by Alice Shaw
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Blurb
He was my best friend in the world. Now he is forbidden…
Cole Harton grew up in the strictest town in the country. When Cole falls in love with his omega best friend Piper, the alpha is shunned by the community and forced to leave everything behind. Of course, that meant breaking up with his best friend and love of his life, Piper Grace.
Years later, Cole receives an unexpected call. Without warning, his abusive father passed away. Tragedy seems to follow him everywhere he goes, but Cole is destined for a change. Despite it all, he is excited, worried, and nervous about one thing: seeing Piper again.
Piper is a cute and fun spirited omega with a heart of gold. He has endured a lifetime of hurt, but he has always tried to stay positive. Forced into a relationship with an abusive beta at a young age, he remains silent. That is, until Cole returns…
He never forgot about Cole, the alpha that made his heart swell with adoration. Suddenly, his life turns upside down. The alpha he has loved his whole life is back, and he doesn’t know what to do.
They came from nothing, but now they’re so close to getting it all back. Can they withstand the hatred of their community and rebuild their love?
The Forbidden Omega is a full-length friends-to-lovers, second chance romance novel. It is 45k words. This book contains hot and sexy scenes, emotional moments full of desire, and a beautiful baby to fill your hearts with love. This book is meant for 18+ readers.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Piper
“Don’t let go,” I whispered, eyes closed tightly.
My back was pressed against the door to our classroom. My heart was racing, but I wasn’t frightened. I was in love with my best friend. That was all I wanted to cling on to.
Desperate, naïve, and confused—maybe I was all three combined. It was simple-minded of me to think that our love could last throughout time and space. That was an idea we had hung on to so tightly. But Cole was forbidden, and I knew that. His body language spoke volumes.
As our chests collapsed into one another, our eyes opened. The sun was shining through the window, but the room seemed pitch-black at that moment. The truth was that both of our hearts were far away, deep in the fact that our families would never accept us as lovers.
I had never seen Cole’s eyes like this before. His dark brows creased downward, and the look of complete sorrow seemed to overtake him. “Piper, what are we going to do?” Cole asked me, fingers dragging down my biceps.
Cole finally let go and took a step back. I dropped my head and felt the pang of grief push me toward the ground. The tears came soon after, and then the rushing, burning intensity brought my arms back around him.
“Please don’t leave me,” I begged.
“I have to… I have to go,” Cole whispered, lips against the tender spots of my ear.
Cole placed his palm against my chest. He could feel my heartbeat and the alarm that only furthered our demise. “Don’t. Please stay,” I whispered.
“If they find out, they’ll ruin us,” Cole said. “The betas hate us now, Piper. You know the rules.”
He was wrong, so fucking wrong. They wouldn’t do half of the things he thought they would. There were no set laws, only guidelines. But sometimes, it felt like we were growing up in a prison. It was a risk to be openly in love, alpha or omega, despite all of the progress we had made over the years. It was better to pretend to be a beta or to elope in a non-passionate or sexual manner.
“Screw our families. We’re almost eighteen. We can move. There are other cities,” I said. “We’ll go to the north or further east. Anywhere, but here.”
Cole sighed. The passion that rested within his heart had reached its limit. It was time to part ways. I knew the separation would come sooner, rather than later. “Fuck you,” I whispered, as tears flooded down my cheeks. “I hate you.”
That time, I really did fall to the floor. I curled up into a ball and wept silently. I wasn’t trying to make a scene, but I partly was trying to hurt Cole as much as he hurt me. I regretted those words almost instantly, but there was nothing I could say to make him stay with me.
Nothing could hurt Cole anymore. No words could shake his foundations. I wasn’t his important someone, and it was gut-wrenching. “I’m going,” Cole said after clearing his throat.
“Wait,” I cried.
But Cole never waited. I watched as he left the room, never to return again.
I thought about that moment every single day of my life. Could I have said anything different? Could I have convinced him to stay? Even though it had been ten years, I still held onto the hope that he’d walk back through those doors, that he’d prop me up against his muscular body, and that he’d ask me to run away with him.
I was such an idiot.
Cole never came back. And I had to move on.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Cole
My hand trembled as I held the phone against my ear. “Cole, I’m sorry,” the voice said. “But you need to come home. Your father is dead.”
I fell against the kitchen counter. Something fierce in me snapped as I heard those words echo in my ears. Your father is dead. I ran my arm across the table, swiping everything onto the marble floor. The glasses shattered, the milk spilled, and my heart sank.
I wanted to scream. Instead, I stayed silent. I punished myself for my father’s death because I left ten years ago. He had no one but me, and I couldn’t even be a good son for him on his last days.
“Why didn’t you tell me? No one told me he was sick,” I said.
“You selfishly left. Can you blame us?” the voice asked. “You aren’t a part of our community anymore. Do not make me regret calling you, Cole.”
Zealots. The harsh voice belonged to a man named Jacob. He was my dad’s right-hand man, and head of their tight-knit, bullshit community of bigoted assholes. As painful as his words were, this was Jacob at his nicest. He actually said sorry…
“I’m not a fucking beta. And I’m not whatever you want me to be. I’m an alpha,” I said.
