by Aria Grace
Nope. Not gonna entertain any arguments about what he thinks I want to hear. I haven’t tightly guarded my virginity for all these years just to let some overgrown alpha come in and steal it from me.
Unfortunately, my traitorous body is already preparing to give in to whatever this or any other alpha wants to do to me.
Fuck, I must be in heat. Talk about having the worst possible timing ever.
I’ve never experienced a full heat before because Tad provided me with daily suppressants to ensure the stud alphas at Ropers would never detect my presence. And they never did.
But it’s been almost a week since I’ve taken one. Apparently that’s long enough for it to clear out of my system and allow my natural biology to take over.
I circle wide around Curtis without taking my eyes off him. Even though it takes more effort than I can ever remember exerting, I run away from him, heading straight for the front door. Maybe I’m being dramatic, but I know what happens when alphas set their sights on an omega. Omega sanctuary or not, he would get what he wanted. And with my body sending out signals that I want it to, there would be no way for me to resist him.
Desperate to get away from him before he can have his way with me, I run down the driveway, praying for a miracle I have zero expectations of finding.
6
Curtis
What the fuck just happened? Did Max just run out of here like the building was on fire? Because of me?
My heart is still racing and my breath is coming out in short pants when I finally regain my wits enough to chase after him. His scent is strong all the way to the end of the driveway, but then it disappears.
Where the hell did he go from here?
A bench just a few feet away confirms what I had hoped wasn’t reality. The bus stop in front of the Omega House is empty…and it’s never empty. When I passed it five minutes ago on my way inside, there were three people sitting on this bench and a small group lingering nearby. No one is around anymore.
Max must have walked out right as the bus was leaving. The sign above the bench lists three different bus lines that stop here, so that gives me someplace to start. At least it’ll be easy to narrow down which direction he was heading if anyone decides to go looking for him.
With my phone and more patience than I’m generally known to have in stressful situations, I pull up the county transit schedule and determine which two buses have scheduled stops around this time. It could have been either one if they were a few minutes early or late.
Following the color-coded map on the website, my heart slows when I realize the two buses have completely opposite routes. One would have turned right about a mile up the road on the main parkway, and the other would have turned left.
“Did he leave?” A quiet voice behind me breaks up my pity party, and I’m forced to compose myself and fulfill the commitment I made to Naheed when I signed on as a volunteer.
“Yeah, I think so.” I turn back toward the house and walk in. “Do you know why?”
The pregnant omega follows me in and shakes his head. He’s eyeing me up and down like I’m under inspection, which is unusual behavior for an omega in any circumstances, but especially for a pregnant one.
“Are you sure?” I try to keep my voice soft so he’s not intimidated, but if a little bit of intimidation gets him to talk, that’s okay with me. “You seem to know Max pretty well.”
“No.” He wraps both arms over his protruding belly and sways from side to side as if trying to soothe the unborn baby inside him. “We just met a few days ago, but he seems like a smart guy. He said his instincts tell him when to run. I guess that’s what he did.”
“Because of me?” Now I’m more confused than ever because I didn’t do anything to harm him. I never would. In fact, my instincts are projecting a completely opposite message to me.
Oh shit.
Could it be?
Realization dawns on me as I finally make the connection between Max and the strange feelings I’ve been having since I met him.
“Excuse me for a second. I need to talk to Naheed.”
“Quit bouncing up and down like that.” I stop pacing back and forth in Naheed’s office to glare at Jace. This isn’t a happy moment. “You’re making me more nervous.”
“But I’m so excited. I haven’t spent much time with mated omegas my own age yet. I can’t wait to meet him.” Jace is newly pregnant with Naheed’s baby. They haven’t been together for long, but it’s clear to anyone who meets them that they’re destined for each other. And if my hunch is correct, the same is true for me and Max.
I didn’t recognize the possessive, lust-filled sensations raging through me when I first met Max because I was so out of whack from dealing with those kids. But if I’m right, and I’m about 99.9% sure I am, Max and I are fated to be mates. We were made for each other. Just the idea settles some of the anxiety in my gut. Yes, that feels right. I’m sure that’s what I’m feeling. Completely unrelenting, ridiculously possessive, mind-blowingly psychotic, affection for Max.
But he either doesn’t feel it, doesn’t want to feel it, or doesn’t understand what he’s feeling. The first two scenarios are too heartbreaking…too devastating for me to consider. It has to be the third. He’s just confused and needs some time and space to think things through.
“Well, I hope you get the chance to meet him.” I stop at the window and stare out into the front yard, wishing he would just come back so we can talk. “If he ever comes back.”
“He will.” Jace sounds about a thousand times more sure than I feel. “And if he’s not back by morning, we’ll help you look for him.”
“Yeah?” I turn to look at the two men who are fast becoming my closest friends.
“Of course.” Naheed looks me straight in the eye, no trace of amusement left in his gaze. “I know you won’t be able to focus until you know he’s safe. We’ll do whatever we can to help.”
“Definitely!” Jace curls against Naheed’s chest and yawns. “I’m gonna take a quick nap but wake me if Max comes back. I think I can help.”
