12. Grace
Chapter 12
Grace
The next couple days are surprisingly nice.
My mom calls a couple of times to check in on me, and Aiden texts once or twice, but I can tell my family is trying to give me space to settle in with the Alphas.
I thought that it would be more awkward, living here. Jesse doesn’t like me, for one thing. For another, I’m invading their home, and all so they can help me out. That’s got to make them feel uncomfortable.
But instead, it’s nice. Cade takes me to meet the animals, letting me help feed the horses and cattle. The cows have such big sweet eyes and long lashes, they’re adorable. I especially love the calves. They’re eager for attention too, prancing around me and showing off.
It’s been years since I’ve ridden a horse, and I’m tempted to ask for a refresher on it, but I remember I won’t be around here much longer. It would be unfair of me to act like I’m going to be here for months, or to ask them for anything more than I’m already getting.
I learn how to drive a tractor, which is nothing like driving a car. It is in a way, but the weight is all off, so turning and guiding it is harder than I expected. I bet I could drive it down an actual car road just fine but for the sort of work you need farm equipment for out in the fields, it’s a lot harder than it looks.
“I didn’t think that it would require such finesse,” I admit at dinner.
“Still doesn’t explain how you kept getting straw in your hair,” Jesse points out. “You’ve got a talent for being a mess.”
“Thanks,” I say dryly.
There really is straw and hay everywhere though. It’s like cat hair, I can’t seem to escape it. I don’t know how the men manage.
I honestly wish that I could stay in this little bubble of the ranch forever. I know that’s ridiculous. I want to get back to my life in New York. But the moment I start thinking about that is the moment I have to try to plan it and the truth is, I don’t quite have a plan.
There’s also the matter of what my plan has done to all five of us.
We live in a small town. Everybody knows everybody out here. I’m pretty sure everybody knows everybody in the entire county.
The moment we leave the ranch, people are going to want to know what’s going on. I’m sure somebody’s already gossiped about the five of us. There were Alphas I didn’t know at the presentation, but the Omegas are all from this county, and some of the Alphas must have been. I’m sure they’ve talked. Everybody knows everyone’s business around here.
That means we’re going to have to pretend. Lie. Fake it. I’m not sure I’m ready for that.
It doesn’t help that there is some tension, although none of it’s on the Alphas. They’re being lovely. Well, okay, maybe ‘lovely’ is a stretch when it comes to Jesse. He just seems to avoid me. Cade is doing his best in his own gruff way, but Easton and Hendrix are great.
Hendrix even got me those daisies. I smile every time I see them through the front windows or when I leave the house through the front door. He’s always been a flirt with everyone. I didn’t realize there was such a considerate person beneath that.
No, all the tension comes from me. Me and my stupid inability to stop being turned on by these men. They’re all so strong, I want to watch them work around the ranch all day. Lifting equipment, hay bales, even carrying the baby calves. It’s not all grunt work, though. I can see them working on the machines, fixing things up—you need to be smart to be a rancher.
The gentle way that they guide the horses and other animals, the skill it needs to lead them, to have these animals trust you and follow your body language and the way you click your tongue… there’s so much more that goes into ranching than I ever expected. And it’s really attractive.
I take cold showers to wash the dirt and sweat off in the afternoon, but that’s not the only reason. I need to do something to keep myself from going crazy and doing something stupid like kissing one of them.
They’re just so ruggedly handsome, and they smell so good . I know that part of it is just my Omega hormones talking, but now that I’m living with my brother’s four best friends, it’s even harder to deny the attraction to them that I’ve always felt.
I’m not quite sure how the men are handling having me in their living space, which I know must be a big adjustment for them too. But I can definitely tell that we’re all hyper aware of each other, and I think the close proximity is affecting all of us.
As if to prove my point, Easton glances around the kitchen on Friday morning before announcing, “I think we should get out of the house.”
I nearly choke on my eggs but manage to keep a straight face. “I suppose we should.”
Might as well rip the band-aid off. We’ll have to venture out sooner or later.
