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A black car pulled up and Callie got into the backseat, making room so I could scoot in beside her. The driver was a Beta just like most of the staff in the hospital. I caught glimpses of the outside world. It looked remarkably similar to mine. Except people here bit each other and formed magic bonds in place of marriage.
“Are you interested in working or taking classes once you get to Omega housing?” Callie asked gently, treating me as if she were a child. Was anyone going to look at me normally again? I answered her question with my own. “I mean, I need a job, right? How else can I pay for rent?”
“Well, we can help you find a job if that’s what you want. Only certain jobs are available to unmated omegas. But another option is to meet an eligible alpha on the registry - they can provide you with everything you need.” I was sure I was stuck in a time warp now as well. “So you mean to tell me I can only work certain jobs, or be stuck depending on a man?”
“Or an alpha woman, if that’s your preference.” She winked as I crossed my arms. “What kinds of jobs are there for omegas?”
“Ones where we can take precautions that a heat cycle won’t affect your workplace, or disrupt the people around you. Don’t worry Piper, there are plenty of jobs you can do. And you can always take omega classes. We have quite a variety that will teach you how to make a fantastic nest, cook and care for a household, and manage your heat cycles.” I felt myself get dizzy. Was this place forcing me to pick a future as a submissive housewife? But something in me stirred at the idea of not being forced to work sixty-hour weeks. Instead, I could be cared for by a strong alpha man, treating me tenderly, catering to my needs, holding me in a nest of soft blankets as he stared adoringly at me with honey-colored eyes…
“Here we are!” Callie chimed as we pulled up to a gated compound. The car had to be buzzed through, and my eyes widened at the grounds as we pulled up. The landscaping was beautiful, and there was a fountain in front of the building. Callie held out her hand for support as we got out of the car and the Beta driver gathered my things. We walked up the stairs of the large, ornate building as Callie used a swipe card to buzz us in. “Thank you Jared, we’ll take it from here.” Callie led me inside the vast building as we passed various rooms where I could see other omegas clustered together. The scent started to creep up on me, hints of Omega sweetness throughout the halls. As we passed the rooms, I took a peek inside. Groups of mostly women were taking yoga classes in one room, and reading in another. We reached an elevator where Callie took me down a hall that resembled a dormitory until we stopped in front of a door. “Here’s where you will stay. We’ll get your schedule set up once you get settled in.” She opened the door and I looked inside at the cozy room. It was nicer than my old apartment, and apparently I didn’t even have to pay rent. Maybe my life wouldn’t be so bad after all.
Chapter 5
Aiden
I took another swing at Chase, taking out my pent-up frustrations on my old friend from grade school. We were at the boxing club where I got my workouts in but was also an outlet to let out excess alpha aggression. Chase was a beta, but tall and strong enough that he could handle his own in a fight. He swung, getting a few great hits while my mind was elsewhere. “Aiden! Come on man! I’ve never seen you this distracted before.” He jabbed at me, and I swung, getting him back with equal hits. The sweat was dripping down my face, and I could tell that for all my extra energy, I wasn’t focused enough. We sparred a bit longer before I leaned back, my arms over the ropes at the corner of the boxing ring.
Chase guzzled a water bottle and then looked in my direction, wiping sweat from his brow as he panted. “What’s going on man?” I shrugged, looking off to the side at the other people in the gym as they sparred. “It’s that girl, isn’t it? Don’t deny it. I don’t have any updates for you anyway. The closest leads we have are some old papers from a guy at the Uni who had a few screws loose.” Chase worked for the local police force, and I had contacted him as soon as I had left the store where that lost woman had thrown me for a loop.
“What do you mean? What about a guy?” My head whipped over as we caught our breath.
“Just some guy who was writing about alternate universes and beta worlds. He disappeared years ago. We don’t think it’s related unless she read his work and has a large imagination. Either way, she’s still a mystery.”
Well, I couldn’t get the scent of the little mystery out of my head. I had first noticed the little female as she staggered into the store, seeming lost and confused. She looked like a beta at first glance - slightly taller than an omega, without the vulnerable look most omegas had. But when she passed by me, her scent was odd - almost completely neutral, but some other scent clinging to her, one I had never smelled before. Her mannerisms were very much that of an omega. I’d even heard her very specific whine that would be nearly impossible for a beta to replicate as she begged for help. Everything in me had called out to help her, protect her. When I finally scented the perfume she spontaneously let out, I figured she had been on some type of suppressant that had worn off. But no, she was actually having an apparent late-stage presentation as an omega, along with the beginnings of a heat. The signs were classic, but I had never heard of anyone presenting past puberty age. I was lucky that I was able to get away from her before her scent called out to me past the point where I could hold back. It could have gone very differently - I could have easily taken over and protected the omega as she fell into heat, guarding her from the cashier and the officer in an animalistic display of ownership. And the smell - it was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. Although the scent was very faint, barely blossoming out of her as I looked down at her, I felt as though I had been hit by a train. The soft scent of vanilla, a hint of jasmine, and fresh rain on a spring day. An omega smell for sure - but so different from the sweet scents of other omegas. I had felt something start to unfold, almost like a puzzle piece beginning to snap into place, but before I could let myself fall into it, I had covered my nose and backed away from her. It was so tempting to lose myself in this stranger, but I was glad I kept my wits about me. I couldn’t get entangled with an omega. Not again.
