Page 40 of Claiming Their Omega

Now I’m walking in with four of the most eligible bachelors in the county surrounding me.

Jesse might drive me crazy and I might struggle to get a read on Cade, and yes, Hendrix is a terrible flirt. But they’re all handsome, strong, capable Alphas with a business they run, a whole ranch under their care. You’re not exactly overrun for good prospects in a small town. We often joked as girls in school that we’d have to go to Denver or some other large city to really find anybody.

And now, I’ve snatched them up, or at least that’s what everyone’s going to think. I can hear their gossipy whispers in my head.

Big city girl, too good for us, came back and swooped in and took the four most eligible men we have. How dare she take those Alphas from us. Who does she think she is? Acts so much better than all of us and now she’s taken them too.

It makes a lump of hot anxiety form in my throat. I swallow hard.

Hendrix gently puts a hand on the small of my back to guide me as Jesse takes the lead. The crowd moves out of the way for us, which is natural. Four big Alphas? Everyone’s going to move.

I can’t help but wonder if it’s not just that, though. If I’m being stared at.

We take seats at the bar, the conversation flowing around us. Several people wave and say hi to the Alphas. A few people say hi to me that I recognize from school. It makes me cringe inside even as I put on a smile and wave.

Maybe it’s just all in my head and people don’t care or are happy for me. I just can’t shake the insecurity that twists in the pit of my stomach.

We order our drinks, and I get my usual, a strawberry daiquiri. “I remember when this place didn’t have cocktails at all,” Jesse notes.

“Well, lucky for me, they’ve expanded their menu.” I know it’s a bit fancy but I like the fruit flavors in my alcohol.

Jesse snorts. “Should’ve guessed you’d like that kind of thing.”

“And I should’ve guessed you’d be boring and order just a straight two fingers.”

Hendrix and Easton also order something simple. Cade, though? He orders two drinks. A straight whiskey and a strawberry daiquiri as well. Interesting.

I don’t say anything. I’m not sure what I even would say. I don’t want him to feel like he’s being teased. Cade’s gruff but I’m starting to wonder if maybe there’s a softer side beneath. I feel weirdly protective of his emotions.

We get our drinks while various men come up and chat with the four Alphas. Everyone seems at ease. I think everyone else is a little excited to see me, actually. Excited for some good gossip. I can see a few looks sent my way from various people around the room, and the men who talk to my Alphas have an air of leashed curiosity about them.

I can see them glancing at me as they chat with the men, although none of them say anything to me directly. It seems to annoy Cade a bit, because he puffs up slightly as he sits next to me and sips at the daiquiri. He seems almost puzzled by it. I have to stifle my giggles in my own identical drink.

As the alcohol seeps into my veins, I find myself feeling a little more comfortable and almost, well, confrontational. Not angry, exactly, but I don’t like that people aren’t talking to me. They’ll stare and whisper but won’t chat to me directly? Yeah, I’m not going to stand for that.

I’m going to let everyone see that they don’t get to me. They can have whatever opinions of me they want and I can’t stop them as much as I might like to. But I can show everyone that I don’t care. I can make sure they see, or at least think, that their gossip doesn’t matter.

I finish the rest of my drink and look around. There’s got to be something to do in here.

There in the lobby, where there always have been, are some waist-high video games, old classic ones like Frogger and Pac-Man. They’re set up not with the screen vertical, but horizontal, so that you look down at it. It’s so that kids can play too during the earlier hours when families are in the restaurant area.

Right now, though, it’s definitely all adults in here. I hop off the barstool and make my way through the crowd to the Pac-Man game and put in a quarter, grinning. It’s been forever since I played one of these things. It feels like a childish thing, those sorts of things you stop doing when you become an adult.

“Grace? Grace Whitmore?”

I look up and see someone I recognize. “Don? Hey!”

Don’s family has been around this area for years. He’s the fourth or fifth guy in his family named Don, even though it’s a bit old-fashioned, it’s a tradition. He’s a Beta, if I remember correctly. His scent is minimal, hard to catch, and when we hug it’s brief.

“I heard you were back in town,” Don says. “How’s everything? You were in New York, right?”

“Yup, yeah, came back for my grandmother’s birthday.” I clear my throat. “I’m sure you heard about the rest.”

Don looks a little embarrassed. “News travels fast around here, you could say that.”

“It’s okay. I figured that people would know. How’s your family?”

“They’re all good. I’ve got to admit we were all surprised that you, uh, did your presentation here instead of back in the city.”

---