by Grace, Aria
Freddie nods to the open hallway, in the direction of the nursery. “Angela said she’ll start watching the baby after two weeks. Supposedly that’s how the minimum amount of bonding time they recommend with newborns.”
“That’s cool.” Two weeks doesn’t seem like very long, but considering he didn’t get any time at all with his previous babies, I’m sure that time will be well-spent.
“Do you know how to read and write?” My jaw drops at the invasive question. It’s not unreasonable for him to ask, but if I was illiterate, it would be embarrassing to admit in such a public space.
“Yeah, Tad brought me workbooks and helped me with the basics.”
Freddie just raises his eyebrow and nods. Every time I mention Tad, Freddie gets quiet. I know he has something to say, but he hasn’t said it yet.
“What?” I’m tired of waiting him out. “What are you thinking?”
He sighs heavily then leans back on the cushion. “I still don’t really understand your relationship with Tad. Like, why did he single you out? Why would he risk his career…and his life…to protect one random omega?”
I’ve asked myself the same question a thousand times. I still don’t have an answer so I remain quiet.
“No offense or anything. You’re a great guy. But there were always a bunch of kids coming in and out. So why you?”
The accusation in his tone may not be intentional, but it instantly puts me on guard. “I don’t fucking know why me. Maybe I reminded him of someone. Maybe I caught him on a good day. Who knows?”
“So, nothing more ever happened?” Freddie lowers his voice and leans closer to me. “Like, did he do stuff with you in exchange for protecting you?”
“No!” I stand up, prepared to storm out of the room and maybe the house. “Nothing ever happened with Tad…or anyone. Ever.”
Just as I turn to leave, I feel the same tension in my body I felt before. That blast of adrenaline through my body that makes me want to run. I just don’t know if I’m supposed to run to him or in the opposite direction. If my spike of pheromones is from fear or excitement.
Curtis is here.
I slowly turn and come face to face with the alpha I’ve been thinking of nonstop for three days. The man who terrifies and intrigues me at the same time. The only person who has ever made my body react in such a visceral manner.
The air is heavy between us as I try to reassess my situation. Without the chaos of people and kids running around, I can feel and smell his intent much more clearly.
Lust.
That’s what his pheromones are projecting. Right. At. Me.
Holy shit, this is worse than I expected. I’ve felt lust from other alphas before but nothing this strong. And my body has never wanted to respond in kind.
Something’s happening to me, and I don’t like it.
All hopes of sticking around for a while are gone as the reality of my situation sinks in. This man is going to take me whether I want him to or not…unless I get the hell out of here.
I don’t know if he can sense my fear or if he just anticipates my next move is to escape, but he takes two steps forward, reaching out to me. “Max, let’s talk for a minute.”
I back away from him, vigorously shaking my head. “I’m not interested.”
“But, Max. This is—”
Nope. Not gonna entertain any arguments about what he thinks I want to hear. I haven’t tightly guarded my virginity for all these years just to let some overgrown alpha come in and steal it from me.
Unfortunately, my traitorous body is already preparing to give in to whatever this or any other alpha wants to do to me.
Fuck, I must be in heat. Talk about having the worst possible timing ever.
I’ve never experienced a full heat before because Tad provided me with daily suppressants to ensure the stud alphas at Ropers would never detect my presence. And they never did.
But it’s been almost a week since I’ve taken one. Apparently that’s long enough for it to clear out of my system and allow my natural biology to take over.
I circle wide around Curtis without taking my eyes off him. Even though it takes more effort than I can ever remember exerting, I run away from him, heading straight for the front door. Maybe I’m being dramatic, but I know what happens when alphas set their sights on an omega. Omega sanctuary or not, he would get what he wanted. And with my body sending out signals that I want it to, there would be no way for me to resist him.
Desperate to get away from him before he can have his way with me, I run down the driveway, praying for a miracle I have zero expectations of finding.
6
Curtis
What the fuck just happened? Did Max just run out of here like the building was on fire? Because of me?
My heart is still racing and my breath is coming out in short pants when I finally regain my wits enough to chase after him. His scent is strong all the way to the end of the driveway, but then it disappears.
Where the hell did he go from here?
A bench just a few feet away confirms what I had hoped wasn’t reality. The bus stop in front of the Omega House is empty…and it’s never empty. When I passed it five minutes ago on my way inside, there were three people sitting on this bench and a small group lingering nearby. No one is around anymore.
Max must have walked out right as the bus was leaving. The sign above the bench lists three different bus lines that stop here, so that gives me someplace to start. At least it’ll be easy to narrow down which direction he was heading if anyone decides to go looking for him.
With my phone and more patience than I’m generally known to have in stressful situations, I pull up the county transit schedule and determine which two buses have scheduled stops around this time. It could have been either one if they were a few minutes early or late.
Following the color-coded map on the website, my heart slows when I realize the two buses have completely opposite routes. One would have turned right about a mile up the road on the main parkway, and the other would have turned left.
“Did he leave?” A quiet voice behind me breaks up my pity party, and I’m forced to compose myself and fulfill the commitment I made to Naheed when I signed on as a volunteer.
