Page 6 of Nanny Omega

“He turned twenty, what, six months ago, Mother. He’s still young.”

“Erle is right, Elena,” Ersa’s dad said. “We can’t go against the law. He’s already been assigned a commune house. It’s too late now.”

“Says who?” Elena snapped. “I’m not sending my baby to some dirty commune house. You’ve heard what happens there. Ersa has always struggled with meeting new people. Do you remember how long it took him to open up to Mason? He won’t survive living with strangers.”

“You don’t know that, Elena. You need to stop babying him.”

“I’m not babying him. I know my son. Living in a commune house will kill him. Perhaps we…” She trailed off, the silence in the air thick with tension. “I think we should find him another alpha.”

Someone coughed, and Ersa could feel the uncomfortable tension from the next room from where he stood.

“Don’t just sit there, staring at me. Say something.”

Ersa’s gaze landed on the case at the foot of the bed. His clothes were already packed, and he was ready to leave. The thought of staying in the house a minute longer felt unbearable, and the idea of bonding with another alpha churned his stomach. Ersa knew his mother meant well, but in that moment, he couldn’t help the flicker of resentment that burned in his chest. Mason was everything to him, more than just the alpha who saved him from being taken to a commune house. Mason was his world, his anchor, his everything. He’d be damned if he let anyone reduce what they had to a mere transaction.

Grabbing the case, he stepped out of the room. The door to the nursery, where his parents and brother were having their discussion, was slightly ajar. Ersa paused, staring at their worried faces as they huddled together, trying to save him yet again.

“I’m going,” he announced, his throat tightening. “Please take care of everything for me. You can sell it, burn it. I don’t care.” Tears stung his eyes, but Ersa blinked them away. “Erle, can you please take me…”

“Of course, Ersa. You don’t have to ask.” Erle stepped out of the room and took the case from Ersa. “Let’s go.”

“Ersa…” His mother’s pained voice threatened to rip his aching heart to shreds.

“I’ll be fine, Mother.” Ersa forced a smile, even though he felt like crying.

Chapter 1

Ersa

Three years later.

“Areyounervous?”theagent asked, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

“Is it that obvious?” Ersa ducked his head, biting down on his bottom lip in frustration. He’d tried so hard to appear composed, even dressed up for the occasion, but it was no use. Even though the Omega Placement Agency had assigned an agent to accompany him to the interview, meant to ease the process and make him feel more comfortable, Ersa found her presence suffocating. Instead of reassurance, he felt pressured to succeed and not waste her time.

“Yes,” the agent chuckled, her eyes flicking to Ersa’s restless hands. “You keep rubbing your palms on your thighs.”

“Sorry,” Ersa mumbled, clasping his hands together in a futile attempt to steady them. They trembled anyway.

Damn.

With a sharp exhale, he turned his gaze to the window, focusing on the blur of trees rushing by as the pod drifted steadily down the airway, carrying him closer to the strange alpha’s house.

Strange alpha.

The thought coiled tightly around his chest.

“There’s nothing to be nervous about. You passed the preliminary interview, and Master Quin seemed to like you on paper. He thinks you’re perfect for his cub.”

Perfect on paper. But what would the alpha think when they met in person?

That was the crux of it, wasn’t it? The true test. He had to impress the alpha.

Ersa clenched his jaw at the thought. It had been over three years since he’d been around alphas, and the idea of meeting one after so long sent a ripple of unease through him. Maybe shutting himself off from the world hadn’t been the best idea after all. He’d spent those years in the commune house trying to piece himself back together. He’d been lucky, in a way, to be placed in the Larny Commune House—one of the most well-funded facilities overseen by the Council of Alphas. The coordinator there had been kind. She hadn’t forced him to find work or socialize. She’d simply let himbe.

But maybe… he’d stayed quiet too long.

I took too long, Ersa thought, heart thudding.

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