Page 74 of The Safest Place She Knows

Venkalaughed.

Noh smiled. “Ithink you can drop the act.”

She pouted,“Not until I get dessert.”

Allor laughedand soon brought her an ice cream sundae covered with strawberries,whipped cream, and chocolate syrup. She was seated at the kitchencounter while Venka sorted the clothing haul on the kitchentable.

Lya sat withher treat and rolled her shoulders, carefully using her right handin the golden cage of its scaled cast. Extras were being printedfor her here at the house. Allor had gotten the specs from the techat the clinic.

She kicked herlegs and said, “So, Tamara, how did you like shopping with a newomega?”

Tamaraswallowed. “Can they really just take me?”

Lya paused andlooked at her. “Yes, but I won’t let that happen. I have told youthat before.”

“But, you arean omega. You don’t have power.”

Lya slid herhand through Tamara’s hair. “If you think I wouldn’t take abeating, get up, and move to stand between you and harm's way, youhaven’t been paying attention. Now, I don’t have to be the firstline of defense anymore; I am the last. Around here, the defensiveline is Allor because he has a chance to defuse the situation, thenNoh because he has the best chance to take down another attacker,then Venka because she has heart, and then me. By the time they getto me, I am heavily armed and waiting. If I can’t save you, I willbe a cautionary tale to those who try.”

Tamara blinkedand lunged forward in a hug. “I’m sorry, Mom.”

“It’s been alot of change, and if someone will present me with a fuckingcontract, we can ease some of this uncertainty. Ahem, Venka?”

Venka paused,nodded, and left the room, bringing her laptop to the table andpushing some of the designer clothing aside. “I have the mockuphere, but what do we want to add.”

Lya kissedTamara’s forehead, “Why don’t you list everything you think weneed? I have to get some traction on this ice cream before itmelts.”

Tamara smiled.“Okay. Can we talk again later?”

“Yes, and youare going to let our den go through your phone to find thosewebsites. I am guessing that the article was written by an angrybeta.”

Tamara duckedher head. “He’s a beta. Yeah.”

“So, they willgo through your phone and find any suspect content. You can askthem, or ask Venka’s father or her uncles or her mother, or whenyou meet Ford properly, you can ask him about his family, hispride, and his omega.”

“Omegas don’thave omegas.”

“Sure, they do.I know of two.” She smiled. “Ford’s omega is named Olivia. Shewrote that book that I am not going to let you read until you are agrownup. No Reservations.”

“Oh. The oneabout an omega surviving religious persecution and torture.”

Lya sighed.“Yes. That one.”

“I got it fromthe library. Wait. That is about a real person?”

“Yes. Ford’smate, Olivia. They have four or five alphas together but one gianthousehold and two kids so far. Olivia is an author, and her alphashave signed off on her income remaining hers. Ford’s, too. His babywill want for nothing.” She chuckled. “He does say that it will bean only child on his part.”

Tamara frowned.“It has to be a c-section for the males, right?”

“Correct.”

“So, it’spainful?”

“Yes. It takeslonger to recover from that than a vaginal delivery.”

“Oh. But I amnot going to have to worry about that?”

“No. It issuper rare for a female alpha even to attempt to have a child. Yourbody won’t let it grow. It’s why there are now ways to go aroundthat.”

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