Page 81 of Generation Omega: Revealed

He bristles like a professor challenged by a janitor—he better watch out, janitors know how to remove the trash. It takes a supreme effort to remain calm and allow Tillie and Thatcher to find their way, but even as I think it, I know my control is slipping. My omega is upset. This could get violent.

“But omegasarerevealing, regardless of anything we did. They’ve always revealed, and they’ve been cut down by violence and horror. We’re trying to support the legacy, give omegas the chance to live and thrive. How can that be wrong?” He’s searching for something from her, but he gets nothing.

Tillie’s cheeks turn pink and she truly looks like an angel, one with a flaming sword and murder on her mind. “Do you even hear yourself,Professor? You and Sage manipulated us, completely changing our odds of revealing.” Her pitch sharpens. “That would be great if we entered the lottery, but we didn’t, did we? We showed up to a convention to celebrate our shared love for the omegaverse, and you turned us into lab rats, didn’t you?”

Professor Flusteredstares at Tillie as though she’s speaking in tongues and not making a fairly strong case. “You just don’t understand. I’ve been at this for years and you just revealed… you don’t know…”

Oh…wrong move, buddy.

“I don’t know?!Whatdon’t I know? Let me break this down for you,Thatcher.Youcreated the perfect place for an omega to reveal, right? That’s what you want credit for, because you’resoknowledgeable and experienced in all things omegaverse.”

He’s hesitant to answer her, which shows some good sense.

She doesn’t wait. “Then you sold tickets and lured us all into your little experiment, without ever considering whether we wanted our lives to change. I was happy…” The second tears shimmer in her eyes, my hands clench and not choking Thatcher becomes almost impossible. Thankfully, Tillie hasn’t moved from my lap and her hand rests on my chest. “You and Sage—you’re the reason I’m here and the reason my life will probably be very short. But sure, you deserve all the medals.”

Thatcher is so still it’s almost like I’m forcing him not to move, but I’m not at the helm of theGood Ship Alpha Consequences. His defensiveness flickers—along with obvious surprise at hearing his efforts described by the victim of them—but his tone changes, becoming exceedingly gentle. “Tillie, you told me about the five holes in your heart. You were always destined for this. What we did ensured that when you revealed, support was ready and waiting. That’s what we did.”

She’s trembling now, shaking her head. “You don’t know that it would have been me—you’reguessing. Maybe dozens or hundreds of people have this strange heart issue, and the legacy only picked me because I was at your stupid conference. Very clever of you and Sage to lead all of us believers into this trap. Hownobleof you. Thanks a ton.”

Tillie swallows like she’s being strangled, and she’s inwardly curling in on herself. “You want to know about my third alpha? Fine, he’s awful and you can screw him if you want, but I’m still me and I have standards that my inner omega clearly doesn’t. And withhimon the team, I’m not sure I want to meet bachelorsfourandfiveof this circus sideshow pack we’re building. Besides, it’s getting a little crowded with just the two of you bossing me around, thinking you know me well enough to decide what I should or shouldn’t know about my own life.”

I feel the sudden fragmentation of her belief, like a sculpture detonating from within, exploding outward with 360 degrees of shrapnel. She shoves me before scrambling to her feet and moving across the room. Thatcher sets his computer on the coffee table and begins to move toward her, until I send my alpha power to keep him where he is.

“Baby girl, talk to me.” I try to be soothing, but with her this upset, I’ve got a dozen rows of shark teeth latched onto my soul.

“I don’t want to talk to you. I want Ethan.” She crosses her arms, holding herself. “This is all crazy… all of it. It’s like I’m drugged and it won’t wear off. I just want to go back to yesterday. I want you to be my favorite actor. I want the omegaverse to be my favorite escape. I want Ethan to not be shot and for us to continue with our lives—things were going so well.” Tears stream down her cheeks. “Don’t you want that too?” she demands of me.

“No.” My answer sounds simple though it isn’t, but my feelings and reasons don’t matter right now.

This is about Tillie and her bumpy road to acceptance. She can’t just become an omega, lose the life she knew, and just be fine with it. She’s being hunted, and nothing can conceal the real possibility that we’re all living on borrowed time. But this is more than that. We’re approaching the boundary of how much she can handle without Ethan. The newness, even the lust and alluring scents, can’t distract her from his absence. She aches for him, and I’m sure he aches for her.

“Ethan?Who’s Ethan?” the professor grits out while still unable to move.

“He’s my best friend, boyfriend, love of my life—he’s everything to me and always has been.” Her energy changes, softening slightly, as though just thinking about Ethan gives her shelter from the storm.

I free Thatcher from my hold when it appears he’s about to combust, guided again by the instincts that believe now is the time for this conversation.

“Boyfriend?!You can’t have aboyfriend—you can’t include anyone from outside the pack. If he’s not your alpha, he doesn’t belong in your life anymore.”

My growl erupts a second before my feral omega lunges at Thatcher.

I catch her before she reaches him and hold her tightly against me. “Breathe, sweetheart. We talked about this. Ethan belongs with us.”

Tillie doesn’t fight me, but her body shakes with rage, confusion, and fear—all are justified and equally excruciating.

Thatcher stands abruptly, his frantic gesturing seemingly beyond his control. “No, he doesn’tbelong—have you lost your mind?!”

Before I can respond, however violently, Kazimir’s cell phone rings. Tillie jumps, while Thatcher’s confusion thankfully silences him.

I grab the phone and accept the call, holding the device against my ear. “Is he okay?”

“He is. He needs to talk toher.”

My teeth gnash themselves at his tone when referring to Tillie, but now is not the time for more alpha drama. “Good. She needs to talk to him.”

After a long pause, Kazimir adds, “He’s going to tell her.”

“It’s for the best.” I know that’s true, but the stakes are so damn high and Tillie’s already dealing with too much.

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