Page 47 of Feral Alphas

But another part of me shatters knowing my time with Colt has come to an end. When I go to my therapy, I won’t come back.

Chapter eighteen

Colt

Excitement swarms in my belly as I sign in at the Omega Center front desk and they issue my pass. I’m not here as a law enforcement officer today, I’m here as Colt Nesters, a pack alpha.

It’s front and center in my mind that I don’t have much to offer an omega, but if there’s any chance it’s Rose, well, I can’t pass up the opportunity. I jiggle my leg nervously as I sit in the waiting room, clutching a bag to my chest. There are no other alphas here, and I wonder if that means she didn’t match with anyone else.

“Agent Colt Nesters?” A blue-clad beta nurse with a tablet in one hand comes into the room and I jump to my feet. She flashes me a kind smile. “Thanks for coming in, Agent Nesters.”

“Colt is fine, ma’am,” I say.

“Alright, Colt. I’m Leslie. Come in and let’s have a chat.”

My energy fades a little as she shows me into a tiny office. I was hoping the omega would be here.

She closes the door behind me. “As you know, an omega has identified you as a potential scent match. First, I need to warn you that not all matches are true. Sometimes a confused omega will have a false positive and reject the scent source in person.”

Her office chair squeaks as she sits down. “An omega can also match with multiple males, and it’s her right to choose which pack she goes with. Both scenarios can be disheartening for alphas and omegas alike, so please try to remain neutral and never pressure the omega.” She slides a sheet of paper across the desk with a pen. “I have a waiver here for you to sign that you’ll respect the omega’s wishes.”

“Of course.” I sign it quickly. “And I had a false positive once before.”

“Sorry to hear that.” She checks the signature and then links her fingers together with a sigh. “Usually we ask you to sign a non-disclosure agreement, however your clearance as an OCB agent supersedes such a form, so we can skip ahead.” Leslie drinks from her water bottle as if she enjoys keeping me on tenterhooks.

Leslie nods as if she senses my impatience. “You’re already intimately acquainted with the omega who identified your scent. It’s Rose, who was brought in from the underground fight ring.”

My heart spasms so hard in my chest it feels like it’s jumping through my skin. “Thank God!”

She smiles, but there’s sadness in it. “I’m grateful you’re aware of her situation because Rose is a very special case. Have you read all the reports?”

I shake my head. “Unfortunately I was working on cleanup of the alpha fighters yesterday, so I’m not up to date.” And after that I got suspended.

“Ah. Is that where the bruises came from?”

I glance down at my wrists, sure my long sleeves had hidden them and she chuckles.

“It’s my job to observe all potential partners for our omegas.” She pauses to offer me water, which I refuse because I’m afraid of spillingit, my hands are quivering so much. “Colt, I’ll be frank with you. Rose has been asking for you since she woke up, but I’m not certain if she’s influenced by the servicing she experienced from you. I need you to be prepared for another false positive.”

She could have punched me in the nuts for how much her words hurt but I nod and let her continue.

“I also need to let you know you’re not the only alpha she’s identified.”

I flinch. “Another pack?”

“No, in this case it’s a lone male. However, you are her primary indication, so we contacted you first—she had a stronger physical reaction to your scent. Today you will meet Rose and we’ll confirm if there’s a potential bond. Now, let’s talk about her trauma, and I need you to stay as calm as possible.”

I chuckle drily. “Yeah, I think I need that warning. Apparently I’ve been irritable ever since I helped her the other day. Her scent was in the cages we cleared yesterday, and I was so mad they used her like that.”

Her brows lift. “Then you understand what she’s been through. Rose has spent all her life imprisoned and while she does a good job at faking normalcy, the truth is, she’s far from it. Her heats have been medically repressed for approximately ten years, which means when she does go into heat, she’ll have superheats.” She shakes her head and sighs like it’s doomsday.

“I’m sorry, but I’m not familiar with that term.” Did I miss something in my training manual?

“In simple terms, during a superheat she’ll be needier than other omegas, and it will likely last much longer. It will be up to her alphas to make sure she stays fed and hydrated. We don’t get many cases ofsuperheats, but those prone to them usually have a nurse on standby or an alpha trained to administer an IV drip.”

I blanch as the seriousness hits me.

“As you can imagine, needles in veins during heats usually also requires restraints of some kind.” Leslie picks up a pen and fiddles with it, crossing off something on a list beside her tablet. “That’s the sexual side of the discussion, however Rose also has a lack of social skills, and everyday tasks will be a challenge for her. She’s never gone to school, let alone a grocery store, and even the most well-meaning date to the cinemas would be a shocking new experience.”

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