It’s easy to have hope when watching these two men. Neither expected to find each other when they did, but sometimes that’s how life works. You find what you’re looking for before you even know to start searching.
In the short period of time I’ve gotten to know Jace, I’ve really come to like and respect him. His feisty personality is unlike any omega I’ve met before, and I can tell he gives Naheed a real run for his money. They’re perfect for each other.
Is Max really perfect for me? My heart speeds up at the thought, making the answer clear. Of course he is. The bigger question is if I’m perfect for him.
7
Max
Finding a bus with the back door still open was dumb luck. But now that I’ve been riding in it for the past forty minutes, I have to decide what to do next. If I stay on for too long, it’ll circle back to the Omega House. It’s unlikely my luck will hold out long enough for me to pass by that place without Curtis catching my scent. Even I know how bad I stink. Thank god there aren’t any alphas on this bus or I’d be in serious trouble.
With my gaze focused directly out the window beside me, I try to figure out where I am. We pass a familiar park and I realize why it’s familiar. Tad lives around here. He brought me to his house a few times over the years when there was maintenance going on at Ropers and he didn’t want to risk a stranger finding me.
I pull the string to ring the driver and stand by the exit door, anxious to get off and look for Tad. I don’t know if he’ll be home or if he’s still in jail, but one of the cooks said the staff of the breeding farms are usually not held for more than a few days before they’re released on their own recognizance and slapped with some heavy fines. The authorities are generally looking for the owners, the kingpins of those establishments, not so much the betas who were just trying to earn a living. As long as direct criminal activity can’t be linked back to Tad, it’s possible he’s sittin
g at home right now.
Once I’m off the bus, I head straight back to the park. I remember two columns in front of Tad’s building were visible from the pond. If I can get there, I should be able to find my way to his place.
After sitting in the stairwell for over an hour, I finally build up the nerve to knock on Tad’s door. At first, there aren’t any sounds. No TV or radio playing on the other side. But just before I turn to walk away, the sound of footsteps heading toward the door stops me.
A little window in the center of his front door opens and Tad’s eye peeks through. A second later, the door flies open and he’s pulling me into his arms. “Max, honey, is that you?”
It feels good to be held like this but it also feels wrong coming from Tad. He’s hugged me over the years, but we were never physically affectionate. Even though I might have had a crush on him for a while, he never showed any signs of interest. But the relief he obviously feels in finding me is almost tangible.
“I’m sorry to just stop by.” I hold him for another second and then pull away. “But I didn’t know where else to go.”
“I’m so glad you did. I hoped you would make it to one of the good shelters like Omega House so you could start fresh, but I guess you didn’t…”
“Well, I did get there and it was nice until… Well, anyway, I couldn’t stay there so I figured I’d see if you were okay. I thought you were arrested.”
Tad groans and ushers me to his sofa. “I was, but they only held us overnight. I don’t think any charges will be filed.”
“Good. I’ve been worried.”
Tad smiles and reaches for my shoulder. “I’m so glad you’re here. I’ve really missed you.”
His fingers skate across my skin up to my neck. And his pupils are wide under his lidded eyes. Shit. He’s reacting to my heat.
I pull out of his reach and slide to the other side of the couch. “I need some suppressants. It just started today, and this need inside me almost hurts.”
Tad leans forward, slowly approaching me with his right hand extended. “You don't need to suppress it anymore, honey. You're free now. You can live a normal life. We can live a normal life…together.”
“What?” I don’t understand what he’s saying. It almost sounds like a romantic proposition and not the caretaker and child relationship we’ve had for so long. His hormones must be as jacked up as mine are at the moment. “Maybe we should open some windows. Or I can leave until the suppressants kick in.”
“No.” Tad pulls my wrist to his nose and inhales deeply. “You smell so good. I’ve always known you would. I was planning to ask you to move in with me when the raid happened. You would have said yes, right?”
What? No! Well, maybe I would have, but that was before… Now that I know what he wants, I know without a doubt it isn’t what I want. “Tad, I think you’re confused. My heat is messing with your mind.”
“No, Max. I’ve thought about this a lot…about you a lot. I’ve wanted this for a long time, and now that you’re ready, we can be together.”
“What? I’m not ready.” I stand up and put some distance between us, edging closer to the front door. “You’re like a father to me…or at least a brother. This isn’t right.”
“Max, that was when you were a kid.” He stands up but doesn’t get any closer. “You’re a man now. A beautiful man who needs me.”
Holy fuck. This isn’t going to happen.
“I’m sorry, Tad. I shouldn’t have come.” Before he can try to stop me, I run out of his apartment and down the stairs. I don’t know why I’m so against the idea of being with Tad. He’s a good man and there was a time when I wanted nothing more than for him to notice me in that way.
But that time is over. I don’t know what changed or when but something has. I’m not ready for this. And being out in public is just stupid. As soon as an unmated alpha gets a whiff of me, it’ll be game over. Like with Curtis.
Curtis.
