he would be. And now I find out he has an apprentice? The whole thing smells fishy.
"Please, Torin..." Lorali begs again, squeezing my hand tighter, her eyes pleading.
I let out a defeated sigh. "Fine."
How can I say no when she’s literally begging me? My heart can’t bear to crush her strange little dream of going under an X‑ray machine. As weird as it is, it matters to her. And honestly, what’s the worst this guy can do? I’ll be with her the entire time.