by Leann Ryans
“Parents?”
“Gone.”
She answered without bothering to look at him. The way she said the word showed there were no feelings there, which meant it had either been long enough for her to accept their demise, or there hadn’t been any feelings to begin with. Having a sibling with children reassured him, but he still hesitated.
He turned his own attention to Ms. Haranne.
“Can I think about it?”
The weight of her stare showed her reluctance to agree. He noticed how Annalise tensed in her seat, but it was a moment before she objected.
“I need an answer to make my arrangements in Eden. There’s not much time…”
She trailed off, but he knew what she meant. Her heat was due soon.
“Two days. Give me two days to decide?”
He looked from one woman to the other, imploring them to agree. This wasn’t a decision he could make lightly, and he wanted a chance to speak with his family first.
Ms. Haranne turned to Annalise, leaving the decision to her. She stared at him for a long moment before finally giving him a slow nod.
“Two days. I can’t wait any longer than that.”
His breath rushed from him as his shoulders relaxed. Returning her nod, he gave her a tight smile as he stood.
“If that’s all for me?”
He looked to Ms. Haranne who flicked her fingers, giving him permission to leave. He planned to go straight to the phone in the Rec Room to call his brother, Connor. Sean was the youngest and likely wouldn’t understand why Liam hesitated, but Connor had two children of his own. He’d be able to help Liam decide what to do.
5. Annalise
She stared at the closed door, pain radiating from her chest. She’d forgotten the Alphas could refuse to breed, and she never would have expected it to happen.
Why would the Alpha refuse? Was it her?
He’d seemed interested enough when she walked in, but at the first mention that this was something other than the usual request, he tensed up.
“Liam is close with his family, they visit frequently. He likely wants to speak with them before giving you an answer.”
Annalise’s attention was pulled back to the director. It took a moment to gather her scattered thoughts and respond.
“I understand.”
The disappointment was a hard lump in her throat that tried to block the words. She couldn’t help thinking this was another obstacle to block her from being a mother.
Maybe it wasn’t meant to be.
If the Alpha came back and refused her request, she wouldn’t have time to choose another and meet with them before she ran out of time. She still had to inform Sandra if she would be taking the apartment in Eden, then arrange to have her personal items moved.
“Would you like to choose a backup?”
Her gaze had dropped to the desk in front of her as she thought. Pulling it back up to Ms. Haranne, she considered the woman’s question. Choosing a backup now would allow her to go ahead with her plans without the worry that Liam would deny her, and making all the trouble she’d gone through for nothing.
“I—Yes.”
Ms. Haranne passed her the tablet with the same seven Alphas showing on the screen. Liam’s face stared up at her, holding her attention once again.
Shoving away the conflicted feelings in her chest, she went through the other six Alphas, trying to determine who would be the best choice. Many of them had better attributes than Liam, but none had the same draw.
“Have any of them been used to breed?”
If she was going to pick a backup, she needed to be sure they weren’t going to backout due to qualms about what she was asking them to do like Liam appeared to suffer from.
“Number one and five,” Ms. Haranne responded.
Annalise didn’t bother to look up from the tablet, glancing between the two Alphas. Unable to choose by any other means, she sighed as she passed the device back to the director.
“Number one will be my backup if Liam declines.”
Ms. Haranne nodded, making a note on her computer as Annalise stood. There was nothing left for her to do at The Haven, and though she didn’t like the thought of using her second pick, she also didn’t want to delay any longer. She would make the arrangements to move to Eden.
One way or another, she was going to have her baby.
***
Despite telling herself it didn’t matter which Alpha fathered her child, it was a relief to receive the message from Ms. Haranne announcing Liam had agreed. He used his full two days, causing her sleepless nights and indigestion, but something inside her relaxed at the news.
Turning back to packing her things, she was so engrossed in the task that her phone ringing caused her to startle and let out an undignified squeal. Hand on her chest, she tried to slow her heartbeat and catch her breath before answering.
“Hello?”
“Are you still coming by before you leave?”
She’d promised to have lunch with her sister before leaving for Eden the next day. The movers were coming first thing in the morning to load her things, and everything should be moved into the new apartment by the time she got there in the afternoon.
With her heat so close, she didn’t want to risk putting things off any longer. Once she had everything arranged in her temporary home, she would be going to stay in a hotel near The Haven until it was time.
“Yes. I’ll head over as soon as the movers leave.”
“And you’re still going to come visit us regularly?”
“Yes, Addy. I should be able to come at least twice a month.”
There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment before her sister spoke again.
“I don’t like you being so far away. Especially there. Especially if you’re pregnant.”
She could hear the worry in Adalynn’s voice. Annalise understood her fear.
“This was the best option available.”
She expected her sister to go into another tirade about choosing a beta instead, but Adalynn seemed to have finally realized nothing was going to sway her on using a stud.
“Are you sure what the woman told you is true? It doesn’t really make sense.”
