Talk About… Trouble (Rockwood Valley Omegaverse #4)

Chapter 2

Wren

“ Y ou can do this, Wren. You already talked to them on the phone and filled everything out. The rest is easy,” I reminded myself as I stared at the building in front of me, hands gripping my purse hard enough my fingers ached.

Maybe I should be worried about how often I talked to myself these days, but my therapist always told me to not bring more negativity into my life.

So, we were just going to roll with it.

“Are you okay? Can I help at all?” a soft voice asked. I glanced over to take in the omega next to me and more pink than I’d ever seen any one person wear. From her cute sweatshirt and comfy pants, to her shoes, to her mini backpack, to the phone in her hand.

She smiled at me, a flash of white teeth and excitement dancing in her pale blue eyes.

“I’ll be fine,” I said, trying to convince myself and her at the same time. “I’m meeting someone about a place to stay.”

“Oh, I have a meeting today, too, I wonder if we’re roommates,” she gasped, linking her arm in mine. My initial reaction was to tense up and put space between us, but I was being dragged toward the front door before my mind could catch up and I gave into the petite, but intense omega.

“Uh, m-maybe,” I managed to choke out, eyes darting around like anyone would be around to save me.

The sterile air of the clinic hit me as we burst through the door. I met the eyes of a horrified omega, eyes wide and mouth gaping as she stood from behind a desk.

“Grace!” the woman gasped, rushing over and pulling the dark haired omega away from me. At least I had a name to go with the excitable woman.

“She’s okay,” I defended. Somehow she’d blown past my defenses and pulled me out of my spiraling thoughts. Her bubbly personality canceled out all my anxiety.

“Sorry about my sister,” she said with an exasperated sigh. “I’m Hailey, welcome to The Omega Network. Can I help you?”

“Wren. I have a meeting set up,” I explained.

Recognition flashed in her eyes and she shot Grace a stern look.

“This isn’t usually how we greet omegas but my sister can get ahead of herself. We have a few options for you, if you want to follow me. Grace, I’ll be back.”

Grace pouted but sat in a chair, making herself cozy in the plush, red seat as her sister led me through the back hallway to a conference room.

“I really am sorry about her,” Hailey repeated. “If you need time to recover I understand.”

“Well, I guess that means you know my history,” I countered, hating that I had to come with a warning label now. “No, she was fine. It helped me get inside, actually.”

“She’s got a way of bulldozing past everything until you’re caught up in her excitement, doesn’t she?” Hailey said. Her smile was sweeter now. It was nice to see family that cared about each other. Much better than mine who thought I was ‘too much trouble and bad for their reputation’ thanks to my past.

It wasn’t like I asked to be used, abused, drugged, and lied to on repeat.

Pasting a smile on my face, I gestured to the waiting information.

“I take it you found something for me?”

“Actually, yes,” she grinned. “The town population has been steadily picking up so we’ve been recently looking into new ways to welcome incoming omegas. You’re not the first, or probably last, omega looking for a fresh start. We have solo housing options, or we have shared apartments. They’re a bit bigger, more amenities, and tend to be a better fit for those needing help acclimating to a new town.”

Honestly, being solo sounded like hell. I knew it would be no different than my apartment back home where I sat, afraid of my own damn shadow and let my thoughts drag me deeper and deeper into depression.

“A shared space sounds nice,” I said, trying to sound confident. “What happens if we aren’t compatible roommates, though?”

“Then you come back and let us know what’s going on and we try something new. We want to help, not force you to endure something you don’t want,” she said easily. Hailey was the opposite of her sister. She had a calm kindness about her that had the words flowing easily. “Plus, shared spaces mean split costs and friendship. We want you to have it all, not struggle more.”

“Have you already paired me with roommates?”

She winced. “Actually yes, if you want to go that route I was planning on having you join Grace and Devon. Grace is moving in today, Devon, a male omega, is already moved in. It’s a three-bedroom apartment, the biggest we have available, actually. Great location, just down the block from a bookstore, coffee shop, and all the other cute little businesses Rockwood Valley has to offer.”

She looked like she was waiting for me to tell her no, and back out now. The truth was that Grace reminded me of myself before everything happened. I used to be bubbly and outgoing.

After my best friend’s pack ruined me and forced my omega to go dormant, I changed. I missed the easy smiles and fun I used to have. Trust was given a lot easier and I had friends to spend time with.

Maybe Grace could bring that out in me again.

“I’m still interested,” I promised. “What do I need to know?”

She sat up straighter, looking relieved, and sorted through the folder in front of her. When she found what she was looking for, she slid the paper my way.

