Page 21 of Omega Alliance

“I have to. Too many people know me from my work. I can’t take long leaves of absence without a really good explanation.And the last thing I want to do is raise any suspicions. The Alliance will never get their hands on you again, Sin. I’m willing to do anything to stop that from happening.”

"Thank you," she says softly, pressing my phone to her chest with both hands. "Thank you for everything."

I nod and leave the room. I'm glad we could help Sin escape, but sitting with her just then, talking to her, it makes me fear we may have waited too long. That it could be too late for her to ever have a normal life…

ten

SIN

Ilike Jax, I decide. He isn’t as large and hulking as Kieran and Levi, which makes him feel safer to be around. I also like the way he preemptively shares things with me rather than asking for my opinion at every possible juncture. His thick-rimmed glasses add a layer of separation when our eyes meet, and I like that too. He keeps my mind engaged, which helps my body stay quiet.

After Dani, he’s the one who makes me feel most at ease, and he’s also the one that will soon be leaving. Of course he is.

Eventually Dani coaxes me out of the bedroom so that we can join the others downstairs. Kieran has prepared a meal of dry cereal and fresh fruits, which we all dig into while standing around the living room. There is a dining room table, but it’s cluttered with messy stacks of old papers and half-filled boxes that further lead me to believe the previous occupants left in a hurry. I make a note to sift through the contents later, when I can be alone. I didn’t feel comfortable exploring more of the house this morning after Levi found me on my own.

After I’ve eaten my fill, I distract myself with Jax’s phone. He’s removed the security locks so that I can now turn it on and off without his help. The device gives me something to focus on so I’m not quite as overwhelmed by the bustle of activity around me. Still, I listen to the others and watch them from the corner of my eye.

Dani is sitting in Jax’s lap on that same worn leather couch where she found me earlier this morning. One arm is slung over his shoulders as she nuzzles her face into the hollow of his neck. It makes me feel jealous even though that's ridiculous. Part of me craves true autonomy while the other yearns for a real human connection. My imprisonment has made me a study of contradictions, and I don't like that.

Because other than the shared displays that took place in the glass box, I’ve never been intimate with another person. Logically, it’s not something I want for myself, but biologically, well, let’s just say my body has other ideas. I hate that our society is so defined by things we can’t control. I’m not even a true part of it, and still I am beholden to what my hormones want and to what others expect of me.

The fact that only my body is willing to give me guidance outside of the Alliance frightens me. It makes me that much more likely to cave to its desires.

And I can see the alphas eyeing me cautiously. I’ve scented them all. Kieran is pine tar. Jax is ink and old leather, and Levi is something I can’t quite put my finger on. It’s a pleasant, woodsy smell, but not one I’ve ever come across in real life.

I can’t scent Dani in the same way I can the others. Omegas and Betas aren’t meant to be attracted to each other, so her pheromones don’t call to mine. She is simply a comforting mix of soap and fresh cotton.

She catches me looking at her over the edge of Jax’s phone and smiles, sending my heart into a flutter. The men are focusedon other things and don't seem to notice this stolen moment between us, making it all the more special.

I may still be wary of Levi and Kieran, but if Dani and Jax have chosen them, how bad can they really be?

Well, Jax didn’t choose them I suppose, given Levi’s explanation of how the pack was pre-selected at birth. But they did choose Dani. I’ll need to get that story out of her later. Maybe it will help put my mind at ease when it comes to these strange men.

Maybe it will help them not feel like strangers anymore. Because as I slide my eyes away from Dani and take a moment to watch the men embroiled deep in conversation, I can’t help but wonder… Is this what it feels like to be part of a pack? Is this the kind of life that was meant for me before the Alliance stole me away?

And is this what it feels like to belong somewhere? To someone?

KIERAN

Sin is so cute, assuming we don’t notice her sizing each of us up. As thede factohead of pack, it’s my job to guide the others, but Sin isn’t part of Pack Thorin… yet.

She hasn’t decided whether she trusts us, and that is definitely fair, given all she’s been through. But since she’s not ours yet, I need to make sure she has all the information as it pertains to her own safety and well-being, and that means sharing some uncomfortable news.

“Sin, could you please come sit by me?” I ask, patting the arm of the club chair I’m sitting in. Apparently it comes out as more of a command because she immediately jumps to her feet and rushes over, even though her face belies her hesitation.

I scoot to the far edge of the chair to give her space.

She gingerly lowers herself to the thick plush arm of the chair, taking care not to touch me in the process. Once she’s seated, I offer her my tablet.

She looks from it to Jax’s phone in confusion, releasing a waft of honeysuckle and wildflower perfume that causes my cock to jut to attention. Not the time, I growl at it in my head and hope Sin doesn’t notice what her nearness is doing to me once again. What it does to me every single time, damn it.

“I can hold that for you,” I say, reaching out a hand, but she doesn’t seem to want to let go of Jax’s phone.

Very well. I keep hold of the tablet and flick to the news app. Her eyes grow wide as she takes in the headline and photo attached to the story:

The people’s omega kidnapped!

A recent photo of her posing on a bed is displayed in full color. It’s a particularly sexy shot that leaves little to the imagination. No doubt the OA thought they could get more people out looking for her if they played upon their lust as a motivating factor.

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