24. Nora
24
Nora
Levi's mother leads us into an office where a man who looks almost exactly like Levi sits behind a desk. The walls are lined with pictures of Levi and two women I assume are his sisters, from the time they were babies up to very recent shots. A bookcase full of old, leather-bound books is on the right wall. It's a cozy space, with low lighting and fluffy blankets draped all over. I immediately feel comfortable here.
The man stands and embraces Levi, sighing in relief. "Welcome home, my boy." Levi's face lights up, and the affection between the two of them is unlike anything I've ever experienced with my mother. The Omega gestures for both of us to sit, his face a calculated mask of indifference when he looks at me.
"Nora," Levi begins gently, "this is my father, Charles. As I told you in the car, he's an Omega as well. I think you could benefit from a conversation with him."
My face flushes, and I dip my head. "Nice to meet you, sir," I say quietly.
"The Perfect Omega," he says, his voice not quite warm. "I've seen you on television a lot. Never thought I'd meet you, especially not as my son's Omega."
"I understand I leave a lot to be desired, sir." Levi grabs my hand and squeezes, cutting off some of the hoarseness in my voice that creeps up in embarrassment.
"Don't say that, doll." He pulls my hand to his lips, kissing it gently.
"Tell me a little bit about your Omega education," Charles continues. At this moment, he reminds me of a news anchor, something I have a lot of experience with.
I sit a little straighter, happy to have something familiar to talk about. "I began my formal Omega training at six years old, though my mother instilled a lot of the ideals in me from birth. The majority of my training was done at the Design Clinic with Dr. Greene, the Alpha doctor who helped design me."
"You got your Omega training from an Alpha?" he says, sitting back in his chair.
"Well, I did go to the Omega school for my last semester, so I could qualify to go to the socials."
He rubs his chin. "But the rest of your learning was at the Design Clinic?"
"Yes, sir."
He leans forward now, resting his elbows on the desk. His face is open, and I don't see any judgment there, so it does not worry me when he asks, "Can you tell me a few things they taught you there?"
"Absolutely! I learned that the perfect Omega nest was made from the lightest colors possible so as not to strain the Omega's eyes or upset their emotional balance. That you only need three pillows, two blankets, and one comfort item unless your Alphas allow you more."
Levi and his father exchange a look I can't quite read. My Alpha squeezes my hand. "Keep going."
"She must always be the picture of beauty and health because Alphas enjoy nice things to look at." I shuffle uncomfortably in my seat. "Normally, I am more put together than this…" My voice trails off.
"But I asked her to dress this way," Levi adds.
"Yes, and so I did because the Perfect Omega must strive to please her Alphas every day, in every way, deferring to the Alphas in every instance." I beam at Levi, and he gives me a gentle smile, his thumb stroking the back of my hand.
"An Omega's responsibility is to keep a clean, beautiful home for her Alphas, to provide them with meals, and to fulfill any requests they have such as shining their shoes or darning their socks." I hum softly to myself, in a comfortable place now that I am talking about something I know like the back of my hand. "A good Omega never whines unless in heat or severe distress, only wears pastels and dresses, and does not disagree with her Alphas."
When Levi looks at me this time, his face is really sad. I'm not sure why. "Can you tell my father a bit about the shower? Are you comfortable doing that?"
I chew my lip, eyes trained on my lap. "I… I displeased my Alpha. He did not want to scent me, did not want me in the home." I look up at Charles, my eyes pleading. "My emotions were incredibly strong, and my typical self-soothing was not helping."
"Her mother taught her to push through difficult emotions by pulling her hair out," Levi interrupts.
I nod. "That should've been enough, but it wasn't. So I went into the shower, trying to wash away the repulsive parts of me that made him not want to scent me." I inhale deeply. "I'm sorry, I know this is so shameful, but my Alphas caught me. I never meant for them to see me in such disarray, I know how much it displeased them. I just…" Tears spill over. "I try so hard. I am so mortified that I failed them so spectacularly so early on in our relationship." It takes an effort to do it, but with Levi here, it feels a little easier. "I… I did something that a good Omega should never do yesterday. And I'm very worried that my pack will now decide they've had their fill of me and find an Omega who actually follows the rules."
"We would never get rid of you, Nora," Levi says softly, looking at his father. His father removes his glasses and rubs his hands at his temples.
