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“Yea, it should be in the next few months. I take suppressants, though.” I didn’t want to talk about my heat in front of them. It was so embarrassing. All I knew about it was that once an omega found her pack, they did everything they could to make her heat special and comfortable, all of them nesting together for several days until it passed. But I never knew any other omegas personally, so I researched with romance novels and videos, both of which I knew were highly exaggerated. Lance touched my hand softly. I looked up to see him watching me with earnest eyes.
“Bella, if you need a pack to get you through your first heat, you say the word. We’re right here for you.” I blushed, stammering as I processed his offer.
“You - you’d help me through it?” I had only been seeing them for a week, but I had been treated better than ever. And to have Pack Deloney make an offer like that - it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. There was just one issue. “The thing is… I always thought that the first pack I went through heat with would be my forever pack. I don’t want to go through a heat without being in love.” I looked away with my admission. All my romance novels had talked about the connection formed between alphas and omegas, and although my rational mind knew alphas were biology driven and often aggressive and dismissive, I wanted that true love, that passion that I knew was possible with a pack. And I didn’t want to go through something as intimate as a heat cycle without having that emotional connection as well. I had thought I was a beta my whole life and planned to be with one man initially. So the thought of having an entire pack being intimate with me made me even more driven to find a pack that would care for me and love me.
Dallas nodded and reached for my other hand. “Well Bella, I want you to know we are very serious about you. I mean, why else would we do all this for you?” He waved his arm at the table full of delicacies. Lance leaned in as well, his scent making me lightheaded with desire. “He’s right. Why do you think we got you all these nice gifts? It’s what alphas do when they really want an omega.” I swallowed, trying to keep myself from getting aroused. It was so hard to be around them, even with my suppressants. My body called out for them, and I wanted more than anything to be with them forever. "Tell me, omega, what can we give you to assure you that we want you?” Lance whispered, his brown eyes peering into mine and making me keen. I tried to concentrate on what they were asking.
“I… Well, I guess more than anything, I want to make sure my family doesn’t struggle anymore.” I saw them exchange glances with each other. “I mean, we aren’t starving or anything, but my parents can barely pay the bills. Sometimes we go without, and they work long hours.” I didn’t know exactly what I was asking them, but they seemed to figure it out without my explanation. Lance righted himself and cleared his throat.
“Your father, Benjamin, he works at one of the factories, right?” I looked at him, surprised he knew about my family.
“Yes, he works for the auto factory.” Technically, my father worked for their pack, or he would once they all inherited the businesses in our town. The Deloney pack was still young and not bonded, so they were being mentored by their fathers until they were ready to take over. Lance smiled at me. “Well, in that case we can see to it that he gets a nice raise and a less demanding job. Maybe a management position?” My heart soared. That would be life changing. My father often came home exhausted, unable to keep his eyes open and with barely enough time to see me. Between his hours and my mom’s schedule, they often didn’t see each other at all.
“You would do that for me?” It was so generous. And maybe, just maybe, if I joined their pack, my whole life would change. I would have access to the pack funds and be able to retire my parents from their strenuous jobs. I could give them a better house, health care, and anything they needed. I squeezed Lance’s hand.
“Of course. Anything for our pretty little omega.” His words of ownership sent goosebumps down my body. My mind was filled with fantasies about cooking for them, decorating their large mansion to make it homey, and making a nest for us all to hide away in when the time came. If they really wanted me, I was all in. Every one of my dreams of true love and pack life would come true. Lance must have read my thoughts, because he leaned in and reached for my chin, lifting it with one strong finger so that I was looking him in the eyes. “Well, omega? Would you do us the highest honor of letting us help you through your first heat?”