Jesse shoots a sharp look at his pack mate. “I don’t know.”
“It’s Friday,” Easton replies. “We like to go out anyway, people will wonder if we’re not around.”
“We can just let them wonder,” Jesse mutters. Cade grunts in agreement, gaze stubbornly focused on his plate.
“The gossip will be worse if we don’t go out,” Hendrix points out. “They might think that there’s something wrong.”
“He’s got a point,” I put in. Jesse shoots me a look like I’ve betrayed him. I glare at him. I haven’t betrayed anything. There’s nothing between us to betray. I just can’t deny that Easton’s right.
“The longer we stay here the more people will have time to come up with their own stupid theories and we all know how stupid this town can get when they’re left to themselves.” I’m sure they can think of a lot of rumors and gossip we’ve heard in our time growing up here. People seem to have nothing better to do.
Hendrix sighs and drums his fingers on the table. “I don’t like the fact that she’s right.” He smiles at me. “Not that the idea of going out with you on my arm’s a bad thing, Grace.”
“Of course not,” I say dryly. “But I’m sure you’re disappointed there are all these other women you can’t have on your arms as well now.”
“Just saying, you’ve got a point. You’d outshine them all anyway.” Hendrix winks at me.
I hate how my stomach gets all fluttery at the compliment. I know that Hendrix is a flirt. A thoughtful and kind person, more than I gave him credit for being, but still a flirt. He’s not saying this because he really means it, it’s just his incorrigible flirtatiousness shining through.
“The sooner we go out and show everyone how happy we are,” Easton argues, “the sooner we can get back here and not deal with them.”
Damn it. That’s a really good point.
The others seem to think so too, going by how they all look at one another with resigned expressions on their faces. I’m starting to get used to how they all communicate so well with one another. It’s endearing. I just wish I could feel like I was a part of it.
Or, well, a part of something. I don’t need to be a part of these four, because it’s not going to happen. A few days with these men and I’m already going insane. I definitely need to get out of here.
Maybe going out into the real world, even if the ‘real world’ is just my small town, will do me good.
When the time comes, I hurry upstairs to get ready. I’m going to need an extra bit of time to make myself look presentable. Usually, back in New York, I have manicured nails, and I style my hair every day, and I make myself look nice. I take my time in the shower every day with skin scrubs, and I put on scented lotions afterward.
I only brought travel-sized stuff for my visit back home so that’s all run out, and it’s not like I have time for any of that anyway, here on the ranch. There’s always something to do. I do my best with what I know and then follow one of the men like a duckling, learning something new.
Well, I follow Easton and Hendrix. Cade is still a bit too intimidating for me and I think Jesse would trick me into falling into a pile of horse shit or something equally embarrassing.
Either way, at the end of the day I’m exhausted, and so I take a shower to get clean, and do whatever care’s needed so that I don’t have split ends or cracked heels. That kind of self-care. Nothing fancy. And you really don’t need special creams or manicures for working on a ranch. Nobody’s going to see it and it’ll get destroyed in five minutes.
But I can’t resist a sigh as I look down at my hands. I want to look nice when we go out. I’ll just have to do what I can.
I take a shower and put on some nice perfume. I do still have my cute clothes from when I originally got here. I’ve got no reason to wear a skirt and heels out on the ranch but in town it’ll be nice.
Internally, I wince as I wonder if people will say that I dress too ‘uppity’. I didn’t mind dressing like a city girl when I was from the city, just stopping by for a short family visit. Now I’ll be here for a few weeks, maybe a couple of months. I don’t want people thinking I stick out too much or thinking I think I’m too good for them.
I sort through my clothes, wearing a pair of my lacy panties and a nice, equally lacy bra. Splurging on underwear is one of my little vices. I know that nobody’s going to see it but me, but it helps me to feel sexy and confident. What matters is that I feel good when I look in the mirror.
