“I can imagine. Even for me, the difference in how I’m being treated is in stark contrast with my experiences so far. Palani is the prime example. A beta being second-in-command? It’s insane, and yet everyone accepts it.”
“I know, right? That’s why I was so shocked when your father offered to fund my research.”
Lucan put a gentle hand on Sando’s arm. “You’re worth it.”
Sando smiled. Lucan was so sweet. “He did find a spot for me in a lab. It’s not the one I preferred, but they’ll take me for three days a week…for a hefty fee.”
“It’s great that you found a place to work, though. When are you starting?”
“Two weeks from now. I’m a little nervous about venturing into the city on my own, but Palani arranged for one of Bray’s men to drive me and pick me up.”
“Oh, that’s good. I don’t like the idea of you driving by yourself either.”
Sando chuckled. “I don’t even have a driver’s license. I never needed one, and my father didn’t think it a priority either.”
“I can teach you if you want.”
Sando pushed his glasses back up. “Really?”
Lucan shrugged. “Sure, why not? I’m pretty patient, and I’ve been told I’m good at explaining things, so I can teach you how to drive.”
Sando had never even considered it until now, but now that Lucan was offering it, knowing how to drive suddenly appealed greatly to him. Driving meant independence, not having to rely on others. He liked that idea. “Thank you. I’d love that.”
“If he dents my truck…” Bray said as he swung his keys in front of Lucan, shooting him a menacing glance.
If Lucan rolled his eyes at him, he’d could kiss borrowing Bray’s truck good-bye, so he held back. “I know. I promise we’ll be careful.”
Bray scoffed, but he handed over the keys. “Careful? Sando? You’re talking about the guy who literally tripped over his own feet and face-planted in the kitchen, right?”
Lucan sighed. “Don’t be mean.”
“I’m not being mean. I’m stating facts. I swear if he would go outside in a thunderstorm, he’d get hit by lightning.”
Lucan had to admit that accidents had a way of finding the omega. “He doesn’t do it on purpose.”
“Oh, I’m not saying he does. But he seems to attract accidents like honey draws in bees.”
“We’ll be careful,” Lucan repeated. What else could he say? He’d learned a long time ago arguing got him nowhere with his brother.
“You’d better.”
This time, Lucan did roll his eyes. “You know, you really don’t sound threatening when you say that, right?”
Bray’s face darkened. “What do you mean?”
Lucan shrugged. “Just that I know you. I could total your truck, and you still wouldn’t lay a hand on me. You’d yell for an hour or so, but you’ve never carried out a single threat you made to me in your life. You wouldn’t hurt me, Bray. Contrary to what you make people believe, you’re not violent.”
Bray’s mask of arrogance dropped for a moment as he looked at Lucan with genuine puzzlement and surprise. “Is that how you see me?”
Lucan smiled at him. “You may present yourself as a pit bull or a German Shepherd, but on the inside, you’re a Saint Bernard. You just wanna snuggle.”
He hurried into the main house before Bray’s confusion would change into fury. Calling his badass alpha brother a cuddly dog would probably not go over well. He found Sando in his room, looking at a stack of papers in front of him with a little frown.
“You ready for your first driving lesson?”
Sando’s head shot up. “What?”
Lucan dangled the keys. “Your driving lesson. I managed to borrow Bray’s truck.”
“Oh god, I hope I don’t wreck it.”
Lucan suppressed a smile. “Yeah, let’s not. No wrecking. Or denting.”
Sando got up from his chair. “I’m not sure I’ll be any good at this.”
“Of course you won’t be. It’s your first lesson. We’ll take it slow.”
Lucan loved the smile that bloomed on Sando’s face. “Okay.”
Lucan drove the truck to an unpaved road at the end of Lidon’s property. No one ever came there, as it was private property, so that made it perfect. “Let’s start by showing you how to adjust your seat and your mirrors.”
He showed Sando how to put his seat forward, as the omega’s legs were a good deal shorter than Lucan’s. Lucan was on the tall end for a beta. He even raised the seat a little in height, an option most cars didn’t have, but Bray’s truck did. His brother had sprung for the most luxurious version. “Can you see past the car in both mirrors?” he asked Sando, who was adjusting his right mirror, his tongue peeping from between his lips. “You should be able to see a little of the side of the car and most of the lane that would be to your right and left.”
“I think so.”
“Sit straight and check again.”
Sando shifted and accidentally hit the gas pedal, revving the engine. “Oh shit, oh shit, I’m sorry!”
Lucan pointed at the gears. “You’re in Neutral. Nothing can happen unless you switch to Drive.”
“Right, right. Scared myself there for a moment.”
“No worries. So, your mirrors good?”
Sando nodded.
“Okay. You already found the gas, so that’s good. To the left of the gas is the brake. I want you to take off your left shoe.”
“Why?”
“Most people are tempted to brake with their left foot when they learn how to drive, and that’s a bad habit that can lead to accidents. To force yourself to use your right foot, it helps to take your shoe off.”
Sando’s face lit up. “That’s smart. I like that.” He immediately kicked off his shoe. “Okay. Now what do I do?”
For the next few minutes, Lucan made him practice switching from gas to brake and back until he was confident Sando would know how to brake when he had to. “Now, we drive. Or rather, you drive.”
Sando’s cheeks paled. “You want me to drive?”
“The whole concept of driving lessons kind of implies there’s driving involved, and since I already know how to drive, and you’re the one sitting behind the wheel, it would make sense for you to do it.”
“But…but I thought you’d give me more training. You haven’t taught me how to drive, how to steer.”
Lucan took pity on him. “The steering part is surprisingly easy as long as we go straight or make simple turns. It only gets complicated when we back up or learn how to parallel park—which we won’t because I suck at it. Badly.”
“So…so you’re okay with me steering? How will I know how far to press the gas pedal?”
“This is a heavy truck. It’s not gonna be that responsive, which is good news. Just press in the pedal slowly, and you’ll feel when the truck starts moving.”
“I can do that. I think.”
“Of course you can. Everyone can learn how to drive, so why would you be the exception?”