Suki:I will be there on time, so if you need anything before then, please let me know, and I can get it for you. I want you to be as comfortable as possible. I know how irritating all this can be, so don’t hesitate to ask.
Suki:See you soon!
The bubbles popped up immediately, telling me Teddy was replying, so I waited to see what she had to say before going on with my preparation for later. Thankfully, I didn’t have to wait long.
Teddy:Thank you again. I will let you know, but I think I have everything we need to get through this.
Teddy:BTW. I see you, Ms. CNC. I hope we can have a little fun with this too. ;P
A sharp laugh escaped me. I wondered what she had in mind, but I’d save that conversation for later. She knew what the surface of what I liked, and for now, that would be enough.
Suki:I’m glad. :D Rest if you can for now.
There was no response after that, so I set my phone down and shook out my hands, anxiety and adrenaline shooting through me as the countdown truly began. I had a few hours to go through their attachments and checklists and make sure I was ready for what was about to happen. We could be locked up for a day or upwards of a week, so I hoped Teddy was right and had everything we needed for this, mainly everythingsheneeded.
I moved into action, hoping the busy work would keep the anxiety away for now. A small smile came to my lips, and a giddiness I hadn’t felt in a while filled my heart.
I could do this. An Omega needed me. Teddy needed me. And I was happy to be of use.
My internal pep talk ran through my head as I sent out notices to family, friends, and my work, letting them know I’d be away for a few days. They knew all about Alpha Net too, and although none of them signed up, they were supportive of my decision. Thankfully, I was a consultant with flexible hours, so this was being viewed as pseudo-volunteer work. As long as I didn’t overdo it and kept both schedules updated, I was in the clear.
The next step was a shower. I cleaned every part of me three times, wanting to be free of as many outside scents as possible in case Teddy was sensitive to them during her heat. The water was near scorching, but it also worked as a distraction as I scrubbed and scrubbed again.
My short hair dripped behind me, the suds flooding the porcelain floor as I rinsed out the shampoo one last time.
I should have purchased scentless shampoo, but were things ever truly without scent? I didn’t think so. By the time I got to her house, my pheromones would have coated every inch of me, hopefully obscuring the smells anyway.
Grabbing a simple T-shirt dress, bralette, and underwear, I threw them on, topping the casual look off with white tennies. They were very clear that any clothes we wore might be ruined, depending on the nature of the Omega, and I could bear losing these.
With a small bag of toiletries and a few other sets of clothes, I was off. My car beeped as it unlocked, and I slid in after tossing my small bag into the backseat. I automatically started the car, put on my seatbelt, then—I stared out the windshield, the blue sky and sun bearing down on me as the anxiety kicked in again.
What if I was the wrong choice? What if this went wrong?
I took a deep breath, my hands gripping and ungripping the steering wheel. “It’s all going to be okay. You’ve done this before, Akasuki. Nothing is going to go wrong. Teddy will be there, ready and waiting for you to help her. You got this.”
With one last breath and a quick check to make sure Teddy hadn’t messaged me, I keyed the address into the GPS, put the car in drive, and I was on my way to Teddy’s.
I only had to do it once. If this didn’t work out, I could call it quits and remove myself from the program.
I had to remember that I was chosen for a reason. Teddy was probably scared and unsure about this whole thing, wanting acalming presence, or maybe my kinks resonated with her. Either way, it was my job to reassure her that it was all normal and okay, that she needed to trust her body as I needed to trust mine.
The drive was fairly short, maybe twenty minutes. In total, it had only been around two hours since I had received the message and hitconfirmthat I was taking Teddy on as a client.
Refusing to dwell on my chaotic thoughts, I grabbed my bag and hopped out of the car after parking in the driveway.
This was it. It was time to meet my Omega for the next few days.
After knocking on the door, I stepped back, keeping in mind the script Alpha Net had given me to memorize. Seconds ticked by, then finally, Teddy opened the door, and I sucked in a breath as her pheromones washed over me.
Strawberry, vanilla, and something more vibrant, more earthy, underneath it all. It made my nose itch like my body was telling me something was wrong, but my mouth watered anyway, the Omega pheromones laced with impending heat wafting over me. They drew out my own, mingling with my bergamot and green tea scent.
Teddy stood in the doorway, dark gray eyes growing wide behind thick rimmed glasses. Her curly brown hair fell to her shoulders, a few inches longer than my black hair and far more jubilant than the pin-straight strands I had. Her golden skin was made brighter by the white crop top and light-blue denim shorts she had on, and I noted that she was taller than most Omegas, only a couple inches shorter than I was at 5’10”.
In a word, she was radiant, even without the pheromones messing with my head.
“Theodora Rodrik?” I asked, following the script. When she nodded at her name, I continued. “Thank you for choosing Alpha Net. I’m Akasuki Tanna, and I will be your Alpha throughout this heat.”
I had been worried about the little speech, wondering if my voice would fall flat as it sometimes did, but instead, it flowed with an air of joy and confidence.
