Page 51 of For All My Effort

“Because you’re mine.”

I slammed my mouth over his, clashing with him almost violently as my orgasm forced its way through my body. More slick and cum leaked from me, the liquids spilling down my thighs since my mate didn’t knot me.

“Why?” I asked, panting from the exertion of my climax.

“I’m going to take you home and knot you properly, omega.”

With how excited my body got at his words, it was like my first orgasm hadn’t even happened. I climbed off my mate, making my way to the front seat and ignoring the stain of cum and slick on my skirt. Zeke got behind the wheel and drove us home where he made good on his promise to knot me in my nest.

It was the perfect ending to a perfect date.

Chapter Fourteen

The next week was all about finding a new normal. Jackson was officially working from home now, making himself my designated security. Both Seb and Zeke were still at their normal jobs, although I’d learned that Zeke had a little security camera on his desk that was connected to Jackson’s phone. Seb’s job apparently had enough security that Jackson wasn’t too worried.

According to the television, the only thing that the public could agree on was the demand for change.

Alphas wanted more protection for their omegas. They wanted betas gone because they claimed the other designation didn’t have the right instincts to care for their mates. On top of that, the extreme loudmouths agreed with that disgusting representative, Adam Whatever, that omegas should be forced to take mates after a certain age. For their protection, of course.

I was really starting to hate that word. Protection. It was becoming synonymous for weak. It meant that alphas were shifting the responsibility, the blame, to omegas for not being as strong as them rather than holding other alphas responsible for their actions.

According to them, alpha instincts were too strong to ignore. Those protective urges demanded the alpha to protect their mate and pack but to also claim an unmated omega if they scented one.

It was amazing how the same logic meant to boost their designation, defiled mine.

According to them, I was also too emotional. That meant I had to be locked away. Rather than being rescued by princes, omegas were being locked away by them.

Alpha instincts forced them into a rut the same way mine pulled me into a heat, both of us unable to partake in society during that time. Yet, I was the one too unstable to work and alphas weren’t. The logic wasn’t logical.

The worst part was my mates agreed with me. So even when I went on a raging speech about how illogical these asshole alphas were, they just nodded their heads agreeing. I didn’t change any minds as I paced in the living room with my eloquent words thrown at the TV.

I had no idea where the alphas opposing these ridiculous extremists were—except in hiding. My alphas suggested they were keeping quiet, scared that their omegas would be taken from them, or even targeted to prove a point. Of course, there were also the few rare alphas who didn’t want omegas because of the ‘emotional manipulation’ so they probably weren’t bothering speaking up either.

The issue with a loud minority was that it made it seem like their idea was more popular than it was. That meant people like representative Adam had a better chance of convincing his colleagues to vote with him since his extreme ideas were parading around like they were socially accepted.

What I could say for the zealous alphas, at least, was that they were in agreement about the kind of change they wanted. The protesting betas were having a different problem.

Some betas were simply protesting against the alphas’ demands to kick them out of packs and society. They argued that betas served a purpose in packs, to help comfort an omega during the day, to be a nonhormonal fuck for the alpha outside of a heat, to be a level of stability in a home.

These betas wanted to be part of packs. They claimed that there were three designations for a reason, and a perfect pack would have at least one of each member.

Then there were the other betas. In some ways, they agreed with the alphas. These betas didn’t want to be a substitute for omegas. They argued that the hormones of the other designations didn’t affect them, so they should have their own part of society where they could live without having to bend to the whims of the more emotional members.

No one was agreeing with each other, not between the designations or even in them. Yet, through all of this, omegas still weren’t shouting out our own opinions. At least, not publicly. I had done plenty of shouting.

I spent the last week pouring myself into my online classes—when I wasn’t yelling at the TV. I had a point to prove, and I was going to do it by graduating. I still had to wait to choose a major, and I was claiming that as the reason I was undecided about which one to pick. Koda spoke the truth when she pointed out I’d never be able to work in whatever degree I picked. But that wasn’t my fault.

Alphas claimed we didn’t want to work while also saying we weren’t allowed to. Am I destined for a job? Maybe not. But there were omegas out there like Rosy, who so obviously had a passion and wanted to be immersed in it.

I was at the point of even bringing my laptop into my nest so I could look at my classes as soon as I woke up. Sure, I took a few sex breaks throughout the day, and my mates ensured I ate.

It was late into the night, leading into the weekend so all my mates were up and relaxing while I was still on my laptop. Every time someone moved, my gaze flicked up to them, like when Jackson started a fire, or when Han got up for a book, and even when Seb simply got up to stretch his body.

I had finally finished reviewing everything and now I was to the point of actually completing assignments. My stress was perfuming around me as I looked through the quiz, again, determined that my first real grade would be a good one.

I was stalling, I knew that.

With my laptop on the kitchen island, I had the perfect view of all my mates, sitting on the couch, feigning watching TV as they took turns glancing back at me, wanting to comfort me yet giving me the space I asked for to do my quiz.