“Yeah, I think so.” I turn back toward the house and walk in. “Do you know why?”
The pregnant omega follows me in and shakes his head. He’s eyeing me up and down like I’m under inspection, which is unusual behavior for an omega in any circumstances, but especially for a pregnant one.
“Are you sure?” I try to keep my voice soft so he’s not intimidated, but if a little bit of intimidation gets him to talk, that’s okay with me. “You seem to know Max pretty well.”
“No.” He wraps both arms over his protruding belly and sways from side to side as if trying to soothe the unborn baby inside him. “We just met a few days ago, but he seems like a smart guy. He said his instincts tell him when to run. I guess that’s what he did.”
“Because of me?” Now I’m more confused than ever because I didn’t do anything to harm him. I never would. In fact, my instincts are projecting a completely opposite message to me.
Oh shit.
Could it be?
Realization dawns on me as I finally make the connection between Max and the strange feelings I’ve been having since I met him.
“Excuse me for a second. I need to talk to Naheed.”
* * *
“Quit bouncing up and down like that.” I stop pacing back and forth in Naheed’s office to glare at Jace. This isn’t a happy moment. “You’re making me more nervous.”
“But I’m so excited. I haven’t spent much time with mated omegas my own age yet. I can’t wait to meet him.” Jace is newly pregnant with Naheed’s baby. They haven’t been together for long, but it’s clear to anyone who meets them that they’re destined for each other. And if my hunch is correct, the same is true for me and Max.
I didn’t recognize the possessive, lust-filled se
nsations raging through me when I first met Max because I was so out of whack from dealing with those kids. But if I’m right, and I’m about 99.9% sure I am, Max and I are fated to be mates. We were made for each other. Just the idea settles some of the anxiety in my gut. Yes, that feels right. I’m sure that’s what I’m feeling. Completely unrelenting, ridiculously possessive, mind-blowingly psychotic, affection for Max.
But he either doesn’t feel it, doesn’t want to feel it, or doesn’t understand what he’s feeling. The first two scenarios are too heartbreaking…too devastating for me to consider. It has to be the third. He’s just confused and needs some time and space to think things through.
“Well, I hope you get the chance to meet him.” I stop at the window and stare out into the front yard, wishing he would just come back so we can talk. “If he ever comes back.”
“He will.” Jace sounds about a thousand times more sure than I feel. “And if he’s not back by morning, we’ll help you look for him.”
“Yeah?” I turn to look at the two men who are fast becoming my closest friends.
“Of course.” Naheed looks me straight in the eye, no trace of amusement left in his gaze. “I know you won’t be able to focus until you know he’s safe. We’ll do whatever we can to help.”
“Definitely!” Jace curls against Naheed’s chest and yawns. “I’m gonna take a quick nap but wake me if Max comes back. I think I can help.”
It’s easy to have hope when watching these two men. Neither expected to find each other when they did, but sometimes that’s how life works. You find what you’re looking for before you even know to start searching.
In the short period of time I’ve gotten to know Jace, I’ve really come to like and respect him. His feisty personality is unlike any omega I’ve met before, and I can tell he gives Naheed a real run for his money. They’re perfect for each other.
Is Max really perfect for me? My heart speeds up at the thought, making the answer clear. Of course he is. The bigger question is if I’m perfect for him.
7
Max
Finding a bus with the back door still open was dumb luck. But now that I’ve been riding in it for the past forty minutes, I have to decide what to do next. If I stay on for too long, it’ll circle back to the Omega House. It’s unlikely my luck will hold out long enough for me to pass by that place without Curtis catching my scent. Even I know how bad I stink. Thank god there aren’t any alphas on this bus or I’d be in serious trouble.
With my gaze focused directly out the window beside me, I try to figure out where I am. We pass a familiar park and I realize why it’s familiar. Tad lives around here. He brought me to his house a few times over the years when there was maintenance going on at Ropers and he didn’t want to risk a stranger finding me.
I pull the string to ring the driver and stand by the exit door, anxious to get off and look for Tad. I don’t know if he’ll be home or if he’s still in jail, but one of the cooks said the staff of the breeding farms are usually not held for more than a few days before they’re released on their own recognizance and slapped with some heavy fines. The authorities are generally looking for the owners, the kingpins of those establishments, not so much the betas who were just trying to earn a living. As long as direct criminal activity can’t be linked back to Tad, it’s possible he’s sitting at home right now.
Once I’m off the bus, I head straight back to the park. I remember two columns in front of Tad’s building were visible from the pond. If I can get there, I should be able to find my way to his place.
* * *
After sitting in the stairwell for over an hour, I finally build up the nerve to knock on Tad’s door. At first, there aren’t any sounds. No TV or radio playing on the other side. But just before I turn to walk away, the sound of footsteps heading toward the door stops me.
A little window in the center of his front door opens and Tad’s eye peeks through. A second later, the door flies open and he’s pulling me into his arms. “Max, honey, is that you?”
