Chapter 11 NEPOTISM IS THE BEST WAY
SEBASTIAN’S POV
I'm either sleeping or Alisander’s dreaming.
I was accepted?
Me?
I was actually chosen as a guard?
The omega?
“Shouldn't you be joining the others?” Alisander's voice pulls me away from my daze.
Murmurs and whispers from the crowd enter my ears as I shuffle through them to join the small crowd of chosen attendees.
‘Why would Alpha Ragnar choose him?’
‘I don't know I also want to know the reason why’
‘I can't believe I was rejected and that scrawny omega got accepted.’
‘What's so special about him anyway?’
“Don't listen to them Sebastian.” Alisander comforted. “You deserve this spot you'll see.”
“They're technically correct if you think about it.” I shrug. “Even I wouldn't choose an Omega over a Delta or even a Beta.”
“But you were chosen.” Alisander insists.
“Through nepotism surely. If I wasn't his mate, he wouldn't have chosen me.” I retorted.
Alisander huffs and stops talking to me leaving my ears feeling the full sound of murmurs.
I made my way to the pack house, my steps uncertain.
What am I doing?
Each footstep feels like it's echoing in the air drawing attention to the fact that I am the imposter here.
I, Sebastian, an Omega who has spent most of my life avoiding trouble, was just chosen to guard the Alpha of one of the strongest packs in the country.
The irony.
The whispers of the other pack members follow me as I leave pack grounds and enter the halls.
Some glared openly, others muttered under their breath. I caught snippets of conversations:
“Did you see him? The omega?”
“I don’t understand… he doesn’t even look like he could lift a sword.”
“Has he lost his mind?!.”
I kept my head down, wishing I could disappear into the stone floor. My chest tightened with a mix of fear and… something else.
Anticipation?
Or probably fear.
Maybe.
I stop just outside the door to the private quarters.
I wipe my clammy hands on my shirt.
Thank the Moon goddess that I actually wore my good shirt today.
“Well what are you dawdling for? Knock!” Alisander urged.
I thought he wasn't speaking to me anymore. This brat.
I'm right in front of Alpha Ragnar’s room.
I was actually invited here.
I'm not trespassing or anything.
My stomach feels like it is trying to twist itself into knots.
I imagined him inside, waiting for me.
And that thought… it made my body tighten in a way that was terrifyingly familiar.
Down boy.
Alisander mentally taps my head. “You’ll do fine,” he murmured. “Just always remember who you are.”
Yes.
Yeah I do know who I am.
A scrawny, broke Omega who just last week gave his future boss a very hands-on performance till completion.
I’m definitely adding that to my resume for future referencing.
I nodded to myself even though my insides feel like a herd of deer are playing a game of tag and losing.
What are you doing here Sebastian?
I have no previous experience, no training or battle experience and I share embarrassing history with the Alpha.
But he chose you.
A little voice inside defended.
I suspect this might be Alisander even though he denies it.
Looks like I'm about to find out why he chose me.
His private quarters are silent, the air heavy with a scent that was unmistakably him.
Ragnar.
I felt it before I even saw him, my nose greedily inhaling.
The dominance that radiated from him in waves made my skin tingle and my heart thump painfully against my ribs.
Ragnar leaned casually against the wall, arms crossed. His eyes met mine instantly, and I freeze.
There was nothing in his expression that gave away what he was thinking. Just a quiet, piercing stare that made my knees threaten to buckle.
“Sebastian,” he said, his voice low and deliberate. “You finally decided to enter.”
“Told you so.” Alisander quipped.
“Yes, Alpha,” I managed to choke out, forcing my spine straight.
He studied me for a moment, tilting his head slightly.
I could feel him weighing me, like as if he's considering something.
“You’re probably wondering why I chose you,” he said finally, his gaze unwavering.
“The others may have been stronger, faster and more experienced.”
My throat went dry. I wanted to speak, to protest, to say I would train just as hard as they would.
But, I couldn’t find my voice.
All I could do was stand there, trembling like a leaf under the intensity of his stare.
He stepped closer. Just a few feet, but close enough that I could feel the shift in the air around me.
My pulse jumped, and I could feel the pull of something deeper inside me.
“I chose you because I owe your father.”
I raise my head in shock at this.
He knew my dad.
How?
“All you need to know is that I owed your father in the past and my Beta was nagging me to get a guard for my private quarters.”
This was the only explanation I was given.
“I don't really need a guard.” He says then exhales. “So as long as you report to your station on time after your training, then you'll have no issue working for me.”
My chest heaved.
I wanted to argue and say he was mistaken, but every instinct in me whispered to obey and submit.
Perks of being a submissive Omega.
“You’ll report to me after sundown,” Ragnar said, his voice calm, commanding. “You’ll learn the rules. You’ll know your responsibilities. And you’ll stay out of trouble.”
I nodded, trying not to stare too openly at him. My heartbeat was loud in my ears, I worried my heart wouldn't just explode in happiness.
If he notices my tension and heartbeat, he doesn't comment on it.
“Understood, Alpha,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt.
He gives a small nod then dismisses me.
And then, as quickly as he had approached, he moved away retreating to his desk leaving me standing there in confusion.
Alisander speaks up again. “You see?” he said softly. “You belong here. Not because you’re strong in the way others think you should be… but because you have what matters most.”
I swallowed hard, my voice barely above a whisper. “Yeah nepotism”
“Oh shut up Sebastian,” Alisander retorts sharply.
I wasn't wrong though.
I closed my eyes briefly, letting the words sink in. But even as I tried to calm myself, my thoughts drifted back to Ragnar.
To the way he had looked at me, to the way the air had seemed to shift when he was near.
My body tingled, my mind spun, and I realized something terrifying and exhilarating at the same time: I want to prove myself to him.
I want him to see me not just as a weak Omega he has to tolerate but as someone he can't just ignore.