Knot All is Perfect (Lunarcrest City Omegaverse)

1. Nora

1

Nora

An Omega's favorite activities include organizing her nest, cooking for her Alphas, and keeping her home pristine.

I don't have my Alphas yet, but I do the rest at my childhood home every day, waiting for the moment when I finally meet my pack and get to be the Omega I have trained my whole life to be.

With a chop of my hand, I artfully indent the pale pink (an Omega's favorite color) pillow and wedge it in the corner of my nest.

It's a perfect nest for the Perfect Omega.

That's what they call me- The Perfect Omega. When I see my face in those advertisements, I sometimes have an out-of-body experience. That cannot possibly be me!

But it is, and aren't I so lucky?

When my parents decided they wanted a child, they went to the Design Clinic and worked closely with their top scientists to choose all of my traits with the goal of helping me become the Perfect Omega. And it worked! Every desirable trait possible for an Omega presented itself within me. The Design Clinic considers me their greatest success story, so they have used my story to convince other families that Designing is the best way to get the child they've always wanted.

"Nora," my mother calls from the other room. "It's time for violin lessons."

I turn to the mirror, pull my long blonde hair in a high ponytail, and wrap it with a pale blue bow. Pastel colors are best for Omegas sensitive eyes. Their gentle hue is calming, helping keep us level and our emotions from flaring. My sundress matches the bow, with the prettiest little white daisies embroidered on it.

My mother is waiting in the family room with Ms. Roberts, an elderly Beta woman who has been teaching me violin for as long as I can remember. We dive into my lessons, and my brain quiets. For one hour every day, I fall into the music, and it is bliss. In my head, I can see the music wrapping around me, vibrant flashes of sound that encircle me in bright yellows, greens, and pinks. Offensive colors that Omegas do not like but I enjoy in the moment.

But for one hour every day, those colors feel like home.

All too quickly, the lesson is over, and Ms. Roberts and I discuss my plans for the upcoming Omega social.

I've been attending them once a month for the past five years since I became eligible at twenty-one to search for a pack. Unfortunately, I haven't found my pack yet, but everyone tells me it's only a matter of time.

After all, who wouldn't want to match with The Perfect Omega?

Ms. Roberts leaves, and before I can store my violin, my mother has me by the elbow, her knuckles white as she grips me. "That was sloppy work, Nora. You're not getting any younger. How do you ever expect to find a pack if you're not willing to put the barest amount of effort into your Omega duties?"

"Mother, Ms. Roberts said that I was perfect." I breathe through my nose to keep a pained whine from escaping my throat. A good Omega does not whine unless she is in heat.

"And I am telling you you're not. Try harder tomorrow." She runs her hands down the front of her pale yellow dress and adjusts the bow in her blonde hair. "Now, you have an interview with the Design Clinic today, and then the social is tonight. Let's get moving."

The ride to the Design Clinic passes quickly, with no conversation passing between the two of us. It's not uncommon for us to sit in silence. Sometimes, it feels like the more I speak, the less perfect I am. We do listen to some calming classical music, though, and that soothes me from our confrontation after violin practice.

Dr. Greene greets us at the door, a bright smile on his face as he leans forward and gives my mother a chaste kiss on the cheek. "Veronica, you look as lovely as ever," he coos. He turns to me, and I have to hold my breath to avoid reacting to his scent. He's an older Alpha, and no matter how many times I am around him, I cannot get over how much I dislike his smell. But he has worked so hard to help me become who I am today, and Mother says it would be rude for me to reject his hugs.

Everyone has a unique scent, but unless they are a scent match, you can only determine if they smell good or bad. I'm told that my scent matches won't just smell good, they'll have complex scents that call to me, and that's how I'll know they're meant to be mine.

Dr. Greene is definitely not meant to be mine.

He pulls me in for a hug and then motions for me to sit in a conference room off of the lobby. Inside the room, a beautiful Beta woman sits with a microphone clipped onto the lapel of her red suit. She's got long, dark hair, bright red lips, and dark brown eyes. Her smile is genuine when she stands and shakes my hand. She's tall and poised, and I have to strain my neck to look at her. "Nora, it's so nice to meet you. I'm Rebecca."

