3. Encountering A Sinful Temptation
Encountering A Sinful Temptation
~ASTRAEA~
“ S hould I ask who pissed you off?”
I’m dripping in sweat, the beads rolling down my flesh like raindrops and littering the mat beneath my feet. I always take precautions, even if the gym is empty, which is exactly why I’m still training in the Omega section of the gym. It’ll give the Beta janitors an easier chance to clean up my mess before the masses of Alphas fill this place up.
“You already know,” I finally answer the looming question. It makes me smile, despite my foul mood, as I lift my head up enough to confirm the tall woman at the doorway, admiring my breathless, crouched self.
“Mama issues.”
“When is it not mama issues?” I laugh. It honestly feels pathetic. Being nineteen and dealing with issues with your parent wanting to financially benefit from you versus what I’m sure so many other newly young adult Omegas deal with.
I should be worrying about when I’ll find a pack and if they’ll even want me. Not stressing over how my mother may set me up for failure because all her concern revolves around a rich pack that can “spoil” her since she’s suffered for years ‘raising’ me.
Yet, she won’t acknowledge how bad she must be for your Alphas to say ‘no more.’
That’s the ultimate truth when it comes to this unique dynamic in our society.
Alphas are born with all these needs that can only be suppressed, not completely revoked from their genetic systems. They can take scent and rut blockers and, aside from the lengthy side effects, can live exceptional lives without an Omega.
That’s the path my parents decided to take when it came to my mother.
I guess that’s how fucking messed up their living situation became.
My mother doesn’t get off that simple in comparison.
Omegas take Heat suppressants long enough, and next thing you know, you’re either losing your fucking marbles, having suicidal thoughts, or destroying your hormone levels to the point you may not be able to have kids because of the domino effect.
Once Dad realized this married pack life only consisted of appeasing my mother during Heat and nothing but constant pleading for them to buy her ABCD, they no longer could see a future with her.
Or me, I guess.
Truthfully, I don’t blame them for leaving. I may not be super old or experienced in this grand scheme called life, but there’s only so much financial and emotional abuse a man can take before they can picture themselves elsewhere.
With someone who makes them feel worthy as Alphas. With someone who isn’t in dire need to be spoiled with gifts and the latest Gucci, Prada, or Saint Laurent bags and accessories.
My mother’s lifestyle, in return, made me carry a disdain for luxury items without sensible reasoning. I won’t deny I had my share of branded items during my teen years, but you get a quick turn-off when you realize you’re becoming a photocopy of your narcissistic, mentally ill mother who thinks the world is against her and she’s but an innocent maiden in need of rescue.
“It’s getting worse, huh?”
The purple-haired woman is now in front of me with a comforting smile on her red lips. Those lavender locks that hold a hint of curl cradle her flawlessly heart-shaped face and compliment her tanned skin.
Velvet is the definition of a rebel queen. What’s more empowering about her is that she had financial abundance and used it to not only take care of herself without a touch of gluttony but also aided many Omegas in my and Karma’s predicaments.
Where we need a way out but have nowhere to go.
She’s wearing a dark, wine-red dress that hugs her curvy body. Her red shoes are surely Christian Louboutin from an initial glimpse. She’s yet to put her contacts in, so her eyes are pure black. She enjoys changing her eye color just to mess with all the cocky Alphas in Knox’s gym, but I like to believe she does it more for herself.
I’ve never asked why.
“You’re reaching that limit, aren’t you?”
“I’ve probably surpassed it one too many times.” I laugh while my body aches in dismay when I try to rise up from my crouched position. “But can you blame me?”
“I can’t.” With Velvet, you don’t need to say many words for her to put all the pieces together. That’s one thing I admire about her.
She’s been a better mother to me—one who isn’t blood related—than my own, who carried me nine months and ‘attempted’ to raise me.
“Did you present an ultimatum?”
“That’s threatening in my Mama Dearest eyes because who am I, a young adult, to dare have boundaries and wish to not be her punching bag for constant ridicule and debilitating scrutiny?”
Velvet can only sigh as she crosses her arms over her chest.
