Chapter Sixteen #2
Koda and Hannah shared one couch, and I took up the other, despite my protests that they could each have a couch, and I’d sit on the floor.
Koda curled her knees up to her chest, rubbing her hands on the cushion underneath her while Hannah sat with her legs crossed, fluffing up the pillows around her.
I was sitting in the middle of the couch, directly in the middle so that I felt the slight gap between the two cushions that my weight caused.
“Okay, start from the beginning,” Koda said.
“The beginning?”
“Yeah,” Hannah agreed. “Catch us up on what happened with representative dick.”
I started with the letter since they were both aware of everything that happened before. I also told them about meeting with Bartholomew, then of course, when Hannah called about the live declaration from Adam.
“Can he just do that?” Hannah asked.
“Do what?”
“Paint you out to be a villain before the case has even started. He went up there and didn’t even give the whole story. He tried to make it sound like all betas working at the OC are dangerous to omegas.”
“I think that was his goal. He wants to separate the betas from the other designations.”
“Why?” Koda asked.
I didn’t have a valid answer, just what I assumed. “He’s an elitist. He thinks betas are below the other designations despite the fact that he doesn’t even truly respect omegas.”
“Why pretend then? It has to be exhausting.”
Hannah shook her head. “That’s the thing.
He isn’t pretending. He truly thinks alphas are simply better.
He thinks only alphas can protect omegas because to him, this is all a game.
In the end, only the alphas can win cause they’re the only players.
He’s just competing against his own designation.
Omegas are the prize. Betas are the fodder he uses to raise himself higher. ”
It was hard to pinpoint and explain exactly how and why Adam was vile. He hid behind declarations of safety and kindness. If you simply looked beyond the surface, you’d see it wasn’t gold he was showing off, just yellow painted rocks.
Alphas put omegas in danger. Their aggression was uncontrolled and lacking any severe punishment. It was the societal mindset that pitted alphas against each other, creating a dangerous competition rather than encouraging peace.
It was pride, that alphas were great, the best, that should for some reason be rewarded.
As if a designation was a rule we had to follow rather than a simple biological guideline to help.
Omegas liked nests during their heat. Needed knots.
All of that was true on a biological level.
But even omegas had preferences for female or male alphas.
That couldn’t be explained away by biology. Just preference.
When Atlas was in heat, his instincts demanded I be there even without the proper biological functions to help him. Preference. That would never be in a biology book—didn’t make it not true.
For every box that we put people in to help, to provide stability and ensure their wellbeing, there were people who wanted to be outside the box. To dangle from it or sit on it or to use it as a springboard to another box.
Adam wanted to reinforce the boxes in steel. To keep everyone inside.
An opinion that he was turning into law. His personal beliefs that he was making punishable if broken.
“What are you going to do?” Koda asked. “What’s the next step?”
“I’m not sure. Bartholomew said he would reach out to me in the next few days and let me know his plan. Plus, all the court stuff goes through him, too, so I don’t know anything about that either. I’m just waiting.”
Hannah groaned, the sound pure frustration. “I wish there was something I could do. I hate all the sitting around.”
Her words sparked a memory. A conversation with Bartholomew. I bit my lower lip, wondering if I was being selfish in the thought.
“Wait, what’s that face for?”
I didn’t even try to deny it. “Well, I might have something you can do. But you totally don’t have to. Honestly, you just sparked a memory, and I don’t want you to feel pressured like you have to—”
“Eve, just tell me.”
I took a deep breath before admitting. “Bartholomew, my lawyer, did say that he’d like to speak to you. About being a character witness or something toward me. I’m not exactly sure. At the time, I told him no because I didn’t want to bother you with this—”
“Didn’t want to bother me?” Hannah stood, an explosion of excitement and anger. “I would fucking volunteer to go on the stand and talk about what a dick that dick is.”
“I don’t know if that’s necessary...”
She slashed a hand through the air. “Whatever he needs, I’ll do it. Give me his number. I’ll call him now.”
Koda chuckled. “I can talk to him, too. I’m not crazy about the idea of being in a public trial, but I have no problem showing my support for you.”
My eyes burned, their sweet words wrapping around me like comfort. This was even better than them simply not hating me. They wanted to help me. I let out a shaky breath.