Annalise agreed, but she’d checked as soon as she left Ms. Haranne’s office the first time. There was enough medical documentation to support her claim that Annalise wasn’t willing to risk it. Having her dream in sight only to lose it because she didn’t want to believe an inconvenient truth would be torture. She wasn’t taking any chances.
“It checks out. The medical journals say it’s one of the major differences in female beta and omega physiology. It’s the price of the increased fertility according to some, though others claim it makes us weaker.”
Her sister snorted. Her fertility was an ongoing joke between the two of them. She certainly didn’t suffer the difficulty conceiving that many betas faced, and Annalise had idly wondered if perhaps her sister had been meant to be an omega as well.
“Okay then. I’ll leave you to finish up. See you tomorrow.”
Annalise said goodbye before hanging up the phone, pausing to stare out the window of the apartment she’d lived in for the past fifteen years. She’d chosen it for the view of the park, the feeling of openness and freedom it gave her, but after seeing Eden, she found the sight lacking.
Putting the last of her things into a box, she sealed it shut and looked around at the empty space. Fifteen years reduced to less than fifteen boxes; the space already felt empty. There was no sign of her time there, her life leaving no mark behind.
It was… disheartening.
Burying the feelings trying to choke her, Annalise changed into her pajamas and climbed into bed. She had a lot to do over the next few days, and she needed all the rest she could get, but as she laid staring at the ceiling in the dark, doubt began to creep in.
What if all this was a mistake? What if she wasn’t meant to be a mother? What if she couldn’t do it on her own?
> What if she turned out to be like her mother?
She pulled in a deep breath, releasing it slowly as she tried to stop her mind from circling. The decision was made, and it was too late for what-ifs. Whatever came, she would face it head-on like she had the rest of her life. She knew her sister would always be there for her, and that was all she needed. They’d been through so much together already, there was nothing they couldn’t face.
6. Liam
He hadn’t been able to get ahold of Connor the first day, so he’d given in and called Sean. His baby brother reacted exactly as he’d predicted, asking him why he hadn’t accepted right away. He insisted it was enough to know the child was wanted and the mother was wealthy enough to provide for it.
Unable to express what his hesitation was, Liam had given up and let his brother rattle on before making an excuse to hang up. He considered calling his parents, but he wasn’t as sure of their reactions. He knew they wanted to be able to see him more, but they were also the ones that instilled the deep sense of family that was causing his struggle.
He would be creating a child.
One he would never get to see or be a father to. One who would grow up likely knowing nothing about him, other than his dynamic. A piece of him would be loose in the world, and he wouldn’t be able to protect it.
But Annalise clearly wanted a baby bad enough to do whatever it took to get one. Wanting a child wasn’t all it took to be a good parent, but it went a long way when there were many children out there who lived without that assurance.
It was the following evening before he finally got ahold of Connor. Liam knew he understood his predicament, but in the end he agreed that going to Eden, even if it was only for a short period, was worth it. Annalise clearly had the means and the desire to have a child, so he could only hope she would provide it with a good life.
His parents took it better than expected when he called them, though he could hear the disappointment in his mother’s voice once she realized she’d never meet her grandchild either. Liam knew when he presented as an Alpha and was taken to the camps it had broken her heart, and he hated the way the excitement drained from her voice when he explained that he wasn’t going to be bonding with the omega, only breeding her. Some of it returned when his father mentioned looking for a place in Eden so they could see him as much as possible while he was there, and he ended the call once he was sure they were okay.
He still didn’t go to Ms. Haranne until the next day, waiting until the last moment for anyone to object. His family wasn’t the type to back down once they made a decision, and he knew they would support him either way, but as he sat and watched the time crawl by he hadn’t been able to make himself move. It took until the thought crossed his mind that they may move on to another Alpha without his input before he was able to voice his decision and make it official.
Once he signed the agreement there was no longer any reason for him to remain in his cell of a room. They’d mentioned Annalise’s heat was close, so no other omega would be allowed to choose him until his time with her was complete, so he found himself wandering the facility instead of sitting on display.
Since he’d finally accepted what he was going to do, he found his thoughts kept turning to the little omega he’d met for such a brief time. They’d hardly spoken to each other, and he didn’t know anything about her besides the few answers she’d given to his questions, but he couldn’t deny his attraction to the woman.
He regretted that he’d come off rude to her. If everything went to plan he’d be living with her for most of a year, and he didn’t want any problems. He’d have to apologize and hope she wasn’t the type to hold a grudge.
Sighing, he stepped out into the sunlight flooding the Pen. It was his favorite spot in the facility since it was the only place where he could see the open sky above him. It sucked when the weather was too bad to go out, but though the cold of winter had lifted, the spring rains hadn’t kicked in yet.
Since it was open hours, the other Alphas were still in their rooms, so he had the whole space to himself. He worked out for a while before flopping to his back on one of the lounge chairs. The exercise had kept him occupied, but the moment he finished his mind began to wander again.