“You don’t think it’s the Heat suppressants? It’s been two years now, hasn’t it?”
Time flies.
“If it is, I no longer have the energy to care,” I confess as I tug at the straps of my gloves, allowing them to fall to the padded floor. “Like she said today, she’s only waiting for me to meet my pack so they can spoil them.”
“They can spoil her ?” The confusion on Velvet’s face makes me laugh because it confirms I’m not hallucinating. I’m not the only one thinking my mom’s train of thought is borderline psychosis with a pinch of selfishness. “When she had five Alphas showering her with Dolce and Gabbana, Christian Louboutin, and every other luxury brand in the book, it wasn’t enough? She wishes to now benefit from her Omega daughter?”
I have to ignore the pinch of jealousy I feel at the mere idea of another female, especially my mother of all people, trying to sway and seduce my pack to gain a magnitude of benefits.
Disgusting.
“Yup, because she deserves it for raising me,” I summarize, leaving Velvet no choice but to shake her head in dismay.
“She’s going to be alone in this merciless world at this rate,” Velvet concludes. “She wants to grow old alone? Be an outcast from all her children? Does she not see her actions have consequences? That she’s pushing you away?” It’s as if Velvet is questioning herself as if she’s anything like my toxic mother.
“You know, she never cared about me in that way,” I mutter, grabbing her attention for a moment. “In that parental viewpoint that makes you want to be a good parent. Those parents who don’t expect anything in return, but are also forever grateful if their children are willing to return the favor when their old and wrinkly. I’m the unwanted girl. Despite my dad and his pack being grateful to have a girl out of three other boys, you know what Leo once told me?”
Velvet shakes her head, anticipating my continuation.
“The moment you were born and held in your father’s arms, she was jealous of you.” I repeat the very statement that reminds me that this predicament I’m experiencing will never change. Word for word. “Even having me take an ounce of her Alphas attention warranted her envy. It even made them regret my creation because what Mother is jealous of their own daughter? It’s madness.”
I spread my fingers out, looking at how white-knuckled they are after I’ve squeezed them into fists to hide the way they tremble with brewing anger.
Forty-five minutes of kickboxing drills didn’t do shit.
“Being reminded every day that your birth is but an error of your Omega mother’s state of mind is a constant reminder of what I DON’T want to become. How I’ll do anything to prevent such a predicament from happening to my next generation. That is, if I even want to go down that route.”
The idea of kids frightens me.
“You want children, Astraea.” Velvet’s soft touch to my cheek forces me to acknowledge her and not my sweaty palms. She has such a loving expression on her face.
A Motherly reflection that gives me a sprinkle of the compassionate look I’ve always yearned to see in my mother’s blue eyes, which look no different from mine.
“I know your mother makes it difficult to even envision, but when you find a pack that aligns with you, together you’ll be able to determine if children are the right path for you all.”
“But…”
But what if accidents happen? Like me…
“Alphas are aware that most Omegas wish to give birth. To celebrate the ability to live and provide their offspring a loving home. Our society makes it harder, especially with how the world has entered its dark ages, but with communication and the right pack, you’ll discover what’s best, and if that includes children, it will transpire.”
“I just don’t want to bring a child into this world by accident,” I whisper. “Or to be a single Omega mother raising a child in a pack that’s only around to enjoy the monthly Heats us Omegas can’t avoid.”
“I know.” She wipes away what I can only assume is a bead of sweat and not a tear from my blurry eyes.
“I want my child to be born out of love. Planned or not,” I say more to myself, allowing this moment to admit the truth beating deep within my heart. “Instead of what I got. What I dealt with. No… what I continue to deal with, day and night.” Saying the truth out into the world brings a hint of comfort.
“But what if I don’t find my perfect pack?”
Velvet smiles at that one, her eyes twinkling with merit.
“No pack is perfect. Not a single one.” Her smile only grows. “But that’s the beauty of it, Astraea. That a group of individuals with their various imperfections can come together and love a single person who is just as imperfect as them.”
She cradles my cheeks in her palms, giving me that physical touch to emphasize that she’s right here.
