Chapter 2
The automatic doors to the omega clinic slide open, and a cheery little chime goes off to announce our arrival.
A few heads turn as Astrid and I enter, but I’m too busy wincing against the fluorescent lights that are a blinding contrast to the dark outside to care much about who is looking.
I swallow down a surge of nerves as I approach the receptionist, a kind-looking guy with light pink hair and matching scrubs.
He gives me a broad, sympathetic smile when I reach the desk. “Welcome to Peachtree Omega Services! Do you have an appointment?”
I blink back at him, taking a beat too long to reply, then shake my head. “No, uh, I’m…”
Dammit, I can’t get the words to come out.
The receptionist waits patiently, like a grown ass woman wandering in at night, unable to tell him what she needs, is a normal occurrence. My gaze darts around the lobby as if I’ll find something in this sterile space to help me explain my situation. Or give me an excuse to leave.
What looks like a mother and son pair of omegas peer at me in open curiosity, intensifying the urge to flee.
I shouldn’t be here.
I let Steph convince me I’m going into heat, but she was probably drunk.
Why did I trust the word of some random bathroom stranger?
It’s probably just cramps and hot flashes.
My mom went through menopause early, so maybe I am too.
The weird…wetness is probably a side-effect that no one bothered to bring up because people never seem to want to give details about that sort of shit.
“I’m sorry. I’m in the wrong place.” I give the receptionist a sheepish smile and start to back away, but Astrid places her hands on my shoulder and holds me in place.
“Where are you going? I thought you’re going into heat. You can’t do that on your own.” Astrid pauses and turns to the receptionist. “Can you? I honestly don’t know a lot about…” she waves her hands around the lobby. “Omega stuff.”
“Well, you’re in luck, because that’s kind of my job,” the receptionist says with a chuckle.
“I don’t recommend going through a heat alone unless you’re experienced with getting through it on your own, and you have a solid plan in place to help reduce pain and discomfort. Do you have experience with that?”
I shake my head. ‘No! I don’t… I’ve never…”
He holds up his hands in appeasement at my high-pitched reply. “Not to worry! Unexpected heats are nothing to be embarrassed about. Sure, we’d normally schedule things in advance so that you can select the most compatible partners, but bodies don’t always adhere to plans.”
“You’re telling me,” I mumble under my breath.
“What was that?” the receptionist asks, brow furrowing.
I flush. “Just agreeing with you. My body feels like it lost the plot.”
He nods sympathetically, flashing a perfect pearly smile that contrasts his deep brown skin. “So I take it you’ve never visited one of our clinics before?”
I nod, and he grabs a clipboard and pen from the desk and hands it to me. “Just need you to fill out a few forms.”
I take the clipboard with numb hands, and glance down at his nametag. It has the name Bradley with a little omega symbol next to it and a heart icon that matches his hair and scrubs. “Th-thanks, Bradley.”
“Of course! We’ll get you sorted out. I’m here if you have any questions at all.”
I nod again and slink off to an unoccupied row of plastic chairs. The chair lets out a godawful squeak as I sit, and I mouth an apology to the teenage boy and his mom, who are both glaring at me like I ripped a major fart.
Well, pardon me for existing.
“Why are they looking at me like that?” I mutter to Astrid, who glances at the mother and son, then back at me in confusion.
“Uh, they’re not. Is paranoia part of an oncoming heat?”
I smack her arm and she laughs softly. “You’d think everyone was staring at you too if you found out you’re the world’s first geriatric revealing omega,” I hiss.
“Hey, you’re always saying you want to do something more exciting in life. That you want to make something of yourself. Being a medical marvel certainly ticks both boxes.” Astrid taps the clipboard in front of me with a hot pink nail. “Speaking of which, quit stalling and fill out the damn forms.”
“Fine!” I scowl at her and force myself to look down at the small stack of papers on my lap. The first part is simple—name, date, birth date, address, insurance, etc. Typical stuff they make you fill out when you go to the doctor.
But when I get to the first real question, my hands start to shake again.
Start date of your last heat.
I stare down at the piece of paper for what feels like ages until Astrid takes pity on me. She grabs the clipboard and pen from me and starts filling it out.
Start date of your last heat. Not applicable.
Are you attached to a pack? No.
Do you have any requests for your heat minders? As long as they’re hot and have a big knot—
“Hey!” I squeak, trying to steal the pen back from her.
