Page 63 of Claiming Their Omega

If I get used to having her around, that means that it’ll hurt more when she leaves. I almost forget what it was like to not have her living with us, her scent and little reminders of her seemingly everywhere. Cade was far more right than he realized when he said that this whole idea was dangerous. This might have been a very bad idea, and I’m the fool that talked the other three into it.

Grace is going to go back to New York when this little ‘courtship’ has run its course. When enough time has passed and she can claim that it didn’t work, she can find a way to go to New York and buy herself some time until the ORD comes knocking at her door again. A failed courtship is hard on an Omega or so they say, I’m sure they’ll be gracious enough to give her a bit of space. And Grace will take full advantage.

Smart cookie like her? She probably already has a plan in place. I wouldn’t put it past her.

But that plan doesn’t involve us. We’re playing our part, and when that part is through, she’ll leave us. We probably won’t ever hear from her again, unless we run into her while she’s at her folks’ house for the holidays.

The very idea of it hurts.

I get up and follow the smell of food downstairs. My moping’s made me a little late and the others are already gone when I get there, but I see a plate kept hot for me on the stove.

Grace is in the breakfast nook, a notebook propped up on her knees. She’s scribbling away. She tends to do that in the mornings, after the early chores are completed and she has time before the heavy afternoon ones.

“Thanks,” I tell her, coming over to sit down and eat. “You do this every morning.”

Grace hums. “You’re welcome.”

“Can I ask what you’re writing?” It’s probably a diary.

Grace flushes. “I’m… um… just writing a little something.”

“If it’s your diary then I don’t mean to pry…”

“No, no, it’s fiction,” Grace blurts out. She flushes harder. “I mean. It’s nothing. Just a hobby.”

“Just a hobby? You’re writing something?”

“A little something, yeah.” Grace shrugs. “Just getting back into the habit, I suppose. It’s just something I do for fun on the side.”

“I’m sure whatever you’re writing is amazing.”

Grace blushes again, but she winces a little too. It’s small, but I can’t help but notice. “Everything all right?”

“What? Oh, no, it’s just… um, I’m not used to thinking positively about my writing.”

“You should. I remember the grades you got in high school. You were always so smart and creative. And you work in a publishing company. I’m sure you’re better than you think you are.”

Grace starts to smile but then winces again, and this one is different.

I frown. “What’s wrong? And don’t tell me that was about your insecurities, that looked like pain.”

She blinks at me in surprise, and now I’m the one flushing. Yeah, I can tell what her different winces mean. I can’t help it. I can’t help but pay attention to her.

“I just feel weird. I don’t know what it is. It’s like I’m having period cramps but they come in waves and I’m not bleeding.”

My heart just about stops. I know what those are. They’re pre-heat cramps. She’ll be entering heat soon.

I swallow. “Here, give me your feet.”

Grace gives me a weird look. “My feet?”

“You heard me. Come on, up they get.” I pat my thigh so she knows where to put them.

Grace sighs but takes her feet out of the house slippers she’s wearing and puts them on my thigh. I start to massage them.

Grace’s head falls back against the wall and she moans a little. “Oh that feels amazing.”

“You’re welcome.” I grin at her. “Look, this might come as a surprise, since it’s your first one. But I think you’re going into heat.”

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