The medication doesn’t stop my heat completely, but it makes it bearable with a toy, or a heat helper if you’re lucky enough to have one. Teddy was always my helper, not for the sex, because that would have been like kissing my brother,ew. But he would check in on me, bring me snacks, and drinks, and just make sure I was alive. Then I’d do the same thing for him. As an added bonus, I got a crash course in pegging, and how many omegas have that on their resume? Not that I ever had to use it, but the discussion came up a few times.
But at least his cycles are normal and on a regular schedule. My body’s just defective as fuck. I was a late blooming omega, and my parents were so sure their third daughter was going to be a beta. It wasn’t until I presented and came to the centerthat the docs had me jump through all the hoops then told me I probably have PMOS—Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome. It’s not even like they can do a simple test, either. It’s all these symptoms that make it seem like several other things. It basically equals out to my reproductive system and hormones being crazy as fuck—erratic heats, possible fertility issues, but hey, at least I can get buff easier than a normal omega.#gymgoals
Fuck, I must be feeling better if my brain is throwing this kinda shit at me. My omega purr starts up involuntarily as I snuggle deeper against Gregory’s chest. He looks down at me. “Hey, Sarah. Can I call you Sarah?” He waits for my nod. “We’re at the medical center. You’re looking better already, but the doctor will need to check you out, regardless. I can put you over there in the nest if you like?” His voice is light and smooth, and I think I could easily listen to him read me the phonebook—but I’m ashamed to admit that I cling like a baby monkey when he offers to set me down. A needy whine slips out as my hands clench tighter to his shirt.
“Ok, Sarah, I’m gonna take that as a no. How about I sit down on the nest with you, is that ok?” I peer up at him now that my eyes are working better. He’s pretty in that Steve Rogers, All-American sort of way. Dark brown hair brushed back, and long enough to be in a low ponytail, big blue eyes, strong jaw, the whole clean-cut package. Which is totally adorable and not my type at all. Give me grunge or punk. Hell, I’d even take goth metal, but clean-cut boy-next-door cute has never appealed to me.
Maybe my hormones are even more fucked up than usual.
He barely jostles me as he sits down on the edge of the big nest, and my mind fills with images of what it would be like to drag him into all the piles of fluffy blankets and pillows that are behind him and demand naked snuggles, or at least less clothedsnuggles. Not that I’m wearing much. It looks like he must have wrapped a sheet around me before taking me out of my room. Of course he’s still wearing entirely too many clothes for proper snuggles and—
Holy fucking shit!
I need to stop this crazy train before it gets any further.
What the fucking hell is wrong with my brain today?
Before my mind can fall any further down that rabbit hole of naked cuddles, the door opens and Dr. Terra walks in. She’s a beta doctor who specializes in omega medicine. She has a pack with three alphas and an omega. Apparently they all grew up together, which is how she ended up studying omega health. Her omega, Daisy, was sick a lot when they were younger, and little not-yet-doctor Terra was determined to help her get better.
She rolls her stool over to where Gregory holds me, sitting on the edge of the nest. Her eyebrows shoot up at the sound of my purr, and I will it to stop before I embarrass myself further. “So, Sarah, you weren’t feeling well this morning? You seem to be doing better now. Did you eat or drink anything unusual last night? Meet any new people? Any new alphas you clicked with? Did you take anything edible that they might have given you, treats or gifts?”
This is hardly my first year in omega training. I’m not an idiot, and I clench my teeth to keep from saying so. She’s just following a script, and we both know it. “Yes, Dr. Terra, I was feeling horrible when I woke up. Feverish, weak, lethargic. I couldn’t even untangle myself from the blankets. Ididgo to the mixer last night and met some alphas.” Gregory jerks under me, but his cheeks turn pink when both Doc and I look at him.
I turn my focus back to Dr. Terra. “Anyway, I didn’t eat anything they gave me. I did drink a couple of bottles of water, but they came directly from a server. Also, while one of them did smell like mine”—another twitch from Gregory—“he didn’t giveme anything. I only really talked to one member of their pack; he told me the others weren’t feeling well, so I only saw them around the room a few times.” Gregory rumbles underneath me, which is strange since betas aren’t supposed to growl. But clearly this horrifyingly adorable man has something going on.
Dr. Terra focuses on me again. “You look completely fine now. Are you sure about this morning? You didn’t just have a nightmare?”
Bristling at her question, I’m about to say something super rude to my favorite doctor, but Gregory gets there first. “No, ma’am…er…doctor…um. No. When I went to her room in response to her request for help, she was pale…er…washed out, covered in sweat and shakin’ like a leaf. It didn’t seem like she had the strength to even stand up, ma’am. I wrapped her up and hightailed it over here, but she looks about a thousand times better already.” His gaze flicks to mine and he mumbles a small, “Sorry,” before he focuses back on the doctor. He has the cutest twangy accent and—
Oh my god what is wrong with me?
Sure, he’s kind of appealing in a way-too-pretty way, but damn.
Now is not the time, I just found my alpha.