How could I say no? It was my dream come true, and one I never thought I would receive. Speechless, I nodded once, and could feel the rest of the pack smile in satisfaction. “In that case, I think it’s time to stop your suppressants. Don’t tell anyone yet - we don’t want another pack sniffing around our omega until we have made you ours. And don’t worry, we will get you a nest set up.” It was all happening so fast. I still had a few months before my first heat and the doctors wanted me to register for a surrogate pack or enter the omega registry and start courting. But I didn’t want to do that when I had a pack courting me here and now. If I didn’t find a pack, I would either need to use an alpha surrogate or resort to locking myself away with toys. I had what I wanted in front of me, and they had walked into my life at just the right time.
“Okay, I’ll have to stay inside, though.” I worried that going off suppressants would attract a lot of unwanted attention, even if alphas weren’t present too often on my side of town. Chad laughed as if it was no issue at all
“We’ll get you some extra de-scenter. Just take a shower several times a day, and if you want to go anywhere, call us and we can come get you.” I bit my lip. Going off my suppressants would allow my heat to come within a week or so, according to what my doctor had told me. But when they ran their hands over me and looked at me, their scents overpowering my hormones, I could barely think straight. I leaned into Lance as Dallas moved closer, both of them enveloping me with their alpha presence. It was my dream come true - a pack that cared about me and would help me through my heat, and maybe, by the end of it, we’d be fully in love.
Chapter 7
Bella
Present Day
The big day finally arrived. I had my suitcase ready to go and was wearing my best travel outfit as I took my bags downstairs. A representative from the Darlington organization was there to escort me to the train, where we would travel to the Eastern Province for the event. One of the beta security guards came to my room to help me with my luggage. I could hardly contain my excitement as we went downstairs. A beta woman dressed in an impeccable cream suit was standing by the front desk, speaking to one of the directors of the Omega House.
“Ah, there she is. Mrs. Watts, this is Bella Carter, the winner of the lottery!” The director introduced me while Mrs. Watts assessed me, her hands clasped in front of her.
“Pleased to meet you, Ms. Carter. We are happy to offer you an opportunity to mingle with our esteemed packs at the Darlington Ball. I’ll be your chaperone as we travel to the city of Roebri, and can answer any questions you have. I’ve worked for the ball for over ten years and can assure you it will be a once in a lifetime opportunity.” She held out a gloved hand, and I quickly stepped up to shake it. She was perfectly styled, from her hair down to her low heels. I felt shabby suddenly as I realized I was wearing cheap clothes, even if they were the best I could buy on my budget. “I’m so honored to be chosen, Mrs. Watts. I promise I will make the most of this opportunity and couldn’t be more grateful.” She nodded and led me toward the waiting car outside. The Omega House security guard lifted my hand-me-down luggage and brought it to the rideshare, and I tried not to notice our class difference. Nothing was going to put me in a bad mood, not today. Plus, Mrs. Watts didn’t seem to look down on me. She probably saw worse charity cases than me by far.
We drove to the train station as I peppered her with questions. She answered all of them without hesitation and handed me a binder as we drove. “Here’s all of our official rules and regulations. You don’t need to memorize it, but it will give you a history of the event and let you know all our standard precautions and recommendations. Primarily, we want you to be safe and take your suppressants. I assume you brought all that you need with you?” I nodded, and she continued. “Either way, we will have plenty available there as well, and medical staff on hand. One thing I should warn you about is that you are not to leave the castle grounds. We won’t be doing a tour of the nearby town, and you won’t have time, anyway. After the ball, I will take you straight back to Haven, hopefully with a phone full of pack numbers!” She winked at me then, and I relaxed a little. I realized she wanted me to be successful at the ball, even if it might only be to make the organization look good.
We arrived at the train station, and I looked up in awe. Maybe I’d look back and remember this day as the one where everything turned around for me. There was a blur of people boarding around me and I had to shake myself just to stay focused. I followed Mrs. Watts onto the train, waving goodbye to our driver as we wheeled our luggage to our cabin. The Darlington Ball organization must have deep pockets, because the cabin was in first class and absolutely beautiful.
“The ride will take a full day, but we’ll be served lunch and tea as well. If you still get hungry, let me know and we’ll have food brought to us.” Mrs. Watts said nonchalantly as she looked out the window at the landscape. The train started moving then, and I watched the city slowly start to pass by as I sat across from my chaperone.
