Page 86 of For All My Effort
“It’s impressive how you stand up for your mates. I don’t know a lot of omegas who would be brave enough.”
“Do you know a lot of omegas?” As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I regretted them. Not their meaning, just their tone. “I just mean that I spent years in the OC, I’ve met hundreds of omegas at events and in housing. Just as much as alphas want to bond, so do omegas. We’re just as territorial, just as loving, putting in just as much effort to be happy together.”
“Of course,” Presley agreed.
I wish I could smell her alpha scent. At this point, I had no idea if I was imagining her eyelid squinting on the edge as frustration. There were simply too many smells in here, and I was so focused on paying attention to what I was saying that I didn’t want to distract myself by seeking her milk scent out.
“A lot of times, those alpha protective instincts come out through laws. Most representatives are alphas, so it’s easy to see how the best interest of omegas is constantly put forward in proposed bills like Representative Adam’s. Have you read it?”
“My mates went over it with me after the temporary ban was put in place.”
“Then you probably noticed your influence in the bill.” Her smirk was back, and this time, I knew I wasn’t imagining it.
“I’m not sure I understand.”
“I’ve spoken with several co-writers on the bill, and I know that Representative Adam has made it clear that the bill’s portion about building ownership and the restriction of certain designations allowed into a business based on the owner’s preference came from the incident at his own restaurant with you. He wanted to ensure that you and other omegas were safe to eat at his business.”
“What about packs that have betas?”
“Statistically speaking, very few packs ever bond with a beta.”
“But some do. Are they simply banned from dining with their mates?”
“Do you have any plans to bond in a beta to your pack? You seem very passionate about this topic.”
Fuck, I was totally messing up. I hadn’t even noticed that I was leaning forward in my seat, that I was getting louder as I spoke. It felt like pure common sense to me that someone could be an ally to something they weren’t a part of, but I knew that wasn’t the image of me Presley was attempting to paint for our viewers.
My pause had been too long.
I tried for a nonchalant answer. “I have several beta friends. If we can’t meet up at Representative Adam’s restaurant, we’ll go somewhere else. Easy as that.”
“How is that? Being friends with betas, I mean. Most omegas tend to feel threatened around unbonded betas since they aren’t familiar with the innate instincts that come naturally to us. Do you work around that feeling?”
“No.” It was almost a question because I didn’t feel threatened around most betas so long as they were respectful—but I immediately realized my mistake. It sounded like I’d answered that last question. I was getting sloppy the longer the interview went on.
“Most omegas find that difficult, and I’m pretty sure that’s why most alphas are proponents for a separation from betas. Without betas, you wouldn’t have been accidentally hurt at a protest, wouldn’t have been swarmed by reporters. When you look at most of what’s happened to you, the actions fall to the hands of betas.”
Be fucking calm, Hannah. “I think that’s a gross simplification. You could blame the laws that were unjust causing the betas to feel the need to protest in the first place. And when it comes to the reporter incident, I think it makes more sense to blame the industry that those specific betas are a part of. Or maybe we should blame the viewers who watched the video of me giving whichever broadcasting company more viewership or more incentive to keep continuing their actions.”
I had to pause for a moment to breathe before I continued. “It wasn’t the first time someone was swarmed with cameras in their face, demanding answers. It was just the first time that someone couldn’t handle it. I’m not a celebrity, I didn’t expect anyone to care about me if I went outside. It was a shock.”
“That would be quite overwhelming. It was a good thing then that the members of the orchestral group were alphas and able to scent your distress.”
“Good people do good things. Designations don’t determine that. My best friends are betas, my lovers are alphas, and I’m an omega. The people in my life are a mix and we’re more than our base instincts.”
“In some sense, sure. But there’s nothing stronger than instincts. As much as you might want to be able to ignore designations, that won’t stop you from going into heat and pulling your mates into a rut. Your designation is simply part of who you are. Unless you hate being an omega?”
“We are our designations, sure. We’re also so much more than that. My heat is just a part of me, like most omegas. That doesn’t mean all omegas are alike. We have unique nests, unique comforts, unique mates. Each of us reacts differently in different scenarios. Some omegas don’t like going outside the month of their heat, some need to be closer to nature. Grouping us together, even by our instincts, doesn’t work.”
“I totally agree,” Presley said, immediately making me wonder how she was going to twist my words for her use. “Not all omegas are fit for every pack. That’s why funding the local OCs are so important. Scent matches and personality matches, it’s all part of forming permanent pack bonds. How was your experience at your OC?”
“I actually met one of my best friends when she was working there. She was sent out by the OC to check on me when I was in the hospital.”
“A beta, then?”
I nodded.
“You’ve made quite a few statements this evening as a proponent of keeping the designations mixed. Does your opinion still stand when betas are taking the places of omegas? Bonding with alphas? Surely your instincts chafe against that, no matter how much you respect betas.”