7. Opal
Chapter seven
Opal
I slip on my wide sunglasses the next morning as I prepare for a whole day of nest shopping, and I guess this is the moment I've been waiting four years for.
The day every Omega envisions from the second they start training at the Academy, and many of my classmates even had vision boards prepared for the momentous occasion.
I had tried to create one myself, but nothing I put on the board really screamed me.
I just made what I thought the Academy would like. What they expected me to like.
Because I don’t even know who or what I really am.
I'm a killer, and I have a mission to complete.
That much I know for certain.
However, to the rest of the world, I'm a sweet, pastel-wearing Omega who likes pointy heels and designer clothes.
A pair of sneakers would be nice for a change, but as soon as the thought comes to mind, my back goes ramrod straight, and I step down the porch toward the waiting car.
“Allow me, Opal.”
I stop halfway down the steps, peering around to find Magnus in all his handsome, golden glory above me.
Lords, he really is a sight for sore eyes. They all are.
Even the roguish Reed with his disheveled hair and the scarred face.
The Alpha refused to join us on today’s excursion, of course, and I feel that seed of doubt sprouting up inside me, reminding me that I need to win them all over.
Never keep them guessing. Never give them a reason to suspect me of any wrongdoing.
Reed does not trust me one bit, and damn, he’s good. Much better than I realized.
Can he smell the deception whenever I perspire? His nostrils kept flaring in my direction at dinner, and there was no missing the tick in his jaw.
To distract my thoughts, I peer behind Magnus. “No Reed?”
Magnus sighs, shaking his head. “He’s not really a fan of shopping, Opal. Don’t take it personally. The smells overwhelm him.”
I can imagine. We’re going to a shop that sells endless candles, perfumes, bath bombs, bath salts, etc.
It really would be too much for an Acute Alpha with a heightened sense of smell like Reed’s.
Magnus chuckles, moving down the steps after me, and then he places his palm on the small of my back.
I ignore the sparks his fingers create, concentrating on my steps as we move to the car.
“Well, never mind. We can have plenty of fun without him.”
We make it to the car. Levi waits at the front wheel, and it seems we’re only missing Zayden.
Probably sleeping off all those multiple orgasms.
Oh, I heard them all last night. Every deep moan, growl, heavy breath, snarl.
Everything.
And yes, I wanted to join.
But it’s best not to rush. I can't look too desperate now.
In the end, as Pack Gold's second Omega, I have to respect Zayden's boundaries.
I’m new, so I will wait until they invite me into Zayden's nest.
Zayden appears at last, locking the door as he rushes toward the car, and then he takes his place between me and Magnus.
Damn. He smells delightful today.
There’s no missing the tang of sex as it infuses with his hazelnut, making it richer, darker, and with all his Alpha’s scents combined too, I'm simply breathless.
For a few torturous seconds, I can't even breathe.
Levi's peppermint hits me first, and then Magnus's polished leather, and finally, Reed's choking gunpowder.
Thankfully, none of the guys seems to notice my torture as they buckle up, and I try so hard not to gaze at Zayden with his wet hair.
Even after showering, he still smells like them.
The water drips from the strands of his dark hair, running in trails down his tanned face, and the sight does things to my body.
Zayden glances at me sheepishly. “Sorry… just got out of the shower.”
I grin. “That’s fine. Rough night?”
They fall silent, and I shouldn’t tease them. But I may as well make light of the moment as I buckle my own seat, getting ready for a day of nest shopping.
Even though I’m not your typical Omega, I’m still excited.
So, bring on the shopping.
“Well, let’s get this show on the road,” Levi says at the front wheel, and now the engine purrs to life as he drives away from the cul-de-sac.
Before we round the bend, I spy a shadow hovering in the attic window of the house, and there I spy those gleaming eyes.
One hazel, the other white.
Now I know the other reason why Reed refuses to join us today.
He's too goddamn scary to leave the house.
***
Zayden guides me through each section of the big warehouse-style shop as he's done all this before.
I’ve yet to even see his own nest, but he points out textiles and different bed designs like a kid in a candy store.
I would have liked to have known him back then. When he was a fresh graduate.
But look at him now, a soldier.
Not only does Zayden have an encyclopedic knowledge of all things soft, but he knows how to shoot a gun too.
It seems Omegas really are moving up in this world.
At least they may stand a chance before the war comes.
“So, see anything you like, Opal?”
I peer around, spying pastel-colored blankets and bedsheets, and a shiver runs right through me.
Anything but pastels.
Even now I am wearing another yellow summer dress with a matching headband.
“What colors do you like?”
I think on his question, biting on the temple tip of my sunglasses. “Honestly? I don’t know.”
Zayden stops, appraising my outfit. “Yeah… I get it. They made me wear mint green. N-not that lemon doesn't look good on you, of course, Opal."
I smile. I can see why they chose that color for him. Mint green would bring out the soft brown of his eyes.
He laughs. “But now I wear black and camouflage. Things really are changing.”
“Yeah, it would be hard to blend in with the terrain looking like a chocolate chip mint ice cream.”
The same with looking like a big lemon, too, I guess.
Zayden guffaws at my comment, and then he places his hand on the small of my back, and I wonder if he has realized yet that we're scent matches.
The anticipation is killing me.
Still, it’s best not to push it.
Even if we are fated to be together, it can’t last.
For I will one day have to leave after I have carried out my mission.
“It’s okay if you can’t decide now. We have time. Let’s just get you the basics for now. Anything but lemon, which is a shame. I wanted to gift you a portrait of a bowl of lemons that I saw in the home décor aisle.”
I do hope he is joking.
Quite frankly, I am sick of the fruit.
Sure, my scent is lemon cupcake, but it’s time for a change.
Zayden shows me his perfect white teeth, and my knees almost buckle in the aisle.
I’m tempted to push him down onto one of the beds and sink my teeth into his neck, claiming him as my mate.
Mine.
Now whose thoughts were those?
They can’t be mine.
My Omega's perhaps?
I shake the dirty thoughts out of my mind and now we peruse aisle after aisle, laughing at some of the random things they have in stock.
However, I am a fan of a panda plant pot.
“Put it in the cart,” Zayden says.
I would feel guilty about spending their cash, but I know they get a huge check from the government, and since there are two Omegas in the pack now, their money has only doubled.
I’m surprised more packs haven’t jumped on the bandwagon yet. More money is always nice.
Magnus had no problem paying for all my stuff at the cash register, and he tells me we can make a start on the nest as soon as we get back.
My heart thumps.
I don’t know why I'm excited.
Nests and all that malarkey never appealed to me when I was at the Academy, even when I used to bat my eyelashes at the prospect all dreamy-eyed.
Because deep down, I am dead inside.
A husk.
But I won’t deny that the panda plant pot has got me a little jittery.
The same with the heart-shaped rug, and the portrait of a lion wearing an admiral’s uniform.
It seems maybe I have a quirky sense of style. One with no rhyme or reason.
I even have an inflatable hot pink chair.
Well, time to go home and enjoy my spoils.
If only home were such a place.