She was quite the conundrum to everyone, it seemed. From what Chase had told me, no one could figure out where she had come from. He said that the force had suspected that she might be a foreign agent, but under questioning had determined she was suffering memory loss and delusion. Het prints and DNA had no match in any national database, omega or otherwise. I wanted more than anything to check up on her and make sure she was okay. Although it was probably better that I let it rest. I could never seriously take on an omega as a mate after the last debacle. Omegas were too much work anyway. They required a significant amount of attention and care, and though I would be happy to offer myself and my pack to help one through a heat cycle, I was never going to fall for one again.
It was getting close to dinner time, so I headed for the showers and said my farewells to Chase. The boxing gym wasn’t too far from home, so I walked back while enjoying the late summer weather. Being outdoors satisfied the part of me that wasn’t quite as civilized as I led people to believe. I wished the mystery omega had been right, that there was actually a campsite nearby to escape to. I had to stop thinking of her so much. No way would an omega want to spend her time outdoors, roughing it. Not when they could get all the pleasures of home from a pack that provided them creature comforts.
I opened the door to my townhome, instantly hit with the smell of freshly cooked food. I detected salmon, sweet potato, and something else - maybe sauteed veggies. I turned the corner to see Declan, our pack’s beta, hovering over a pan. He turned when he heard me and let a broad smile spread across his face.
“Aiden! You’re just in time. Food’s almost ready.” Declan was adorable. With his clean-cut look, sandy hair, and chocolate eyes, he was a wet dream for anyone, man or woman. I appreciated his constantly calm demeanor, and his cooking skills were a bonus. Out of the three of us, he held down the fort on the domestic side better than anyone. He was already grabbing a plate and portioning out some salmon and sweet potatoes for me. When I glanced down I saw he had also made greens, bright and drizzled in olive oil and lemon.
“This looks amazing. I can already tell I’ll be getting seconds.” I sat down and he joined me, taking a break from his work in the kitchen. We ate for a moment before he glanced over at me. “What ails you Aiden?” I swallowed the first bit of the delicious meal.
“What makes you think something ails me?” He studied me skeptically.
“I can always tell. Come on, spill it.” I sighed, setting the fork down while I drank.
“It’s just that girl again. They can’t figure out where she came from, and Chase had no news. It’s been bothering me.” He smirked as he took another bite.
“I knew it! Aiden, let’s just open our pack again to the registry and find her. She’s local, right? I’m sure she’s at one of the Omega Centers. If we all meet her and she approves, we can court her and see if she might be a match.” I shook my head.
“Declan… I can’t. Not again.”
“It was years ago, Aiden. And clearly this girl got under your skin. I know you don’t want a repeat of what happened last time, but let’s not let a good thing pass us by. Especially if it's affecting you this much. I haven’t seen you this interested in an omega in years.” Declan was the most level-headed of all of us. For him to offer up the idea of having an omega again made me wonder if he was noticing our pack unravel. An omega usually held the pack together, and while Declan did a good job of managing two alphas, it didn’t come as naturally for a beta.
“No, I don’t think we need one. Besides, we are happy as we are.” He gave me the side eye as he ate.
“Well, Dominic and I certainly are happy. But we want you to be happy as well. And an omega would only add to our pack. Just think about it. Besides, I want to meet the little omega that has you all twisted up in knots.” Dominic, our other alpha, had an intimate relationship with Decan. I had joined in on group sex with them before, but only when we were servicing an omega. But within our pack dynamics, it was always the two of them. Since I was on a self-imposed omega ban I had been exclusively dating female betas, none of whom caught either of their attention.
I let myself imagine it for a moment. All three of us, taking care of an omega. One who would accept and fit in with our dynamic. We were a smaller pack, but we could certainly provide for one more. We even had a room that was intended to be used for a nest way back when we were actively courting.
The memories of the last time we tried to open our pack to an omega trickled in. I thought we had a match long ago. We even helped her through her heat. But she had other ideas. I shook my head, clearing the memories. “Nah. I’m just curious is all. I’ve never heard of such a late presenting omega before, plus the story of her being from another world - it’s intriguing. That’s all.” Declan nodded as he finished his meal. He didn’t need to say the words, but we both knew what he was thinking.
I could deny it all I wanted - but I was full of shit. I wanted that omega.
Chapter 6