The landscape changed throughout the ride. I was transfixed by the view, watching as it turned from forests and rolling hills to flat plains filled with golden fields, then green again as we neared the Eastern Province. A mountain range that ran from north to south split the two sides of the country, making a physical barrier between the two provinces. I’d never been to the Eastern Province before, but I knew it was a land of extremes. They had opulence and poverty, even more so than where I had grown up. The Eastern Province was older and had more history of turmoil. They held on to some archaic traditions, refusing to move forward and allow modernity to change the culture. Even though progress had been made, the relics of our old society remained ingrained in the lifestyle and laws of the Eastern Province. There, omegas were treated more like possessions than human beings. Forced bites were not always prosecuted, and the abduction and selling of omegas was fairly common on the outskirts of society. The people in high society were a bit more protected by their money, and their families had plenty of security for protection. But law enforcement turned a blind eye to anyone who was unfortunate enough to be in the lower class, which was most people. I shivered as I thought about how different my life would be if I were born elsewhere. I was lucky compared to many.
My visit would be under the watchful eyes of the guards at the Darlington Ball, so I wasn’t too concerned for myself. Anyway, I would be surrounded by the most famous and wealthy people in the nation from both provinces. No one would dare to mess with the elite. I remembered one story I heard about a wealthy omega who was forcefully bitten into a rogue pack. Her family simply paid another shady pack to find them and dispose of them permanently while she was recovered, taking a year to fully heal and have the bite disappear. Money ruled all in the Eastern side, and I would be in the most protected and watched place of all.
The train passed through the mountains, and shadows enveloped the land. I could even feel that the air had dropped a few degrees when I placed my hand against the window. It was almost like going into a fairy tale. My thoughts were interrupted by a knocking at our cabin door as lunch was served. Mrs. Watts poured tea as the tray of delicacies was set out before us. “Try to eat, Miss Carter. I know you might be nervous, but you’ll want plenty of energy for the next few days!” She told me more about the ball and what to expect as I nibbled on some of the delicious food. I was a bit too overwhelmed to take it all in, but she tapped on the binder as she spoke, and I figured I'd just have to read a bit when I had time to rest in my room.
After lunch, I was being told about the proper protocol for dealing with packs from various cultures when I saw something amazing. The tips of white stone turrets peaked out from behind the mountains as the castle started to come into view. My body tingled with anticipation as I saw the rest of the magnificent structure slowly reveal itself as the train rounded the mountain. “Is that the castle?” I asked, not believing I was actually going to live a real life fairy tale.
“Yes it is, very beautiful, isn’t it? The castle was built over six hundred years ago.” My chaperone said proudly as we took in the glorious view. We were deep in the Eastern Province now, and I was giddy as we got closer to our destination. “The train will stop close by, and we will have a car take us the rest of the way.” All I could think about was that I was about to step into a place I never dreamed I would see, and attend an event that was so elite that few people ever saw behind the scenes like I would.
The train pulled up at the stop, and Mrs. Watts and I were the only people to get off. All eyes were on us as the passengers realized we were going to the castle and attending the Darlington Ball. Once we were off, a private car was waiting to take us the rest of the way. My heart was pounding as I smiled at the driver. I was finally here, and my luck was about to change. I was sure of it.
Chapter 8
Bella
“You’ll be staying in your own private room in the omega wing.” Mrs. Watts chatted nonchalantly as she led me into the massive stone structure. I could barely pay attention to her as I looked around, wide eyed with wonder. The castle was even larger than I had imagined, and decorated with ornate detail for the annual event. We had crossed an actual drawbridge, although it appeared to be permanently down. After all, there was no danger of the place being attacked like in the old days. Not with all these guards around, anyway. I could see people mulling about, dressed in designer names that I probably couldn’t pronounce correctly. I saw men in suits hanging back discreetly and wondered how many security details were here.
