Chapter 17
Lauren and Rekha’s apartment is quite possibly the coziest, prettiest home I’ve ever visited. I guess when two stylish and cool omegas join forces, it’s bound to turn out a cozy paradise. If I ever have the energy or time to redecorate my place, I know who to ask for tips.
Dinner is lovely, despite my initial hesitance to intrude.
They’re so warm and friendly that I don’t feel that out of place.
We spend the meal chatting about our days and getting to know each other better.
Their welcoming humor lulls me into letting my guard down in a way I normally wouldn’t with anyone but my closest friends.
It’s so nice not stressing about every detail of a new social situation. And after a day of not eating and working myself until I almost passed out, the easy companionship and delicious food is bliss.
They insist I stay for a coffee and dessert, and my sleepy, sated omega readily agrees before I can think better of it.
I sink down into the world’s softest armchair that cradles my body like a hug, and the pair of omegas sit on the fluffy, cloudlike blue couch across from me. Rekha leans against Lauren’s shoulder and their hands intertwine in a casual display of intimacy that makes my omega jealous.
To be honest, everything tonight has left her pissy with me. She wants comfort and touch, softness and a bit of luxury, and instead I shoved her into a mental closet and forced myself to push through exhaustion.
I take a sip of my espresso, letting out a soft hum of appreciation for how good it is. The scent of coffee grows stronger in the air and I realize that my scent neutralizer must’ve finally worn off. I make a mental note of that for the future, but it’s pretty impressive it lasted this long.
“Oh, thank goodness, you smell nice,” Lauren says with a relieved exhale.
Rekha nudges her in the side with her elbow. “That’s not very polite, honey.”
Lauren rolls her eyes at her partner. “Not like you weren’t thinking it, too.
” She turns to me and leans in like she’s going to tell me a secret.
“The last person we invited for dinner smelled so strongly of pepper that I kept sneezing. I didn’t want to be rude or embarrass him, so I didn’t say anything, but it was rough. ”
“Well, if I did stink, I’d absolutely want you to tell me,” I say with a light laugh. “I’m still figuring out how often I need to de-scent and, uh… do everything.”
Rekha nods in sympathy. “I remember back in high school when I first revealed. My scent neutralizer wore off in the middle of a presentation I was doing for English class. By the time I was done talking, the whole classroom smelled like cupcakes. Which, in retrospect, wasn’t a big deal.
But back then? Total nightmare. Anything that called attention to your designation was horrifying.
Plus, I had all the alphas for the rest of the year teasing me, wanting a taste. ”
“That probably had more to do with how hot you are than the smell, babe,” Lauren teases. Rekha’s light brown cheeks burnish, but she looks pleased by the compliment. “Too bad for them you didn’t have any interest in alphas.”
“Oh, so you always knew you wanted to be with an omega?” I ask before I can think about if that’s an inappropriate question. “Sorry, you don’t have to answer that.”
Rekha waves me off. “No, no, it’s fine. I think we’re past the pleasantries anyway, now that we know your secret.”
It should make me anxious that these women know about my lie, but I’m relieved. I have two super cool and nice omegas who are willing to answer all my dumb, out-of-touch questions I never even thought about as a beta.
“Whew, okay.” I pretend to wipe sweat off my brow and the pair across from me laugh.
Lauren and Rekha start to answer my question at the same time, and cut off with a giggle. It’s so cute that my chest squeezes with a longing for something similar.
“You go first,” Lauren says, nudging Rekha.
“I always knew. Even before I revealed, I loved the thought of being with an omega. I assumed that meant I’d be an alpha, even though I had all the stereotypical indicators that I’d be an omega—petite, loves soft and pretty things, always wants to cuddle, intuitive and empathetic.
Luckily, my family is super progressive and doesn’t give a shit about ‘traditional pack values’.
” Rekha says the words with disdainful air quotes.
“Meanwhile, I had no clue I’d be interested in an omega until I met this one.
