“I think she’s had a lot longer than seven years to come to terms with being an omega.”
“Huh?” Valak says, leaning forward and shaking his head.
“Everything about her presents at a different level. Physically, her size is a solid indicator of her genetics. Add in her extremely potent scent and her ability to stand her ground with a group of four dominant alphas.”
Valak interrupts him again. “You’re suggesting she is a born omega?”
“I’m saying we need to be open to her being a born omega.”
“And if she was involved in Regalo?”
“I don’t suspect she was manipulated into being an omega. All the signs indicate she’s probably an Evie.”
“Jesus fucking Christ,” Valak hisses under his breath as he turns and charges across the car park towards the store entrance.
“And that is another reason I believe she may be genetically pure. Gabriel is all but besotted by her after meeting her for two minutes. Valak is the most protective I have ever seen him, and I have seen him get very vigilant over the past few years. And you look like a combination of both of them.”
Noah’s one of those people who doesn’t waste time and energy doing more than he needs. He moves to a position where he can see the door but also to gauge my response better. I try to share more of my insight to help him understand what is blatantly obvious. “It’s certainly been strange being around her. Initially meeting her, I was struck by a sense of familiarity that made it impossible for me not to reach out and touch her.”
“I noticed that. You were braver than I was. I had that same instant desire to reach out for her. I managed to disguise it under helping to fix her wounds.”
He looks off to the door, no doubt running through his encounter with her. Despite having explained it out loud, it’s in Noah’s analytical nature to be reviewing the scene again and again, as if to check how sudden and surprising his responses to her are.
“After being with her in the car for the past few hours, my initial thoughts, and feelings have only been reinforced. It really is like I have had her next to me for as long as I can remember. Every part of me feels it too.” I offer a mirthless laugh. “If I could describe it differently, I would suggest I’m actually living the plot of the latest instalment of one of those werewolf shifter movies, where I’ve imprinted and been imprinted upon.”
Noah’s eyebrows flick up. Since he is deep in thought and processing, I add more.
“You know that in my line of business, I am often portrayed as quite flamboyant and touchy-feely. People naturally assume I’m a textual person, but once the cameras are off, I am hands off and want you out of my face. But with her it’s been a struggle to keep my hands on the steering wheel and my focus on getting her out of trouble. In any other circumstance I would have been pulling over and claiming her. And you, Noah? How is it for you?”
“I’m not disputing the fact that she has woken parts of me that I need to assess further. As part of the medical team, I’ve met almost all the omegas that go through our facility, and never once have I reacted or responded like I do to her.”
I dig my hands in my suit pants, and immediately notice my skin warmer than usual. Another strange reaction of being consumed by her presence, or it’s an after effect of her scent. In a lot of ways my body calls to taste hers. But even in the midst of my own desires, and as a by-product of our earlier discussion, there is a large part of me rising up protectively, ready to do what needs doing to keep her safe. Even driving others away. “Are you sure you’re not getting caught up in the scientific miracle of possibly having a natural born omega to analyse, Noah? It would be the medical coup of the century; you’d be able to advance what Regalo started. And supposedly save our most vulnerable.”
He runs his hand over his face again, ignoring the burst of alpha dominance from me. Shit, even the air is thick with my unique scent that is hinting at violence. Noah doesn’t answer me for a few minutes, and then he turns and silences me with the look on his face.
“For the first time in my life, I’m thinking of leaving everything I’ve worked my ass off for, for the last twenty years and starting life again. Away from everything but her. Does that answer your question?”
The hint of protectiveness changes slightly, simmering to a sense of smug satisfaction as I answer. “I suppose it does.”
And then like a mirage, she appears in the distance, although she’s wearing a mask of indifference on her pretty face. Even from here I can smell her scent has sharpened by her irritation. My hackles rise and much to my relief, Noah snarls, his eyes glaring at Gabriel and Valak behind her.
“What happened?” I ask coolly when she’s close enough. God forbid I rush off to help her push her overloaded trolley towards us after her earlier independence speech, but I really want to. It is a battle to stay put.
“Ask him.” She charges past me straight over to the cargo hold of her Jeep where Ares stands guard, and she starts packing bags and boxes in.
8
LENNON
It’s hard to keep a straight face as I open my car to turn the ignition and radio on and start unpacking the shopping. Ares can read me better then these guys which nearly makes me laugh even more. And they’ve all missed how relaxed my protection dog is, which kind of makes sense since I’m not feeling threatened.
Gabriel was freaking out even before we stepped foot in the supermarket. From the second the security guard questioned why Ares was accompanying me, Gabriel was ready to smack the crap out of anyone who even looked at us. The man sweeping the floors included. I mean, he was pretty rude when he dropped some garbled slur about the attitude of young people today, but Gabriel demanding to speak with the manager about his disrespect was over the top. Sweet, but over the top.
Everywhere we went, Gabriel was ready for a fight. Be it with me or the poor person in our way. Still, that was on him, not me, so I kept working through the extensive list I had in my head while he glared away.
By the time we got to the cash register we’d collected a crew of security guards as well as the obligatory eye rollers from the judgemental customers watching. All I did was tug my hoodie higher and hide away, while Gabriel started dancing on his toes ready to defend me. I’m used to the stares and whispers, which is another reason I’m a fan of shopping online and avoiding pretty much all interaction with society because people are so… draining.
The icing on the cake was at the checkout when the cashier asked if I wanted to wait until my parents arrived. I cracked up laughing while Gabriel lost his shit. And while he gave the cashier a pretty entertaining explanation on the meaning of customer service, I moved over to the self-serve counter and paid for Ares’ food, some essentials for me, and a case of beer for Noah.
