"Abbie, that is a lot of pressure to put on Vanessa, isn't it?" Papa Spencer asks Mom, frowning at her.
"Mom," I whisper. She must hear something in my voice that makes her drop the attitude. She pulls me into a tight hug, stroking my back.
"What's wrong, Nessie?"
"No one smells right," I whimper.
"Oh, honey…" She hugs me even tighter before pulling back to look me in the eyes. "Are you sure?"
"New York is such a big city with a lot of people, sweetie. All those smells… It would be easy to miss a scent match." Daddy George says from next to Mom, a sad smile on his face.
I shake my head. "I tried dating, speed dating, and matchmaking agencies." I tick off the list with my fingers. "I even went to one of those omega centers where they give you scent cards to sniff and nothing! Everyone smells wrong! There isn't a pack out there for me." A tear slips down my cheek, but I'm quick to wipe it away.
"Nessie, most omegas have many scent matches out there, and it's just about finding the pack you are most comfortable with."
"Didn't you just hear what I said, Mom?" I ask her in disbelief.
She tsks. "You didn't let me finish. I saidmost omegas.I feel like an idiot for not telling you this sooner, but I was the same. No one ever smelled right to me, either, not until your dads came along when I was twenty-one. They are my soul matches, Nessie and no other alpha would ever be able to compete with that. You just need to keep putting yourself out there so that your soul matches can find you."
"No omega was good enough until we found your mom," Papa Spencer says, not looking at me. He's staring at Mom with heart in his eyes. "She drives us insane, but our hearts only beat for her. She is my everything."
"The light of my life," Daddy George whispers.
"The pain in my ass," Raymond teases, making Mom gasp.
"Stoooooop." I groan, making them all laugh. "Fine, I'll come, but I'm not going to mingle. I'll stand on the outskirts with the four of you until I get so drunk I stumble back here without a care in the world."
Mom rolls her eyes in that dramatic way she loves. "Fine. Fine! Leave me childless and alone."
"What the fuck, Mom! You have a kid."
She waves me off. "You know what I mean."
"All alone?" Daddy George pouts.
"Stop bullying me," Mom sighs, walking out the front door.
Papa Spencer looks at me and shrugs. "Those three boys from high school… You guys were so close, and I know you were into them. Maybe you already had your alphas but didn't realize it."
I ignore the wave of awareness attempting to overtake me and wag a finger at him. "You're my favorite parent right now, and I don't want to have to change that."
He mimes zipping his lips and throwing away the key. Throwing an arm over my shoulder, he leads me out the front door, where the other three are waiting for us. It's a short walk to the center of town, and when we get there, I can't help but get excited as I take in all the Christmas decorations and holiday stalls set up. I miss small-town life, even if I'll never admit it.
I turn my back on my parents for one second to take everything in, and they seem to disappear from existence, so much for sticking with me and showing me off. I think about heading back home, but I hear someone shouting my name before I get the chance.
I glance over my shoulder to see who it is, then curse under my breath for being so indecisive and not booking it when I had the chance. Samantha Frost. Zayne's scary older sister. She's always hated my guts.
She scurries across the street, a wicked gleam in her eyes and boops me right on the nose like a naughty dog. "I never thought I'd see you in Stonybrook again, Vanessa."
I smile, fighting down the urge to slap away her hand. "Hi, Sammy," -she hates it when anyone calls her that- " it's been a long time, huh? How have you been?"
She stands there taking me in, arms crossed, pushing her tits up while also flashing me a massive rock on her ring finger. "I'm amazing! I married Kyle Prichard. You know, the same guy I dated in high school? He owns his own bar now! We are very happy."
A group of kids runs past us, and we step to the side to avoid being run over. The town has definitely grown in the six years I've been gone. The same charm is still there, but there are more families living here now, and more children causing havoc.
"I'm so happy for you, Sammy! Kyle was always so nice to me in high school. Please tell him I say hi." I look around, trying to spot my parents and mentally curse when I don't see them. I wonder how long it would take me to get a hot cocoa and a giant pretzel so I can get out of here. "I think I'm going to grab some food, but it was really nice to see you. I'm sure we'll run into each other again."
I try to step around her, but she follows my movement. "We also have two little boys, Kyle Jr. and Gregory." She stares down at me, and I bristle. Samantha was a beta, and I was tiny for an omega. "Do you have kids?"