"Nora, I don't know what to say here, sweetie," his dad says softly. "I don't know how to tell you this, but everything you've been taught is wrong."
"Wrong?"
"You were educated by an Alpha. Omegas should never be educated by an Alpha because there is a high likelihood of exactly what happened to you. That Alpha took his idea of what he wanted in an Omega and told you that was the only way to be." He stands up and moves around the desk, leaning against it. "If everything you've told me is how Omegas are supposed to be, how do you explain me?"
"What do you mean?"
"Do you think someone told me I needed to wear pastels and dresses and keep my head down around Alphas?"
"They didn't?"
He laughs. "Of course not. That Alpha told you not to whine, Nora. Whining is instinctual. It's the Omega within you communicating with your Alphas that you need something. It's nothing to be ashamed of, it's nothing you should suppress. Suppressing your Omega is only going to lead to you having moments of extreme distress. It sounds like you've already gotten there."
"It feels like there is a voice within me that is trying so hard to throw away everything I've ever known, sir," I say quietly. "What if I'm not perfect, and they don't want me?" The words come out in barely a whisper.
Charles crouches in front of me, gathering both of my hands in his. I've never been this close to another Omega before. Never touched one. "That voice is your Omega. You've been taught to hide her, to make her small and pliant. You've been taught that being an Omega means that you deserve to be at the whims of Alphas. That's not what being an Omega is. An Omega is a blessing to their Alphas. An Omega grounds their Alpha, providing comfort and companionship. An Omega keeps an Alpha sane, helps the Alpha succeed, and supports and loves their Alpha every day." He smiles, and I can tell he's thinking about his wife. "It is a great responsibility for an Alpha to take an Omega. An Alpha's job is to nurture, protect, and love their Omega fiercely. They need to build up, spoil, and push their Omega out of their comfort zones."
Levi looks over at me, his smile wide, and my heart cracks. "You're… you're protecting me right now, aren't you, Alpha?"
"I'm trying. I'm trying to protect you from the harm that Dr. Greene caused you. That your mother caused you." He turns in his chair, facing me fully. "I am so grateful that you're my Omega, Nora. I just want you to be able to enjoy what that means."
I sniffle, tears dripping from the corner of my eyes. Charles stands up and leans against the desk. "Nora, I was concerned about meeting you. I've never liked the way the media portrays you. But seeing you now, knowing what's happened, I have to tell you." He sighs, crossing his arms over his slim chest. "You need to go public with this. You need to tell everyone what was done to you, what the Design Clinic did to you."
"Oh, I couldn't," I say, shaking my head. "Mother would be devastated. My fathers died when she was pregnant with me, I'm all she has. She has sacrificed so much for me to be where I am today."
"You don't have to decide now," Charles continues, glossing over what I said. "But that little voice in your head? Listen to her. You're going to hurt your Omega if you continue to push her down." He leans down, placing his hand on my shoulder. "Omega, you deserve to flourish. You deserve to enjoy being cared for and loved by the amazing pack you have matched with."
"Let us care for you, doll," Levi says softly. "With no guilt. With no worry. If it feels good, it's okay." He looks to his father. "She had a heat spike today. They never fully explained heat or spikes to her, so she believed it to be punishment for a game of strip poker we played last night." His face blushes, no doubt at having a conversation of such an intimate nature with his father.
"The strip poker probably caused the spike," his father says. "Being around all those Alpha pheromones will do that to an Omega." He looks at me. "But it was not punishment, Nora. Stuff like that is exactly what you should be doing! It's how you get to know your pack and get comfortable with them. Tell me something, sweetie," he says with a grin. "Was it fun in the moment?"
I blush, ducking my head. "Yes, it was. I…" I sigh, realizing the implication of what I'm about to say. "I was listening to that voice. I had a few drinks, and I wasn't able to push it out anymore."
"Ah, so your Omega started to take over. Let me tell you something, Nora, that voice will not lead you astray." Levi stands and pulls me to my feet as well, as Charles embraces me. "That voice will keep you safe, happy, and loved. Listen to her. I promise you won't regret it."
Levi hugs his father tightly and tells him we'll be back soon, and we embrace his mother on the way out.
In the car, Levi rests his hand on my knee as he drives. "How are you feeling, Nora?"
"Safe and protected, Alpha."