1. Omega Problems
Omega Problems
Kade
T hough it was early to some, the warehouse was already busy with many people moving quickly to load up vans, sorting out packages and parcels, and filling out the endless paperwork on their company handheld devices.
I found a spot outside to park my van since I wasn’t on shift until later and went looking for Isaac.
As a vampire, Isaac had heightened senses and speed that were useful at Mercury Delivers, the delivery company that we both worked for, I envied the speed, but my strength was useful when I could rely on it.
My breathing sped up as I covered the short distance from the parking lot to the warehouse and I took a second at the doors to clear the dizziness before heading in.
As jobs went, it was pretty decent. “Please don’t let Dakota fire me.” My delivery times had slowed and I worried that I was in trouble.
The bosses were fair though, and hired on from several of the races of supernaturals.
They had hired a couple of ogres for their strength for larger goods, which was smart.
Despite their image to the contrary, ogres were very intelligent and fairly docile in nature.
It took a lot to rile one, which is why they did well in security jobs too.
Few people took a chance on them because they were so big and liable to break things accidentally.
Shame though because most of the ones we had on staff were great people, my favorites to work with actually.
Ogres were cool and I envied them a lot.
They preferred gender-neutral terms and didn’t conform to binary terms of gender expression since all could carry children or aid in their conception.
As an omega, there was something of a kindred spirit bond with them.
Ogres were pretty easy to spot making them easy to discriminate against. They usually stood head and shoulders above everyone else, and their skin had a greenish hue.
It didn’t take me long to spot my friend, Isahaak, or Isaac, as he preferred to be called.
He towered above most, aside from the ogres.
His glossy onyx hair tied in a low ponytail shone under the bright lights.
He had the preternatural grace that all vampires had, both born and made.
Isaac was a born vampire, so he didn’t suffer the sun allergy that his made counterparts did.
His coven had originated in India and he had the gorgeous warm copper skin common in the people there.
It made my pasty skin look dull in comparison.
It was known that humans flocked to vampires despite them needing their blood to survive.
Only shifters had integrated easier than the vampires because humans just loved to see us in our alternative forms, or alters as we called them.
They still needed reminding not to pet the random wolf or tiger they saw, just in case.
When I first started at Mercury, I’d had a small crush on the man.
He was absolutely stunning, with warm dark eyes, strong features, and pouty lips.
He was also mated in a relationship with two other vampires, a brother and sister from another coven.
Off limits , I reminded myself. I’d dealt with my feelings, and Isaac was one of my closest friends now.
Not that I let people that close too often.
I moved towards Isaac, greeting colleagues on the way and trying to escape notice from the person who I was technically there to see. I needed to get to Isaac first or I would be alone in the office with Dakota and that was a hell no, not happening.
Having spotted me, Isaac used his speed to get across the warehouse, coming to a stop next to me in the blink of an eye and smoothing down his hair.
“Heard you had a meeting,” he said, his voice as smooth and sweet as caramel. A smile played at the corner of his lips and I swatted at him.
“Yeah, so I need you with me.” I couldn’t stop the involuntary shudder at the thought of being left in a room alone with Dakota.
“Kade —“
“I know. If you need to leave, then I get it, but please, come with me?”
Isaac nodded and followed me to Dakota’s office at the end of the warehouse, far away from the wide-open doors and hustle and bustle of everything.
“It’s open, Kade,” I heard Dakota’s rumbling voice as I approached the door. Dakota and his bear alter always knew when I was approaching.
“Hey,” I greeted as I took the seat closest to the door.
“Hey boss,” Isaac glared at me as he took a seat in the chair closer to Dakota that had been meant for me.
Dakota frowned at us both before dismissing the situation and getting on with why he’d called me in. “Kade, I know it isn’t your route, but we’re down a couple of drivers, so I’m going to need a few extra hours from you —“
Relief had me sagging in my seat. I was so glad that I wasn’t in trouble that it took my brain a couple of seconds to catch up to what he wanted. He ignored me when I went to interrupt. “I’ll also need you to take on some more of Sweetwater.”
Fuck . That could be a problem. There were rumors of an alpha wolf looking for me. I couldn’t be sure if it was who I thought it might be, but I wouldn’t risk it. I’d learnt to play it safe over the last few years. Take no risks.
Being this close to the Sweetwater pack, the alpha would have to ask for pass-through rights or risk angering the pack alpha, like I’d done on my arrival a couple of years ago. Damn near didn’t escape, either. I’d been lucky and had a dispensation from the council or I’d still be there.
If the rumors were true and he was looking for me.
.. it didn’t bear thinking about. I thanked the moon and The Luna herself that I’d bought that cloaking spell to protect me from scrying from the witches’ market.
Pricey but effective. If I was to be working Sweetwater, I’d have to do something about my scent.
Perhaps an altering spell? I mused internally.
Knowing that not having a scent would mark me as different, and I needed to blend in.
If it was him, I’d have to move. I’d get my go bag ready when I finished my shift and update it with everything that I needed so I could flee at a moment’s notice. Failing that, I’d run and get someone I trusted to ship some of my stuff to wherever I landed and then move again.
Isaac and I shared a look. “Can you swing it?” he mouthed at me. Isaac was one of the few that knew about the council’s edict.
