Page 2 of The Sad Omega

The house where I lived with my mate was situated in a clearing hidden behind a veil of trees. Adjacent was the beta house, where the unattached betas lived. Any young alphas that hadn't left the pack yet lived there too, under the steadying influence of the betas. Scattered around the clearing were several cottages inhabited by betas with families and a separate house for the unmated omegas. With the houses concealed, we were free to shift at will and run through the bush without fear of detection. Most of our land though, was actual farmland and extended over the lower slopes and down into the flatlands that ran beside the old railway track, and we worked that land like regular farmers.

It was a fairly isolated location, which was how we liked it. Easier to avoid scrutiny from the non-shifter humans.

“Which road do you use?” I asked him, curious. It couldn’t be ours because we were the last property on our road, and there weren’t many other roads up the mountain.

He shook his head.

“Not a road. We go up the fire trail.”

That was unusual, but I didn’t say so.

One of his grocery bags tipped over and he reached down to gather it back up. As he did so, his oversize t-shirt slipped partly off his shoulder. He hurriedly tugged it back up but not before I saw the tiny scar in the hollow there. Two tooth-shaped marks, silvery on his pale skin.

I frowned, confused. He was hiding it. I was always proud to show my mating mark. In fact, I didn’t know any mated omega who wasn’t, not that I knew a lot of omegas who’d found their mate, but in the clubs in the city there had been a few, and we were all universally proud to have been claimed by our alpha.

This guy was a mated omega, but he wasn’t happy about it. Hell, he wasn’t even happy.

A dark blue van pulled up outside the supermarket, fully in the way of the traffic. The horn blared, catching the guy’s attention.

“I have to go,” he said, a slightly panicked expression crossing his face. He bent down to pick up his shopping bags, accidentally knocking one over in his haste. The contents spilled across the floor.

“Here, let me help you,” I leant down to shove the scattered items back in the bag, and as I handed it to him, I deliberately shifted my shoulder so that my own mating mark showed above the collar. His eyes widened. I smiled.

“I’m Irian,” I told him, but he was already hurrying to get out of there.

When he reached the automatic doors at the exit, he looked back.

“Isca. I’m Isca.”

“Maybe I’ll see you round,” I called after him. I thought I saw a slight nod, but he was already gone.

By the time I’d gathered my shopping and had trudged it out to my car, the blue van was at the exit, waiting for a break in the traffic to allow it out into the street.

The driver was a wild-haired, fierce-looking man with a sharp nose and lots of dark facial hair. Beyond him, I saw Isca’s pale face. Even from here, he looked utterly miserable. And then the van pulled out of the carpark and they were gone.

I had a busy afternoon in town, but the memory of the sad omega niggled at the back of my mind. I had a feeling something was wrong, but I wasn’t sure I was in a position to do anything about it.

It was late afternoon by the time my tires crunched to a stop on the gravel driveway of our house, car laden with groceries and other purchases, as well as packages I’d collected from the post office. As I stepped out of the car, Talius hurried over to greet me, his arms open wide. I snuggled into his embrace, his body warm against mine, as he dropped soft kisses all over my face.

“I missed you,” he growled, sniffing around my ears and running his nose through my hair.

I preened, pushing into his touch and wriggling up against his warm, hard body. He slid his hands down and cupped my ass, running his hands over my butt cheeks and giving a squeeze. I could feel his erection pressing against my hips. My alpha was hungry.

I blushed. Betas had streamed out of the buildings and were busily unloading the car and carrying things inside the main house, where the different groups would collect their supplies later. They couldn’t avoid seeing my mate literally mauling me in front of them. And I couldn’t deny that I was responding to him. My slick was flowing and if we stayed here any longer, I was going to have an embarrassing wet patch on my jeans.

Before I could pull away, Talius whispered in my ear, in a deep gravelly voice.

“I’m going to count to three, and then I’m coming after you.”

His hands dropped away, and I wasted half a second as my brain caught up and then I took off, racing for the house.

Two and a half seconds later, Talius caught up with me as I was nearing the top of the wide staircase that lead up to the bedrooms.

“Mine,” he growled as he dragged me to the floor, pinning me there with his large body. A fresh gush of slick told me my body was on board with his possession.

“I could take you right here,” Talius murmured dirtily in my ear.

Apparently forgetting all about the betas who were still bringing things in from the car, I challenged him, “Do it!”