No matter how lost and worried I may feel, I have someone in my corner.
“Like different strings of yarn, you begin to take those first weaving movements. Interlock and entwine, coming together into a unique masterpiece one can’t replicate. You learn about each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and you come to love and admire those traits. All these emotions of anxiety and uncertainty will fade, and in their place will form blossoming emotions of stability and hopefulness.”
She presses her forehead against mine, and I can only smile as I take a few breaths.
“Being an Omega is never an easy journey, but it will be a rewarding one when you’ve not only embraced the beauty within you but the amazing strength you can acquire as a whole with your pack at your side.”
She pulls away and slowly pats my shoulders.
“So until then, keep being your talented rebel self,” she encourages with a defiant smirk and a quick wink. “Just lead the government on a trail of failed meetups for added measure.”
“Ugh,” I groan at the reminder. “I got another one of those.”
“Ah. Same,” she says dramatically.
“Wait! You still get them?” I’m shocked because I’ve assumed Velvet is packless out of choice. Meaning she told the government a nice big ‘fuck off,’ and they gave up trying.
Once you reach your late thirties, the government will no longer benefit from trying to get you to find a pack. Heck, they probably lose funding money trying to make a thirty-nine-year-old be deemed “attractive” enough to bring on all the Alphas who spend top dollar to attend these parties and events in hopes of finding an Omega.
Yet I’ve always wished Velvet would find someone.
She deserves love, too. We all do…
“Every quarter,” she mocks with a dramatic eye roll. “You’d think now that I’m almost forty, they would have given up. Before, they enjoyed sending brochures with ticking clocks on them to emphasize that your uterus is going to shit, so bang the closest pack you can find and have a baby pronto for everyone’s peace of mind.”
“Peace of mind?” I cringe at the mere idea of such a happening. Just fucking a random pack to have a baby and raise on your own.
Goodness, I could never.
“For the Omega tracking system,” Velvet announces with a laugh. “Apparently, they lose money in the yearly bonus if they have too many ‘rejected Omegas’ on their quota list. We’re the ones in grey because red is reserved for Omegas closest to their peak biological clock age.”
“So… we’re looked at as baby-making machines with monthly sexual appeasing needs. Fun.”
“A marvelous privilege to have,” she says with far too much sarcasm. “Said no woman ever in the history of our existence.”
We laugh at that.
“Does that mean…” I’m not sure it’s right to ask, but peering into her eyes and seeing her slight nod in encouragement helps me carry on. “You never found a pack right for you?”
“It’s not like I never found a pack, my dear,” Velvet looks so content. “There are plenty who’ve begged for my commitment, but alas. I never found one who matches my spark.”
Her scent match…
“Do you still have hope you will?”
“He could be right under my nose,” she hums with a wink. “So until then, I’ll continue to enjoy the single Omega life with my daily glass of wine and limited-edition clit sucker.”
The way I cringe at her terminology has her laughing far too hard.
“What? Is that not the youngling’s way of saying it?”
“It’s called a rose, Velvet,” I groan and lean down to grab my gloves. “No one is going out there saying, ‘Let me recharge my clit sucker’!”
“Is that what they call those competitive toy fuckers these days?”
We turn our heads to the door to surprisingly see Knox.
The 6’4” muscled giant can barely lean against the door frame, but there he is, with his long grey hair tied back, sporting a white tank top and black shorts. For fifty, this man honestly could pull off his middle thirties if he got rid of his beard. He grows it out every year after summer in preparation for Christmas. He’s the best Santa in the Alpha-Omega community because he’s willing to take pictures with anyone and isn’t affected by the pheromones in Omegas.
At least, that is what he portrays to the world.
After ten years, he’s never had a single incident.
The same fact that he hasn’t found an Omega. Neither he nor his pack, who he considers brothers.
“No,” I finally answer his question as it settles into my mind. “Don’t you guys keep up with the times?”
I look between them, even as Knox moves from his place and walks further into the gym.
His eyes are on the unclaimed prize next to me.
These two aren’t going to answer me for at least a minute. I know because it happens every single time they see each other at the start of the day.
