JAN. 5
A few hours later, we were watching the local news. Snuggled up on the bed, we sipped chokeberry juice I’d made myself and munched on crackers. At one point, the broadcast switched to coverage of Ferguson’s arrest.
For a moment, I hesitated. Did Day want to watch this? But I knew better than to try pulling him away—he was glued to the screen.
We both watched as Ferguson was led out of a building—maybe his office?—his hands cuffed behind his back. A group of police officers guided him toward a squad car, while reporters and onlookers crowded around, shouting questions. Ferguson kept his head down, as if trying to hide his face.
Then, suddenly, an omega grabbed his arm and shouted,
"You can run, but you can’t hide, kitty!"
I froze and glanced at Day. He looked just as shocked. That phrase—Ferguson had said those exact words to him once. Was that his go-to line for the omegas he abused?
On-screen, Ferguson turned toward the omega, and the camera caught his face. His lip was split—just like in my dream! The wound looked fresh, the cut still red, as if the scab had only just formed.
I blinked in disbelief, but Day nodded in approval.
"I hope Jared did that."
Too shocked to comment, I stayed quiet. It was strange, but I couldn’t deny the odd sense of satisfaction bubbling up inside me. Whoever did it—well, he did a good job.
Day looked at me. "He got what he deserved, Jan. And this is just the beginning!"
He smiled wide, pulled me into a hug, and held me tight.
Just before we went to sleep, we made passionate love again, and I knotted him once more. But I still didn’t feel the familiar tickle in my gums. A faint unease lingered inside me.
Did I deserve this? To have my own omega, to be honored with mating him?
Every time I thought about it, some strange mental block stopped me.
Maybe I just had to accept that I was flawed in some way—damaged somehow. Maybe True Mates’ Joining could not heal this? Years of doubt and holding back had shaped me more deeply than I realized, perhaps even permanently? The wall inside me, the one keeping me from feeling like a true alpha, worthy of respect and love, seemed almost impossible to break down.
When Day fell asleep, I slipped out of bed and went for a walk around my nursery. Max and Buddy followed me like two loyal shadows.
I glanced up at the night sky, where the stars stretched out, forming the wings of a celestial swan. My thoughts swirled and wavered, restless as the night breeze.
Before I knew it, I had walked the entire length of the plantation. It must have been two or three in the morning, but the rut hormones still coursing through my veins kept me energized. I didn’t feel tired—I could’ve kept marching for hours.
I reached the river at the edge of my property. It marked the boundary of my land, a rare place for me to visit. For a moment, I stood still, staring at the slow, dark current. The water moved calmly, unshaken, shaped by the banks but unresisting, accepting its limits without protest.
Should I do the same?
Feeling drawn to it, I stripped off my clothes and waded in. The current was gentle, lazy even. I floated on my back for a long while, gazing up at the sky.
Somehow, in that moment, I found a measure of peace—an acceptance of what was: my limitations, my flaws. Maybe, in time, I could overcome them? I had to believe that. Slowly, steadily, with no pressure, I allowed myself to drift with the current of my life, telling myself that not every obstacle had to be conquered in a single day.
When I climbed out of the river, I felt lighter, calmer, as if the water had washed away some of my tension. The walk back to the house took a while—it was uphill and long. By the time I reached home, lights glowed in the kitchen and bedroom windows.
As I stepped onto the gravel path cutting through the last rows of blackcurrant bushes, I saw a figure heading toward me.
When Day spotted me, he broke into a run.
"Jan!"
He threw his arms around me, holding on tightly.
"I’ve been waiting for you for two hours. I wasn’t sure why you left!" His face was tense with worry, almost fear.
"I’m fine," I reassured him. "I just went for a walk. The night is beautiful."
His wide eyes searched my face.
"Don’t leave me, Jan. For a moment, I was scared you’d disappear. And I want—" His voice caught, emotion making it hard for him to continue. "I want to spend my life with you."