She chews lightly on her pen, a habit I’ve seen several times over the years, including one memorable morning when her omega was about to go into labor. She chewed so hard that the pen broke and she was trying to clean ink off her shirt when her alphas called her to go to the hospital. My eyebrows go up, and I wonder if she’s remembering the same incident as she takes the pen out of her mouth and sets it on the desk.
“Well, Sarah, it almost sounds like touch sickness. Now, before you interrupt me, I know you said you don’t get that. But it has been known to come on quickly when you feel a special connection to new alphas and then separate suddenly. We’veonly had that happen a few times here. That being said, it doesn’t exactly add up that you’d feel better from snuggling with a strange beta if your body was craving these specific alphas. No offense.” This last part is directed at Gregory, whose arms tighten around me, pulling me closer to his broad chest.
Chapter 3
The omega in my arms is tiny by any standard. She’s just plain short. Not that I’d risk my life or limb by telling her that. She seems like a right firebrand that could take a chunk outta me if she was feeling better. She’s also fucking adorable. Her name’s Sarah, and her room is across from the omega I helped move out earlier this year. I believe he mentioned her a few times while we were hauling his stuff down to storage. Something about drums, if I’m remembering correctly. ’Course, she looks like the type of girl who would enjoy hitting stuff repeatedly, either with a stick or her tiny fists.
I’m dragged out of my ruminations by her talking to the doctor about alphas. It’s not a sore spot. I mean, I couldn’t have my job if I was an alpha, but it still sucks sometimes that a roll of the genetic dice made my choices for me. My dad’s an alpha, Mom’s a beta. So my two older brothers are alphas, my sister’s anomega, and my younger brother and I are betas. It’s just strange how it works out. Not that I mind, really. Though I would like to be able to purr at times like this. It’s like an alpha superpower for calming down omegas, and I’ll admit I’m sometimes jealous. I wonder if they make purr synthesizers, like something I can put in my pocket that vibrates and makes that sound. I need to look into that.
Sarah and the doctor are both looking at me, and I’m not sure what I missed when my mind went off on that tangent. “Sorry, I was zoning…what’s up?”
Sarah snickers at me, but the doctor just sighs, looking tired. “I said that Sarah is looking better. If this is touch sickness, you might be helping. I was asking if you had any pressing business this morning or if you would be able to stay with her for a few hours and monitor her condition. If she can’t stabilize on her own or with you, I’d like you to bring her back by this afternoon.” I just nod at the doctor as Sarah nuzzles her nose deeper against my chest. The term beta guard is pretty inaccurate in that we do work as guards if necessary, but in reality, the job is eighty percent “other duties as assigned.”
We sit there for a few more minutes, letting Sarah cuddle and relax. After a little bit, I hear soft snoring against my chest. Maybe she didn’t sleep well if she was feeling bad? Doctor Terra covers her mouth to stifle a laugh and nods at me as I try to wrap Sarah up tighter to make sure she stays covered and warm. She’s probably feeling pretty vulnerable in just a sheet. But seriously, there are omegas all over here, and so many strange things happen with them, so nothing should faze me at this point. At least she’s wrapped in a sheet. I’ve seen a few omegas streaking across campus before. That’s always an interesting day.
Sarah takes a deep breath, relaxing further into my arms and cuddling closer as we leave the building—but before long, she’s shivering. Even in L.A., it’s still wintertime. While it takes a bitof effort not to wake her, I wiggle out of my jacket and wrap her up in it, hoping that my body heat, if not my scent, will help keep her calm and sedate. Not that I’d be upset if she found my scent relaxing, but it’s always felt kind of generic to me. Like…ho hum, I smell like mud—dirt and water. Meh. It’s not exactly unpleasant, but I don’t see why it would appeal to the woman in my arms who smells like strawberries and sweet cream.
I’m a bit bigger than average for a beta, and the denim of my jacket swallows her tiny frame as I maneuver it around her, lifting her higher and humming against the top of her head. It’s easier once we’re outside. I don’t have to worry about one of the clinic staff thinking I’m being inappropriate. I just enjoy singing, and I’ll try any weapon in my arsenal to help the girl feel better. Something about her calls to me, and I feel a powerful need to make sure she’s ok.
I worry a lot about the omegas here without family. Most of them have people that come and visit on a regular basis, but not everyone. Normally, I run security on dorms A through C, but I’m happy to help out wherever anybody needs it. Something happened last night with another omega from Dorm F, though, and several of their normal security guys are dealing with that. The rumor mill hasn’t circulated yet about what it was, but I’m sure I’ll hear about it eventually. Most of the guards gossip like old ladies in the break room, and nothing important ever stays secret.
So, while I know more about the residents in my usual dorms, I’ve worked with others before. My mind flickers back to the big guy I helped to move out earlier this year, and I wonder again if this is the same Sarah we talked about. I’ll have to ask her when she wakes up if she knew him, if she was the one he was worried about leaving behind, and if she has any other friends here. She’s not old, but she looks a bit more mature than most of the omegas I see, so I’m just curious now.
