Page 30 of The Sad Omega
“And no-one should be patrolling alone. And always with phones, right?”
“Yes. Already on it.”
“Is there anything else we need to discuss right now?”
Johnson thought for a moment. “Only that the young alpha, Agel, is working out okay. Seems a bright kid too.”
“Any trouble around the omegas?”
“None at all. He seems perfectly respectful. In fact, I asked him to accompany one of the omegas into town for some hardware supplies during the week. Someone gave the omega a hard time saying it wasn’t suitable work for an omega, and Agel jumped right in and told the guy he was an idiot and the omega probably knew more about carpentry than he did. Shut him right up.”
I grinned, relieved. There were still a lot of alphas and betas around with out-dated views about omegas, but it was good to know Agel wasn’t one of them. He might fit in very well with our pack.
“He finished that bit of fencework you left for him too,” Johnson added. “Did a good job.”
I got up from my desk. I’d had enough paperwork anyway.
“Let’s go take a look. I wouldn’t mind getting out of the office and I feel like I've been inside for days.”
Johnson grinned. He knew I wasn’t keen on paperwork, and he certainly wasn’t going to offer to do it himself.
???
When I arrived back in our house at the end of the day, I was surprised to find it in total silence. Instantly my hackles rose. Normally at this hour, Irian would be cooking some amazing culinary delight and the house would be filled with delightful aromas and the clash of pots and pans.
Not tonight.
The house was silent and still. It felt unnatural, and it made me uneasy. I cursed myself for leaving the two omegas unprotected. Normally it wasn’t a problem on the farm, but a part of me was expecting there would be trouble when Zarbius realized where his mate was. Even if he mistreated him, even if he'd left him for dead, it didn’t mean he would accept him being in another alpha’s proximity.
Stealthily, I crept down the hallway. I lifted my nose, inhaling deeply. There was Irian’s scent, familiar and dear to me. And there mixed with it, was Isca’s scent. There was no-one else here, and there had been no-one else. A surge of relief rushed through me and I stood in place for a minute as my muscles relaxed and the tension drained away. Then I straightened up and made my way to the guest room.
Peeking inside, my heart was flooded with warmth and I caught my breath. My pulse sped up. A beautiful sight awaited me here, nestled amongst the sheets.
In the middle of the bed, two wolves were curled up around each other, sleeping peacefully. One was silver with grey highlights, and the other was a familiar golden honey colour, my own sweet omega. Well, I reminded myself, I had two now. Isca and Irian, curled around each other, nose to tail, like yin and yang, my two very special omegas.
I sighed. They were truly beautiful.
I wanted to join them, but I didn’t want to disturb them, they looked so peaceful together. I left them to sleep while I prepared a meal, somewhat less fancy than Irian’s usual, but edible nevertheless, and I waited for the two omegas to wake up.
Correction. I waited for my two omegas to wake up. I smiled to myself.
Chapter 13
ISCA
It was only the second time in my life that I’d woken up next to someone. And the first time had been in the morning of this very same day. It was both strange and wonderful. Warmth against my side, the sound of breathing other than my own, the sense of not being alone. Was this what life would be like with Talius and Irian? Or would it just be while I recovered from my trauma?
Zarbius had never let me sleep with him. He’d force me into a heat to get my slick running, fuck me until he was satisfied and then push me out of the bed. I hadn’t cared, had almost been grateful. The whole experience with him was humiliating. He was never anything but cruel, and I was always glad to put some distance between us. I hadn’t wanted to be mated to him, and I hadn’t bitten him back as part of the mating ritual. That had been my small act of resistance and I’d paid dearly for it at the time. But it had changed nothing, of course. The alpha’s bite sealed my fate. I was, after all, just an omega.
But this, this was different. Talius and Irian were never cruel. Talius had brought me home from the forest and he and Irian had tended to me and watched over me while I healed. Their comforting scents had surrounded me while I slept and I was certain that was the reason I was still alive. For once in my life I’d felt cared for, protected, and I wanted more of that.
It was evening when I woke this time. My brain coming online before my eyes, so I lay there, eyes closed, enjoying the comfort of a warm body close to mine, the sweet familiar scent of Irian so strong in my nostrils that I knew without looking that it was him beside me. Talius had been here this morning, but he wasn’t in the room now. He wasn’t too far away though; I could detect his scent faintly from somewhere in the house.
This was a treat and I wanted to enjoy it as long as I could, so I lay still, listening to the quiet huff of Irian’s breathing, savoring the warmth of his body next to mine, surrounded by warm bedsheets and the scents of the two people I liked most in the world filling my nose. I still had some soreness in my body, but I felt better, stronger, than when I’d woken in the morning. Sleeping in wolf form was comforting and was also a luxury I hadn’t indulged in often. Humans, even shifters, particularly certain shifters, could be terribly cruel to smaller, submissive wolves such as myself.
A small ball of doubt sat heavy in my gut.
How would things work, living in this house with the other two? They had such a strong bond, I wasn’t sure how I would fit in. I didn’t think I’d be the Cinderella of the household – their kisses this morning had been full of desire and affection – but would I always be the third wheel, the late addition, always a little on the outside?