by Aria Grace
Table of Contents
Copyright
1. Max
2. Curtis
3. Max
4. Curtis
5. Max
6. Curtis
7. Max
8. Curtis
9. Max
10. Curtis
11. Max
12. Curtis
13. Max
14. Max – One Year Later
Also by Aria Grace
Special Thanks…
About the Author
Unknown Entity
Omega House 1
Aria Grace
This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this novel are fictitious or used fictitiously. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher or author, except in the case of a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.
Unknown Entity
Copyright 2017 Aria Grace
1
Max
“What’s your name again?” A kid at least eight or ten years younger than me is leading me into a large game room.
“Uh, Max,” I say quietly, hoping he doesn't want to get into some long conversation. I’m really not the chatty type.
“Nice to meet you, Max.” The kid stops walking and sticks his hand out, waiting for me to take it. “I'm Trevor.”
I grimace on the inside but hope he can’t see any outward signs of revulsion. I try not to touch people if I can avoid it. There are just too many risks involved with physical contact. A simple handshake can lead to a rape or beating if the wind shifts just right. But since this kid seems insistent on being friendly, I quickly offer a weak shake, almost embarrassed by my wet noodle grip.
As much as I don't like to substantiate common omega stereotypes, I am what I am. Weak, worthless, omega. Growing up on the streets taught me early that my life has no value beyond what a beta or an alpha assigns it.
And in all my nineteen years, no one has assigned me any value beyond dirt under their shoe. The only person who ever did anything remotely kind for me was Tad. He took care of me when no one else cared to. And he protected me in a way I can never repay him for.
I still wonder if he was grooming me to join the ranks of breeders at some point. I guess I’ll never know what his true intentions were. Maybe he’s just a nice guy who felt guilty for all the horrible things he did to the other omegas in that dump. Or maybe he saw some kind of potential in me that no one else ever has. Either way, I’ll never see him again. He was arrested with the rest of the employees at the stable while I got in line with the omegas being transported out.
I had no idea where were they were taking everyone, but they didn’t ask questions either as they handed out blankets and sandwiches before loading everyone into busses. Maybe it was dumb luck that got me here, and maybe my brain will kick back on any minute now and I’ll realize how stupid I was to allow myself this rescue, but it doesn’t seem too bad.
Being alone from such an early age was tough. I barely survived by myself. I was hungry and sick for most of my childhood. If I had been willing to sell my ass, things might have been a little bit better for me.
But I wasn’t.
Not back then and definitely not now.
Now I know I can survive. I don’t need food or water to prove my strength. Been there, done that. Now I just need to trust my instincts when they tell me what to do. They don’t always make sense, but they always keep me safe in the end. It was my instincts that told me to get on that bus yesterday. And it’ll be my instincts that convince me to stay or go.
So far, things here are pretty good. The few alphas I’ve met are sensitive to what we’ve been through and careful to keep their distance. No one has been overbearing or dominating.
Which is why I’m still here.
I can go days without eating, but I refuse to kneel for some asshole who thinks he can own me because he was born with different genes. Just luck of the fucking draw that I was born to a junkie omega who didn’t know how to keep his hole closed.
I guess the lure of his next high was more important than taking care of his kid, so I took care of him until he died when I was seven years old. After that, I only had to take care of myself. And that meant avoiding alphas at all costs. Kids, like this one, I can handle.
“Nice to meet you, Trevor.” I take a look around the room. It’s a nice setup they have here. “You live here too?”
“Yeah, I live here for now.” He gestures to a large sofa before hopping onto it.
I shake my head, preferring to stand until I have a better handle on whether or not I'm gonna stick around this place. “What does that mean?”
My eyes dart from one face to the next, assessing each person in the room to make sure none are a threat. Most are emaciated and weak omegas, and all are just as bad or worse off than I am.
“Can you keep a secret?” Trevor asks, leaning forward so he can whisper closer to my ear.
He finally gets my attention, and I tilt my head toward him and shrug. “I guess so.”
“I'm going to get adopted soon.”
“You are? By who?”
He twists an imaginary key in front of his lips and tosses it over his shoulder. “I can't say who, but he's an alpha and he works here and he wants to be my dad.”
I stare down at the kid and hope like hell whoever's feeding him these stories isn't just fucking with his head. All kids deserve to have someone out there who wants to be their dad and who will take care of them in a way no dad I've ever met would. “I hope so, kid.”
He picks up a game controller and holds it out to me. “Do you want to play?”
I look from it to the TV screen and shake my head. “Naw, I'm not any good at that kind of stuff. Never played much when I was your age.”
Trevor cocks his head as if he doesn't understand the relevance of age. “You can play when you’re old too. I'll teach you.”
I'm just about to give in when my whole body goes on high alert. Something is wrong. I don’t understand the sensations warring within my body, but I instantly know they’re related to a big guy with four small kids who stumbles into the room. Two toddlers are in his arms and two are running wild at his feet.
