Chapter 14
Chapter fourteen
Despite a few more glances than usual, the days passed with relatively little incident for Camelia.
She attended classes, she had lunch with Aria some days, she met up with James or Evan after her classes were done.
They kept her safe on campus and off, and Camelia warred with the complicated emotions that came from the perpetuation of their relationship.
Because it wasn't just an arrangement anymore. She'd come to terms with it, though she hadn't had the guts to say it aloud. They were more than that, more than just sex or Alphas protecting a vulnerable Omega...
They were more.
By the time the protest that her father had informed her of rolled around, Camelia was almost at peace with it, too.
She held Evan's hand loosely as he drove them into town in his stupidly expensive car, and the contentment that settled her stomach was almost enough to overcome the nerves that came from her decision to attend this rally.
She'd meant what she'd said to Evan; it was stupid trying to hide her status, trying to keep herself secret and locked away until she was forced out by some stupid new legislation. Best to get ahead of the curve.
That was what she was telling herself, anyway.
"You okay?" Evan's voice was soft as they pulled into a parking spot.
The protest was taking place outside of the small performing theatre in town, the one that Ridgeview sometimes rented out when their facilities weren't sufficient.
There was already a decent-sized crowd around the stage that had been erected in front of the building, and Camelia recognized a few of the organizers who were standing on the stage, talking to each other.
Gerry Hunter, prominent Omega Rights Activist. Jessica Fletch, running for Congresswoman in the coming election cycle.
She was running against an incumbent who was staunchly quiet about the issue of Omega and Alpha relationships, and Camelia already knew that she liked her.
A few others, whose faces Camelia recognized but no names were attached in her mind.
Camelia swallowed, and her grip on Evan's hand tightened. "Yeah, I'm...okay," she said softly. She chewed the inside of her cheek, turning to face him. His blue eyes were solemn but supportive as he looked at her, and he lifted her hand to press a kiss to her knuckles.
"You want to leave, just say the word. We'll get out of here any time you want," he said quietly.
Camelia nodded, her stomach twisting. "I know. I can't be scared forever, though," she said, equally quietly.
With that, she released his hand and climbed out of the car, bouncing on her feet a little as she waited for Evan to get out and walk around to her side.
It was a cold and bright day, and she found herself grateful that James had wound a scarf around her neck before they had left the house.
She felt a little more steady with Evan at her side, her hand seeking his again, and the two of them marched towards the crowd that was gathered.
One of the women on stage, one that Camelia didn't recognize, had already started speaking when she and Evan started to slowly weave their way through the people.
The crowd was made up of mostly women, many of them college-aged like they were.
That made sense; they were the up and coming voter bloc, if you wanted to affect change, you should appeal to those who had the power to make things happen for years to come.
It made Camelia tingle with a little bit of pride, seeing how many people had showed up to at least hear about the issue that was so near and dear to her.
She and Evan had made it almost to the very edge of the crowd, up close to the front where the speakers were, when she was recognized.
A gentle touch on her wrist startled her, and Camelia couldn't stop herself from jumping away from the person with a gasp of surprise.
"Hey, it's okay!" The woman smiled, lifting her hands and taking an obvious step back.
Behind Camelia and Evan, the crowd clapped politely as the speaker on stage finished whatever they had been talking about, and stepped away from the microphone.
One of Evan's hands dropped to Camelia's lower back, steadying her, and she offered a slightly confused smile to the woman who was standing in front of them, still with her hands up in obvious surrender.
"I'm sorry, have we met before?" The woman was young and pretty, her dark hair loose under a knitted hat and her green eyes sharp under her glasses.
She was dressed appropriately for the weather, a wool coat on over her slacks and sturdy boots, but nothing in her face elicited more than a vague recollection for Camelia.
"Not directly," the woman said, smiling a little wider as she lowered her hands. "I'm Pam. I'm a staffer for Jessica Fletch, and I'm working her campaign. I've worked with Carter on and off for many years. Your father is very fond of you, you know."
Camelia's shoulders slumped a little, and the smile that she offered was more genuine now. "I know he is. He told me about this." She gestured at the crowd around them with one hand, leaning into Evan's touch as if to reassure herself that he was still there.
Pam nodded. "He mentioned that you might show up, though he didn't say why." Curiosity flickered in her eyes, and she tilted her head to the side. "Do you want to go into diplomacy like Carter?"
Camelia nodded, her stomach twisting a little as she spoke. "I do, but..." She paused, then forged ahead, comforted by Evan's steady presence at her side. "That's not why I'm here. I'm an Omega."
Surprise crossed Pam's face, but to her credit, she managed to school her expression back to neutrality far more quickly than Camelia would have expected. "I see. This is personal for you, then." She gestured to the stage, and Camelia nodded.
"Very." She glanced at Evan, who was watching her with a soft smile on his face. Camelia's stomach twisted, and she turned back to Pam, who was watching them carefully. "This is Evan Nichols, my...partner. One of them."
Evan stuck out his free hand for Pam to shake, offering a charming grin but saying nothing.
"Nice to meet you." The crowd around them tittered, and Camelia glanced at the stage to see them clearly preparing for the next speaker. Before Camelia could wonder who it was going to be, though, Pam made a soft sound that pulled her attention back.
"Hold on. Camelia, would you wait here for a second?
" There was something new on Pam's face, an excitement and determination that almost made Camelia take a step back, but she didn't have time.