Although…
I look down at myself. Does my bra fit differently? I turn side to side, trying to get different angles. My breasts don’t feel all that different now that I’m an Omega, but could they be a bit heavier?
I know that the heats will be intense and that my body will be going through a lot. I can’t help but wonder if that means there will be some changes to my body going on. Similar to puberty, although probably less extreme. I look around for a mirror.
Damn it, there doesn’t seem to be anything but the bathroom mirror and that only gives me from the shoulders up. I try to think, but I can’t recall any other mirrors that would show me my full body.
Of course the men somehow look amazing and sexy even without needing a full-length mirror to check and see if their clothes hang just right. Damn them.
Hmmm. I could use my phone and get a selfie. The angle won’t be as good as from a mirror but it’s better than nothing.
I get my phone and try some different angles. I’m not going for sexy so I don’t hold the phone up over my head. I hold it straight on, trying to imitate as much of an honest look at my body as I can. It takes about ten tries, but finally I’ve got something that covers it all.
I look at the photo. I’m a bit relieved. My body looks the same as it always has. No crazy changes. Thank god. There’ve been enough crazy changes going on in my life right now. I don’t need more.
A text comes through from Easton, popping up at the top of the screen. He’s asking something about where we want to eat, but the preview of the text cuts off. I move my thumb up to tap on the photo and—
Oh. Oh no.
It happens so fast, and yet just slowly enough that I can see it happening. I move my thumb up, but it stays connected to the screen, dragging. And of course, of course I just had to get the fancy latest model of phone because everyone at work had them. On this phone, if a text pops up, and I want to send a photo I’m looking at, I just drag my thumb up toward the text and it pops the photo into the text thread and sends it.
Which is what I just accidentally did.
I hear the little whoosh noise the phone makes as it successfully sends the photo, and my stomach clenches into a tight little ball as my heart stutters.
I realize dimly that my mouth is hanging open in shock.
Oh fuck. I can’t believe I just did that . I just sent a text of myself in nothing but very lacy, tiny underwear to all four men. Because Easton sent his text in the group chat.
Oh my god I want to die. I feel so embarrassed I could probably manage a heart attack.
I frantically open the text thread.
ME: Oh my god, please ignore that! It was a mistake. I’m so, so sorry.
Even as I type, I see the little check mark notification that means everyone in the group has seen the text you sent—or in my case, the photo I sent. Oh god . I want the earth to open up and swallow me whole.
My heart jumps again as the little bubbles appear at the bottom of my screen. Hendrix is the first to text back.
HENDRIX: Where’d you get this photo of me? Don’t get me wrong, I look smokin’, but have you been being a Peeping Tom?
He adds a few silly emojis at the end, and it’s almost enough to break through my panic and make me laugh.
JESSE: You’re not bribing us that easily, you’re still doing your share of the chores.
EASTON: Uh, is that a yes to the Mexican place?
Cade doesn’t say anything at all, but he taps out little thumbs-up emojis on the three texts the others sent, like he’s seconding their opinions. Cade doesn’t chat much in the group anyway, usually just attaches those emojis to other people’s texts like the online version of nodding along during a conversation.
My face feels like it’s on fire. I suppose them making jokes about it is the best-case scenario, though. It could’ve been so much worse. I don’t want to make any of them uncomfortable. Not even Jesse, for all that he’s annoyed me to Hell and back.
I don’t respond to their texts. I don’t even know what I would say. I just get dressed as fast as I can and try to look a bit presentable before I head downstairs. Put-together for a night out, and not like I was just taking selfies in my underwear.
All four men are in the living room when I get downstairs. “I’m ready,” I call, announcing my arrival into the room.
I can barely look them in the eye. Any time I try I find my gaze darting away. It’s just, well, they’ve seen all that now. That can’t be undone. Even if the photo somehow got wiped, their memories haven’t been. They know what they saw.
I’m sure they can see how embarrassed I am, but I can’t seem to help it, and none of them mention how much I’m blushing. Maybe they’re a little embarrassed too, beneath all the joking. Instead, we just head out.
