7. Elliott #3
ORCRO stood for Omega Registration, Collection, and Redistribution Office.
While they received the registrations and initiated the redistribution of omegas, it was the Omega Reintroduction Program, or ORP, that supposedly interviewed alphas as suitable mates and set the omegas up in society again.
Up to this point, they’d never given parents any information about their children except a brief letter to say the omega had mated an alpha of a certain profession and moved to a certain region.
No address or contact number and no return of calls or letters from parents seeking that information. ”
I knew Ben was telling me all this to convince me that progress was being made and there was no reason for me to go through with my plan.
Parents were getting involved and would force something to be done.
I also understood that he was worried about my safety.
The information did make me feel a little hopeful, but I also knew that, without proof, all accusations would be swept under the rug.
I was going to get the proof. But I let Ben believe he’d convinced me somewhat, knowing that I had been wrong to bring him into this at all.
We left the nursery and went to sit in the small living area. Colt and Angus were out tending to their ranch duties, and Maddox and David were in the other part of the house, so Ben and I were alone.
“About your heats,” Ben said, “I don’t know if we’re able to make them stop, but maybe you can lessen their frequency and duration? Only, how? I mean, when I helped Ollie and Jeremiah when they were sick, I just held them and thought about them getting better.”
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure it has to be done through touch and intention,” I agreed.
“You might be able to do it to yourself, but why don’t I try?” He opened his arms as though to hug me.
Not hesitating, I crossed over to the couch where he was sitting and leaned into his embrace, resting my head on his shoulder.
“I’ll close my eyes and think about lessening the effects of your heats,” Ben said.
“Okay.”
After a few minutes, Ben said, “We probably need skin-to-skin contact.”
We both stripped off our t-shirts and tossed them on the floor, then Ben lifted his legs onto the couch and I moved to sit between them, leaning my bare back against his naked chest with his arms resting on top of mine and his fingers curled around my wrists.
“There, that’s better,” Ben said. “Let’s both concentrate on decreasing your heats and lessening their effects.”
After that, the only sound in the room was the tick of the clock on the table.
I concentrated for a while, but, at some point, drifted off.
I awoke when a mower started up outside the window.
Embarrassed to have slept, leaving Ben to do all the work, I sheepishly rubbed my eyes and murmured an apology.
Looking at the clock, I realized I’d slept about twenty minutes.
“It’s okay. Are you sleeping well at night?” Ben asked.
It was common knowledge among the omegas that I normally didn’t.
“I’ve been having bad dreams.”
Hesitantly, Ben asked, “Do you think they’re…prophetic?”
“I hope not. They’re always of my kidnappers chasing me.”
“Oh. Sorry I asked,” Ben said with a chuckle.
I laughed with him. “Me, too.”
“I just thought of something,” Ben said. “I sometimes dream about you. Like I’m watching you.”
“Watching me?” I asked.
“Like I’m looking at you through a window or something.”
“Do you watch me being chased and just stand there like an asshole?” I asked, laughing it off.
But Ben was serious. “That’s what made me think of it. I remember you being chased by a big, terrifying alpha or sometimes a woman with a knife.”
With a shudder, because that was just too close to the truth, I sat up and turned to look at Ben.
“Are you kidding me?”
Ben shook his head.
“Ben, I saw you in my dream recently. And as for who chases me in them, you’ve hit it on the nose. That must mean…now we really have to try it with intention!”
“Okay, we will.”
I settled back against him and had just managed to quiet my thoughts after that revelation when Colt walked in. The thirty-something alpha had obviously been working outside—his white t-shirt was soaked with sweat and caked with dirt. He did a double-take when he saw me and Ben lying on the couch.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
Seeing the bewildered look on Colt’s face, Ben and I both cracked up. As omegas, it wasn’t unusual for us to cuddle, but we always did it with all our clothes on. Ben’s laughter jostled me on his chest, making me laugh harder until tears ran down my cheeks.
Ben was laughing too hard to answer Colt, who just shook his head at us and headed for the bathroom. A second later, I heard the shower turn on.
“I’ll explain it to him later,” Ben said when he could talk again.
Sitting up, I grabbed our shirts and handed Ben his before pulling mine over my head.
Chuckling, I said, “Imagine what we looked like to him.”
Ben half-laughed, half-groaned. “Don’t get me started again!”
“Don’t forget to think about me tonight in bed,” I said, then, realizing how that sounded, started laughing all over again, with Ben joining in.