That intense moment of sexual tension that screams to everyone else but the two individuals causing it. Absolutely baffling to me. It’s like watching magnets that are destined to be pulled by each other’s magnetic strength, doing everything to not give in.
Someone just needs to force them into a room for one night.
No way they would be able to keep their hands off one another.
I know Velvet teases about her scent match being right under her nose, but I wonder what’s stopping her from being with Knox.
Maybe it’s their age gap of twelve years since Knox will turn fifty-one this year, but I think that doesn’t matter to either of them.
I’ll have to leave that unsolvable puzzle for another day.
“I’m gonna go shower,” I say when they’re not done having their staring moment for sixty agonizingly long seconds.
“Wait. You didn’t answer me,” Knox whines when he sees me walking over to my gym bag and tossing my gloves in the purple-white duffle.
“Should I dye my hair?” I ask instead, enjoying how confused Knox looks while Velvet is smirking at the change of topic.
No sex toy talk with the gym owner, thank you very much.
“You want to lose those silver locks?” Knox ponders. “Don’t want to look like your old man?” He tries to feign a hurtful expression while pointing at himself.
“Don’t let my dad hear that,” I tease, knowing he’s still best friends with my dad and his pack. “He’ll beat you up.”
“I know he would,” Knox groans in dismay. “Red.”
“Red is far too drastic,” Velvet argues, while giving Knox a side glare. “Just because Astraea is rebellious doesn’t mean she should be a walking siren everyone has to see a mile away.”
“Just add the BEE-WOO sound, and she’ll attract all the Alphas everywhere,” Knox suggests.
“She’s not dying her hair for the attention of Alphas, stupid,” Velvet argues and punches the man in the gut.
“Ugh! You could at least punch softer, OW!” he whines dramatically as he crouches over. With all the muscle in his body, I doubt that little punch did shit. One of his biceps is the size of Velvet’s head at this point. Especially now that he’s in his “bulk” phase.
“Stop being a baby and saying stupid commentary to a young Omega who wants to dye her hair for herself!” Velvet emphasizes before looking my way.
“Why not purple? You do love lavender. I think it would further compliment your silver locks, so you won’t even need to dye it fully to the root.”
The fact she even remembers lavender being one of my favorite colors has me grinning from ear to ear. Now that I can envision the look, it doesn’t seem too bad. It could still complement my eyes without being a drastic change.
“Honestly, that doesn’t sound too bad. I could do it at the roots and leave the tips silver, so when it grows out, it gives an ombre effect,” I speak my vision out loud, hoping for their approval.
“I ain’t no artist, but that does sound like a good combination,” Knox emphasizes, looking excited for me. “Red is still my favorite color.”
Oh, I wonder why.
I’m trying not to smirk while Velvet is giving the poor man a death stare.
“No one cares,” she exclaims and slaps his arm. “Why are you even here?”
“It’s almost six, Sweet Velvet,” he teases her with that nickname she swears she hates. “Gotta open the doors to the hungry Alphas begging to show off how spectacular their muscled gains are to everyone else but the Omegas they’re struggling to snag.”
“You promote their cocky behaviors, you know!” she acknowledges and watches how he chuckles and puts a hand behind his back, looking a bit shy.
“Now, now. I can’t control those bastards. They’ll tell me this is a gym and not Etiquette 101 for Alphas on How to Treat an Omega. If I tried, we’d be bankrupt.”
“Hmph.” Velvet knows there’s no point in arguing.
“Bye, Mom and Dad,” I tease as I lift my bag over my shoulder and head to the door.
“H-H-Hey! We’re not married yet!” Knox whines, to which he grunts in agony. “Ow!”
“Yet? You don’t even have the balls to ask me on a date, let alone propose marriage. You’re lucky I can’t adopt Astraea, or I would, then find a real man with bigger muscles than you!”
“Now, now, Velvet. You know, just because their biceps may be bigger doesn’t mean their cock?—”
“YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO SPEAK LIKE THAT WITH ASTRAEA AROUND!”