“You have you made your decision, Cole. I don’t agree with you, but family must come first. I bought your ticket. You’ll fly out tomorrow,” Jacob said.
I threw the phone onto the floor, and the screen instantly shattered into a thousand pieces. Then, I walked outside and fell across the unkempt grass. Why did life have to be so hard? I used to love all of those people so much. I used to love so many things…
I sighed and tried to calm down, but the tears still hit the soil. “Dad. I’m sorry,” I whispered to the sky. The wind rustled against the leaves around me. Then, silence.
The silence was deafening. It seemed to reverberate all around me in short, yet elongated waves. I closed my eyes and felt it. I let it run through me until I couldn’t take it anymore. I opened my eyes and took a deep breath.
When I finally was able to concentrate, I packed my bags. This was going to be the hardest journey of my life, but I needed to do it. I should have come back years ago, but if I had, I would have had to endure punishment after punishment.
The worst punishment of all was having to see Piper again. Rumor had it he had a new, long-term boyfriend. People told me he was as happy as could be, that they were trying to have a baby… the beta way.
The beta way of having children was confusing, to say the least. It meant no touching, no kissing, no anything. It was all methodical and scientific. They had officially found a way to take out all of the love and passion that was needed in any relationship, in exchange for a society that didn’t have to deal with the implications of sex.
The whole thing was fucking absurd. The entire community had convinced th
emselves that they were betas, but of course, most weren’t. To them, love was a sin. Closeness was even worse. The community decided who you married, and that was supposed to be a joyous experience.
Fuck that. Fuck them all. And Piper? Well, I knew he was better than those jerks. He just never knew how to leave. Once we fell in love, our whole world changed. It became too dangerous.
I didn’t know how I would react when I saw him. In truth, I was terrified to revisit my hometown. But everything that happens happens for a reason. Right?
I lifted my head and looked into the bright, blue sky. “I’m coming home, dad,” I whispered. “I’m finally coming home.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Piper
“This is the second time I’ve told you to set the table,” Jacob said. His eyes glared at the light. “You never do anything that I ask,” he whispered, loud enough for me to hear the disdain in his voice.
I didn’t know what to say. The way that my boyfriend talked to me was getting worse every single day. “Don’t look at me like I’m an asshole,” Jacob said. “This is about tradition, about our family.”
“This is about you eating on time,” I said, angrily.
I dropped the utensils on the table and walked into the living room. I poured myself a small drink and closed my eyes. All you have to do is get through the day, Piper. Then, you can sleep in peace.
I told myself that every single day. Lately, it was becoming somewhat of a joke. I would have laughed if my entire life weren’t crumbling to pieces.
I first found out that I was an omega when I was thirteen years old. Of course, that was the exact year my parents sent me to their strict charter school program, the newest wave that was sweeping small towns across the nation.
I was taught to suppress my “sexual appetite.” I remembered exactly what my teachers told me. “This is about discipline, about respecting your bodies. You’re simply experiencing urges. These urges can be eradicated with discipline. You must be strong, children.”
Most of the students gave into these rules, but I could never wrap my head around them. We were living in modern time, but it felt like we were stuck in the past in so many ways.
Jacob stared at me with a confused glare. He wasn’t angry, but the disappointment my boyfriend showed overwhelmed me with guilt. “Someone important has died, and we need to respect that. Set the table, Piper. You will feel much better once the guests arrive,” Jacob said.
“I’ll feel a sense of pride?” I asked in a sarcastic tone.
“Exactly. I’m so glad that you understand, dear,” Jacob said. His smile was so synthetic that it sent chills down my spine.
Jacob walked into our bedroom to get ready for the big pre-funeral dinner. Cole’s father passed away, and although it brought tears to my eyes, I kept wondering if Cole himself would be coming back.
It seemed impossible. Cole left a lifetime ago, and he promised to never step foot in this town again. From what I knew, he had disappeared completely. At least, that’s what Jacob told me.
Maybe he had a family somewhere. That was entirely plausible. He was incredibly charming and handsome. Why wouldn’t he have married someone more in tune with his worldview? Someone stronger and smarter…
I patiently dried each dish carefully, feeling my hands start to shake with anger. Still, I had to calm my nerves for the guests. I set the table in the way that my boyfriend asked me to. Once I finished, I quietly walked to the bathroom, locked the door, and wept silently.
That bathroom was my safe space, the only place I could feel at peace. Sometimes, I could walk to the local park to reflect, but that usually meant seeing one of my old classmates. I couldn’t handle that right now, not after Cole’s father’s death. They would ask too many pointed questions, and I feared that I would betray myself with visible emotion.
With the fan on, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I counted to one hundred, trying to get all of the memories out of my head, but it was no use.
I could still smell Cole’s cologne. I could feel the way he touched me, so tender and kind. Cole was the most attentive man I had ever been with. When he kissed my lips, it was like kissing an angel. And when he pulled away, I was so fraught with desire that it tainted my whole day.