Great. The evening hasn’t even started, and I’m potentially ruining it.
They all look good, which doesn’t help, in plaid flannel and cowboy hats, the quintessential ranchers, good-looking but still casual. I feel overdressed now, but it’s too late to do anything about it.
We get into the car and head out. Hendrix makes small talk, as Easton and I make valiant efforts to go along with it, but we’re both struggling so it’s mostly Hendrix having a long conversation with himself. Which is kind of weirdly sweet, actually. I enjoy listening to him talk. If you wait for him to get through the flirting, he has a lot of interesting things to say.
We go to the same watering hole where William and I went on our first night in town. It feels like that happened an entire lifetime ago. I feel a sense of déjà vu, like this isn’t quite real—or maybe it was my time with William that wasn’t quite real. That was back when I thought I was a Beta. I’m a whole different person now, whether I want to be or not.
Normally I wouldn’t worry too much about being recognized. In a place like New York City, you don’t get remembered by the waitstaff when you’ve only been somewhere once before, not unless you were a really great guest or a really terrible one.
In a small town like this, though, I’m sure that I’ll be remembered. I grew up here. I last showed up here with a man from the big city by my side.
Now I’m walking in with four of the most eligible bachelors in the county surrounding me.
Jesse might drive me crazy and I might struggle to get a read on Cade, and yes, Hendrix is a terrible flirt. But they’re all handsome, strong, capable Alphas with a business they run, a whole ranch under their care. You’re not exactly overrun for good prospects in a small town. We often joked as girls in school that we’d have to go to Denver or some other large city to really find anybody.
And now, I’ve snatched them up, or at least that’s what everyone’s going to think. I can hear their gossipy whispers in my head.
Big city girl, too good for us, came back and swooped in and took the four most eligible men we have. How dare she take those Alphas from us. Who does she think she is? Acts so much better than all of us and now she’s taken them too.
It makes a lump of hot anxiety form in my throat. I swallow hard.
Hendrix gently puts a hand on the small of my back to guide me as Jesse takes the lead. The crowd moves out of the way for us, which is natural. Four big Alphas? Everyone’s going to move.
I can’t help but wonder if it’s not just that, though. If I’m being stared at.
We take seats at the bar, the conversation flowing around us. Several people wave and say hi to the Alphas. A few people say hi to me that I recognize from school. It makes me cringe inside even as I put on a smile and wave.
Maybe it’s just all in my head and people don’t care or are happy for me. I just can’t shake the insecurity that twists in the pit of my stomach.
We order our drinks, and I get my usual, a strawberry daiquiri. “I remember when this place didn’t have cocktails at all,” Jesse notes.
“Well, lucky for me, they’ve expanded their menu.” I know it’s a bit fancy but I like the fruit flavors in my alcohol.
Jesse snorts. “Should’ve guessed you’d like that kind of thing.”
“And I should’ve guessed you’d be boring and order just a straight two fingers.”
Hendrix and Easton also order something simple. Cade, though? He orders two drinks. A straight whiskey and a strawberry daiquiri as well. Interesting.
I don’t say anything. I’m not sure what I even would say. I don’t want him to feel like he’s being teased. Cade’s gruff but I’m starting to wonder if maybe there’s a softer side beneath. I feel weirdly protective of his emotions.
We get our drinks while various men come up and chat with the four Alphas. Everyone seems at ease. I think everyone else is a little excited to see me, actually. Excited for some good gossip. I can see a few looks sent my way from various people around the room, and the men who talk to my Alphas have an air of leashed curiosity about them.
I can see them glancing at me as they chat with the men, although none of them say anything to me directly. It seems to annoy Cade a bit, because he puffs up slightly as he sits next to me and sips at the daiquiri. He seems almost puzzled by it. I have to stifle my giggles in my own identical drink.
As the alcohol seeps into my veins, I find myself feeling a little more comfortable and almost, well, confrontational. Not angry, exactly, but I don’t like that people aren’t talking to me. They’ll stare and whisper but won’t chat to me directly? Yeah, I’m not going to stand for that.
