Chapter 8
Eight
Paloma
T he man in front of me was a male Omega. Before yesterday, I hadn’t known male Omegas even existed until I met Strat, the male Omega in OJ’s Pack. But here in front of me was the most beautiful man I’d ever seen, and he was an Omega.
Unlike OJ and Strat, the man in front of me didn’t put me on edge, like I was in someone else’s territory. No, this Omega felt like mine, which was insane, because I’d only just met him and he hadn’t said a single word to me.
He had stepped up to protect me, though, and that made that little voice inside my head coo happily.
As he sat down on the coffee table opposite me, the Omega’s eyes ran over my face like he could see into my soul. He would soon find I was split open and rotten at the core, like spoiled fruit. That’s what Sister Aurelia had always said to me anyway. Broken and rotten.
He gave me a soft smile. “Hello, Paloma. I don’t know if these guys have told you, but my name is August.” His expression was so honest and open and warm. Had anyone ever looked at me like that before?
“Hello.” I wished my voice was stronger, not so beaten-down.
I saw Rio twitch, and August’s eyes flicked toward him before coming back to me. “You have my word that I will leave anytime you want. We can talk about as much or as little as you want. I’ll answer any questions you might have. Would you like a drink?”
I lifted the water bottle Max had given me earlier. “No, I’m okay.”
Another warm smile that made my heart race. “That’s great. Not to state the obvious, Paloma, but you have no hair. Is there anything medically relevant we should know to help you?”
I lifted my hand to rub over the stubble of my hair regrowth. He thought I was sick? “No. The Leaders believed that an Omega’s hair was only for her Alpha mates, and was a source of temptation to others, so all unmated Omegas had to have their heads shaved and wear the lace.”
“The lace?”
I chewed my lip. “Uh, a veil?”
“Ah, I see. Wearing a head covering is very popular in modern religions. Did you do it for religious reasons or just cultural ones?”
I didn’t know how to answer that. Our religion was our culture. They were one and the same. “Uh, I guess, cultural ones. The Sisters and Brothers didn’t have to wear them to honor Izuny. Just the Omegas. A kind of divine penance for our betrayal.”
“Izuny? Was that your Prophet?” Something about August’s light tone put me at ease, or maybe it was Max’s big body pressed close to mine, keeping me safe.
So I shook my head. “No, Izuny is our god. The supreme Alpha. We worship him and live how he wishes.”
“Were the Omegas worshiped too?”
This time, I laughed out loud, but it wasn’t a joyous sound. “No. Uh, what’s the opposite of worshiped?” I asked August, and he tilted his head as if pondering my question.
“Reviled would be the right word, I think.”
That sounded correct. “Yes, that. Omegas were reviled. We were marked by the Betrayer goddess, Melize, the first Omega.”
He was being very good at keeping his own thoughts to himself, but I could see the recoil in his expression. “That’s quite unlike our society as a whole, but very interesting. What about Betas?”
I licked my dry lips. “Betas are the children of Basric, Izuny’s brother. While not punished by Izuny for being led astray by Melize, Basric’s children showed they were unwilling to put the good of their people above being led into temptation by Melize, so they could never become Leaders. They became Brothers and Sisters, keepers of the faith, and they worked to keep the Homestead going.”
“The Homestead? That’s where you lived?” Max asked, and I turned to look at him, his intense eyes boring into my own.
The scent of rich melted chocolate swept over me, and I knew it was August. It made me feel languid and chased away the anxiety that lived in my chest like a monster. “That’s what we called it. It was a big community, with a fence around the perimeter to stop the bad things from coming in. But I’m beginning to think that maybe it was to keep us from getting out?”
Panic was crawling up my throat, and Max pulled me onto his lap again. I turned my cheek to the firm muscle. Strong. Safe. I could just stay here forever.
“We thought that we’d been through the apocalypse. That we were the last people left. I was born on the Homestead. I thought I’d die there too.”
“What about your parents? Did they live there too?”
I shrugged. “We didn’t have parents. All the children were raised by the households.” I couldn’t even be sure who my mother was, despite my guesses.
As if he sensed my discomfort, Doodles appeared. I’d left him in my nest an hour ago in his favorite position, which looked a lot like a dead cockroach. He launched himself at the couch, missed because he only had one back leg, and landed on the floorboards. He was quickly back up, though, panting and happy, as he scrambled onto the couch and pushed his way into the warm space between me and Max.