Maybe the teachers were right. Perhaps they just wanted the best for us. Perhaps we were sinful, but I couldn’t see how. Love was everything to me, and I felt as if no one else could understand. Was I just a freak? Did no one else here feel how good love felt?
Within the hour, the neighborhood flooded into our home. Dressed in black, the familiar faces tightened their lips and bowed their heads. “He was such an honorable person,” one person whispered, unable to hold back their tears.
I whispered the standard phrase of, “He’s in a better place now. We should come together and celebrate his life.”
“Yes, that’s exactly what we should do,” Jacob said, hands tightening around my wrist. My boyfriend was not so subtly letting me know that I needed to keep my mouth shut in front of the guests.
I just smiled and tried my best to act “normal.” I made my way toward the kitchen, took another deep breath, and placed the food on the table.
All I wanted to do was ask about Cole, but I knew my place. I still had no idea if he would be coming, and if he did, how I’d react. When we sat at the dinner table, all eyes were on me.
Cole’s uncle, Joshua looked at me with hatred in his eyes, but manners were everything around here, and even he abided by those standards. “Piper, you’ve made a wonderful dinner tonight,” he said.
Jacob smiled before I did. He was apparently pleased with himself. Joshua added, “And the table looks beautiful. Such elegance and class.” Such bullshit, I thought.
Before the dinner guests placed their forks into their food, my boyfriend stood up and made a toast. “To a wonderful man,” Jacob said. “He taught me so much, and we owe a great deal to him. We loved you, Gregory. Rest in peace.”
“Cheers,” everyone said in unison.
And that’s when I heard the jolting knocks on the front door. Everyone’s heads turned toward the entrance of our home, waiting for the inevitable storm that was about to walk through that door. The handle turned, and Cole stepped inside.
Fuck, fuck fuck! I glanced down at my trembling hands. I tried to take a sip of water, but even that felt impossible. My throat was closing in with anxiety as I leaned back in my chair, praying that he wouldn’t say anything too abrasive.
“Nobody’s going to greet me?” Cole asked, staring directly into my eyes from afar.
His uncle Joshua loudly scooted his chair away from the table. He ran his fingers through his beard as if he weighed heavily what he should say.
Finally, Joshua walked toward Cole with open arms. “Welcome home, Cole,” Joshua said. “We’ve missed you, dearly.”
As they embraced, Cole’s eyes peered into mine. His soft pink lips curled against his mouth, still melancholic in nature. If Jacob weren’t staring at me, I would have run and hugged him myself.
“I doubt you missed me,” Cole said. “Don’t worry, uncle. I’m not here to make a scene. I just want to honor my father as best I can.”
The family’s distaste for Cole wasn’t the least bit palatable, and if my parents were still alive, they would have kicked him out of the house immediately. “Please. Sit down with us,” Joshua said.
Cole set his bags to the side of the entrance, and nimbly walked toward the table. He put his hand in the air, a slight wave. “I’m sorry for your loss,” one of the guests whispered before coughing loudly.
“Let’s not dwell on that,” Cole said.
The guests shifted uncomfortably in their chairs, but Cole didn’t seem to notice. It broke my heart to see so much pain in his eyes. His father was strict, but he still loved him. They shared so many memories together, despite the circumstances.
The rest of us started to eat the food I had prepared, but Joshua was intent on keeping the
focus on Cole. “So, how is the city? Has it been treating you as well as you thought?” Joshua asked with a condescending smile.
Cole shrugged and pouted his lips in thought. “It’s nice, yeah. I’ve been working a lot. You know, some computer stuff here and there. That sinful life, right?” Cole asked with a devious smile.
I hated that Cole was doing this already. He was holding a giant piece of meat in the center of a lion’s den. “What is he doing?” I thought.
I dropped my fork. It loudly ricocheted off of my plate and fell to the floor. “Excuse me,” I said, clearing my throat and laughing awkwardly. I ran to the kitchen to wash my utensil before returning.
When I returned, I bowed my head, trying to avert the guests’ attention elsewhere. My boyfriend whispered in my ear, “What is going on with you? I thought we discussed this?”
“I apologize, Jacob,” I whispered, angrily. “Are you really going to punish me for dropping a fork at dinner? And under these circumstances too? A man we were close to has died. Have some respect.”
Cole smirked before placing his palms on the table. “In all honesty, it feels good to be back home,” Cole said. “I, uh, wasn’t sure I’d ever be invited back.”
Cole was wearing a tight pair of jeans. They were ripped around the kneecaps. His shirt was unbuttoned, exposing the top of his chest. My eyes gazed at his biceps. This wasn’t going to be good, and I suddenly wished he hadn’t come.
“You didn’t think we’d invite you back to your father’s funeral?” Jacob asked. “Do you think we are monsters?”
“God,” I whispered. A surge of rebellious energy ran through my body. “Please! Stop. All of you. Let’s just enjoy this.”
Cole’s unruly smile faded from his lips. “Piper’s right. I know you have your rules, and I should respect that.” This time, his words were honest and sincere. I felt my anxiety slowly fade away.
