I’ve seen what happens when omegas bind themselves to dangerous men.
I’ve watched them dismiss cruelty because it came fromtheir alpha. Watched them turn a blind eye, even blaming their children for the horrible things their alpha did. Pathetic omegas will twist themselves into knots defending monsters over their own flesh and blood.
And now it’s happening to me. No warning. No permission.
Just my body forming a bond, whether my brain wants it or not.
I have to get the fuck out of here.
House Tour…kind of
Beck
The house is soquiet as I lead Tansy down the long hall. The silence stretches between us, making me feel uneasy.
I glance over at the omega and catch the far-off look in her eyes, her gaze drifting across the dark floorboards at her feet. I can’t tell if she’s lost in thought or too scared to speak, or…I don’t know.
“So…um.” I clear my throat, and Tansy looks right at me. In an instant, my mind goes completely blank. I immediately wish I hadn’t made any noise at all. Panicked, I give her an awkward little smile that probably looks more like a grimace, then quickly look away.
What the hell should I say?
I’ve never met an omega before.
Alphas are easy. They’re wild, possessive creatures that can be a real pain in the ass to love sometimes. But omegas? They’re a complete mystery to me. And my beta brain justcan’t get over the fact that she was bought and paid for like a precious piece of art.
It feels…wrong?Itiswrong.Right?
Or is it?
I mean, I guess getting an omega from an academy isn’tthatdifferent from…other places.
Alphas spend a fortune for the chance to meet an omega at an academy. There are background checks. Contracts. Mountains of paperwork. Fees that could buy a house. Everyone pretends it’s civilized because it’s clean and legal, but money still changes hands and packs are formed.
I guess the only real difference is the setting…right?
Unable to take one more second of silence, I try again. “So.” I smile, trying to look bright and friendly. “Did you, um…did you sleep okay?”
Tansy hesitates, just long enough to consider the question, then she nods once. “I slept well. Thank you for asking,” she says quietly. Very polite.
I keep smiling, not sure how to respond.I should have taken that class on Applied Pack Dynamics in high school.
I open my mouth to try again, but a small gasp slips from Tansy before I can get a word out. Her mouth falls open slightly as we step into the large, main living area. Then she tips her head back, her eyes wide as they track the high ceilings and the wall of windows that floods the room with light.
She checks out the deep navy couch that anchors the space, then the pair of cream-colored recliners across from it. Between them sits a massive coffee table made from a thick slab of reclaimed wood. Its raw edges are intact like someone decided polish would ruin it.
“Do you like it?” I ask, eager to have something to talkabout. “It’s kind of a modern farmhouse style, with those classic vaulted ceilings,” I point up, “and there’s lots of reclaimed wood throughout the house, but the previous owners went full minimalist with the kitchen. I hate it,” I add, frowning at the travesty. “Cass won’t let me remodel it.Yet,” I say, smiling.
Tansy nods quietly, her gaze already sweeping past me toward the staircase.
The smooth railing curves up along the far wall in a smooth sweep of white wood, opening onto a wide landing that wraps around the room like a balcony. From below, you can see straight down the upper hallway to where the bedrooms sit at the back of the house.
Tansy simply stands there, eyes tracking upward, then around the room once again.
“We can go upstairs if you want.” I let go of her wrist, trying to encourage her to go wherever she wants. “After all, this is your home now, too.” But the second I say the words, I can feel that they’ve landed wrong.
Tansy’s expression tightens almost immediately. Her mouth pulls thin, and her shoulders stiffen like I’ve just said something upsetting. For half a second, panic flares in my chest.
Does she not want to be here?