” Lauren says, grinning over at her partner.
“My family followed traditional pack roles and composition, and until I went to college, I didn’t think there were other options beyond one omega with an alpha or alphas.
It took me ages after I met Rekha to realize that what I felt for her was romantic. ”
Rekha chuckles, her dark eyes sparkling with fond amusement. “It’s true. She was totally oblivious. Even when I was outright telling her how beautiful she was while we were having ‘platonic friend’ snuggles in her nest.”
“I figured it out! Eventually.” The pair giggle and share an adoring look.
God, they’re perfect together. I’ve never felt that in sync with someone.
Yes, you have, my omega insists, and I recall a flash of the blissful ease and comfort I felt during my heat when Ambrose stroked my hair while Jackson helped me drink some water.
I shove that aside. That was false intimacy created by heat hormones, not anything real like Lauren and Rekha have.
“It’s funny…” Lauren continues, her voice taking on a slight edge.
“My family doesn’t care at all that I’m with a woman.
They love to bring up my cousin and his pack as an example of how accepting they are, because it’s all men.
But in his pack, there’s only one omega, and the rest are alphas.
” She sighs, and Rekha gives her arm a reassuring squeeze.
“All they care about is that I should be shacked up with some alphas to help ‘protect me’ and do all the things that aren’t ‘good for an omega’. They also hate that I have a job.”
I grimace, immediately thinking about my sister and her horrible husband. “That’s awful. I’m unfortunately familiar with that mindset, and how destructive it can be.”
Lauren’s brow furrows. “Did you come from a pack like mine?”
I don’t normally talk about it, but they’ve been so open with me that I find myself sharing without reservation.
“No, my parents are both betas who are even more oblivious to pack life and dynamics than I am. But my sister married this awful guy who is obsessed with alpha rights. Megan is a beta, and it’s clear he resents that she’s not an omega. ”
Rekha scowls. “Ugh, that’s awful. Alphas like that can’t get an omega to touch them because they’re scum. Then they use the fact that they can’t find an omega to fuck them to argue that alphas are being oppressed.”
“Yeah, exactly. I’m pretty sure he makes her take supplements so she’ll be better at pretending to be an omega for him. It’s horrible, but she went full trad omega wife when they got married and won’t listen when the rest of the family attempts to help her see how toxic her husband is.”
I fight back my surge of frustration and worry. I don’t let myself think about Megan very often. Not after I arranged to help her get away from her husband, and offered for her to live with me for as long as she needed, only to have her call me a jealous, lonely bitch. It’s too painful.
“That’s fucked. I’m so sorry,” Lauren says quietly.
We all sit in silence for a few moments, feeling the weight of the topic.
Eventually, I break the quiet. “I wish I were excited to be an omega. It’s not that I don’t like omegas, but I don’t know how you deal with all this…
bullshit. Everyone acting like they know what’s best for you.
Entire groups of people arguing that you shouldn’t have the same rights as everyone else.
That you shouldn’t have bodily autonomy.
” I let out a frustrated exhale. “Fuck, it’s bad enough being a woman these days, but being an omega seems even worse. ”
“Omegas are the strongest designation,” Lauren says matter-of-factly, sitting up straighter.
“We shouldn’t be forced to be this strong, and you’re absolutely right that it’s awful, but for most of us, there’s no alternative.
Even those drugs they made to prevent revealing as an omega aren’t reliable.
” Her lip curls in distaste. “And that’s a whole other can of worms, because why the fuck do we hate omegas so much that we had to develop a way to keep someone from becoming one? ”
“Some people take it for medical or trauma reasons, babe,” Rekha interjects gently.
“Crap, sorry, you’re right. What I’m trying to say is, this is what we are.
If we accept the narrative that we’re a problem, they win.
Nothing will ever change.” A sharp smile spreads across Lauren’s lips and she crosses her arms over her chest. “I don’t know about you, Camille, but I’m a petty bitch.