Pam disappeared, rushing up the stage and speaking to one of the organizers.
She didn't gesticulate or do anything that would indicate what she was talking about, but a second later she turned and marched back off the stage, making a beeline directly for Camelia and Evan again.
"Camelia." Pam's expression was determined, but she maintained a respectful distance between herself and Camelia as she spoke quickly. "I'm sure that you just came to observe and offer your support, but I wonder if you would be willing to do more."
"More?" Camelia did take a step back, then, and only Evan's hand on her back kept her from stumbling in the wet grass.
Pam nodded. "Would you be willing to go on stage and offer a few words?
Nothing you wouldn't be willing to share, of course, but having an Omega speak on these issues that affect you.
.." She gestured a little at the crowd behind Camelia.
"It could be very impactful. So many people don't want to face the fact that these laws aren't just theoretical, they affect people's lives.
" She huffed out a breath, the air misting in front of her face, and Camelia couldn't stop the surge of passion that rose in her, matching Pam's energy.
"Just...talk?" Camelia glanced at the microphone, her hands curling into fists in her pockets. "I don't have anything prepared."
Evan's hand flexed against her back, the only indication that this conversation bothered him at all, but he stayed silent as Pam shook her head. "That's fine. Like I said, it doesn't need to be anything formal. A few words would suffice."
Camelia swallowed, glancing at the microphone again, then up at Evan. His expression was schooled neutral, but when he glanced down at her, he offered a small smile. As if to say I support whatever you want to do.
That, more than anything, allowed Camelia to straighten her shoulders and offer Pam a smile. "Okay. Just a few words."
Pam's expression lightened, excitement written all over her features. She even clapped a little before turning back towards the stage and taking Camelia's hand again. "Good. Good. Oh, this is going to be great. Come on."
Camelia followed the tug on her hand, ignoring the loss that pulled at her stomach when Evan's touch fell away from her back.
She climbed up on the stage, standing a little awkwardly as Pam disappeared to speak to someone on the other side of the stage.
Still, she didn't move, a sense of importance swelling inside of her.
She'd told Evan that she wanted to do something with her status. This was that something.
"Alright, we're ready for you, Camelia," Pam said, holding a clipboard when she returned to Camelia's side. Her eyes were bright, and Camelia ignored the shiver of nerves that ran down her spine as she nodded.
"Okay."
The walk to the microphone felt like it took forever, though it was only a few steps, and when she took her place in front of it, the way that the crowd hushed and turned their attention to her nearly made her balk.
Evan's steady gaze on her, front and center of the crowd, was enough to calm her nerves, though, and she shoved her hands in her pockets as she opened her mouth to speak.
"I wasn't one of the planned speakers, so please bear with me.
" A tiny titter of laughter in the crowd, and Camelia relaxed a little as she continued.
"My name is Camelia Meadows. I'm an Omega.
" Another titter, this time a little shocked.
Camelia offered a wry smile. "I'm as surprised as you are that I'm...being so open about my status.
I wasn't for a long time. I tried to hide, to keep myself out of the public eye and just make my way through life without being noticed. "
Evan nodded, encouraging her to continue, and Camelia took a deep breath, wincing at the feedback from the microphone at the gesture.
"That's not reality, though. These laws.
..these men who think that they can control Omegas and what we do with our bodies, our biology.
.." She shook her head. A light, cold breeze brushed over the stage, and she reached back to scrub her hand over the back of her neck.
She was getting warm, impassioned. "It's not fucking right. "
The crowd tittered again at Camelia's harsh language, and she set her jaw as she continued, more passionate than before.
"I know that this isn't an issue that affects a lot of people.
I'm accustomed to Omega issues not being the first thing that most people think about when they consider the disenfranchised.
But it doesn't change the fact that Omegas do not deserve to have our rights taken away, to have our autonomy taken away the way that it has been.
The bills that are working their way through committee to pair Omegas and Alphas up without our knowledge, without our consent.
.." She shook her head, unable to keep the disgust out of her voice.
Her legs trembled a little, and sweat prickled against her hairline as she finished.
"It's disgusting. It isn't right. And I will be personally dedicating my time and energy to making sure that these bills fucking die. "
There was a moment of stunned silence after Camelia finished, and then the crowd burst into applause, much more enthusiastically than they had with the first speaker.
Camelia felt the rush of their approval in a warm flush, and she offered Pam a smile as she stepped away from the microphone.
The woman looked stunned and thrilled, and she nodded enthusiastically at Camelia as she turned and walked off stage.
Evan was waiting for her at the base of the stairs, a wide smile on his face as he caught her in his arms. "You were incredible, baby," he murmured.
He leaned down and brushed his lips against her cheek in an ostensibly chaste gesture, but it still made Camelia gasp, sparks of sensation bursting across her skin.
"Evan," she breathed, pressing closer. She was warm. So fucking warm. Sweat was sliding down the back of her neck, making her skin clammy in the cold weather, and she curled her hands into fists in his shirt as arousal burst to life between her legs.
"Baby..." Evan's nostrils flared as she leaned close to him, pressing her nose against his chest and taking a deep breath of his scent. His closeness incensed her, and Camelia whimpered before she managed to speak past a thick tongue, awareness prickling.
"Evan...heat..."
His arms tightened around her, and Camelia's awareness of where they were faded as he inhaled sharply. His voice was tight when he spoke, betraying how close he already was to losing control. "Let's get out of here. Now."