Page 15 of For All My Effort
Jackson didn’t.
He wrapped his hand around the back of my neck and pulled me that last inch to his lips. Kissing him was different than Zeke. Jackson’s bottom lip was thicker, giving him a perfect pout that I kissed and licked and bit. He let me explore, taking my time, but I wasn’t under any illusion that I was the one in control.
When I pressed my tongue into his mouth, tasting him, I groaned, pressing closer to him like I could somehow fuse our bodies together, wanting to get closer than was even possible.
On and on the kiss went, my arousal growing stronger, until I had to pull away just to breathe. I rested my forehead against his, enjoying the feel of his length, hard and pressing in between my thighs.
I wanted more. My perfume was filling the air, letting everyone know how much I enjoyed that. I felt my internal muscles twitch, clamping down on nothing, reminding me that I was empty. Obviously, my body wanted more, wanted me to act on my arousal. This make-out session was a tease, and omegas never do well with that.
Leaning back, I stared at Jackson’s brown eyes. Their color was dark, almost blending into the black part of his iris, yet still vibrant, almost like the color was glowing. I traced my thumbs under his eyes, admiring his masculinity.
He leaned forward, giving me one last kiss on my lips before resting his head on my shoulder. I felt his arms tighten even further around me.
For just a moment, I swore I could scent grief in his scent, just a hint of it before I lost the slight tendril.
As he sat up straight, I tucked my head against his chest. It felt … normal. My entire body relaxed into the position as if it was something familiar.
“Out of all of us, I think I’m the least recognizable,” Zeke said, bringing the conversation back on track as if they hadn’t just watched me learn the taste of one of my mates. “I could go with Hannah. Might even be able to appear like a beta?”
Lifting my head off Jackson’s chest—and ignoring the grumbling sound of annoyance—I looked over at Zeke. He might be the smallest of all the alphas in this room, but that didn’t make him any less alpha. It was more than just his ripped body or his height. Sure, alphas were typically strong and tall and whatnot. But omegas were usually quiet and fragile and small.
I was only one of those things. Unless I was wearing my platform boots, then I was none.
Zeke had the type of dominance that you’d only overlook once because you wouldn’t get the chance to do it again. His size wasn’t a weakness, it was camouflage. One look might have you dismissing him, but as soon as you looked away, you’d feel the pinprick warning on your neck that a predator was behind you.
Shaking my head, I admitted, “You’d never pass as a beta.”
His chest seemed to puff up slightly, like he was proud of that statement. I hid my smile against Jackson’s chest, enjoying the silent rumble coming from the large male.
“Do we even need to figure this out now?” Han asked. “It’ll be some time before Hannah goes to another protest.”
Since Han was almost directly behind me, I couldn’t turn my head to see him, and I was way too comfortable with Jackson’s purring to glare at him for his comment.
My silent annoyance didn’t go unmissed though.
“You’re still injured, Hannah,” Han continued. “Not to mention your heat will be soon. Both of those factors aren’t to be taken lightly. These protests are important, but not more so than your health.”
I mumbled out an apology, hiding the blush on my cheeks from the chastisement. When he said it that way, it all sounded so logical. It seemed like I kept getting overly defensive of everything. Yet at every turn, these alphas proved they cared about me. It was startling and disjointing.
“There’s something else that I think we’ve forgotten to mention,” Sebastian said.
I turned my head so I was leaning my opposite cheek on Jackson’s chest and could see Seb as he spoke. He was closer now, no longer pacing.
“One of the reasons you haven’t been to a lot of protests recently, was because you’ve been taking some online classes. You didn’t want to risk getting detained to the compound and not being able to finish.”
It took my brain a while to make the connection. School was never really my thing, hell, I barely even attended the mandatory classes at the OC. Plus, omegas weren’t allowed to continue school after they packed-up. Technically it wasn’t a law, although anyone who had heats wasn’t allowed in a classroom, so it basically was. Designation bigots didn’t need to use the proper terms to make unjust rules, they easily attacked the symptoms, claiming innocence afterward.
“College classes?” It was a question, a clarification, because I didn’t understand how that was even possible.
Seb nodded. “We told you. Our families give us a sort of pull, a safety net of sorts that allows us to weave lies right above it. The classes are online only, and you’re technically labeled as a beta, but you’re a student at the local community college. You have a real profile backed by fake lab results that I submitted. Your first name is the same, but we changed your last name so you’re not completely traceable.”
I didn’t truly understand how any of this was possible—and I didn’t care. I was taking college classes. Maybe even able to get a degree as a beta. What that would mean for the omegas’ rights movement … I wasn’t exactly sure, but it would be substantial, it had to be.
Excited energy was rushing through my body until I was squirming to get out of Jackson’s lap. He growled playfully before letting me go.
I couldn’t hold still, wanting to pace, wanting to look at my classes, needing to know more. At some point, I’d grabbed Sebastian’s shoulders, needing to go up onto my tip toes to do so. “What degree plan am I on?”
“You haven’t decided yet.”