“This is the cost breakdown. You just pay rent through the local portal. I’ll help you sign up before you leave. It’s going to be where your appointments will show up, prescriptions and refills, reminders, info, help menu, the works,” she explained, pulling out a tablet and showing me how to navigate the site.

The clinic back in the city was too outdated for this. It was a relief to know that I wouldn’t have to beg to have my questions answered or calls returned. Hailey seemed on top of it.

“Do you have an issue sharing an apartment with a male omega?” she asked, pausing on another sheet.

“It doesn’t bother me,” I said quickly. Maybe a male omega would be a nice middle ground between me and Grace who were on opposite sides of the spectrum of personalities at the moment.

“Perfect. Here is Devon’s roommate profile. The same one you sent in to us. He’s got you and Grace just in case, I’ll be handing all of this to Grace when we finish up as well, so you’re all starting on even footing. Does the cost and everything seem agreeable?”

“Oh yeah, the cost is fine,” I said quickly, a blush heating up my cheeks. The money sitting in my bank account was a blessing and a curse. I hated that I had it, but I also wasn’t going to turn it away. This money was giving me the chance to heal and find my place and I was going to take advantage of that.

Giving myself grace, as my therapist called it.

I was doing that in more ways than one now with my future roommate.

“Perfect,” Hailey grinned. “I’m actually really excited about this. The apartment building is a new build and fairly small. There is an all-beta security staff in place and guests are required to show ID and check in properly for everyone’s safety. The apartments are so cozy and perfect.” The way she gushed told me she put a lot of heart into this project.

I hoped to find something that brought that passion out of me again. Maybe here in Rockwood Valley I’d get the chance.

“Then this folder is all yours and if you’re ready, I can lead you back to the doctor’s office,” she offered. I swallowed hard, but nodded. This was something I had to do. My omega side was a mess and maybe a second opinion could change things.

Thirty minutes later, I was sitting with a kind, older alpha. After my initial exam he brought me to his office to go over his findings.

“I’m so sorry you had to endure all of this, Wren,” he started, the compassion in his voice making my eyes burn with tears. I fought hard to not let them fall and simply nodded, knowing no words were necessary. “But, I do think that your omega will recover given time. You need time to relax and heal. This town has a knack for bringing out the best in people, I hope it’ll give you a place to find yourself again.”

There was something in his eyes, a soft understanding and sadness that told me he was intimately familiar with needing to start over in life. Trauma always recognizes trauma.

“That’s my hope as well,” I said, meeting his eyes. They crinkled around the edges as he beamed at me.

“I don’t recommend starting any sort of medication such as suppressors or even birth control. Anything that affects your hormones and your omega side won’t help. If you find yourself in need of something like that, you give us a call and we can find solutions,” he said, glancing at me over his glasses to gauge my reaction.

“That’s fine with me,” I admitted. At this point, I felt like half a person. Without my omega, I was hollow, empty, and I was willing to do just about anything to wake her up again.

“You may have a dulled sense of smell or even attraction at this point. Nesting might be the same. Be gentle with her and try to do what makes you happy. I think balancing your life will do wonders. We’re here to help in any way we can. You’re not alone.”

How could everyone here be so nice? The last clinic I went to was an absolute nightmare. It was overcrowded, underfunded, and everyone was more than a little jaded.

As soon as he walked me out of his office, Hailey was waiting for me. It was kind of nice knowing I had someone here I was comfortable enough with to come to if anything went wrong. Maybe I was being paranoid, but having an escape route if things went south was one of my coping mechanisms.

“Do you need any help with moving in?” she asked as she led me back to the front of the building. It was a nice offer, but unnecessary.

“No. I didn’t come with much. I’ll just order in or find whatever else I need later. I’ve got the basics,” I reassured her.

“We have a list at the desk of local omega shops and boutiques,” she reassured me. “Nesting, clothes, we’ve got a little bit of everything around here and the neighboring cities.”

Grace was waiting for me in the lobby. She jumped up, then froze awkwardly in place, biting her lip and clenching her fists as if she were physically restraining her excitement.

“I hear we’re going to be roomies,” she said, trying to sound casual and failing.

“Please don’t censor yourself for me,” I said, hating that she seemed so uncomfortable. The breath that blew out of her had Hailey snorting out a laugh. I couldn’t help but join in as Grace did a little happy dance.

“See, I knew we’d be a good fit,” she grinned. “I know the way to the building if you want to follow behind my car. I’m excited to go meet our other roommate. Maybe we can all go to dinner or out to the bar tonight for bonding.”

My heart slammed at the mention of going to a bar. I wanted to protest, to say I wasn’t ready, but this wasn’t the city and those alphas that put the fear in me were behind bars.

This was a new beginning and I couldn’t live in the past.

I found my answer slipping out of me before I could overthink it again.

“Sounds like fun.”