Why does just thinking his name feel like a calming blanket being wrapped around me? Where is the fear I felt a few hours ago when he looked at me with lust and desperation in his eyes? Why am I considering going back to the Omega House?
Without any money, I don’t have many options. And while I’m in heat, the only thing that truly matters is to get as far away from alphas as I can. There aren’t many places that come to mind, but I’m not too far from the ghetto I grew up in. Omega-villes are scattered throughout the city and one of the few safe havens for omegas. At least, they used to be. With all the recent raids on breeding farms, rumors of omegas being picked up off the streets and never seen again have surfaced. I don’t know if they’re true or just urban legends to keep omega teens off the streets, but I don’t have any other choice.
I take off in the direction of the encampment closest to Tad’s place. There’s a slight breeze tonight, but if the wind picks up a little more, I might be able to hang out up wind and mix my scent with all the other omega pheromones. It’s not a brilliant plan, but I hope it’ll get me through the next few days. I’m already feeling less horny than I was when I first hopped on that bus.
Maybe this will be a quick cycle and I can find some suppressants before my next one begins.
8
Curtis
It’s been hours, and I can’t focus. Max is out there—alone and fucking in heat! Dammit! Why did I let him leave? I should have followed him immediately after he left. He could be anywhere by now…and with anyone.
“I’ve got to get out of here.” I pass by Naheed without sparing him a parting glace. “I need to find him.”
“Call if you need help. I’ll be done here in an hour or so.”
I flick my wrist in an acknowledging wave but don’t respond. Now that I’ve come to terms with the fact that what I felt with Max was more than just interest and lust…I can’t stop thinking about him. I need him. Desperately.
Without a clue as to where I’m heading, I jump in my car and start to drive. At first, the turns and straights seem aimless, but after about fifteen minutes, I realize I can feel Max. Not in a tangible way, but as if there’s an invisible string between us and he’s guiding me to him.
Giving complete control over to my biology, I follow my instincts until they tell me to park near a cluster of abandoned buildings.
Fuck, Max, I hope you’re okay.
As soon as I’m outside of the car, I can smell him. The scent is faint and heavily diluted, but it’s already ingrained in my memory. Something I’ll never forget for as long as I live. Once again, allowing my body to take me where I need to be, I start jogging through the dark encampment of homeless omegas.
Some seem frightened to see me while others are hopeful I’ll choose them as the one I want to rescue from this shithole. Even though I feel sorry for every sad, hungry face I pass, I’m on a mission that can’t be stopped. Not until I know Max is safe will I be able to fully breathe again.
In a dark corner of the long parking lot, I see two people talking. One seems to be crowding the other and reaches for him. When the smaller of the two men turns toward me, I know it’s Max. And he knows I’m here.
I pick up my pace, running at full-speed to make sure my mate is okay. My mate. Just the significance of the word makes my legs pump harder. I will protect my mate.
The man standing with Max appears to be a beta, based on his size and stature. Like a horror movie playing out in front of me, the man wraps both arms around Max’s waist and lifts him up, lugging him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes as he tries to run off in the other direction.
“Stop.” I run faster, desperate to get to them.
“Curtis, help me.” Max calls out to me and my blood sings at his acceptance. Whether he cares for me or not, at least he trusts me to save him.
An additional shot of adrenaline gives me the boost I need to close the gap between me and my mate. A strange sensation of contentment and relief washes over me as a pull Max out of the other mans’ arms and into mine. “A
re you okay?” I take a deep whiff, letting his pheromones seep into my lungs and settle deep within me. “Did he hurt you?”
Max shakes his head and gently pulls out of my grasp. “Thank you,” he whispers. His gaze locks on something over my shoulder so I turn to look.
The man who tried to take him is fumbling with his keys to get into an older Toyota. “I’ll be right back.”
“Don’t hurt him.” Max reaches for my arm and holds me in place. “He was just confused. He wasn’t really trying to hurt me.”
The decision to stay with Max instead of chasing down the beta who touched him isn’t easy. I want to make sure that man knows Max is mine. But he isn’t. Not yet, anyway.
I want so desperately to hold him, but we’re not ready for that yet. “Will you come to my place so we can talk?”
Max looks around as if trying to find a better option before he agrees. “Okay.”
The ride to my house is quiet. The tension between us is thick, like a living, breathing organism. It pulses and retreats with each breath I take, throbbing in time with my aching cock. Even though I don’t want to take Max until he’s 100% sure he wants me to, I can’t help my natural reaction. My mate is two feet away from me and in heat. I’m only human.
Once we get inside, I grab a couple beers and drop into the recliner in my living room. Sitting beside Max on the couch might be too tempting, and I really need him to listen to me without being afraid.
Max takes a gulp from the bottle and rests it on his knee without looking up at me. I'm not sure where to start, so I just sit in silence too, hoping he’ll break first.
It feels like hours tick past, but it’s probably only minutes before he finally clears his throat. “So, what's happening to me?”
I blow out a low breath and lean back in the recliner, trying to be as unintimidating as possible. “I think it's the same thing that’s happening to me.”