I’m going to let everyone see that they don’t get to me. They can have whatever opinions of me they want and I can’t stop them as much as I might like to. But I can show everyone that I don’t care. I can make sure they see, or at least think, that their gossip doesn’t matter.
I finish the rest of my drink and look around. There’s got to be something to do in here.
There in the lobby, where there always have been, are some waist-high video games, old classic ones like Frogger and Pac-Man. They’re set up not with the screen vertical, but horizontal, so that you look down at it. It’s so that kids can play too during the earlier hours when families are in the restaurant area.
Right now, though, it’s definitely all adults in here. I hop off the barstool and make my way through the crowd to the Pac-Man game and put in a quarter, grinning. It’s been forever since I played one of these things. It feels like a childish thing, those sorts of things you stop doing when you become an adult.
“Grace? Grace Whitmore?”
I look up and see someone I recognize. “Don? Hey!”
Don’s family has been around this area for years. He’s the fourth or fifth guy in his family named Don, even though it’s a bit old-fashioned, it’s a tradition. He’s a Beta, if I remember correctly. His scent is minimal, hard to catch, and when we hug it’s brief.
“I heard you were back in town,” Don says. “How’s everything? You were in New York, right?”
“Yup, yeah, came back for my grandmother’s birthday.” I clear my throat. “I’m sure you heard about the rest.”
Don looks a little embarrassed. “News travels fast around here, you could say that.”
“It’s okay. I figured that people would know. How’s your family?”
“They’re all good. I’ve got to admit we were all surprised that you, uh, did your presentation here instead of back in the city.”
“Why is that surprising?”
I jump as an arm drops around my shoulders and I look up to see Jesse smirking at Don in a way that’s rather… feral. I’m tempted to elbow him and say that Don wasn’t flirting, for crying out loud, he can knock off the whole possessive Alpha routine—but I’m too busy blinking as a cowboy hat is suddenly dropped on my head.
I push the hat up so that it’s sitting on my head better and no longer covering my eyes. Jesse’s tousled chestnut brown hair is now on full display, since it’s his cowboy hat that’s perched on my head.
Don snorts, raising an amused eyebrow. “Isn’t she supposed to be the one who puts it on her own head?” he teases.
I frown at him, then at Jesse. “What’s he talking about?”
Don and Jesse both chuckle. “Forgetting your small-town roots so easily, huh?” Jesse murmurs, a rough edge to his voice.
“What do you mean?”
“Wear the hat, ride the cowboy,” Don says, then winks exaggeratedly at me.
I can feel heat rising up my cheeks. This is what you signed up for, I remind myself. You signed up for everyone to think you’re actually with these Alphas romantically.
This is the kind of flirty, sexy behavior that people will expect from a group of Alphas and their Omega. I can’t act stiff and uncomfortable.
The problem is, I don’t want to anyway. I’m flustered, but I’m also… hot under the collar.
“What’s this?” Hendrix says, voice full of his usual flirtation. I look over and see the other Alphas walking up to playfully surround me. “You can’t just take Jesse’s hat.”
“I didn’t take it! He just put it on me!”
“Well, it’s only fair that now you take mine.” Easton takes Jesse’s hat off my head and replaces it with his own, handing Jesse back his.
I tip my head back and grin up at him. “How do I look?”
“Sexy.” Easton grins and winks at me.
I’m not used to the usually shy Easton being so bold. I know it’s all an act, but my heart still races hard in my chest at the way he’s looking at me.
“Good.” I tip the hat and grin at him, trying to act sexier than I feel.
The hat is plucked from my head a second later, and another cowboy hat is plopped on. I recognize the scent that clings to it even before I adjust the hat so I can see and look at the men to know which one is now hatless. “Cade.”
“Good guess,” Easton says.
Cade grins at me. I grin back. He really is sweet beneath that gruff exterior.
