“We took some time to read through the instruction manual last night, and after… yesterday’s events, we were hoping that we may be able to make our own arrangement. Something outside of the compound guidelines.”
He sounds like someone’s shoved a pompous stick up his ass. Harper starts to tremble, her scent hitting us like a fist in the stomach. Her fear fills the room and my body tenses.
“What is it?” Rogue asks her, a growl rumbling through his tone. Her panic sends tension rippling through us all, driving us to soothe her. I down the rest of my coffee abruptly. I don’t need to be here for this.
“I’m not going to mate with you.” Harper’s voice rings strong and adamant, even though she’s shaking like a leaf. Shock runs through the pack bond and I think back over Rogue’s words, seeing the issue as he clearly puts two and two together.
“No, that’s not what I meant,” he protests rapidly, stumbling over his words. In any other circumstance, I’d be crowing over the dull flush making its way up to his neck, but Harper’s distress is filling the room and it’s a fucking siren call for us to resist. Ace’s teeth are gritted as he holds tightly on to the table, and Gabe is leaning away, both trying to control their hormones before we panic her anymore. At Rogue’s words, her fear ebbs slightly.
“What I mean to say is, er, things like the crawling, and the eye contact. As you can see, we’re quite an informal pack, and it doesn’t sit well with us to ask you to do that,” Rogue continues in a firmer voice, obviously finding his footing. The distress finally disperses, and we all take a deep breath, Harper included.
“Sorry,” she mutters, clearly aware of the strong cinnamon scent lingering around her. Gabe licks his lips, the same thoughts clearly running through his head as I shift awkwardly in my chair.You don’t like omegas,I remind myself.So back off.
Rogue’s face softens. “Don’t be. I’m sorry for scaring you. I suppose what we’re trying to ask is if there is anything within the guidelines that you absolutely need to stick to. For example, we’re concerned that some foods may make you ill.”
Gabe can’t hang on anymore and interrupts. “Can you eat normal food? Please say you can!”
Harper seems startled, looking around us all carefully before landing on Gabe. “I… I can eat normal food,” she murmurs. “But I’ve never really had much apart from really plain food, not since my awakening.”
Ace asks a question I want to know. “How old were you when you awakened, little omega?” He winks at her when she looks over at him. “We’re all curious to know more about you.”
I’m trying damn hard not to be. I push my feet to move, but they’re glued firmly to the floor and they ain’t moving.
This is information we need to know,I tell myself.
“Fourteen.” She smiles slightly at our aghast expressions. Fourteen is really young for an omega to awaken, and I want to demand more information. We don’t even know how old she is, and a trace of panic rushes through me. Luckily, she carries on before I can make an ass of myself.
“My parents took me straight to the compound, and I’ve been there ever since, so… seven years? I think I’m 21 now.”
Ace cocks his brow at her. “You think?”
Shrugging, she whispers, “We don’t celebrate birthdays in the compound. I’m not really sure of the actual date.”
Gabe’s face falls at this new information. “It’s November 12th.”
“Oh. I’m twenty-two then. My birthday was October 31st.” She sounds a little glum at the news, and I can’t say I blame her. What’s the harm in celebrating a birthday, for fuck’s sake? Although I’m starting to understand that when it comes to the Omega Compound, we can’t take anything for granted.
Rogue looks slightly relieved at this news. He’s the oldest of the pack at thirty-one. I’m just behind him at thirty, Ace is twenty-seven and Gabe’s the youngest at twenty-five.
I push down my own relief. It doesn’t fucking matter how old she is, I’m still not going there.
“Can I ask why you haven’t already been matched with a pack?” Ace asks quietly, ignoring Rogue’s frown of disapproval at the personal question. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to. Curiosity is my biggest flaw, in case you hadn’t guessed.”
I find myself sitting forward, curious to hear the answer for myself. She’s stunning. Any pack would snap her up in an instant.
Swallowing hard, she stares at her hands. “I’m not generally considered to be agoodomega. My training didn’t go very well, so they put me in extra training, then more on top. They were going to send me to a heat nest if I wasn’t fit to be matched by my next birthday… I guess they changed their mind though. They put me in the project instead.” Her voice trails to the barest whisper and her creamy skin pales.
A fucking heat nest.
Four snarls rip through the room, our scents bursting out of us in aggression as we all react to the thought of Harper in one of those foul buildings. I realize that where she’s been is probably worse though, and just the thought makes me want to roar with fury.
Heat nests are the only way an alpha can access an omega if they’re not considered rich enough, or connected enough, to qualify for a full match and bitemark. Which means that the majority of packs either go through the nests or choose a beta partner instead, given that you have to be both rich as fuck and close chums with the government to be matched. The only reason we got anywhere near Harper and the compound was through Rogue’s connection with his dad.
There aren’t enough omegas to go around, so the idea of the nests is that packs can share the benefits of an omega without the responsibility of having one full time. Basically, it’s an artificial heat on steroids, with alphas paying for the privilege of bedding an omega. Any children from the matings are either given over to the pack if they can afford it, or farmed out for adoption. Beta males can’t impregnate an omega, but there’s a surrogacy program in place for beta couples to apply. To me it’s a shitty excuse for asshole alphas to get their kicks with an omega without the tie of a bitemark.
Just the mention of the nests has us riled up. Rogue’s fists are clenched as growls ripple through him, and he tries to pull himself together. I can see the struggle in his face. We’ve been walking a thin line in our pack for a while, and his instincts are riding himhard.
“Shit.” I mutter. Harper stares between us all, her eyes wide.
