Page 22 of Such a Shy Omega

I wanted to climb on the roof and shout the news to the whole world.

Chapter Nineteen

Heath

“This is it?” my mate asked, holding both my bags, my only two bags, one in each hand.

“Yes. My clothes. All this furniture was here already. Except the mattress. I bought that myself.”

He sighed. “How about we leave that for the next person who rents here? It’s still clean. You’ve only slept on it a few months.”

I nodded. “That sounds good.”

I was moving in with Erik. My mate. My alpha.

Moving in was such a big deal to me. So big that it took me a week of deliberation about whether or not I would go through with it. I made some friends at the club. All omegas. They were so bold about their independence and, although most of them were mated, they maintained their dignity and choice. It was their choice if they had children. Their choice whether or not to work. Their mates not only respected but helped maintain their sovereignty.

Omega rights were a thing around here.

I was honest with Erik. I didn’t want to give up the freedom of my tiny apartment, at first, even though it was smaller than Erik’s kitchen. I felt like I was giving something up, but the more I thought about it and talked to him, I realized, I wasn’t giving anything up. I was having a baby with my mate. He supported every decision, and moving in with him didn’t mean I was not independent. It meant I wanted to be with him and wanted our pup or pups to grow up with a family all under one roof.

“You’re not having second thoughts again, are you? Please don’t feel like I’m rushing you because I’m not,” he said.

“I know you’re not.”

“I…I didn’t want to do this until we got home but I thought maybe this would help.” Erik put my bags down and reached into his back pocket and pulled out some folded papers. “Here.”

I took the paperwork from him and read it over, not understanding at first. “What is it?” I asked, too nervous to read the fine print properly.

“I put the house in your name.”

“Our name?” I asked.

“No. Your name.”

“Why?” I whispered.

“Because, no matter what happens, I want you to feel safe and secure in our home. If something happens to us, or you change your mind about me or whatever, you have a home in your name.”

“Why not both our names?”

“Because everything I own is yours. You can have everything. I just want your love.”

I jumped into his arms as tears streamed down my face. “You didn’t have to do this. I trust you. I want you as my mate forever.”

He held me tight and cried right along with me. “I want that, too. I want you always.”

We cried together and then, with my bags in his hands, left the apartment I would always see as the first step in my freedom.

When we got back to the house, Erik ordered Chinese food for us to share, and we ate it on our back porch. He’d put up twinkly lights and made the whole thing romantic.

When we finished the last bite of moo goo gai pan, he went inside and opened the window. Right inside was one of his record players, and I watched as he slipped a vinyl disc from its cardboard envelope and set it on the turntable. Placed the needle at the outside edge. Romantic slow music flowed onto the deck.Most omegas wished for a romantic alpha but my mate took the prize.

“Dance with me, mate?” he asked, returning outside and extending a hand.

“I don’t know how,” I admitted, covering my face with my palms. Would this blushing ever cease?

“Don’t you dare. I love that I can make you blush. And I’m a great teacher. Come on, my love. Dance with me.”

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