August looked down at the decidedly ugly dog. “And who is this?”
“Doodles,” I said softly, looking down at the little dog with glaucoma and missing teeth. How could anything so ugly be so full of love?
Reaching out slowly so Doodles could sniff his hand, August scratched behind his ear, the knuckles of his hand incidentally touching my hip. I felt each brush like he was electrified. “He’s kind of ugly-cute. He seems to adore you.”
Rio chuckled. “Lance’s new Omega is an animal rescuer. We’ve somehow adopted a dog and a psychotic bird since they became a Pack.”
And an Omega. But no one said that bit out loud.
August raised an eyebrow at Rio, his scent swirling around me. “I didn’t realize Lance had an Omega?”
Shrugging, Rio’s eyes drifted from August to me and back again. “It’s a new thing, but he’s really happy. She’s perfect for him.”
I hadn’t known Lance before last night, but the devoted way he looked at OJ had me agreeing that they were perfect together. A moment in their presence made it undeniable. Would anyone ever love me like that, or was I too damaged? Did I even want to be loved like that?
The instant yearning in my chest at the thought told me yes, I did.
Smiling softly at the thought of Lance getting his happy ending, August turned his attention back to me. “Do you want to tell me how you ended up here? I’m sure you don’t need me to vouch for these guys by now, but I can personally guarantee that you will be safe and protected here. However, if you’d rather some other kind of lodgings, there are refuges and help for abused Omegas.”
Abused Omegas. Was that what I was? I didn’t feel abused—at least I hadn’t, until Leader Malakai so easily handed me over to Alphas I didn’t know, throwing me into a world I didn’t understand. Those Alphas hadn’t really hurt me either, though I had no doubt that eventually I would have been.
I didn’t realize I was shaking and whipping my head back and forth until Rio was beside Max, lifting me off his lap and placing me in his own arms. A low vibration emanated from his chest, making my body feel lax and calm. Woah.
“What are you doing?” I slurred, and when Rio stopped, I clawed at his chest to make him continue. “No, don’t stop.” I felt settled in a way I wasn’t sure I’d ever felt.
It was August who answered me. “He’s purring for you, Paloma. It’s a way that Alphas can calm and aid in the physiological regulation of panicking Omegas. Your heart rate should be slowing. Your breathing should regulate. Do you feel that?” August’s voice was working its own magic.
“Yes. I’m okay,” I murmured softly, wondering how I would ever drag myself away from this feeling. “I want to stay here with Max and Rio. They make me feel safe.”
Rio’s purr got louder, like he was happy. Like a cat.
“And Llewellyn?” August asked lightly, but his eyes had gone to Max and Rio, and their bodies had stiffened beneath mine.
The silence in the room was so loud that I could almost feel it against my skin. If I closed my eyes, I could still feel the weight of the other Alpha’s eyes when he’d seen me this morning.
Rio felt tense beneath me, and I rubbed my face on his chest and neck. I didn’t know why, except… it just felt right. I was rewarded by more vigorous rumbling in his chest.
August smiled a little. “Your Omega is almost all instinct. Trust her, and she won’t lead you astray. What she’s doing right now is scent marking Rio, which can settle Alphas in the same way purring settles Omegas.” He looked at Max. “Paloma cannot live here if she hasn’t met all the Alphas. You can’t know if they’ll have an adverse reaction to each other. Has Llewellyn even been in the presence of an Omega since…” He trailed off, and the guys shifted uncomfortably. “I didn’t think so,” August sighed.
“He wouldn’t hurt her. Or any Omega,” Rio argued, holding me tighter. August placed his hand on Rio’s knee, and I looked at the connection between their bodies. I almost felt that creature inside me tilt its head, like it was trying to decide if it liked another Omega touching the Alpha holding her. It was mere seconds, but she decided. She liked the Omega in front of her.
I liked August too. I wanted him to hold me the way Rio was. Actually, maybe I’d like Rio and Max to hold us both.
I let out a small whine, which immediately had every set of eyes on me. Flushing pink, I shook the thoughts away.
Standing, August looked down the long hall. “Only one way to find out his reaction to an Omega.” He strode down the hallway as Max shot off the couch and followed him.
“August, get back here,” Rio snapped, but then he was placing me gently on the couch and heading after them.
Well. I wasn’t about to be left behind, was I? Curiosity had always been my greatest weakness.