Staring up at a sky that reminded him of the color of her eyes, Liam couldn’t help questioning what brought Annalise to seek a stud at The Haven to give her a baby. While Alphas and omegas had the best chances of conceiving, it wasn’t unheard of for omegas to have families with a beta. And she was wealthy, so if she couldn’t have one that way, he was sure there were many well-off families willing to offer their sons to save them from the Alpha-camps.
She’d made it clear she wasn’t looking to bond though. She didn’t want to be claimed, or even have a partner according to her words. There was anger there, and buried pain, but he didn’t know what could have happened to cause it.
Groaning, he peeled himself from the chair as others began to wander into the Pen. None of it mattered, and he doubted she would appreciate him trying to pry into her reasons why.
7. Annalise
The first cramp took her by surprise. Stealing her breath, a wave of heat rolled through her body as her abdomen clenched.
Her heats had always come on faster than most. It was why she’d kept close track of them for years, so she’d know when it was going to hit. This one was a few days early, but she couldn’t focus on trivial details when it felt like she’d jumped into a roaring fire.
She’d taken care of everything at her new apartment in Eden and had arrived in the city only two days prior. The suddenness of her cycles was the exact reason why she hadn’t waited in Eden. There would have been no way for her to make the trip from there all the way to The Haven once symptoms began.
Hand pressed to her belly, she waited for the pain to subside before pushing to her feet. She’d kept her things in her bag instead of unpacking at the hotel, so it only took a moment for her to clear everything away, leaving the room in the same state she’d entered it.
Once the next cramp came and went she called The Haven to let them know she was coming. The woman on the other end of the line seemed flustered for a moment before reassuring her everything would be ready when she got there.
Not wanting to risk going into the lobby of the hotel with the dampness she could feel soaking her panties, Annalise called the front desk, informing them she would be leaving and would place the access card on the dresser. The receptionist tried to insist she needed to bring it to the desk and sign out.
“Do you really want an omega going into heat in your lobby? I’m sure that would be great for your other patrons.”
Stunned silence met her question and Annalise let out a huff as her core contracted again.
“I thought not. I’ve requested an AutoCab to retrieve me and I’ll be leaving momentarily. You can forward any paperwork that needs signed and I’ll take care of it once I’m on my way.”
A meek, “Yes, Ma’am,” met her ears before she ended the call.
Blotting the sweat from her forehead, she gave the room one last glance to be sure she hadn’t missed anything. Reassured by the tidy room, she grabbed her suitcase and waited by the door for the next cramp to pass. It had only been a few minutes since they began, yet she was already soaked in sweat, the edges of her mind growing fuzzy as she tried to force herself to focus.
With a deep breath she rushed from the room as soon as her muscles relaxed enough to move. It was reassuring to know the betas she passed wouldn’t be able to scent her, but any other omegas would, and there was no hiding the gasps of pain when her core clenched and reminded her how desperately empty she was.
She made it to the exit before another intense cramp caused her to stumble. Gripping the doorframe, she blinked back tears to look for the AutoCab. She’d used the back entrance hoping she could make it out without encountering anyone, but the sound of footsteps approaching from behind her reached her ears before she spotted the cab rolling to a
stop at the curb.
Forcing her fingers to release their grip, she staggered to the vehicle, shoving her luggage inside before collapsing on the seat beside it. She was barely able to gasp out the location she wanted, the pain refusing to release her.
Annalise was already shamefully wet, the scent of her slick filling the AutoCab. Her nipples were tight, scraping against the lace of her bra with every breath, and her clit throbbed in time with her heartbeat. She was familiar with the quick escalation and knew she was cutting it close to get to The Haven in time to still be coherent.
Clenching her legs and resisting the urge to be rid of the irritating garments, she tried to distract herself by looking out the window at the city. She’d chosen a hotel close to The Haven, and they were far enough from the city center for her to have a good view.
The buildings were a giant blot on the backdrop of the sky, blocking the sight of anything beyond them. At this distance they appeared to be too close together for even a car to pass between, dominating the space with no sign of nature.
It was oppressive.
The next cramp caused her to double over in the seat, another gush of fluid leaving her slacks soaked through. Her pained whine filled the cab, and only the sight of The Haven coming into view kept her from curling up on the seat.
One of the employees came through the doors with a wheelchair as the AutoCab pulled to a stop at the curb. Though she grimaced at the necessity of it, she allowed the woman to help her from the car since her muscles were too tense for her to straighten and take the few steps herself.
Once the woman grabbed her luggage and shut the door, the sign on the top of the cab changed from Occupied to Maintenance Needed, bringing a fresh surge of heat to Annalise’s cheeks that had nothing to do with her cycle. She’d never liked how messy being an omega was, and usually spent a full day scrubbing her safe room once she was lucid enough to notice the filth.
The trip through the hallways was a blur, and the next thing she knew they were entering one of the tending rooms. The ceiling was giving off a dim glow, making the dark blue she’d chosen for the bedding look black.