Chapter Eleven
Liam had been assured by Ollie that his not being able to read wouldn’t affect his ability to become a matchmaker. But, after a week of mornings spent in the building that housed the matchmaking offices, Liam quickly discovered that was only half-true. He could match make well enough from watching videos and listening to people talk about themselves. But he couldn’t read profiles, which seemed to be a lot of the day-to-day work.
“Don’t sweat it,” Ollie said to him when Liam confessed his fears on the fourth day. “Most of the real magic happens through the videos or at the live events. Our accuracy through written profiles is much lower. We need to see two people, preferably together, to really get a read on if they’re a go or not. Anyway, Eve is really happy with what you’ve done. Your answers matched mine almost nine times out of ten. You were even right on one I got wrong.”
“Probably a lucky guess,” Liam muttered. There was no way he was better at this than Ollie.
“Natural talent and underused potential,” Ollie corrected. “You’ve got buckets of it. Literally. What did they have you doing in your old pack?”
Liam avoided Ollie’s eyes. The omega had asked the question in a roundabout way before, more than once, but he’d dodged it each time. He couldn’t dodge it now.
“Cleaning, mostly. Serving food, doing odd jobs.” Nothing like what he did here. Before Ollie, before the den, the only computer he’d seen was locked in Nevan’s office. He’d touched it one time, when he was younger and too curious for his own good, but Nevan had caught him and dragged him out of the office by his ear. Even thinking about it made his ear throb.
“See? Exactly. Wasted potential. You were probably bored out of your mind.”
He’d learned to think of nothing, to repeat things over and over in his head until they lost all meaning. Nevan didn’t like him to think. Omega were supposed to serve.
“Our next big event is in a week’s time. Probably too soon for you to join us. But if Jensen says you’re well enough for the next one, you can take part. It’d be great to have you on board. We’ve been a little short-handed what with Dara gone and Cade with his litter to think of. Plus, it’s only a day trip so that’ll make it easier.”
“Will there be a lot of people there?”
Liam still didn’t quite understand how the whole thing worked.
“A few hundred. We can’t really manage larger groups than that. Tickets sold out months ago, so it’ll be a full house. I’ll show you some videos of our last event later on. For now, we’d better get back to work.”
Ollie helped him put on his headphones and get the videos playing, then he took the cubicle next to Liam and got to work.
Liam liked working side by side with Ollie and in a room with other people. None of them ever looked at him like he didn’t belong. They didn’t look down their noses at him, or make faces, or growl. No one stuck their foot out to trip him or kick him just because they could. They treated him kindly. Nicer than he’d ever been treated in his whole life.
He hadn’t believed there were people like that. He wanted to believe it now but couldn’t help the tiny voice in his head that said that it was just because they didn’t know what he was. Once they realized he was a slave and not a free omega like Ollie, everything would change. They’d look at him like everyone always did. Like he was dirt, something to be stamped into the ground.
A knock on the door a few hours later had him jerking his eyes from the screen. Jensen.
“Afternoon, Liam. Ollie, do you mind if I steal him away for some lunch?”
“Of course,” the other omega said with a grin. “We were just finishing up. Catch you later, Liam.”
Carefully shutting down his computer and putting away his headphones, he got up and followed Jensen outside.
“How was your morning?” the alpha asked.
“Twenty-four videos, six matches.” A record for him.
Jensen gave a low whistle. “Good odds there. Well done. Sounds like you’re getting the hang of it.”
“It was strange, at first, but it’s easier now.”
“From what Ollie and Eve say, you’re a natural.”
Liam shrugged, feeling his face heat. He hoped he didn’t look as red as he felt. “Ollie’s a great teacher. Eve was kind to give me a chance.”
Jensen’s smile dipped a little. “You’re not good at taking a compliment, are you?”
Liam felt stricken, panic clawing at his throat. “I’m sorry, alpha. I’ll do better.”
“What? No, that’s not what I meant.”
Jensen slowed to a stop, turning to him. His hands found Liam’s shoulders, pressing down lightly.
“Look, I get the impression that wherever you were before, they weren’t so nice to you. Maybe people didn’t say nice things to you or tell you when you were doing a good job.”
Liam thought of all the times he was shouted at, cursed at, criticized. He’d been called every name under the sky, words he didn’t even know the meaning of except to know that they were bad. That he was bad. He tried to explain the reason to Jensen.
“I was always too slow or too stupid or bad at what I was doing. Eve and Ollie are really kind and patient, but I don’t learn well. I don’t want them to be upset when I fail.”
He felt moisture gathering in his eyes, admitting tearfully. “I’m trying really hard.”
He didn’t want to be kicked out because he wasn’t doing a good enough job. That thought alone was enough to keep him up at night.
The alpha gathered him into his arms, holding Liam close as the first of the tears escaped. He tried to hold them back. Jensen wouldn’t want to see him cry.
“Shh, Liam. It’s all going to be okay. This isn’t a test and you can’t fail it. You’re learning a new skill. If it’s not the job for you, there are a dozen others. If they’re not the jobs for you, there’s a dozen more. So, no more tears, okay? No more sleepless nights like the past few days.”
Jensen pulled away slowly, reaching to brush a lock of hair from Liam’s forehead. “How about some lunch? I’ve made us a picnic.”
“I… what’s a picnic?”
The alpha held out a hand to him and Liam took it eagerly. Nevan had always been stingy with nice touches. Slaps and pinches were easy to come by, but the gentle touches were few and far between. Jensen was the complete opposite. His every touch was gentle and never done to cause pain.
“It’s food in a basket that you take to eat somewhere outside. We’re going to a beautiful spot down by the river. You’ll love it.”
“Why are you so nice to me?” Liam wondered. There wasn’t anything in it for the alpha, so he struggled to understand why Jensen was there for him, day after day.
Jensen turned back to him, his brow furrowed, and Liam tensed, wondering if he’d made a mistake asking. Then the alpha smiled, his whole body relaxing, his eyes softening.
“Because I like you, Liam. I like you a lot.” He leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to Liam’s cheek. The omega froze again, surprised into stillness until a gentle tug on his hand had him moving forward.
Jensen kissed him. Jensen liked him. A lot. No one had ever liked him before. Even Nevan hadn’t liked him much, always grumbling to himself and wondering why he kept Liam around.
“I like you a lot, too,” he mumbled back quietly. He’d thought his words had been too soft to be heard but Jensen twisted around and gave him another brilliant smile, one that sent his heart racing but not from fear, from something else. A much nicer feeling, a feeling he never wanted to let go of.