Everleigh
She had never dated much because her family was so everbearing.
But she didn't mind that Roman was a wolf at all. Her family would not like it, not one bit, but she didn't care. If she never returned to the clan, then she was fine with that. She wasn't going to let them dictate her entire life.
She had found so many things to enjoy in the human world. The other employees in the office were warming up to her. And she'd started to form some friendships with the human women.
The freedom she felt was indescribable.
As soon as Roman arrived at her office, her body reacted. Her nipples got tight, and her panties got damp. She clenched her legs together. This was going to be an interesting date.
He held the car door open, and she took a second to watch the muscles in his bicep flex.
"I'm not looking for commitment. Just a good time. I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page," she said to Roman as she climbed into his car.
"That's convenient because that's exactly what I'm looking for too."
"Is that so?" she asked.
"It really is."
"Does your clan pressure you?"
"Because I’m the Alpha?" he asked.
She licked her lips and leaned her body a little closer to his. She really liked the way he smelled – like fresh cedar wood. "Yes. I would imagine it comes with a lot of expectations."
"You know, traditionally, that would've been true, but my clan has dumped all the old ways. They've abandoned everything."
He was clearly disgruntled. "There must be a reason for that."
"Not a good one." She nudged his leg under the table . "Maybe you should think about it from their perspective."
"In what perspective is that?"
"Of a shifter in your pack who is not the Alpha who doesn't call the shots, and who isn't in charge?" she asked.
"I have always been a good Alpha. I’m fair, and I listen. Hell, that's the reason I'm here."
"That's great that you're kind and benevolent, but when someone else is in charge of your life when you’re an adult, then it's not so much fun."
"Okay, so tell me what it’s like."
"Do you really want to talk about this on our date? We're supposed to be having fun," she said as he held her chair out for her.
"If you're interested in telling me, then I want to listen. Whenever my pack members talk to me, I end up getting angry."
"Right. Because you’re too close to the situation, and I'm not. Since we're just having fun, then I can say whatever and it's not personal. Plus, I'll never be a part of your pack and vice versa."
"Exactly," he said. "So tell me."
She had thought this conversation would be a real downer but it was surprisingly cathartic. "Well, I'm an omega. And I am a female, which means everyone in my pack has really strong opinions about how I should behave. From the time I was small I was told that my main role was to get mated and produce bear cubs for the pack."
She watched as he shifted uncomfortably. She had no doubt that he had participated in those conversations. It didn't make him evil, that was just the way packs had been. She was glad to hear that things were changing now, and that he was at least open to listening. If he had been completely rude about her opinions or refused to listen or mocked her, then she wouldn't even be interested in dating him for fun.
This had the added bonus that she could flaunt dating him in her family's face. She would love to tell them that she was dating a wolf shifter, and she could even insinuate that it was far more serious than it was. She had no plans to settle down and let a man take care of her life.
Before she said something that would completely shut down the conversation, she took a big sip of wine. "Why don’t you tell me what you heard from your pack members, and I'll see if I can explain it. At least from my point of view. We may be bears instead of wolves, but I bet our experiences are pretty similar."