In the kitchen, David was standing at the stove stirring something in a pot. I walked up behind him and hugged him. It felt like I hadn’t seen him in ages.
“There you are,” David said. “I heard you were here.”
“I was talking to Ben. Why didn’t you come in?”
“Ollie slept terribly last night. He kept throwing things out of his crib and yelling “Dada” until Maddox or I came in there. I didn’t want Maddox to lose sleep since he had to help with the irrigation system today, so I slept on the floor of the nursery.
Honestly, I’m surprised he’s not climbing out of the crib yet. He’s almost a year-and-a-half.”
“Well, when he figures out how to do that, he can just walk into your room and climb in bed with you two without your having to get up,” I said.
“Spoken like someone who doesn’t have children,” David said, shaking his head and putting down the spoon so he could turn around and give me a proper hug. “How have you been?”
“Good,” I said.
“Did Ben tell you the news?”
I nodded. “Another baby. I’m excited for him.”
“I think I’m pregnant, too,” David whispered. “Maddox knows, but only him. I was going to announce it, but then Ben told us last night at dinner about his pregnancy, and I didn’t want to steal his thunder.”
“Congratulations! It’s a baby boom,” I said smiling.
“Tell me about it. Good thing Trey and Jackson don’t live with us anymore, or it would be babies everywhere. Not to mention we wouldn’t have room.”
David insisted on making me a sandwich, since whatever he was cooking wasn’t ready yet; and, remembering Jet waiting outside, when I was ready to go home, I wrapped up the bigger half of the huge sub and took it out to him.
“For me?” Jet asked, looking at the sandwich wrapped in paper towel like it was a present or something. I just hoped he hadn’t seen my hand shaking when I’d given it to him. I was more comfortable with him than I had been at first, but being around him still made me nervous.
“You’re hungry, aren’t you?” I asked, backing away quickly.
A smile broke over his face, and, for a moment, he looked so stupidly handsome that I lost my thoughts entirely.
When I came to my senses, I turned and climbed into the passenger seat of the jeep.
Jet had already bitten into the sandwich when he pulled himself into the driver’s seat. “It’s good. Did you make it?” He took another huge big bite.
I shook my head. “David made it for me, but I wanted to share it with you.” I don’t know what came over me to say it like that. Why hadn’t I just told him that David made it and left it at that? No need to stress that I wanted to give it to him. Embarrassed, I turned my face to the window.
“Fuck!” Jet had started to back up but suddenly threw on the brakes, throwing me forward in my seat. I hadn’t put on my seatbelt and would have hit my head on the dash or windshield if Jet hadn’t thrown his arm out to hold me in my seat.
Shaken, I looked around and saw that the dog, Roger, had bolted from behind the jeep and was just sitting there.
With a sigh, he climbed out of the jeep to move the dog. I quickly buckled up, the top of my chest tingling where his arm had lain across it.
When Jet returned, he backed the jeep up and then drove out of the driveway, turning left at the end and heading toward our ranch.
I noticed the progress on both Jackson’s and Trey’s houses.
They weren’t ranches, but they had enough property for nice gardens and a few horses if they wanted them.
I knew both of my friends were really excited about moving in and hoped they would get to do it soon.
Before I’d finished my thoughts, we were pulling up in front of our ranch.
I surprised myself by not rushing to get out of the car.
“Thanks again for the sandwich,” Jet said, like he wouldn’t have gotten to eat otherwise when I knew Eric kept the ranch kitchen, as well as the ones in the special ops cabins, stocked with food.
“Thanks for the ride. I won’t be going out for a while. You don’t have to wait.”
“Okay. Text me if you need me.”
I nodded. We had all the ops alphas’ numbers programed into our phones for easy access. Turning, I walked to our house, knowing Jet would be watching me until I got inside. Why were my cheeks so hot?
Inside, Keane was reading a book. Solomon and Zeke were on the sofa, arguing.
“El, aren’t I the best-looking person you’ve ever seen in real life?”
“Gods, Sol, give it a rest,” Keane muttered from behind his book.
“I will when Elliott answers the question. These two won’t admit it, but El will tell the truth.”
“Sol, I’ve seen plenty of people better-looking than you,” I said.
“You’re lying!” Solomon turned to Zeke, who was laughing. “He’s lying.”
“Where have you been?” Keane asked me, putting down his book.
“I had a therapy session, then I went to Ben’s.”