Page 4 of Knot Our Omega

A shame to my family.

A leaf on the family tree they’d happily and easily blot out.

“We are making sure everything is perfect.” I hated my tone when I spoke to her. It begged for approval. For a hint of love. The desperation for some kindness dripped from every word.Please, please love me.

“Perfect, huh? The food is prepared?”

She dropped to the last step and looked around. I checked off all the boxes in my head, knowing the triggers that would surely get me in shit with her. I saw none of them unchecked, but there was always room for a new one.

“Yes, Mother. Everything is ready.”

“We’ll see about that. We have some important people coming in tonight. Everything has to be perfect.” She sidled up to me, but instead of feeling at ease as a daughter should, tingles broke out along my skin. Half of me wanted her to hug me. The other half wanted to step away from her evil. I knew she was ambitious about our pack and our family, but when I presented as an omega, it tore back all the layers of pretending and revealed the monster she was inside.

Lily nodded. “I’ll go check on the preparations.”

“There is one more thing that needs to be done. Let’s go upstairs and get you ready.” My mom grabbed my elbow and gave me little choice to do anything other than follow along.

Once in my bedroom, she pointed to a white dress that had a deep cut in the front and looked a size too small. It would’ve fit my lean and athletic sister Reyna just fine, but my curves had come in and there was no way that thing was fitting over my hips.

“What’s this?” I asked, pointing to the slip of a thing.

“You have to look nice for the company tonight.”

“Why?” The question dripped from my mouth, and I instantly wished I could retrieve it. We didn’t question my mother. Rather, I didn’t.

“Because we have to do something about your situation, Rumor.”

“What situation?” Clearly, I was brave tonight.

“The situation where you are a shame to our family. The situation where only alphas are born in this family. Where the women are strong and capable.” With each sentence, she got closer to me, her beady eyes digging in deep. “The situation where we need to get you…settled in a place where you can belong.”

That last sentence cut me deep. I, as a person, wasn’t up to their standards, therefore I didn’t belong there. Was no longer pack. Was no longer family. I was something they needed to get settled somewhere else like an adopted puppy that chewed on one too many shoes.

“A place I can belong,” I echoed.

“Don’t make this harder than it has to be, Rumor. We are suffering too. It’s hard for us to see you this way.”

“It’s not a disease,” I murmured.

“It is to us. Bronsons don’t give birth to omegas. We just don’t. It’s a stain on the otherwise clean and pristine cloth that is our family. Now, put on the dress. Let me see you in it.”

There was no way I was subjecting myself to her sneers at seeing me undress in front of her. I ducked into the bathroom and put on the dress, tugging it so that all my parts were tucked into some covering.

I wasn’t ashamed of my body, just didn’t want to wave it around.

“I look like I’m for sale,” I said, coming back into the room.

“Well, that’s not far from the truth. We have alphas coming here tonight. In packs. We put the word out that a rare omega was on the market.”

“The market?” I asked. Maybe if I smarted off enough, she’d hit me. Then I could have an excuse not to participate in whatever tonight was. Plus, hitting would hurt a lot less than the words she stabbed me with. “Like a pig or a cow at auction?”

My mother patted her hair and huffed a noise out through her nose. “Put it whatever way you will, Rumor. We can’t have you here. Not in this family and not in this pack. Your sister is about to become our alpha, and we won’t let anything bring her down. Tonight, you will mind your manners and be respectful. Maybe you’ll find a pack who can tolerate you. Find you attractive enough to bear children for them. Those hips were made for childbearing.”

“Fine,” I said. “Can you please go downstairs so I can fix my hair and get ready?”

She nodded and got up. “Fix that attitude while you’re at it. This isn’t easy for any of us. You’re still on your suppressants? Make sure you wear plenty of scent blocker and those panties Lily got you.”

It must be hard to sell your daughter off.

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