Page 73 of Daughter of Garnet

What I do have a choice in is not waiting for him for half an hour past our scheduled time. This must be his shitty way of reminding me how much he dislikes me.

I'm on my way out of the library when he stomps through the door, his glare pinning me to the spot.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Our session was supposed to start thirty minutes ago. I'm leaving."

He places a hand on my shoulder, and I want to swear at myself for how his touch heats me. "Turn around, Zoe."

My body moves of its own volition as I return to the study room and flop down at the table. "I don't know why we're doing this. I'm doing fine in the class."

Dominic slams the door behind him and leans against it, crossed arms pulling his dark blue shirt taut, highlighting his well-built chest. "I don't know about that. I've heard your participation in your study group is extremely low."

"That's bullshit, and you know it! I'm just as involved as the rest of them."

"Nah, I don't think you are. It's why we're having to do these sessions."

There is a part of me, deep down and probably belonging to my dragon, that thinks he can be reasoned with. But that part of me is stupid. This Alpha is having a power trip and looking to punish me.

"Then what are we going to study today, Dominic?"

"You can call me Alpha."

I'm sure my cheeks are bright red. "I will not."

"Why not? That's what I am to you. Unless you're rejecting me."

It's on the tip of my tongue to reject him, but I can't force the words out. I thought I was ready to give up on him, but now I'm not so sure. I get why he was upset with me for lying, on the surface, but I think he should've gotten over it by now.

His smile is sinister and taunting. "That's what I thought."

If he keeps this up, I know I'll regret not rejecting him.

He pushes away from the wall and throws himself into a chair across from me. I feel marginally more comfortable with the table separating us. "Today, we're going to work on calming down an Alpha. I find myself feeling quite worked up."

"You seem just fine."

"On the contrary. I'm just very good at hiding the fact that I am near feral." He snaps his fingers and points at the floor. "Come, kneel before me."

He must be joking. Nothing in any of the texts or our instruction has indicated that kneeling in front of an Alpha is a way to calm them down, and that's ignoring the fact that he is nowhere near feral.

He doesn't blink as he stares me down. "I said kneel, bunny." He says the pet name like a curse, and I flinch from his words. "Your grade depends on it. If you're okay with failing…"

Am I okay failing? I mean, I'm an Omega, so I don't need to have a Beta job. Does it really matter what careers they assign me? What is the likelihood I'm going to be able to carry on a job after Ilota has me "right the wrongs in the realm"?

Yet, I don't want to give him the satisfaction of my backing down. It's what he's expecting of me.

I rise from my chair and round the table before lowering myself to the ground, glaring at him while I kneel at his feet.

He clicks his tongue. "You're not supposed to look a feral Alpha in the eyes." My teeth squeak from how hard I grind them together before I look down at the floor. "Ah, I'm feeling much better already."

The silence in the room is oppressive, and my knees start to hurt as I wait for his command. If I ignore the fact that I'm on the hard floor and this is all because of Dominic being an asshole, I can almost appreciate how my mind is going fuzzy and blank.

I have carried so much on my shoulders since I touched that garnet. The Goddess gifted me a life I never wanted to live with minimal instructions. There has been no relaxing.

I'm unsure how much time has passed when he reaches down and touches the back of my head, stroking my hair softly. I hate that I lean into his touch and nearly purr from how satisfying it is.

My guard is let down by his gentle touches when he speaks again. "On your hands now, bunny."