“I do not need a big knot for my first heat. It’s been…
” I close my eyes and pinch my brow for a moment as I try to even remember the last time I got laid.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve had any sex at all.
I’m not about to try to squeeze… that inside me.
Maybe there’s an option for something small. Or a toy.”
Steph mentioned a knotted dildo, so maybe I can get one of those. If I’m even going through heat. I’m still not sure that’s what’s happening.
My stomach cramps in response to that thought, and as much as I’m protesting the idea of a knot, my pussy throbs like it would love something thick stretching me out.
“What?” Astrid smacks my arm lightly, scowling. “You’re not using a toy when you’re at a place that will hook you up with someone eager and ready to bang you. You’ve needed to get laid for ages. What better way to clear all the cobwebs out than with a huge co—”
“Astrid!” I exclaim in horror, cutting her off and shooting a worried glance over at the teen, who is watching us with wide eyes. “I’m so sorry,” I say to his mother, who is now absolutely giving me the stink eye even if she wasn’t before.
Fortunately, a nurse comes and collects him and his mom before I can make even more of a scene. I sigh as soon as they’re gone, and rest my head in my hands. “I don’t think I can do this,” I groan.
“I know you’re freaked out, but you can’t change what’s happening, so let’s try to find the silver lining. Okay?” Astrid rubs my back and even that friendly touch has sparks dancing across my skin.
I can’t tell if I want her to keep touching me or if it’s too much for my over-sensitized body. I squirm in my chair, but can’t get comfortable on this plastic abomination.
“Ugh, maybe I’d be able to relax and come to terms with this if this chair wasn’t digging into my ass. You’d think a damn omega clinic would have some comfortable chairs. Aren’t omegas supposed to need soft things?”
“I think it’s so they won’t get saturated with scents. And any potential… leaking,” Astrid says with a pointed look at my lap.
I grimace. “God, please don’t remind me about that. I was just forgetting the puddle between my thighs.” It’s a lie. I shouldn’t have thrown my panties away because I feel like if I move my legs too far apart, I’m going to make a mess the next time I stand.
“You’ll be thankful for it when you’re getting stuffed with a bunch of knots,” Astrid says, wiggling her eyebrows at me.
There’s a strong pulse between my thighs at the thought and to my embarrassment, more liquid gushes out of me. “Dammit, stop saying things like that!”
This is so strange and gross. How do omegas deal with needing a mop to follow them around when they get turned on?
“Alright, alright.” Astrid finishes up the paperwork and passes the clipboard back to me. “There. You want me to go bring it up for you or…”
I grit my teeth and shake my head. “No. I’ve gotta face this. Besides, it’s late. I know you need to get back home to Jeff.”
She reaches over and squeezes my hand, catching my eye with a solemn look. “I’m not going anywhere until I know they’re going to get you the care you need. Hell, if you need me to be your emotional support beta while you’re getting your medically prescribed railing, I’ll do it.”
I laugh, her offer bringing me the first genuine feeling of levity since the bar. “I think Jeff might have something to say about that.”
She shrugs, a twinkle behind her amber eyes. “Eh, as long as I give him a blow-by-blow after, he’d probably be cool with it.”
I roll my eyes. She’s wrong. Her husband Jeff would probably murder anyone who did anything remotely sexual in her presence.
He’s not bad for an alpha, but he still gets all growly and possessive about his hot beta wife.
“Thanks for the offer, but I’ll pass. It’s going to be bad enough having sex with a stranger without you giving helpful tips from the sidelines. ”
“Strangers.”
My brow knits together and Astrid smirks at my confusion. “Strangers,” she says again, emphasizing the “s”. “You’re going to need more than one person tending to you during your heat. Alphas have stamina, but you’ve seen heat porn, right? One is nowhere near enough.”
My heart rate spikes at the thought that I’ll probably be having sex with multiple partners in the very close future.
I’ve told Astrid that it’s been a few years, but even that was a generous estimate.
It’s got to have been almost five years.
After spending seven years never getting off with my ex, and three disastrous hookup attempts when I finally broke it off with him, getting laid wasn’t a priority at all.
I’ve only recently started feeling the need to find something other than my hand and my favorite vibrators, so I let Astrid convince me to go out and try to find someone to bring home with me to scratch that itch. Maybe that should’ve been a sign that something was different with me.