A strange pull to the door makes me wonder if I should run for it. My body is trying to tell me something that my mind doesn’t understand. The man’s scent is muddled by the odors coming off the kids, but there's something there. Something underneath the other scents that has my body tensed. He doesn't look threatening, but even without a second glance, I can tell this man is an alpha. My body knew it before he even fully entered the room. He doesn’t smell like any alpha I’ve ever met, but he’s also swimming in diaper and sour milk odors.
If my body knows something I don't, I should pay attention. My instincts are generally good, so now is not the time for me to ignore them. But even as I try to step back, my feet just won't move in the direction I want them to.
Trevor is talking and tugging me closer to this man, and I don't know what to do.
“Come on, guys. It's nap time.” This dude is clearly out of his element. One kid is sliding down his hip and manages to wiggle free of his grip. As soon as the escape artist’s feet hit the ground, he takes off like a bullet. The guy looks stunned that he lost one. “Adrian, get over here! I'm not going to say it again.”
The kid still in his arm starts wailing and flings his body backward like he's trying to do a backflip out of the guy’s grasp. He almost succeeds before the guy adjusts his grip and wraps both arms around the acrobat he's trying to wrangle.
His strength and vulnerability are at odds
with each other as I stare in confusion. What is with this guy? Why can’t I look away?
Despite the lack of olfactory confirmation I’m used to, his broad shoulders and six foot something frame make it more than obvious he was plucked from the perfection gene pool.
He’s unlike any alpha I’ve seen before
And I’m not sure if I should be terrified or excited by that.
2
Curtis
How the fuck did I get babysitting duty?
Angela usually handles the little kids who don’t have parents, but she’s home with the flu. And instead of Naheed or Robert stepping up, I somehow managed to get the short straw.
“Becky, stay away from that!” I take one long step cross the room and grab the back of Becky’s shirt just before she shoves the metal corner of a picture frame into a light socket.
Jesus Christ, that was close.
“That’s Curtis.” Trevor is talking about me as if I can’t hear him. “He only comes two days a week and doesn’t know how to take care of munchkins.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Trev.” I quickly glance over my shoulder and flash a weary smile to the kid who Naheed and Jace are about to adopt. I haven’t heard any concrete details yet, but I know it’s in the works.
“You’re welcome.” He appears in front of me, dragging one of the new omegas with him. “This is Max. He’s new too.”
My eyes are glued to the young man as he nods once in acknowledgement without looking me in the eye. The hair on the back of my neck stands on end and my protective instincts blow up. Is this omega a threat? To me? To Trevor? Even though I know it’s rude to scent someone without their permission, I can’t stop myself from taking a deep whiff, trying to understand the strange emotions he’s bringing forth.
There’s something unusual about his scent, but nothing outwardly dangerous. Most omegas are docile and harmless so I’m not surprised. But there is something I can’t quite place. Unfortunately, these kids are filthy so my nose is all kinds of fucked up. Besides, this Max guy looks like he’s searching for a way to escape without notice.
Of course, that’s not completely out of character for a newly-rescued omega. It usually takes weeks or even months before they’re able to believe that they’re safe. But it’s annoying as hell when I’m trying to figure out what his deal is.
I take a step closer and give him a curious once-over. “Hi, Max. I’m Curtis.”
“Hey.” He tugs out of Trevor’s grasp and pats him on the arm. “Thanks for the tour. I’ll catch you later.”
Max takes a quick look around the room, and his eyes grow wide when they focus over my shoulder. I don’t know what he’s worried about, but the fact that he is puts me on edge too.
Following his line of sight, I search for the eminent threat. People are scattered throughout the room, several of which are sleeping on pillow beds and in random corners.
Robert explained that the newcomers often don't like to be alone in the bedrooms, so they feel safer in groups, even if that means they're underfoot all the time.
And then I see one of the most terrifying sequence of events unfolding since I started volunteering at Omega House a few months ago. My heart leaps into my throat as my body prepares to intervene.
Time moves in slow motion as I watch Adrian reach for the handle of a large water glass on the side of a table. The glass is only half full, but it looks heavy. As it gets closer and closer to the edge, I notice that directly underneath the glass is a little girl napping on the floor beside her father.
If that glass falls on her head, it might be heavy enough to do some serious damage. And it’s definitely heavy enough to scare the hell out of her.
“Adrien, stop!” I don't think I've ever moved as fast as when I practically toss Billy into Max’s arms and dive across the room to intercept the falling glass.
My palm closes on the cool glass just as it slips off the edge of the table, stopping it inches above the child’s face. Water splashes over the rim, but the solid weight is securely in my grip.