"Rebecca," I say softly, my hand limp within hers. "It's lovely to meet you." I sink into the chair she pulls out for me and fold my hands into my lap. My left ankle tucks behind my right, and I push my shoulders back to ensure I am sitting with the best posture possible.

"Okay, Nora," Rebecca says, looking at me skeptically. "I just have a couple of questions for you, if that's alright. This will be a live interview."

"Oh, that's quite alright," I say. "Just let me know when we're ready to begin."

Rebecca pulls out a remote and points at a small black spot on the wall, no larger than a quarter. "That's our camera. I'll count down from three and press the button to go live, okay?" She looks to me for confirmation, and I nod, plastering a bright smile on my face. "Three… two… one… Good afternoon, Lunarcrest City! Rebecca Kahn here at the Design Clinic with none other than Nora Summers, the Perfect Omega." Rebecca's smile doesn't look fake at all when she turns to me. "Nora, what's it like being the poster child for the Clinic?"

"Oh, well, Rebecca, it's just such an honor!" I say with a bright smile. "My parents worked very closely with Dr. Greene, utilizing genetic material from all of my pack fathers to give me all of the traits that are most desirable in an Omega."

"Right," she says skeptically, "but being the Perfect Omega must be a lot of pressure."

"Pressure?" I quirk my head to the side. "Absolutely not! In fact, I think I have it better than a lot of other Omegas out there. Every piece of my genetic material has been designed to make my life as an Omega easier. I do not have to worry about fitting in as an Omega or pleasing a pack because it is literally in my DNA to do so."

"But you haven't found a pack yet."

The words tighten in my chest, and it is an effort not to show the hurt they cause me. She couldn't possibly know how hurtful it is to call attention to the fact that I have not found my pack yet. "That is true, Rebecca. I do not have a pack. However, I do attend all of the local Omega socials in hopes of finding my scent matches. I know they're out there, and while I wait for them to find me, I will continue doing all I can to ensure that I will be their Perfect Omega."

She taps her red nails on the table. "What makes a Perfect Omega, Nora?"

"Oh! That's easy! I'm so glad you asked." I wiggle a bit in my seat in excitement. "The Perfect Omega knows when to speak and when to stay silent. She keeps a tidy and well-decorated home, and her nest is always arranged appropriately. She's an excellent cook, proficient in at least one musical instrument for entertaining at parties, and she's always put together." I sneak a glance at my mother, who is practically beaming at my words. With her poise and manners, you'd think she was the one designed to be perfect. "But most of all, the Perfect Omega serves her Alphas exactly as they wish. What they request of her, she provides."

Rebecca turns to face the camera head-on with a tight smile and says, "Well, there you have it, Lunarcrest. The Perfect Omega from the Design Clinic describes what it means to be the Perfect Omega. She'll be at tonight's Omega social if you're interested in meeting her. Have a great afternoon, and remember – talk is cheap unless it's cable."

Completing her standard sign-off, Rebecca clicks off the camera and turns to me, her eyes questioning. "You don't really believe all of that shit, do you, Nora?"

I wince at her profanity and look at my mother, who is thankfully lost in conversation with Dr. Greene. "Of course I do," I answer quietly. "Why wouldn't I? This is who I am. This is what an Omega is."

The way she looks at me is curious, like I am a puzzle, and she cannot seem to figure out what the final picture will be. "If you say so, Nora. But just so you know, you're allowed to have opinions that don't come to you from the Design Clinic."

She pops her little camera off the wall and pushes it into her bag, patting Dr. Greene on the shoulder as she leaves. I look at the chair she just vacated and notice that she left a business card there. I'm not sure what compels me, but I slide it into my hand and place it into my purse before my mother can see it.

"Nora, baby, that was incredible!" she cries as I stand and head to the door. "So many packs are going to come to see you tonight because of it!"

I beam, kissing her on the cheek. "Thank you so much for setting this up for me, mother. I am feeling so positive about my chances of matching tonight!"

"I think so too. I even heard a rumor that Pack Walsh will be there!"

I can't stop myself from squealing, grabbing her hands in excitement. "Pack Walsh? That would be a dream!"

She brushes some of the hair that must have popped around my hairline and smiles down at me. "You deserve it, honey. You've worked so hard. Let's get home and get you freshened up. Tonight is going to be one to remember."