All four men are gathered around me now, Don and everyone else in the bar completely forgotten. I swallow hard, surrounded by their scents and their bodies, the heat of them seeping into my skin. It would be so easy for them to take a step in closer, to completely fold me into their embrace and touch me…
I bet with four of them we could even make it so that others couldn’t even see. The four of them taking turns driving me crazy, making me whimper and moan, the rest of the noisy bar oblivious…
I’m so turned on, this is insane. They’re not even really doing anything. They’re just goofing off. I scramble for a distraction.
“Well, if this is how I stake my claim on you…” I snatch Hendrix’s hat and trade it with Cade’s, playfully tossing Cade his and securing Hendrix’s hat on my head. “Then how do you stake your claim on me?”
Hendrix grins, something hungry glinting in his eyes that makes my stomach melt. He’s smiled flirtatiously at me before. Hell, I don’t think Hendrix knows how to smile any other way. But this is different.
I feel my breath catch in my throat as he holds up the glass of whiskey he’s been drinking. He tips it into his mouth but doesn’t swallow. Then he takes my chin in his hand and gently squeezes, tugging downward.
I open my mouth without even really thinking about it, just following the pressure of his touch. Once my lips are fully parted, Hendrix bends down and—
Spits the whiskey my mouth.
There’s hooting and hollering from all around us, and I realize that we’ve got an audience. I close my mouth so that the whiskey doesn’t spill out, but I want to whimper. My body throbs with heat, and I can feel my legs shaking. I’ve never had someone be so bold with me, so openly sexual. And in public too.
My pulse is racing so fast I feel like I might pass out, but I like it. I want more of it.
I finally swallow, the whiskey burning all the way down, and Hendrix presses his mouth to mine, his tongue sliding between my lips as if to chase the taste. I make a surprised hum as people around us whistle and clap.
Hendrix pulls back, smirking. “Best whiskey I’ve ever had.”
“Me too,” I whisper, staring up at him.
He brushes his thumb over my lip, and I literally whimper. My breath is shaky. I realize I’m clinging to him to stay upright.
That was the hottest moment of my life. All I want to do is climb him like a tree, spread my legs and beg him to do more, and to do other things to me—things that I think would get us thrown out of the bar.
“All right, all right,” Jesse huffs at everyone in the bar, putting his hands up protectively. “There’s nothing more to see here, ya miscreants, get back to your own shit.”
“I think I need another drink,” Hendrix notes, looking down at his empty glass. “Some pretty little darlin’ drank all of mine.”
I glare at him playfully, even though my legs are still wobbly. “Just for that, I’m buying.”
I march over to the bar, Hendrix’s laugh following me the whole way.
We find seats again after I bring fresh drinks back for us, and the men keep chatting. After a bit, I start to mingle around the bar a little, seeing a few familiar faces and catching up with people I haven’t seen in years. There are some women here from school that I remember, and I chat with them too. There’s another Omega from my year, and I remember when she presented during the senior play. I felt terrible for her, thinking that discovering she was an Omega in front of an audience must be a bit awkward and embarrassing.
Of course, I didn’t know then that I’d be presenting as an Omega as well, and late , which is even more awkward.
I eventually go up to the bar to get a glass of water, downing it. I enjoyed the alcohol but I don’t want to get dehydrated or be too drunk.
“Oh my goodness!” A feminine voice exclaims from behind me. “Is that… Grace Whitmore?”
I wince internally as I recognize the voice, but I refuse to let anything show on my face as I turn around and see Maybelle Parker standing in front of me.
Great .
She looks as beautiful and poised as ever, her long gorgeous auburn hair cascading down her shoulders and perfectly framing her face, gently curling without being unruly. Those icy blue eyes starred in my nightmares when I was a kid.
Maybelle wasn’t just the girl that ruled the school when I was a teenager, she was also my worst bully.
She’s still beautiful, still dressed perfectly, still smiling at me with that smug self-confidence like she owns the room. She realized she was an Omega fairly early, during her junior year, and it seemed like every guy in school had a thing for her. She was the type of girl that people treated like a queen, and she made me feel like a nobody.
