Page 27 of Talk About… History

Her dark hair hung around her shoulder in waves. I always thought the contrast of her bright green eyes and dark hair and freckles was gorgeous. Right now her eyebrows were furrowed as she glanced from me to the door.

“You okay?”

“Maybe?” was all I could offer. Grace always had a way of getting anyone to open up to her. I swear she was a hybrid beta and omega, though I knew she was an omega.

“Come on, my sister works the desk and she’s amazing,” she said gently, offering me her arm. I took a breath and one last look up at the building before sliding my arm through hers.

I don’t know what I expected out of Rockwood’s clinic. Sure, I went to one when I came into my designation for the first time, but it was on campus and quite a bit different.

Rockwood Valley’s Omega Network was a cute brick building just off the center of town. It was called ‘The Den’ and they made that sign much bigger than the usual network ones.

Inside it was all neutral grays, whites, and soft pastels. Usually, I was more of a fan of bold colors but it definitely had a calming vibe I could appreciate.

The room was wide open, with cozy couches off to one side, a desk in the center, and the right was a play area for kids.

Open archways showcased a small snack kiosk and another was a quiet study space and a few shelves which probably had omega and pack information ready for anyone who needed to know more.

Sometimes the occasional omega presented as a beta for years until they found their scent-matches and it kicked in their dormant omega instincts. The Network prepared for anything and everything.

“Grace!” A dark-haired girl said as she stood up and rounded the corner to hug her sister. It was obvious that they were related, but her sister was at least five to seven inches taller.

“Hey, Hailey. This is my friend Avery, she just got back in town,” Grace said, giving me a warm smile.

“What can I help you with, Avery?” Hailey asked, her smile just as welcoming as her sister’s.

“I need suppressants and birth control,” I said. “When I left my exes, they blocked my refills.”

Her eyes darkened. “The network did?”

“The doctor did, yes,” I admitted, not willing to keep him out of trouble. “They pretty much talked to my alphas to decide my care so if I left my alphas, that was likely a mark against me in their eyes.”

“Oh fuck no,” she growled. “Can you give me their information?”

“Actually, yes,” I said, following her to the desk. She slid over a pad of paper and a pen for me to jot down the details. I gave her everything, including his exact details and description.

“I’ll make sure this goes to the right people, Avery. I’m so sorry you dealt with that and I assure you that will not be your experience here. We are here for the omegas first, not their packs.”

My shoulders sagged with relief and Grace took that as her sign to leave, giving my arm a squeeze before stepping back.

“Good luck. I’ll step back but please reach out, Hailey can give you my number and I’d love to hear from you.”

“Thanks,” I said, giving her a quick smile before Hailey had my attention again.

“We’ve got an opening in thirty minutes if that works for you. I’d also like to have someone sit in to make sure you’re comfortable. I can do that if you’d like, or our other omega advocate can,” she said before quickly tacking on one last reassurance. “No hard feelings either way, I promise.”

“You can sit in,” I said without hesitation. She’d been angry on my behalf and if she was going to be the one to kick that old doctor’s ass, I’d give her the rest of the gory details.

“Perfect. I’ll grab us some snacks while we wait for Doctor Clark. Though he prefers Arden and will correct us the moment I introduce him,” she said, her fondness clear in her smile and small chuckle.

She hurried off and I took a seat on one of the cushy armchairs. A pang hit me, the soft cushion a reminder of the nest I had. For a second I expected the hurt to hit, but I only felt gross, standing quickly and stepping away.

Anything nest related was a reminder of what they’d done, what they’d forced me through.

If I did form a pack with Cohen… would he understand my hangups?

“Are you alright?” I jumped, not realizing someone had come out to replace Hailey. The omega was giving me a smile that said she thought I was like a skittish animal. Maybe I did look like one, jumping out of the chair like a crazy woman.

“I’m fine,” I said quickly, relieved when Hailey came out of the back and ushered me forward. “Excuse me.”

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