He cleared his throat, realizing he’d drifted off topic, his tone probably more serious than he intended. "I just didn’t know what was happening, but I could clearly feel you were upset."
"I was, a little," I admitted. "But it’s okay now. Everything will work out—it just takes time."
Day stared at me for a long moment, as if trying to read my thoughts. Maybe he could, just as I could almost read his. Then he took my hand.
"Let’s go home. I know exactly what I want now."
His tone was mysterious, but I followed him inside.
After locking Max and Buddy in their kennels for the night, we went upstairs and headed for the bedroom.
To my surprise, Day did not lead us to the bed, but to the chair. He urged me to sit down, and his lips found mine. A moment later, we were kissing passionately, my hands slipping under his shirt to find his hard nipples. Day seemed impatient; he unzipped my pants and sat on my lap, his legs astride, impaling himself on my erection.
Before he moved, his lips brushed against my cheek, then slid down to my neck, his tongue licking over my gland…
My virgin, unmarked glands.
Feeling something boiling inside me, I finally blurted out, "Day, yesterday, I read online about people who found their True Mates and were short because of some accident, like me. True Mates’ magic can heal almost anything, but unfortunately, there’s no record of it restarting growth in adults. Apparently, this magic doesn’t recognize it as… a sickness." I sighed. "I’ll always be this way, Day. Magic can regenerate a missing limb, restore sight, heal scars, even recreate internal organs, but it’s not my case. I’m sorry—I’ll always look like a beta." My voice wavered, and my throat tightened. "Guess you really can’t have it all," I whispered.
Day slowly pulled back from nibbling on my gland and looked at me for a moment.
"Sorry? For what? Jan! I wouldn’t want you to grow into what nature originally intended for you. Because then you wouldn’t be… you anymore. The guy who’s done so much for me. This hardship shaped you! It wasn’t the alpha-typical height that gave you your calmness, perseverance, integrity, patience, kindness, or understanding. It was this," he said, touching my forehead. "And this," he added, placing his hand over my heart.
He leaned in closer, his eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made my breath catch.
" I. Choose. You. Exactly as you are. I don’t want you to transform; I don’t want you to be like anyone else. Because it wasn’t anyone else who changed my life—it was you. You’re perfect just the way you are, and you’re the only one I want!"
"But—"
"There’s no ‘but’. I know you don’t feel like it’s your place to make the first move. I can sense your hesitation, your shyness, your uncertainty—wondering if I really want this, if I really want to belong to an alpha who looks like a beta. So let me give you a definitive answer. Right now."
Then he leaned in, pulling my T-shirt aside, and in the blink of an eye, I felt his mating fangs sink into my gland.
Shocked, I let out a gasp as a strange wave of pleasure surged through my entire body.
I felt that I was involuntary coming, spurting deep inside Day. I let out a long breath, like after a sprint.
We sat there for a few seconds, still connected, wrapped in this overwhelming, blissful feeling.
Then…the miracle.
Did Day trigger it? I also felt a tingling in my gums!
Somehow, he seemed to sense it. In a few quick moves, he tore off his T-shirt and pressed against me again, angling his neck so his gland was right at my lips.
His scent—sweet, heavy with heat pheromones—surrounded me, captivated me… convinced me.
"I want to be yours. Please, choose me too, Jan. Choose me. Claim me, Jan. I want to be yours forever…"
I could feel tears rolling down my cheeks, with each one I was freeing myself.
"I choose you, Day," I whispered.
Then I felt my mating teeth extend beyond my normal ones—the sensation liberating, powerful, and so… right. It was mine to own, as an alpha. The metallic taste of blood was euphoric as it spread on my tongue, the shapes—thin and sharp—palpable in my mouth.
And I sank my fangs into the gland of my omega.
Day let out a moan. "Yes…"
Another wave of orgasms swept through our bodies.
I felt such deep happiness and overwhelming relief, like never before in my life.
Day… he did it.
Day unbroke me.