Chapter 23
Hudson
My heat has been done for a week. I’m still waiting for the appointment to have my blood tested, but in the meantime…I’m kind of enjoying the bond with the alphas.
I haven’t told them that, but I’m sure they can feel it as clearly as I can feel their presence. I can feel the affection they feel toward each other and toward me each time they glance in my direction.
Pretty sure the affection is appreciation. We’re not far from finding out whether our first attempt was successful.
If I ignore the reason behind being here for my last heat, I feel better than I have in…well, shit. Ever.
The alphas took amazing care of me, and I found out Amy had made sure to leave bottles of water and easy to eat food within reach without fully entering the nest.
Though I don’t think I would have become possessive over her presence. I can see Amy and I becoming close friends. She’s easy to like, doesn’t feel the need to fill every single quiet moment with mindless chatter, and is so sarcastic and funny.
Good thing, too, since the alphas returned to work three days ago.
Except Amy has a job to do meaning she can’t spend every waking moment hanging out with me. And my bestie Ella is still recovering from riding out her heat alone with nothing but painkillers and heat aids like the silicone knots Des bought for me.
I know that misery. Hell, I’ve lived it.
I did offer to loan her the alphas.
Maybe I should have asked them before making that offer.
I huff a soft laugh as I imagine their expressions if I’d actually asked, “hey, you mind fucking my best friend for a week, too?”
Soft conversation hums from deeper in the house, both voices feminine. Amy passed by about thirty minutes ago, so she’s probably chatting with one of the staff members I’ve yet to meet.
Why hasn’t anyone else bothered introducing themselves to me? I mean, it’s not like I expect them to dote on me or wait on me, but it would at least be nice to see a few more faces and know a few more names of the people under the alphas’ employment.
I can’t sit around all day staring at the same walls. I’m not a huge TV person, though I do enjoy a good binge day or movie night.
I’m bored. And anxious. Alex discovered it’ll be two weeks before my body will register whether or not we succeeded. That’s a week of waiting. A week of considering all the what-ifs.
And a week of spending all day without the alphas.
The only saving grace is I swear I can feel any time I cross their minds. It’s as if I can feel when one of them thinks about me. And each time, it comes with a wave of affection.
For me.
My family might have rejected me due to my designation, but I love being an omega.
I don’t exactly love being so much smaller than most men, but whatever. And my asshole siblings don’t get nearly as much attention as I do so they can kiss my ass.
Way to lie to yourself, asshole.
“I’m not lying,” I mutter out loud.
Great. Now I’m arguing with myself, and anyone could turn the corner and catch me. They’ll think I’m a lunatic.
So I might still be sad that my family rejected me. I have Ella, I’ve made some amazing friends. And I might be building a family.
I hope.
My steps falter as I roam through the living room and everything shifts.
The alphas might not want me to live here after he or she is born, but they gave me the option of whether I stay in our child’s life. And I have every intention of doing that as a parent, not a cool uncle who pops in for holidays, not a family friend.
Would it be terrible to ask for visitations?
My hand lands on my flat belly as tears prick the backs of my eyes.
This isn’t my hormones making me emotional – this is purely from fear.
And a touch of rejection.
Which, of course, is ridiculous. I knew going into this exactly what they wanted from me and it wasn’t to add me to their family. It wasn’t to make me their omega.
Mason made you his omega.
I huff a deep breath and begin wandering once more.
The scent of chlorine seeps through the wood ash, peppermint and whipped cream, and chocolate hazelnut as well as my perfume and the mixture of cleaning products used by the housekeeping staff.
That’s right – there’s an indoor pool as well as an outside. It’s too cool to lie in shorts in the sun, but I can take a swim in the heated pool. I was given full permission to roam the entirety of the house, including the home gym that I’ve already forgotten how to find.
Next time I pass Amy, I’ll ask her to draw me a map because it’s starting to feel as though that’ll be a necessity until I’m more familiar with this place.
Using my nose, I follow the smell until I spot glass doors. After pulling one side open, I smile as the warm humid air wafts out to greet me.
This. This is what I need. Yeah, I soaked in the tub after the heat, but that was only after the emotional breakdown and Mason repeatedly apologizing to me.
As the time has passed, a few more memories have resurfaced…
Mason is a beast in the sack.
For someone so polished, so intelligent, articulate, and refined, he sure is a passionate and dominant lover.
Pretty sure I enjoyed every second of it. Shame I can’t remember every second of it.
Tugging up the legs of my sweats, I lower to the edge and dip my feet into the water. Oh, it’s definitely heated and feels amazing.
Why am I doing the look around?
Because I’m not ready to flash poor Amy my ass, cock, and balls, even if she probably got more than an eyeful of all four of us last week.
Pushing back to my feet, I shove my sweats to my feet and kick them toward the lounge chairs, then tug my shirt off by the back collar.
Then I dive in.
This is exactly what I needed. The weightless feeling and the silence of being underwater does something to calm my racing thoughts, even if only while I’m submerged.
Once I emerge, I switch to my back and float, staring up at the coffered ceilings, the beautifully crafted crown molding, and the obviously expensive light fixtures hanging overhead.
I think if I’d built this room, I would have made sure the ceilings were glass like the walls. That way, it would still have the appearance of being outside.
Ooooh. Especially at night. I can’t help but imagine floating just like this and staring up at the stars.
Guess I’ll have to wait until summer returns.
After a while, I decide it’s time to leave the pool before I turn into a raisin.
I just…it kind of sucks spending all day in this big house alone.
I don’t have to stay here all day. But the alphas did ask that I take a guard with me, to let them drive me at least until they’ve secured a safer car.
But even then, they prefer I have someone watching over me.
As I dry off with a fluffy towel among a stack of them, then pull on my clothes, I rack my brain as to where I can go and what I can do for the day to ease the loneliness.
It wasn’t more than an hour ago I was fondly thinking about my friends.
Really, though, the more I think about it, Ella is the only friend who has never expected anything but my friendship.
Every single person in my life makes comments and teases me about being with an omega, offering to help with my heats, even begging me to scent mark their clothing or skin to lure an alpha.
Do I really only have one true friend?
My shoulders feel as though someone tossed weights onto them as they sag. For the first time in my life, I feel truly alone.
Sure, I can feel the alphas through the bond, Mason more so than the other two, but as I take a peek, they feel distracted as they work on whatever case or deal with whatever legal battles for the day.
Yep. Alone. Even the woman hired to be here is too busy to give me her time.
Now more than ever, I pray the blood test comes back positive. At least then, I’ll have someone who carries my DNA who might actually love me unconditionally.