I chose a job field where there are hardly any omegas.
I proudly claim my lesbian relationship with another omega. I refuse to hide, even if I could.”
“This is why I was willing to wait for her to realize she loved me,” Rekha sighs, clearly enamored with her badass partner.
Honestly, I am too. Also, I’m feeling like a total piece of garbage for how cowardly I’m being not wholeheartedly embracing my new designation.
“Oh, no, it’s okay, Camille!” Lauren exclaims, reading my self-hating thoughts as they cross my face. “I’ve had a lifetime to develop my courage. If I were in your shoes, I doubt I’d do anything different.”
Rekha nods. “Same. No judgement here at all. Just know that when you decide to stop hiding it, we’re here for you.”
I swallow down the lump of emotion at her phrasing.
Not “if” I’ll stop hiding my new self, but “when”.
These smart, experienced omegas know I have no chance of keeping my designation a secret forever.
In my gut, I knew that, but it would’ve been nice to live in my fantasy of nothing changing for a little while longer.
“We’re also here for you now, because, damn, you’re complete shit at taking care of yourself,” Lauren says drolly.
“You can’t push and push and hope for the best. Especially if you want to have any chance of keeping up the ruse that you’re still a beta.
Your omega will reach a breaking point and throw a tantrum until you give her what she needs. ”
Her blunt honesty breaks through some of my agitation, and I laugh. “You’re right, you’re right. Though it’d be a whole lot easier if our boss didn’t hate me.”
“Wait, what?” Lauren’s brow crinkles. “He doesn’t hate you. He’s just… stern.”
“He avoids me half the time at work, and the other half he’s being a dick to me. He dumped the DesigNation account on me the day I came back from being out sick. That’s a hell of a lot more than stern.”
“Not that I don’t believe you, but if it helps, I overheard him talking about how he needed someone with a stronger voice and ability to handle DesigNation, and you were the only person qualified to do that. So even if he dislikes you, he respects your work.”
Huh. That does take some of the sting out of my frustration, even if the man’s people skills need some serious work. “Oh. Interesting. Would’ve been nice to hear that from him, but god forbid he says anything encouraging to me. How is he as a boss for you?”
Lauren shrugs. “He’s not friendly, but he’s a hell of a lot better than the department head I had at my previous firm. I appreciate that he values competency over bullshit office politics and isn’t your typical alpha bro.”
My head tilts at her assessment. “But you’re so good at your job, and could handle much higher profile clients, but are stuck with all the omega-focused or omega-owned ones.”
“That’s because I want those clients,” she says with a snort.
“It’s not our boss discriminating against me.
I asked for them. I love that I’m in a role that lets me help out other omegas and build them up.
They don’t need some alphahole barking at them about how they need to be more assertive or that they don’t understand their own PR needs. ”
“I hadn’t thought about it like that.” There I go assuming the worst again.
“Besides, once you prove you can help an omega, you have an ally for life,” Lauren continues. “My plan is to open my own omega-focused firm in the future, and this is giving me the connections needed to get that off the ground.”
I’m once again humbled by this incredible omega. “Wow, that’s genius! You’d be amazing at that.”
Lauren beams at the compliment. “Thank you. I’m pretty proud of myself.”
Rekha kisses her cheek. “You should be. You’re amazing.”
“By the time I make my move, you better be out as an omega. Because with you on my team, we’d be unstoppable.” There’s an excited gleam in Lauren’s eyes that I can’t help feeling a little fired up by.
“That would be incredible. Gosh, maybe this whole omega thing isn’t so bad after all,” I joke.
“Give us a few more dinners and we’ll have you fully convinced,” Rekha says with a grin.
What started as one of the worst days of my adult life has ended with two amazing new friends and the potential for a huge career opportunity down the line. I’m still going to take my time to ease into the idea of openly being an omega, but it’s nowhere near as daunting now.
I laugh, my cheeks aching from how much I’ve been smiling tonight. “Deal.”