It feels good to be held like this but it also feels wrong coming from Tad. He’s hugged me over the years, but we were never physically affectionate. Even though I might have had a crush on him for a while, he never showed any signs of interest. But the relief he obviously feels in finding me is almost tangible.
“I’m sorry to just stop by.” I hold him for another second and then pull away. “But I didn’t know where else to go.”
“I’m so glad you did. I hoped you would make it to one of the good shelters like Omega House so you could start fresh, but I guess you didn’t…”
“Well, I did get there and it was nice until… Well, anyway, I couldn’t stay there so I figured I’d see if you were okay. I thought you were arrested.”
Tad groans and ushers me to his sofa. “I was, but they only held us overnight. I don’t think any charges will be filed.”
“Good. I’ve been worried.”
Tad smiles and reaches for my shoulder. “I’m so glad you’re here. I’ve really missed you.”
His fingers skate across my skin up to my neck. And his pupils are wide under his lidded eyes. Shit. He’s reacting to my heat.
I pull out of his reach and slide to the other side of the couch. “I need some suppressants. It just started today, and this need inside me almost hurts.”
Tad leans forward, slowly approaching me with his right hand extended. “You don't need to suppress it anymore, honey. You're free now. You can live a normal life. We can live a normal life…together.”
“What?” I don’t understand what he’s saying. It almost sounds like a romantic proposition and not the caretaker and child relationship we’ve had for so long. His hormones must be as jacked up as mine are at the moment. “Maybe we should open some windows. Or I can leave until the suppressants kick in.”
“No.” Tad pulls my wrist to his nose and inhales deeply. “You smell so good. I’ve always known you would. I was planning to ask you to move in with me when the raid happened. You would have said yes, right?”
What? No! Well, maybe I would have, but that was before… Now that I know what he wants, I know without a doubt it isn’t what I want. “Tad, I think you’re confused. My heat is messing with your mind.”
“No, Max. I’ve thought about this a lot…about you a lot. I’ve wanted this for a long time, and now that you’re ready, we can be together.”
“What? I’m not ready.” I stand up and put some distance between us, edging closer to the front door. “You’re like a father to me…or at least a brother. This isn’t right.”
“Max, that was when you were a kid.” He stands up but doesn’t get any closer. “You’re a man now. A beautiful man who needs me.”
Holy fuck. This isn’t going to happen.
“I’m sorry, Tad. I shouldn’t have come.” Before he can try to stop me, I run out of his apartment and down the stairs. I don’t know why I’m so against the idea of being with Tad. He’s a good man and there was a time when I wanted nothing more than for him to notice me in that way.
But that time is over. I don’t know what changed or when but something has. I’m not ready for this. And being out in public is just stupid. As soon as an unmated alpha gets a whiff of me, it’ll be game over. Like with Curtis.
Curtis.
Why does just thinking his name feel like a calming blanket being wrapped around me? Where is the fear I felt a few hours ago when he looked at me with lust and desperation in his eyes? Why am I considering going back to the Omega House?
Without any money, I don’t have many options. And while I’m in heat, the only thing that truly matters is to get as far away from alphas as I can. There aren’t many places that come to mind, but I’m not too far from the ghetto I grew up in. Omega-villes are scattered throughout the city and one of the few safe havens for omegas. At least, they used to be. With all the recent raids on breeding farms, rumors of omegas being picked up off the streets and never seen again have surfaced.
I don’t know if they’re true or just urban legends to keep omega teens off the streets, but I don’t have any other choice.
I take off in the direction of the encampment closest to Tad’s place. There’s a slight breeze tonight, but if the wind picks up a little more, I might be able to hang out up wind and mix my scent with all the other omega pheromones. It’s not a brilliant plan, but I hope it’ll get me through the next few days. I’m already feeling less horny than I was when I first hopped on that bus.
Maybe this will be a quick cycle and I can find some suppressants before my next one begins.
8
Curtis
It’s been hours, and I can’t focus. Max is out there—alone and fucking in heat! Dammit! Why did I let him leave? I should have followed him immediately after he left. He could be anywhere by now…and with anyone.
“I’ve got to get out of here.” I pass by Naheed without sparing him a parting glace. “I need to find him.”
“Call if you need help. I’ll be done here in an hour or so.”
I flick my wrist in an acknowledging wave but don’t respond. Now that I’ve come to terms with the fact that what I felt with Max was more than just interest and lust…I can’t stop thinking about him. I need him. Desperately.
Without a clue as to where I’m heading, I jump in my car and start to drive. At first, the turns and straights seem aimless, but after about fifteen minutes, I realize I can feel Max. Not in a tangible way, but as if there’s an invisible string between us and he’s guiding me to him.
Giving complete control over to my biology, I follow my instincts until they tell me to park near a cluster of abandoned buildings.
Fuck, Max, I hope you’re okay.
As soon as I’m outside of the car, I can smell him. The scent is faint and heavily diluted, but it’s already ingrained in my memory. Something I’ll never forget for as long as I live. Once again, allowing my body to take me where I need to be, I start jogging through the dark encampment of homeless omegas.
