1
John
The sun hid behind lazy,dull clouds. The sky was grey and overcast - the perfect day to do some moping.Alone.
To be honest, it was just another Tuesdaynight.
I left my apartment and let my feet resume their usual path. Taking a casual stroll down the street to the pack’s adoption centre had become routine for me. Although on some days - some really,reallyhormonal days - it was less of a casual thing and moreI need to see a baby right now or I will diekindofdeal.
Being a normal omega was hard enough. When we go into heat, nothing can stop us except for getting what we want - what weneed- which is a good, solid fucking. Preferably with a baby attheend.
But I wasn’t a normal omega. God, I wished every day thatIwas.
I passed several apartments on the way to the centre. Our pack was pretty modern and many couples were given allowances to rent apartments to start families of their own. I was one of the few who had to pay the regular price, since I didn’t have a mate or kids ofmyown.
And I neverwould.
Pushing the depressing thoughts aside, I scanned my surroundings, trying to pass the time. A few of my fellow pack members I didn’t recognize stared down at me. I looked away. I must have been known as that weird loner omega who took depressing visits to the adoption centre almostdaily.
A wave of bitterness flooded through me. The rest of the pack had everything they wanted - how dare they judge me for not havingthesame?
Huffing, I increased my pace. But when I passed the apartments, I didn’t feel muchbetter.
The adoption centre stood ahead, looming and familiar. A flag with our pack’s insignia waved proudly in the cool wind. The exterior was painted in pastel colors with cute, childlike designs of suns and trees. No matter how bad of a mood I was in, the smiling characters on the wall always made me smile. Stupidhormones.
The beta receptionist greeted me with a smile like she always did. “Goodmorning,John.”
“Morning, Martha,” I said, returning one. Sometimes I worried that she thought I was pathetic - showing up at the adoption centre all the time with my sad, longing puppy eyes - but I brushed it off as my owninsecurities.
“You’re here early today,” she said. “We usually don’t expect you until theafternoon.”
I gave a weak laugh and shrugged. “Just had an urge, Iguess.”
She nodded. “Did you want to see anyone in particulartoday?”
I felt a flicker of anxiety. What she was really asking isare you finally ready to take a baby home?And the answer was a hard, loud,painfulno.
“Ah, no, that’s okay,” I said, waving a hand. “I’ll just check out the playroom, if that’salright.”
“Of course,” she said gently. “Have a goodday,John.”
“Thanks.”
I headed for the playroom, which was a wide colorful room near the entrance of the building. Here employees and volunteers could play with the kids old enough to walk. The floor was covered in toys and the little tables had pieces of paper and crayons on them. I saw some half-finished masterpieces on a tablenearby.
The employees who recognized me gave me a smile and a wave. I waved back and took a seat in the quiet corner on a comically small child’s chair. Here, some kids were just learning how to crawl. Shifter children grew up faster than human kids, but they still needed to learn their skills allthesame.
A young dark-haired child a few feet away saw me and crawled closer. Crawling looked less awkward for shifter kids, since we’re naturally used to using allfourlegs.
“Hello there, Tabby,” I saidsoftly.
The child sat on her bum and looked up at me with big browneyes. “Ga.”
“Ga,” Irepeated.
A slow, wide smile broke out over her face and she started laughing. My heart almost burst out of my chest. My hormones exploded. In that moment there was nothing I wanted more desperately than to have a baby ofmyown.
But I would never have that. My body was cursed withinfertility.