The drops on her face and the commotion wake up the disoriented child, but she's not physically hurt. Thankfully. She might not ever trust me, but that’s a small price to pay to avoid head trauma.
“I'm so sorry, sweetheart.” I use the sleeve of my shirt to dab the water off her forehead. “There was a little accident, but you're okay. It was only a few drops of water.”
With a quivering lip, she holds my gaze, not looking away even as her father pulls her against his chest to console her while I get a good grip on Adrian.
“It’s naptime.” The little omega’s eyes are wide and he knows I’m done being nice. “Now.”
The boy’s body goes stiff in my arms, instinctively reacting to my command. I don't like to rely on my alpha status more than necessary, especially with the kids, but some of these little monsters need a short leash. They aren’t bad, but not having any discipline or structure has left many of them feeling lost and ungrounded. The sooner we teach them basic manners and routines, the easier it’ll be to place them in a forever home.
I turn back to Max with a grateful smile and reach for the squirming toddler he’s holding out like a dead fish. “Thanks for your help.”
“Yeah.” He’s careful to avoid touching my hand as he places Billy over my forearm. “I gotta go.”
Once he’s gone, a strange feeling settles over me. I assume it’s because of the adrenaline spike I just experienced and not the young omega trying desperately to avoid looking me in the eye.
I can’t describe what is so different about him, but something is. What I do know for sure is these kids need a nap, and I need to take a breath. My nerves are shot and my alpha hormones are being triggered in ways they never have before.
Apparently hanging around all these kids has my nesting and providing traits coming to the surface. Do men have biological clocks? If so, I think someone just wound up mine.
3
Max
Even as I pack up my small bag, I feel odd. Normally, when my instincts tell me to run, I just run. But I'm not sure what they're trying to tell me right now.
I feel like I should run. But something about that doesn't feel right either. I want to leave but I want to stay. And why am I so itchy? It’s like my skin is too tight and I need to stretch it out.
I won't stay here if that alpha is a threat. But is he? Trevor wasn’t uncomfortable around the big man. And no one else seems to be afraid of him. Even though, the other omega's have been trained to ignore their fears and just do whatever they're told, there would have been some signs of fear if they were truly as uncomfortable around Curtis as I was.
That brainwashing has kept them barefoot and pregnant, while my avoidance skills have kept me alive. And I intend to continue that streak. I'm just not sure how to do that.
I'm sitting on the bed with my bag in my lap when a soft knock startles me. I take a whiff and confirm it’s not the scary alpha I met a little while ago. “Come in.”
A very pregnant man who looks to be about my age steps inside the room. “I'm sorry to bother you, but is it okay if I come in and lay down?” He nods to one of the bunks in the corner.
“Of course.” I sit farther back on my bed so he can pass without his large bump brushing against me. “I’m just sitting around.”
The room is set up with bunk beds lining the walls on both sides. I don't think they're normally this crowded, but there are at least thirty omegas living here now, so they've had to squeeze us in wherever they can.
“I saw what you did out there. That was brave.”
I give the guy an incredulous look, assuming he saw wrong. “I didn't do anything. I just walked in there, stood around for a minute, and then bailed.”
“You did a lot more than that. It was clear you were terrified of that alpha and wanted to run, but you didn't.” The man softly chuckles then lets out a whooshing sound as he plops onto the bed two bunks down from me. “You ignored your fear
and helped him out when he needed it. That was brave.”
It totally wasn't, but I'm not going to argue about it. “Didn't have much choice.”
He just shrugs. “I’ve seen you around now and then, but we've never met, right?”
I glance at his face and take a closer look. He's familiar, but I didn't really meet anyone other than Tad. “No I don't think we have. I pretty much keep to myself.”
He rubs one hand over his belly as he nods. “Yeah, that's smart. Keeps you from ending up like this.”
I stare at the large belly and wonder what it must feel like to have another person growing inside you. “When are you due?” I never spent any time around the pregnant dads or babies, but I always feel sad when I see them born in breeding farms. For the most part, only the alphas survive.
“About a month, but I'm usually early.”
“You've had other babies?” He looks so young. I know they start breeding as soon as possible, sometimes as young as fifteen or sixteen, but it still makes me sick to think about.
“Twice.” A silence hangs over us after his declaration. There are only two reasons why his other children aren’t here with him. And I’m sure he doesn’t want to chat with a stranger about either of them.
After a few minutes pass, he finally breaks the silence between us. “You can ask,” he says with a shrug. “It's okay.”
“It's none of my business.” And it’s not. I never talk to strangers. Why the hell am I engaging in such a personal conversation with someone I met five minutes ago? Maybe I do need to get the hell out of here before I lose my chance.
He nods, and I wonder if he's hoping I will ask. Maybe he wants to talk about it. I twist the strap of my bag for a long moment while my own nerves settle down from my recent scare. Then, I finally give way to curiosity, which is not something I do very often.
