“Thanks,” I said quietly. We fell into silence—the four of us standing in the room, staring at each other. The air was electric, and instead of feeling self-conscious under their gaze, my inner omega wanted to preen and impress them.
Theo cleared his throat. “Why don’t we all sit down? Josie, can I get you a drink?”
“Water, please,” I said.
I moved towards the same chair I’d sat in for the last interview. As I walked past Cam, he lifted his hand to touch me but stopped abruptly, forming fists at his side. A pang of disappointment washed through me as he lowered his arm, even though I didn’t want him to touch me.Or maybe I did?
I lowered myself into the seat, feeling shaky. Theo held out a glass of water, and as I reached out to take it, our fingers brushed against each other. A little jolt of electricity ran through me at his touch, and it seemed that he felt it, too, by the way his eyes widened. He blinked and shook his head before sitting next to Ben and Cam. It was almost comical how tightly they were squeezed together, the couch straining to hold the three massive alphas.
The silence stretched on uncomfortably. Their eyes remained fixed on me as if they couldn’t look away, their bodies almost vibrating with intensity. Were they disappointed by how I looked? I shifted in my seat, tugging at my jumpsuit, hyperaware of how it highlighted my stomach area while sitting. They were probably thinking I didn’t look like a real omega and trying to figure out how to end the interview early. They were only here as a favor to Amirah. What if they rejected me after this interview? I would be stuck with Pack Madden.
The vise-like grip on my chest returned and made me feel like I was slowly suffocating. I clenched my hands into tight fists, desperate to stop my panic attack so I didn’t reveal any vulnerability to these alphas. It would probably be on their long list of reasons they wouldn’t bond me. I felt myself growing almost hysterical with the idea that they wouldn’t want me, which didn’t make sense sinceI didn’t want them.But the thought of their rejection made me feel so sick I was worried I would throw up.
Slowly, I realized that the three alphas were saying my name, their voices distorted as if I were underwater. I felt like I was drowning again—terrified of having to bond with these alphas and in complete despair of their rejection.
A warm hand pressed into my thigh, giving a gentle squeeze. The stressed scent of burnt cinnamon hit me, jolting me out of my haze. My omega wanted to know why an alpha was upset and for me to fix it. I blinked. Cam was kneeling on the floor in front of me, his brow furrowed in concern.
“Are you okay, sweetheart?”
I didn’t know how to answer. I was not okay, but I also knew I had no choice but to get through this. I gave him a nod and glanced over his shoulder to where Theo and Ben were looking at me anxiously. I could scent their distress and wondered why they stayed back. Maybe they were trying not to crowd me, a stark contrast to most alphas who felt entitled to touch any unbonded omega they came across. I realized I didn’t mind Cam’s touch on my leg. In fact, it felt comforting and warm in a way I couldn’t remember touch ever feeling.
Cam slowly moved in closer, his head level with mine, even though he was kneeling on the floor. He pressed his lips against my ear and whispered, “You can get through this, sweetheart. We’ve got you. Just get through this next hour.” He pulled away. He then said a little louder, “Are you alright, Josie? Has your dizziness passed?”
He was helping me play this off as a physical illness, so I said in a shaky voice, “Yes, I’m better now. I’ve been feeling dizzy and tired lately, with my heat coming on soon.”
All three alphas nodded their heads, and Cam slowly stood to return to the couch. I let out the tiniest whimper as he moved away, not wanting him to leave. He froze, and for a second, I thought he might turn back around to touch me again. Theo cleared his throat and looked meaningfully at Cam, who stiffly took a few steps forward before sinking back onto the couch. I knew this was a precarious situation, but I suddenly felt alone and abandoned in my chair. Cam shot me an apologetic look, his hand clenching the couch’s armrest so tightly I was worried it would splinter.
Alphas had the instinctual urge to comfort omegas, and I was sure Pack Ashwood’s care had nothing to do with me and everything to do with biology. A wave of sadness washed over me. I wished there was someone who wanted to hold me without expectations. I had never been hugged or comforted as a child, at least that I remembered. Sometimes I had flashes of a man with bright green eyes just like mine, twirling me and laughing. As a child, I believed these were memories of my dad, but now I thought they were probably just wishful fantasies.
Omegas, more than any designation, needed touch. If deprived of physical affection, our health slowly deteriorated. Growing up, Sam and I cuddled together in secret. That ended when I went to the DA.
Silence blanketed the room, and I searched for something to say to appease whoever was watching. I took a deep breath, clenching my hands tightly, and asked, “Will you tell me about yourselves?”
This seemed to startle them out of their stupor, and Ben jumped in. “Ahh, of course! Sorry, it’s been a while since we’ve done an interview and you’ve surprised us. In the best way,” he added, probably when he saw my face fall.
Surprised them? Probably shocked them. They’re just too polite to kick you out.
Thethree of them seemed on edge, and Theo kept looking at my fists where my fingernails pressed crescent-shaped marks into my palm.
“We’ve been together for fifteen years,” Ben continued. “Cam and Theo are like brothers to me. We met as teenagers and quickly became close friends. About ten years ago, we started our own company, Ashwood Consulting Firm. Other companies hire us to review their security systems. Cam has the most experience in security, I work with computer programming, and Theo is the company director and keeps us all in line. We have about twenty employees working for us, so a lot of what we do now is managing and directing, but we still travel quite a bit to meet with companies and set up their security evaluations.”
I was envious that they got to run their own company and travel while I couldn’t even legally get a job.
“I think that’s cool that you… umm… decided you wanted to work together. What else do you do besides work?” I asked lamely.
“We have a small home about an hour north in the mountains. It’s quite beautiful and secluded,” Theo said. “Have you ever been to the mountains?”
I shook my head. Growing up, we never took vacations. I hadn’t even been allowed to leave our community, which was situated in Forestside, a suburb of New River. Moving into Sam’s apartment last year was the first time I’d even been downtown. I tried to imagine what it would be like to be alone in the mountains with these alphas. My heart rate increased, and I felt anxious… but also excited?
“You don’t have to be nervous, sweetheart,” Cam said gently, or as gently as he could in that deep voice of his.
That was the third time he had called mesweetheart. I should hate it, but the traitorous omega part of my brain loved it and wanted to hear what other pet names he would call me. My eyes caught on his thick forearms, and my fingers itched to pull his hair down from his bun.
“So, Josie,” Theo said in a soft, soothing voice, “What do you enjoy doing?”
“I like reading and baking,” I said, sticking with the omega-acceptable hobbies.
“What do you like to bake?” Ben asked excitedly.
