Page 24 of The Safest Place She Knows

The woman camein, smiling with bright dark green eyes and sable hair. “Hello. Yousaid you had an ailing omega?”

Tonlya lookedpast her and blinked. “Jeezus. A guy like that you have to feedevery day.”

Ymer made theintroductions. “Venka, this is Tonlya. She’s the omega. Nohehl,this is Tonlya. I believe you recognize the snakes on thewall.”

The huge bronzeman with a shaved head finished completely filling her living room.Her dazed senses guessed seven-foot tall and over three hundredpounds of heavy muscle. If he stumbled, she was done for.

He looked atthe images of her on the wall, the snakes wrapped around her. “Youraised them?”

She nodded.“From littles.”

His deep, slowvoice rumbled. “What happened to you?”

“The OmegaCentre found out that I wasn’t a beta, and they have been puttingfinancial strictures on me until I had to take every shift I couldduring days and sell everything that wasn’t essential to life.”

“The arm.”

“Oh, an alphadecided that as trashed as I looked, I was still suitable to slamup against the wall. He wasn’t expecting my bones to break. Nor wasI.”

Venka kneltnext to her, examined her skin, and stroked her cheek. “Why didn’tyou go to the centre?”

Tamara clearedher throat. “Me. She’s my guardian and my sister. Without her, I gointo public care.”

Tonlya felt atear track down her cheek. “I am sorry. I shouldn’t have toldyou.”

Tamara lookedat her. “You should have told me sooner.”

The huge mancrouched across from Venka and cocked his head. “You likesnakes?”

She chuckled.“That is one way of putting it.”

Tamara stated,“She considered them family and threw up for four days after shesold them.”

Venka strokedTonlya’s cheek. “Poor little duck.”

Tonlya felt herhead jerk toward the woman’s hand, but she paused. It didn’tmatter. Venka smiled.

She swallowed.“So, did Ymer just pimp me out?”

“I believe hewants his leather designer back.” Venka chuckled.

“Oh.Self-interest. Great. What’s in it for you? I am not much of acatch.”

“I like theidea of easing you back to health and teaching your sister how tobe a proper alpha. It is different for us than the males. I wouldhave found life easier if I had someone to guide me.”

Tonlya lookedat Nohehl. “What’s in it for you?”

“Sex andsomeone with an interest in snakes.” He looked at her, and his eyeshad serpentine slits.

“That’sdirect.”

“You don’t havemuch time before you sleep. Direct is needed.”

She smiled andnodded. “Fair enough. You aren’t wrong. I spend more time out thanup.”

“Well then,little omega. Will you accept us?”

“I am notlittle. I am five-eleven. It’s the main reason the centre nevercame for me. Not proper omega at all.”

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