My pack was my shield, protecting and bracing me. Hannah and Koda, they were like the sharpness of my blade, helping me aim and strike down my opponents. They had fought their own battles and won, yet they didn’t abandon me to fight on my own. Not against an adversary this dangerous.
I cleared my throat, staring down at my hands and willing the tears to not actually fall.
Hannah clapped her hands, pulling mine and Koda’s attention to her. “All right. Enough sad talk. Onto the good stuff. Eve.”
“Yes?”
“How is the sex?”
I choked on air while Koda ducked her face into her lap, either embarrassed on my behalf or trying to hide her amusement. I wasn’t sure which.
“Come on,” Hannah drawled. “I’m curious. You’re with an omega and alphas. Have you gone through a heat yet?”
My cheeks turned bright red, the heat radiating so hotly that I cupped my hands over my face to try and cool my rising temperature.
“You don’t have to share anything about them. About the intimacy. I’m just wondering about you. How you handled it.”
“It was fine.”
“Fine?”
“I mean, I was pretty bruised up and sore after. Everett took off a week to stay home with me since I could barely walk.”
“Holy crap,” Koda said. “You were that hurt?”
“I wouldn’t say hurt. Beta bodies aren’t exactly meant for days and days of rough sex.
” I didn’t mention that it was particularly harsh because Atlas was obsessed with claiming me.
The whole pack is in a sort of agreement that the next heat should be easier since I’d already be claimed.
“Also, it was our first one. My body should get better with it over time.”
“What about the alphas?” Hannah asked.
Koda nodded in agreement with the vague question.
“What about them?” I asked. “I’m with the whole pack.”
Everett hadn’t claimed me yet, but I was still a part of pack Wilder.
The gold necklace I always wore was just as symbolic and meaningful as any claiming bite.
I was a part of the pack. Both Atlas and Oaks had claimed me.
It didn’t matter that I was missing a single bite, especially since I knew Everett loved me.
He just hadn’t bitten me yet. That was fine. I was fine with him taking his time.
Hannah waved her hand, dismissing my words. “Yeah, I know that. But what about during a heat when they go into a rut. What stops them from knotting you?”
Koda gasped. “Is that safe?”
It was so strange to talk about sex like this with friends.
It was even stranger to have friends to talk like this with.
I’d worried that this case with Adam was going to push Hannah, and even Koda, away.
That they wouldn’t want to be near my drama after going through their own.
It was strange to be wrong. And I was glad for it.
“Everett actually manages to keep from falling into a rut,” I admitted. “Anytime Oaks tried to force his knot, he would just redirect him toward Atlas, which was fine since Atlas was always willing.”
Of course, that made me think of sex with Oaks the other day, after he claimed me.
His knot beginning to swell. I wasn’t sure what it said about his instincts that he was constantly trying to shove his knot in me when lost to his rut.
I knew, especially in that primitive mindset, that he knew I wasn’t an omega.
That didn’t stop his need to breed me. They should be studying that in their biology books.
Alphas and betas didn’t go together like that but apparently being in love drove out even the biological common sense of fucking.
It made me wonder what other biological functions weren’t as permanently consistent. As it was, plenty of alpha extremists would assume that a beta would never be desired by an alpha or an omega. My pack proved that wrong. Koda’s pack did, too.
I wonder how many other people, other packs were like us. Breaking the norms. It wasn’t like we wore signs around our necks proclaiming our differences. We just existed.
“You’re biologically a beta?” Koda asked. “I register as a beta on all the tests, scent, bloodwork, whatever. But I can take a knot.”
Hannah nodded her head like she was agreeing with Koda’s words. Or maybe with the question.
“Uh, yeah, I am. No knots for me, though. Or, well, yeah... no. I mean, not easily. Not yet, anyway.” I was rambling. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to share or not. Was that too much information? I wasn’t sure.
“Care to elaborate?” Hannah asked.
“Well, you know. Bodies are flexible.”
“Flexible?”
“Stretchable?”
“Stretchable!”
I dropped my head back on the couch, pretending like they couldn’t see me if I couldn’t see them.
Hannah roared with laughter, and even Koda was giggling.
“You know what I mean,” I told them.
“We do,” Koda amicably agreed.
“Is that possible?” Hannah asked once she finally stopped laughing.