“She’s nineteen! She’s grown! She knows what a peepee and a vee-vee do— AH! Okay! OKAY! I forfeit!”
The way I’m grinning at those two wrestling shenanigans is going to have my cheeks hurting if I don’t stop.
Deep down, I wish Velvet could have been my mom for real. Heck, I’d be happy with Knox as my dad for all I care. They would be focused on my happiness instead of the financial gain they would achieve by marrying me off.
I may be nineteen, but Mom will still need to have a say in my officially joining with whatever pack I have in the future.
It’s the most stupid “law” instilled in our society, and the only way around it is being “orphaned” by your Omega mom and her pack and being picked by another who takes guardian responsibility.
All this complicated shit.
Karma is probably going to have to deal with that shit with her family cutting her off after her failed arranged marriage.
Turning the corner, I shake my head to get rid of those negative thoughts.
Whatever happens, we’ll figure it out. She has me to be her support until she finds the right pack of her own.
I try to smile, but I let out an ‘oof’ because I just walked into a fucking wall.
A wall that can catch its victims.
I don’t realize I’m hanging in another person’s grasp until I look up with wide eyes to see the most gorgeous set of blue eyes I’ve ever seen. They can’t be real at this point because they’re sapphire blue. Vibrant and gorgeous to stare at. Matched with this man’s pale complexion that’s absent of a single strand of hair makes me wonder if Knox has a photoshoot set this morning to promote the gym.
This man isn’t as bulky as Knox, but he totally has white strands like the gym owner Weightlifting Champion in the fifty division.
“Lost your way, little Omega?”
HEAVENLY FATHER!
My eyes must be bugging out of my sockets, for no man’s voice has a sound like a chocolate fountain drenching a bowl of strawberries until this moment.
In fact, how can a voice sound like a bowl of strawberries overflowing with chocolate?
My mind has malfunctioned.
This has to be at the fault of my suppressant or something.
“I-I’m not little!” It’s the first thing that comes out of my mouth because I can’t even think of anything else he said before that.
“You aren’t?” he ponders as he easily lifts me as if I’m not 180 pounds of curvy muscle.
I may look slim, but with these curvy thighs, your girl ain’t light by any means.
He has me back on the ground, standing straight before him, which forces me to acknowledge he’s 6’5” in comparison to my 5’2” height.
I have to look up because this man is a giant like Knox. I’m gawking in disbelief.
“H-H-How are you so fucking tall? What are you? Knox’s son?”
“Maybe,” he says with a wink and shrugs. “To be fair, most like to say that, but I don’t see the resemblance. Besides, I take after my mom more.”
I can’t even comprehend this conversation because my body is buzzing from his touch.
Goodness, an Alpha touched me!
If it’s not the pooling slick in my panties warning me to sprint the fuck out of here, it’s catching the hint of floral scent that reaches my nostrils.
Wait. That’s me!
“U-Uh… I should go.” That would be smart if my limbs would cooperate. They don’t want to move. They’re very comfortable right here before this carved God of a man with white hair and sapphire eyes. The way my ears catch onto the slight rumble coming from his broad chest makes my throat tighten while my cheeks feel far too hot.
“Trying to tempt me so early in the morning, pretty Omega?” he teases with a smirk.
I’m even more surprised when he leans over and dares to take a deep inhale.
I barely stop myself from purring.
Fuck!
“I’m tight on time, so I’ll behave,” he whispers into my ear, then his nose trails along my flesh ever so slightly as he rubs the side of my neck. “But you have to be careful, little Omega. Not every Alpha has the control I effortlessly portray.” He pulls back and admires me one more time.
“Hmph. You really are pretty.”
It’s all he says before he takes the lead in leaving.
The moment I can’t sense his presence, I’m free from whatever paralyzing voodoo is over my buzzing body. I race to the changeroom before anyone else can see how red my face is, leaving me fuming because what the fuck was that?
No. Who the fuck was that?
I guess I’ll never know because today will be the last time I finish my workout so close to opening time.
Because he’s right.
Any other Alpha would have fucked me for pulling that shit off.
So, why am I disappointed he didn’t take the chance?