“Gabrielle,” she drops her face down. “I – I’m so sorry. I should have -there was so much happening—,”
I wave my hand, not wanting to delve into the details of my nightmares. “It’s done. I got out.”
Eventually.
Ava blinks. “Gabrielle,” she says slowly, leaning forward. “Trauma like that doesn’t just go away. It lingers, sticks to your soul like tar. Trust me, I know.”
“I didn’t realize this was a therapy session,” I say weakly, avoiding her eyes.
“It’s not. But we do have trained counselors that you can talk to, when you’re ready. I think you may find it more useful than you realize.”
Letting out a huge breath, I nod, staring down at my hands. I’m not ready for that. Not yet. But… maybe one day, I’ll be able to talk about it properly.
“Now, then,” Ava says crisply. “On to omega business.”
She smiles at me, the corners of her mouth tipping up. “What would you like to know?”
I meet her eyes. “Everything.”
* * *
When Ava and I exit her sitting-room-slash-office, Nate looks up from the magazine he’s flipping through and pushes himself to his feet. He comes to me, his hands cupping my face and checking me over.
“Okay?” he asks roughly, and I nod, my fingers closing around his as I smile.
“It was good,” I admit, and I’m not lying.
I feel much more informed about my own biology now than I did a few hours ago. Even though everything feels a little overwhelming.
Ava lays her hand on my arm. “Did you still want a tour?”
I nod, wordlessly turning to Nate, my eyes lifted pleadingly. He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear.
“I’ll go and get some lunch. Are you hungry?”
On cue, my stomach growls, and he quirks his eyebrow at me. “Can’t have you going hungry, kitten. I’ll get us some sandwiches so you can eat whenever you’re ready. Take your time.”
Ava and I watch him leave and she turns to me, her eyes blinking mischievously. “That,” she points out, “is the look of an alpha who is head over heels.”
I try and hide my pleasure at her words, my stomach flipping over. “How do you know?”
“Gabrielle,” she says patiently. “Not many alphas will sit in a waiting room for three hours and then volunteer for more.”
“I- oh.” I color. “So, that’s a good sign that we might be… developing the mating bond?”
Ava’s arm brushes against mine as we head to another part of the building. “Definitely.”
I watch as she enters a security code, and she catches my wary look.
“Only omegas have access to this section,” she explains. “Even my own pack isn't permitted here. We have dedicated spaces where alphas and omegas can meet and spend time together, but this section is sacred. All omegas have the code so they can come and go as they please.”
I can’t stop looking around as we move into a huge atrium, the ceiling high above us dangling with hundreds of bulbs in different lengths. More couches, large pillows, beanbags – every kind of comfortable seating is scattered around, mixed in with shelves of books and long tables with coffee machines and snacks. A handful of omegas are curled up in corners, their eyes flicking to us and back to their books, completely relaxed.
“Wow,” I mutter, and Ava laughs. “Not what you expected?”
My throat suddenly burns, and I shake my head tightly, my hand wrapping around the skin at the base of my throat. “Not exactly. I… I was so scared of this place. I thought it would just be more of the same, so when they tried to tell me, I didn’t listen.”
I could have been here the whole time. Warm, and safe, and settled. Cared for, the way these omegas look, well fed and happy.
