Page 211 of Omega for the Pack

“I had a daughter once,” I said, settling down to sit next to her on the floor in her handmade nest.

“You did?” she looked surprised.

“She passed away when she was three,” I said, my chest tightening again. I willed myself not to panic.Stay calm Alex. I had never spoken out loud about this to any living soul. Not even my own pack. We just didn’t talk about it. “Lisa was playing in the ocean, and her mother wasn’t watching her. She was busy on her phone, doing her nails. I was at home fixing up the floorboards until I heard her mother screaming outside.”

“I’m sorry,” said Vanessa, her face crumpling at my pain.

My breathing quickened at the memory.Don’t have a panic attack. As if she could read my mind, Vanessa laid a calming hand on my shoulder. My eyes burned with unshed tears as I took in a huge breath.

“Our ex-wife couldn’t handle that I blamed her internally. I never said it out loud, but I made it clear that I didn’t have the same feelings as I had before,” I explained.

“That’s horrible,” she said, leaning her shoulder against mine, resting her head against me. It made me wonder even more what her story was. What brought her to the auctions?

“Will you eat dinner with us?”

“I don’t have much of an appetite,” she said.

“I will not let you starve here,” I said adamantly. “I’ll bring the food here to your nest then.”

“Fine, I’ll come,” she sighed. I helped her stand up, her grip heavy as if she was dragging her body to do it.Did we somehow obtain a depressed omega? Did she not like it here?

Sixteen

VANESSA

The dinner was bland in my mouth as my mind was distracted.

I could think of nothing but Gabe. I needed him here with me and safe. It took everything in me to smile at the pack and pretend everything was alright. I glanced at the front door constantly, thinking of how I could escape. When I glanced back at the table, I accidentally locked eyes with Blade sitting across from me. He had a knowing look in his eyes as he winked at me, daring me to escape. His shoulders bulged as he sat shirtless while he ate. All the alphas around me felt like giants compared to me. They were scarfing down the food as I slowly nibbled on it.

I used to have a giant appetite.

Now it felt like hell to chew and swallow every bite. It was a struggle, and my stomach kept twisting in worry for my son.

I couldn’t imagine losing my child like what Alex had gone through. It made me see him in a different light. He wasn’t just a hulking beast sitting next to me. The alpha had deep intense emotions he had gone through.

“Vanessa, you said you didn’t want any more kids when we were riding out here,” said Laurent, taking a giant bite of mashed potatoes. “Is there a particular reason why?”

Damn it.

Laurent was the most curious of the pack, always asking me questions. I could tell he wanted to know me on a deeper level, but I couldn’t give him that. I wasn’t in the space or in the mood to get to know anyone.

“I’m just not ready,” I said, staring hard at my chicken rotisserie. Willing him in my mind to stop digging deeper. If they knew where my son was, they’d suspect I’d go after him and stop me from trying.

“It’s not like she has a choice,” said Alex with a full mouth. “Sooner or later, she’ll go into heat.”

I smelled the alphas’ energies rising, their deep primal scents filling the kitchen at the thought of me in heat. I could sense this as an omega. Omegas usually calmed their alphas down and could tell what type of energy her alpha was emanating. The best feeling was when an alpha would lay against me, fully knotted inside me, sated and content.

But it was different this time.

I still thought of Jack from time to time- wondering if he had abandoned me. That it was too late, and he moved on with a new omega. I didn’t think the thought of that would hurt or affect me, but it did.

After we ate, the alphas wanted to play a game of monopoly. Sitting around the board on the floor, I sat between Mason and Alex. I could tell the alphas had their eyes on me at all times. Even when going to the bathroom, someone tried to follow me sneakily. They didn’t trust me yet. As Alex rolled the dice, his large arm brushed against mine, and I held my breath as I felt a spark of energy between us intensify. Every brush of the fingersto hand over the dice and money. Every skin-to-skin contact had my pulse racing without me wanting it to happen.

“You’re winning,” said Alex softly, watching me count the money.

“She’s good with her money,” said Mason, rubbing my back with his large hand.

“You guys just all suck,” I said. They guffawed at my brazen attitude. I was starting to get a little more comfortable around them, but I couldn’t allow myself the luxury of just letting them take care of me. And it pained me to no end. The skin contact with the two alphas on either side of me was causing my body to react and get aroused. “I want to walk outside for a few minutes. Get some fresh air.”

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