“It is you!” Maybelle grabs my hands and squeezes them like we’re old friends. “I wondered! You looked so out of place I thought you had to be someone from out of town—which I suppose you are now, in a way. But it’s really you!”
I smile, although I think it looks more like a grimace. “Hello, Maybelle. How are you?”
“Oh, fabulous, as always. My goodness. I think when you left we all thought that would be the last of you, but now you’re back. And an Omega. With these four Alphas, of all the Alphas in the country!”
“Ah, well. It was just… interesting timing.” It’s pretty obvious she’s not happy that I’m with these four Alphas, when I could’ve gone back to New York City and had someone there. I can feel heat crawling up my cheeks that isn’t arousal but embarrassment.
Maybelle laughs, light and fluttery like a swarm of butterflies. I clench my teeth. I really hate how perfect she is. Or, rather, how perfect she presents. I don’t think someone who’s actually perfect would bully someone else.
“Of course, of course. I didn’t know that an Omega could present that late,” Maybelle says. “I wonder how you’re finding it.”
“It’s certainly interesting.”
“Mmm. I must imagine it’s like all those old people who try to get a new job late in life, trying to learn on computers and fancy new phones! You must know all about that with your grandmother.”
My jaw clenches. “My grandmother’s sharp as a tack.”
“Of course, I never meant to imply she wasn’t.” Maybelle’s eyes go wide. “But you know what I mean. I’m shocked you managed to snag such great Alphas considering.”
“Well, it was an interesting situation.” I don’t want to go into details. I don’t want to lie to Maybelle. Not because I respect her, but I don’t want to tell her something because whatever I do, she’ll spread it around.
I really should’ve asked the men what kind of story we should have for how we got attracted to each other and why they chose me at the auction. Damn it. I can’t believe I wasn’t better about this. I should’ve known that people would think to ask about it.
Or, in Maybelle’s case, want to ask without actually asking.
“It certainly was!” Maybelle laughs again. “I hope you’re doing okay. I mean, you must be, to have four such amazing Alphas with you. You must do a lot to keep them pleased. To keep them happy.” She cocks her head. “I’m sure you’ve learned real fast how to be a proper Omega for them. You were always such a fast learner in school! Always focused on those books.”
I swallow hard. “Yeah, a real nerd, that was me.”
I don’t snap at her that the reason I was always buried in books is because she wouldn’t leave me alone. In the library, I could be safe, I could read and escape.
“And I haven’t had any complaints!” I add cheerfully, even though I haven’t had any compliments, either.
I’m not taking care of the Alphas like a ‘proper Omega’ because that’s not the relationship we have. We’re just pretending.
But even if we weren’t… I can’t help but feel a pang in my chest. I’m an Omega. Whether I want to be or not. I can’t change my biology. Unfortunately.
Maybelle glances up and down my body appraisingly, a cool, assessing look in her light blue eyes. Whatever she sees, she finds it lacking. “I’m sure,” she says sweetly, then she flounces off.
I turn back to the bar. Maybe I could use one more shot and that’ll help.
The shot does help somewhat, but I don’t truly feel any better. I know what Maybelle’s implying. I’m not an idiot.
I’m a late bloomer. I don’t know anything about being an Omega, what it entails, how my body will react, or how to give an Alpha what he wants. If these four Alphas really were serious about courting me, I would be expected to take care of them in certain ways, and I couldn’t do that.
I don’t know how.
I swallow hard again. The bar feels too hot, too crowded, too loud. I try to keep a straight face. I’m sure Maybelle’s watching me from some corner, trying to see if her words had an effect, and I don’t want her to see that she scored a hit.
But maybe she is right. I was pretending to flirt with the men earlier but I wasn’t really—they did all the work. They put the hats on my head, Hendrix kissed me, they did all of it. I can’t hold my own.
Maybelle’s mean, but she’s right.
I don’t know the first thing about being an Omega.