Page 18 of The Long Lost Omega

She was everything we remembered and more. Today was so fun, so unlike what we normally do. Our lives had been decided for us the past few years, leaving our pack in the passenger seat as our fathers decided who we’d bond with and what we woulddo with our lives. We’d been asleep, so lost in our memories of the past that we never took the initiative to forge our own paths. Even taking Safira to the festival broke the pattern of our past courtship behavior. We’d always courted an omega with a nice meal, trying our best to make a connection even when we knew there wasn’t one. But today had not gone to plan at all, and it was still perfect. We’d enjoyed every mishap, every derailment as we went on an adventure with the one person who I knew deep down was the true missing link for our pack. Safira was it. Our true mate.

“Safira, we will help you with anything you ask. But we do need to warn you of something.” Jax said as we got closer to the club. Tony and I braced ourselves. We needed to tell her that we weren’t on the registry. It would take a few days to get that sorted, and then we would be able to help her through her heat. A minor thing, but something she needed to know nonetheless.

“Huh? What is it?” she asked. But then her face changed as we crested the hill. “Is that the club?” she gasped in amazement, her eyes widening at the sight of the sprawling country club below. The building gleamed in the evening light, its elegant façade sparkling as it was bathed in the soft glow of the lighting surrounding it.

“That it is.” I said as she gazed at the private club. I knew that dinner time was almost over, but the private room we’d wanted might still be available, even if only for a dessert. Jax turned to face us. “Stay here, I’ll check if we can still get something to eat. I’m sure they can fit us in for a nightcap at least. We’ll talk more there.” He let go of Safira’s hand and winked, but before he couldturn to enter the club, an ice-cold voice stopped us in our tracks.

“I believe your plans are canceled for tonight, boys.” I whipped my head to my left, only to see two of our fathers emerge, hidden by the dark shadows cast from the oak trees that lined the outer edge of the club. “Imagine, I thought it was crazy that my friend spotted our sons, of all people, with what appeared to be an unbonded omega, out in public.” My father, one of two alphas in my family’s pack, stepped forward to look down his nose at all of us, despite being a few inches shorter than us. “I didn’t think you’d be foolish enough to parade around a date when you’re publicly promised to another.” His eyes slid over to Safira as Kaden stepped in front of her defensively, his back stiff and his feet braced against the ground. I walked up to my father, crossing my arms as I stared him in the eyes.

“This is not what you think. She’s not just any girl. She’s our missing friend. The one we’ve been searching for.” I growled. Brian, the other alpha, rushed over next to him. He was one of Jax’s fathers who I’d known so long that he was practically family.

“You will stop this nonsense atonce.” He hissed, throwing in an alpha command to his tone while his hands balling into. Our pack resisted the order as our alpha pheromones filled the air in a standoff. “We’ve worked for years to get this deal, and you aren’t going to mess it up now. We’ll make sure the girl gets home safe, but you cannot be seen with her any longer.” He growled out, and a low rumble from our pack filled the air in response. Jax stepped up to his own father.

“No.” The single word made our fathers pause in astonishment. We almost never went against their word. “She’s Safira. The girl we always looked for. See fathers?” He said as he gestured to Safira. “It’s her. We found her. She’s the one we’d been looking for. And now that we’ve found her, we aren’t going to lose her again." He was trying to be persuasive with his tone, but his words held the hint of defiance at any cost. We weren’t going to be told what to do with our omega.Our omega.

“You three better think very carefully about what you say next. The fact is that you aren’t on the registry as a pack, so you have absolutely no right to be with an unbonded omega, let alone out here courting her. If we report you, not only will you be banned from seeing her, but you could ruin your chances at bonding with Illiana. If that falls through, good luck finding any worthwhile omega to join your pack.” His threats were very real. We weren’t supposed to be out with Safira without being registered. But she wanted us, and we wanted her. I wasn’t going to give her up without a fight. My anger flared and I faced off with my father, ready to fight him despite the consequences it might have. Luckily, Kaden’s cooler head prevailed.

“Stop!” Kaden’s words broke the tension of five alphas in a challenge with each other. “I’ll make sure she gets home safely.” He said, “And discreetly.” He looked at our fathers as they sneered at us. “You don’t have to involve the authorities. We’ll get this sorted.” Kaden was always the best at de-escalation, his loveable demeanor hard to resist. But he was right. We couldn’t let things go down like that. It was complicated. We had our family’s business on the line, an omega who was promised to us, and our own friend and true mate that we needed toexplain things to. Our fathers looked at Jax and I. Jax mercifully swallowed back his growl and stepped up.

“You’re right fathers, we shouldn’t have gone about things this way. We will make things right.” Jax’s words were respectful as he bowed his head. The fathers looked at each other and us. Finally, Brian barked out an order.

