“Hi Mom. I only wanted to talk, but if you’re busy…” Why would she think I needed something? I hadn’t asked for anything from my family for years.
“Oh no, it’s fine. I’m just getting your fathers’ dress uniforms cleaned and ready for tomorrow night’s Christmas dinner for the officers. I’ll be shining their pins, medals, and buttons all night. How have you been? Do you have snow yet?”
I glanced at the window. “We definitely have snow and lots of it. It’s been a stressful week. Miss Eloise had a stroke and I was the one home when it happened.”
“Oh, you poor dear. Is she all right?” Those were the right words, but they were distracted.
“She will be after some lengthy rehabilitation. Some effects of a stroke aren’t evident for weeks or even months.”
“Oh, that’s good.” Was she even listening to me? “Mm, I need to find more polish for this. Here, sweetie, talk to your dad.”
Nope, not listening to me at all. I swallowed my bitterness and waited to hear which of the pack came on.
“Hey Ly-ly.” That was Frank. He was the only blond Alpha in the pack and probably my biological father. He was a hardcore runner and probably the least strict of my dads. “How’s it going?”
“A bit stressful. Miss Eloise had a stroke and is in the hospital.”
“Oh no. How serious is it?” Frank at least sounded like he was listening.
“Doctors say she’ll make a full recovery after some rehabilitation, but it will take time. She won’t be home for Christmas though.”
“That’s tough. Though I bet you have enough Christmas spirit to fill the entire house by yourself.” He chuckled. “It’s too bad you couldn’t come here for a few days. We’d love to see you.”
Here was New Mexico, and I wouldn’t miss Christmas in beautiful Wisconsin for anything. Going back to see my family was depressing any time of the year. My one brother wasoverseas with the Navy, and my youngest brother was a senior in high school and aiming to join the Navy too. The war between my army dads and my Navy brothers was no joke. Then my mom, she barely noticed anyone who wasn’t one of her mates anymore.
“I miss you too, but I’m needed here. My sweater orders doubled this year, and we do a lot of work with Big Sisters and a few other charities.”
“Good for you, Ly-ly. Any Alpha that scoops you up will be one lucky guy.”
I tapped my fingers on the lid of the chocolate box and shifted my weight from foot to foot. “Um, Dad, so when you and the pack met Mom, what happened? Did you know you were scent matches right away?”
“Rodrigo met her first, and he swears he knew right away. We all went to see her sing, and damn, she was an angel. It all happened fast, and we claimed her after that first week. Your mom would probably be able to tell the story better.”
I’d heard it several times growing up. A highly romanticized fairy tale, but what it really was about was a woman giving up her bright future and dreams to be with a demanding pack of Alphas. “Did Mom go into heat really fast?”
“Whoa, now. That’s a little personal.”
“I’m only asking because…” I scrambled for a reason other than what was happening to me. “Mariska. You remember, she’s my housemate who is an environmental tech. She’s met a pack, and it seems to me everything is happening super fast, and it’s only been a few days, yet she’s going into heat.”
“Oh yes, Mariska. The short Omega with the smart dog. Well, it can happen that fast. It did with your mom. From what I know, it’s rare, but not unheard of.”
So my mom went into heat quickly. I wondered if it was genetic, but I doubted that was something Frank knew. I made amental note to search that up on the net too. “I’m just worried. Mariska seems to be falling fast for this pack but it could all be hormones, and she is supposed to be moving to California for a big job next week.”
“If it’s the right pack for her, she’ll be happiest being their Omega. Just like your mom is the happiest with us.”
Right.I didn’t believe it for a second. Omegas were allowed to have lives and awesome careers just like Alphas. We weren’t meant only to breed babies for them. I gritted my teeth, but it was pointless to argue with him. Hell, with any Alpha for that matter. “I guess we’ll see. It was nice talking to you, Dad. I’m going to…”Scream into the void. “Have dinner now. Take care.”
“You too, Ly-ly. Facetime us on Christmas when you’re opening the gift we sent you. Love you.”
“Yup, love you too. Bye.”
I disconnected and immediately opened up the box to stuff a chocolate into my mouth. My mom always told me not to talk with my mouth full. “Well, screw that!” Yeah, that’s right. Totally unladylike. “Omegas are people too. We’re not meant to just serve Alphas. I hate this whole world which has made Omegas feel like nothing!”
And I hated that maybe my fast heat was genetic, that it still was throbbing inside of me even though I was angry from talking to my parents. Stupid hormones.
“Fuck you, Omega hormones!” I crammed a second pecan filled chocolate into my mouth. “I’m going to wrap presents and they are going to be fucking beautiful!” I wiped my chin. “And I won’t spit bits of chocolate on them because gross!”
I would do what I always did. I was a rebel and I’d battle my hormones and win. Being an Omega would not define who I was.
