Page 29 of The Knotty Omega
Iwatch with interest as Archie recounts his story to Cady. How he eavesdropped on her conversation with their Editor in Chief, how he ran home and told all of us the situation, as well as her coveted job title. She seems more pissed that he didn’t just come out and tell her they were scent matched. Which, to be fair, none of us really realized until now. Well, besides Matt, and he was only suspicious.
The omega…she’s something else. I had tried to ignore Archie when he would describe her, but fuck, the reality of her blows every description of his out of the water. Gorgeous, golden-blonde hair that falls over shoulders like a waterfall, full, pouty lips painted the softest of reds. Curves that I want to run my tongue over, and a scent that makes me want to take, claim, and bite her before she can run away.
This. This is why.
This is why I need to be careful. This…it’s not safe, how much I want her. What if we all get too attached, and she decides that scent match or no, this isn’t what she wants? What if I come on too strong and she walks away?
The scent of orange blossoms and vanilla fills my nose, and I have to tamp down the purr that wants to start in my chest. This is bad news. Bad, bad, bad news.
We’ve made it through our entire lunch by the time everything is out in the open.
“So, let me get this straight.” She levels us all with a look, setting her fork down on her plate. “Instead of just coming to me and telling me the truth, you chose to pay the exorbitant fee to register with the OMS, put in your scent card, and risk the fact that we might not even get matched up?”
“That’s what I said!” Simon throws up his hands, shooting Matt and Archie a look.
“We could tell that you have reservations about finding a pack, and thought you would react better if you chose us on your own, instead of us ambushing you.”
“So you…” she trails off, looking around the table. “You didn’t pull any strings at all?”
“We did try to...tip the scales a little,” Archie admits. “My sister works for the OMS, and she said that she would make sure our cards were present, but it turns out she didn’t have to because we were one of your compatible packs based on your questionnaire.”
A puzzled look crosses her face before it lights up. “I knew she looked familiar! Your sister is Bethany, right?”
Arch grins. “She sure is.”
“Wow.” She sighs, looking around the table at all of us. “I’m sorry, it’s just a lot to take in. I want to be upfront with you all though. You’re right about me having reservations regarding pack life.” She gives us all a serious look.
This is it. This is where she tells us she doesn’t want us.
“When I joined the OMS, I didn’t have any intention of really finding a pack. My plan was to find one that I could pass the time with until after…well, after the deadline I was given, and then go separate ways to where it wouldn’t look suspicious.”
Her gaze turns down towards the table.
I knew it. I fucking knew it—
“But now…” She sighs, shaking her head. “A true scent match. And with Archie’s pack.” Her voice chokes up as she reaches over to grab the beta’s hand. “Do you know how much it destroyed me when I saw you had a bite mark? To think that you could never be mine?” She blinks, her gaze moving around the table, taking turns meeting each of our eyes. I swallow the need to hold her when she lands on me. “I can already tell that you’re so far off from the type of pack I’ve been afraid of…” She shakes her head again and looks back up at the table, determination shining in her eyes. “I don’t…I don’t feel that way anymore. At least not with you guys. If there's any chance of me finding happiness with a pack...I think it's you guys. Don't get me wrong, I'm pretty freaked out right now, but my omega might murder me if I try to walk away at this point. As long as you all know I'm not going to stop working just because I'm someones omega.”
“So, does that mean…you’ll give us a chance?” Archie asks hesitantly. “Even though we…I… lied to you?”
The omega lets out a huff. “Don’t remind me. But…yes. I mean, it’s you, Arch. How could I not?” I watch in rapt fascination as the beta leans over and brushes his lips against Cady’s. A small moan escapes her and my cock grows instantly hard, making me let out a quiet growl as I adjust my pants. I can tell by the subtle way that Simon and Oliver adjust themselves that it had the same effect on them.
“Shit,” she pulls away, blinking.
“Sorry CJ,” Archie says with a shit eating grin. “I’ve just waited so long to do that, you know? And...you know we would never try to force you to stop doing something you love, right?”
“ I know you wouldn't" She smiles softly before she bites her lip in a way that makes me want to tug it out from under her teeth. "You don’t need to be sorry. Just… not in public, okay? I don’t need to be flooding the restaurant with the scent of my perfume. ”
Nobody is more surprised than I am when a growl rips out of Simon’s chest at her words. Well, nobody except him, apparently, since his face flames bright red. “I’m so sorry. My alpha…has never been interested in an omega before and is reacting…strongly.”
She leans over Ollie and takes Simon’s hand that’s sitting on the table. “That’s okay Simon. I appreciate how protective your alpha is of me. In fact, my omega is practically purring right now.”
He looks up at her, his brows raised. “Really? You don’t think I’m some…barbaric neanderthal?”
Thank gods nobody looked at me with that question.
“Not at all,” she shakes her head, “in fact, I’ve repressed my omega side for so long she’s now knocking down the wall I built with a sledgehammer and demanding all the alpha…” her eyes widen, and I’m ninety-nine percent sure she was about to say the word “knots”, but ends her sentence with a lame, “...things. I can only assume it’s because I’ve found my scent matches.”
She looks around the table at all of us shyly.
