Page 52 of Claiming Their Omega

“You know the thing is? I don’t think it’s just the Omega thing.”

That surprises me. “You’ll find another boyfriend. One that’s a lot better than that douche canoe.”

Grace laughs. “No, I mean…” She trails off. She’s not slurring her words as much, but she’s clearly still tipsy. I have to keep putting a hand on her shoulder to gently guide her as we walk.

“I’ve written stuff.”

I look down at her. Usually this is where I’d feel pressure to talk, to ask questions, but not with Grace. I just keep my silence, and she keeps talking.

“I work at a publisher and I like the work. I really do. I like helping authors and putting together a team and making sure every aspect of the book is perfect from the cover to the launch. I’m not afraid of hard work. I just…” Grace sighs. “But I have written. I’ve just never told anyone. Never shared it. I’ve been too scared.”

Silence falls again. I didn’t think Grace could be scared of something like that. Grace is fearless, or so she always seemed to me. She was always elegant, always lovely, but she never had a problem keeping up with us men. Aiden was gracious about letting her tag along with us even though she was his little sister. Most brothers wouldn’t have been able to stand it. She always got great grades, and she set off for the big city, made a successful career for herself. That’s a lot more than most people in our town can claim.

But here she is, telling me that she’s scared.

“I think it’s the kind of stories I’m writing,” she admits. “I write—they’re love stories. Romances. And I feel like such a fraud. I remember when I got with William I thought I would finally know what it meant and I wouldn’t feel like such a fake anymore and yet inspiration didn’t come and it all felt the same as before.” She takes a deep breath. “That’s really how I should’ve known that things weren’t going to work out. Not his behavior. That should’ve been the clue.”

I work through that in my mind. “Are you saying you’ve never been in love?”

“Yes. I don’t know what it’s like. How could I ever write a proper love story if I’ve never been in love myself?”

I can’t help it—I snort. “Trust me, that’s not a bad thing.”

Grace frowns up at me, wavering a little in her step. I gently guide her. “How can you say that?”

“Because love is the most painful thing there is, trust me.”

Grace looks at me. I can feel her looking at me. I don’t look at her. I don’t want to get into it. I have my pack, and that’s enough. I don’t need anything more. Hoping for more—wanting more—that’s dangerous.

Silence falls again.

Eventually, Grace says, “You’re probably wondering why I asked Jesse to do what he did.”

I nod. No point in denying it. The image of her riding Jesse’s face, gasping and moaning in the throes of orgasm… yeah, I’ll never get that out of my head. Just thinking about it has my cock twitching.

“I said that being an Omega isn’t the only reason I feel lost, and it’s true. I think it’s made me admit the other ways I feel lost. In my career. In love. But I still feel like… like… like my body isn’t mine anymore. I have all these feelings now, these urges, and I can’t control them. I feel like I’m a teenager again only so much worse. Everything is in service to this stupid body and these stupid hormones.”

I remember when I first presented as an Alpha and feeling the same way. I felt crazy, wanting sex all the time. That’s another reason not to fall in love. I hear that when you’re an Alpha and your Omega goes into heat, the desire’s even more insane. That’s the last thing I need.

“I just want to figure out how this whole thing works,” Grace admits. “I want to feel like I belong in this body again. Like I own it, not like it owns me. I want to feel confident in who I am and know I can handle my own needs.”

That’s entirely fair, I think. Any Omega who bloomed late would probably feel the same. But at the same time, her words have my cock filling and my blood heating up. The urge to tell her that I could make her feel good in her skin again, that I could take care of her needs, is so strong that I can taste the words on the back of my tongue.

I swallow the words.

As much as I understand and as reasonable as I think it is, to give into my urges and take her to bed would be dangerous. I agree with Jesse and the others, that we shouldn’t do anything like that with Grace. We need to keep her at arm’s length. For her own good, and ours.

We finally get home. I have to carry Grace the last bit of the way. She’s sober, but exhausted, and I’m not going to make her walk when it’s easy to carry her. I let the others know she’s home safe—well, I let Easton and Hendrix know, apparently Jesse went to bed and is ignoring me when I knock on his door—and I get her into bed.

Grace is beautiful when she sleeps. She’s beautiful all the time, but I just feel extra soft looking at her as I make sure the covers and quilt are pulled around her snugly. She’s asleep around me, an Omega asleep around an Alpha, because she trusts me. She trusts that I’m not going to take advantage of her.

It means more than I can say.

I go into my own room and pull out my computer. I feel bad that we can’t give her what she needs. I know that it’s the best thing for her, and for us, but Grace is right in needing to know what it means to be an Omega and to feel comfortable in her own body again.

But there are ways for her to do that without our help, or the help of another Alpha.

I go to a website that I know has a lot of good reliable reviews, and I order her some toys. Toys just for an Omega. Dildos with knots, special vibrators… everything an Omega could need to pleasure herself.

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