With a brief shake of the head, I realized I’d have to give Dakota some excuse. “Um… I can but not Sweetwater until —“
“Kade.” His voice was more of a growl, his bear creeping out, the warning implicit.
“Until tomorrow, maybe the day after. For personal reasons.” I’d just have to pray that no one I knew in Sweetwater had ordered anything. I was sure that my appearance had changed enough in the last few years that anyone looking for me wouldn’t recognize me by sight.
“What’s going on?” Dakota demanded, his gaze sharp and unrelenting. I hated being around him as he gave off all of those alpha pheromones that made a room become stifling.
I found myself shrinking, retreating into a protective shell. “It’s personal,” I managed to get out, repeating the reason with no extra information.
“Leave it,” Isaac warned, and I was grateful that he’d come into the meeting. “Was that all you needed Kade for?”
Dakota glared at Isaac before relenting, “yes, that’s it. As long as Kade can take over the Sweetwater route and give us a few extra hours, then that’s great.” He looked at me, his eyes softening and his tone syrupy. “Thank you for being a team player, Kade.”
The sound of my name on his tongue made me itch between the shoulder blades, but I forced myself not to react.
A knock sounded on the door and without waiting for an answer, Shelby, a witch that worked in admin, popped her head around the door, “sorry to interrupt but I need Isaac for a second, difficult customer that needs a dose of his charm.” She grinned, but my heart sank. I needed to get out of that room now.
Isaac side-eyed me as he rose to leave and I gave a tiny shrug and started to stand, too.
“Kade, could you hold on a second, please? We can go over those routes now rather than wait until later. I’ll pay you the time.”
Slumping back into my seat, I pasted on what I thought was a pleasant smile, but Dakota’s assessing look suggested it wasn’t quite hitting the mark.
“Sorry,” mouthed Isaac as he left the room.
“Is everything okay?” Dakota asked.
“Sure,” I said evasively, “I can do those hours for you. I just need a day to sort some things out.”
Dakota logged into the system, “would you mind moving your chair closer so you can see the screen?”
I grudgingly moved closer. “Just whatever overtime is fine, I like to keep busy.” I hoped that he’d just put me in for shifts and I could escape the office. His attraction to me was unfortunate, unwelcome, and I’d hoped it would have run its course in the two years I’d worked for him. It hadn’t.
His nostrils flared as I sat closer, his foot circling the leg of my chair and pulling me virtually up against him. The heat he gave off sank into me, making me shiver. Clicking on my profile and timecard, he started adding hours in but came to a blacked-off box. “Ah —“
“Is there a problem?”
Dakota flushed, “well...uh...it’s...uh.”
“What?” I demanded.
“Your heat,” he finally choked out. “It’s your mandatory leave for your heat.”
Understanding dawned, and I tried to restrain my chuckle.
They gave all omega shifters three days of leave every ninety days for their heats.
Omegas like myself were precious, not rare, but coveted, male ones doubly so since, like females, we could carry young.
Dakota was starting to resemble a tomato, but his pupils were dilated, the black eating up the mud-brown of his irises.
Lust pheromones filled the air between us.
“I’m on blockers, so that isn’t necessary.”
Dakota frowned, the lust fog dissipating, “those are dangerous, Kade.” He clicked through my record, eyes flicking through the pages, “you haven’t had a heat since...since you started here. Goddammit!”
I flinched instinctively at his shout, my wolf whimpered, “it’s fine,” I said, trying to placate him, I rested a hand on his thick forearm, the dark hair coarse against my fingertips, “I’m fine, Dakota.”
“It’s not fine. Going without a heat can be harmful to you and your wolf. When was the last time you shifted?”
His scrutiny and the question made me squirm. I removed my hand like something had electrocuted me, “it’s been a few weeks.” I hoped he couldn’t tell I was lying.
“Weeks!” He stood and started pacing.
I needed out from his inspection. “Uh, I had a heat the last time I was on vacation.” Lying through my teeth.
“That was...” He landed in his chair and read through my file again, “five months ago. So you forced your heat? Did you use a heat club?”
My mind whirled. Heat club? What the hell was that? “Sure,” I bluffed.
“The one in Sweetwater?”
Sweetwater had one? Fuck . “No, I didn’t want to risk running into anyone I knew, so I… uh… went a couple of hours north to… uh… Greenbriar.” I wasn’t sure I was convincing anyone, but I prayed to The Luna that he’d let it go.
“Innervate? Or Catalyst? Sorry, none of my business.” He shook off whatever thought was running through his head. “Well, Sweetwater’s heat club takes omega safety really seriously. I don’t think you’d have a problem if you went there. Greenbriar’s a what? Ten-hour drive? Hardly convenient.”
He had me there. “I’ll consider it for my next one then, but I’m staying on the blockers for now.”
“Kade.” His voice held a warning tone. He didn’t get to finish his sentence though, as Isaac returned to the office. The customer calmed.
“Can we get back to the roster?” I asked once Isaac had taken the seat I’d vacated. I caught him looking at how close Dakota was to me with a frown.
“Sure,” Dakota shifted position, so we weren’t quite so close, allowing me to take a full breath for the first time since Isaac had left the office.
“I need you on Sweetwater tomorrow afternoon, so whatever personal thing you have going on needs to be sorted by then.” His tone brooked no argument, his mood surly now Isaac was in the room.
Fantastic.