Page 51 of Marked Omega

There are also some groups of Alphas, mostly younger ones, who do not have an omega with them. These eye me with particular interest. Whenever this happens, I notice Kadmon putting his body in front of mine to block their view.

He’s being protective of me. Or maybe possessive is a better word.

At last we arrive at our destination. The building is so obscured and overgrown with plants that it’s difficult to tell what it once was from the outside, but as we step indoors, I recognize it as the lobby of a hotel.

I have only seen such things in pictures. While there are hotels in the city hives, they are mostly restricted to the upper levels. Only the elites do much traveling. The rest of us never leave the cities of our birth.

Of course, I have become an exception.

“Over here,” Addom says.

At the rear of the dark, cavernous lobby, there are three huge Alphas lounging and chatting. They look up as we approach, and they pass easy greetings with my guys. Behind them is a series of broad archways opening onto a room filled with wavering skeins of bluish light reflecting off water. I’m expecting a swimming pool, but what I find inside is a bit different.

The air inside is thick and humid. A classical style colonnade and tiled floor surround a few steaming, shallow pools that I realize must be hot baths.

“Lily!”

There, waiting for us at the water’s edge, is Hannah. I realize those Alphas sitting outside must be her mates.

She rushes forward to greet us, throwing her arms around me in a big hug like we’ve been best friends all our lives. Her piercings are cool against my bare skin. Naked hugs are a bit of a surprise for me. Certainly not something that friends would do back in the city hive.

Then again, considering everything I’ve been through in the past week, this is nothing. Besides, all awkwardness aside, it’s nice to have a friend here. Even though she has gone native, so to speak, she still remembers life on the outside, which means she’s the only person who can relate to my situation.

“Hannah will bathe you in preparation for the ceremony,” Addom says like it’s no big deal. He nods toward Hannah. “She has been through the same process not long ago, so she knows what to do.”

“Wait, what?” I gasp. “Bathe me? But—“

Addom raises his hand and cuts me off.

“You must prepare. Hasker, Kadmon, and I will leave you now. We must meditate. We will be just outside, so you will be safe in this place.”

And just like that, the three bulky Alphas turn and head back the way we came. Only Kadmon casts a longing glance over his shoulder as he goes, his eyes glinting blue between the dark strands of his long hair.

“All right,” Hannah says with a clap of her hands. “You ready for me to scrub you down, babe?”

I spin around in disbelief. Hannah just stares at me, her eyebrows raised, and her expression serious. Then I notice a twitching at the corner of her mouth, and a moment later the sound of her laughter echoes through the colonnades surrounding the baths.

“Lily, I wish you could see your face right now,” she giggles. “Priceless. Absolutely priceless.”

“So you’re not gonna…”

“What? Bathe you?” she says, mimicking Addom’s deep stern voice. “Um, no. You’re a big girl, so I think you can handle it yourself. I’ll keep you company though.”

I take off my loin cloth and place it by the pool. Hannah does the same with hers. Something glints between her thighs and catches my eye.

She’s pierced down there too.

Hannah catches me looking, and I glance away, but I can feel the rush of heat in my cheeks. Am I going to have a piercing like that too?

I don’t bother asking now. I wouldn’t even know how to broach the question. Besides, I’m ready to relax, and the steaming waters of the hot baths are enticing.

CHAPTER 18: LILY

Hannah explains that the water for these baths comes from natural underground hot springs. Back before the cataclysm, this hotel was some kind of resort, and the hot baths were the main attraction.

As Hannah and I lounge in the steaming water, we talk for a while about everyday things, but eventually our conversation comes back around to the Source.

“What could it be?” I ask Hannah. “I’ve never seen anything like it before.”