“Kaden, our driver is parked out front. Go to him and take the girl home, with discretion please. You two, come with us. We need to have a discussion.” I swallowed and looked back at Safira and Kaden. Confusion etched her face, and Kaden looked anguished. I knew he’d have to explain what she just witnessed. I hoped we could fix things, otherwise we’d lose her again, in the worst way.

Chapter 17

Safira

Kaden ushered me to the waiting car as the driver opened the door for me. I slid into the backseat, numb after having witnessed the bizarre confrontation. While I’d understood on some level that people here, including me, were controlled by somewhat animalistic urges, I never fully understood until watching the guys face off against two men who were apparently their fathers. I could literally feel the aggression rise in the air as they seemed to physically grow bigger when confronting their fathers at the club. I remembered hearing a low growl coming from all three of the guys, and while it was extremely threatening, it also turned me on that they were so willing to protect me. But I had some very real, very extreme concerns.

Kaden slid in on the other side, and I was thankful that the backseat was closed off from the driver with a dark tinted window. “Don’t worry, he can’t hear us. We can speak freely.And I need to explain what you just saw.” Kaden said, his blue eyes pleading as he looked at me.

“Yes, you do. What was all that about being promised to another omega?” I asked, my voice suddenly shaking and accusatory. When had I become so possessive of them? I felt as though they were mine, and the thought of another woman in their life made me want to fight her, even though they should have been the ones to tell me. Or were they lying about all their feelings this whole time?

“Let me explain. Here, when a pack forms, we seek an omega to balance out the alpha side of our natures. Otherwise, we can become aggressive over time. So, most packs will search for an omega through a registry, or attend formal events like omega balls.” He said quickly, and my mind raced to keep up as I seethed with anger and the feeling of rejection. “We tried to find an omega over the years. We started as soon as we were eligible as a pack. Our parents, two of whom you just saw, were eager to get us bonded. It improves pack stability long term, and helps us to focus our energy with an omega around. They wanted us to have our heads on right before we took over the company.” I sat back with my arms crossed, as far away from him as I could be in the backseat. But it pained me. I wanted to curl up against him, have him comfort me and assure me that they wanted only me.

“The problem was, we never connected with anyone. Usually a pack will smell an omega’s scent, and just know that the person is the right fit. It’s biological, you justfeelit.” His words made something click inside of me. Ever since I’d smelled their scents, I’d felt at home. Like I was finally able to breathe and relax.Like I should never be apart from them again. Kaden continued explaining as I sat still, not moving an inch.

“We never felt that way, no matter how many omegas we met. So we never wanted to court anyone for very long. Our fathers figured that since we weren’t choosing anyone, that they would step in and help.” I frowned at his words. Their fathers did seem very pushy and aggressive, at least the two who I’d just seen.

“They wanted to conduct a merger with a competing company, and their pack has a daughter, who happens to be an omega. All of our parents decided that it would be a good idea to have her join our pack. It made sense financially. She would get a well-off pack, and we’d get an omega to balance us out and be able to take the business to even greater heights.” His words rushed out, but I had one concern.

“Don't you feel anything for her?” I asked, scared to know the answer.

“Truthfully, we've only chatted with her over video. We received a scent card from her, and she’s nice enough, but we agreed to it only because we figured we’d never find anyone who we connected with like we did before.” I tensed up.

“What do you mean?” I asked, my voice trembling.

“We felt such a connection with you when we were younger. We always thought that’s what a true bond should feel like - like your best friend, like a comfort that felt right. Like home.” His words described everything I felt for them, down to the lastdetail. I looked at him, trying not to let my emotions take over. Everything felt so much more intense since I arrived here.

“Kaden, I’ve always missed you guys. I never really liked any men where I’m from. But I think it was because I was always waiting for a feeling that I couldn't describe. It’s the feeling I have when I’m around you all.” I said, choking back a sob. He looked at me with anguish, starting to reach for me, then stopping himself when I squeezed my arms tighter around myself.

“We tried to find you for years. So long that our parents finally told us to get over it and move on. But no one ever felt like you. And now that you’re back, we know why we never connected with anyone else.” He sounded anguished.

“From the moment I saw you, I felt it again. That rightness. And your scent, Safira - it sets me on fire with desire. It's etched into my brain. No wonder we never cared much for other omegas. We met our mate when we were kids. No one can ever compare.” I let out a sob.

“When you confessed to feeling for us in the woods, it confirmed it. We can’t be with anyone else.” He stopped talking, and I sat for a moment, processing everything he’d said. Finally, I looked him in the eye.

“What about the other girl?” My question lingered in the air.

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