Page 6 of Happy Birthday, Omega
It’saSundaywhenApril Howard receives a card.
She has so much going on at the moment that she almost misses the nondescript cream envelope amongst the avalanche of courtship gifts. It’s been three weeks since her courtship period began, and she’s been out every night with a different Alpha. They wine and dine her, take her on extravagant dates, and do their best to convince her they are her perfect match.
Yet, none of them feel right.
Most are so much older that she struggles to find anything in common with them. They speak of business meetings and trips abroad to foreign places, but April has never even left the state. She learns quickly that the brief flicker of arousal she feels for each Alpha is simply her biology screaming for a mate, rather than actual attraction.
For the first time, she is relieved to be shadowed everywhere by a chaperone. Some Alphas seem to think it’s their right to touch her. Large hands that slither over her shoulder and squeeze with a promise of something more. The firm presses on her lower back to try to steer her in the direction they want, like she’s incapable of walking on her own. A hand worming its way onto her thigh during dinner. Squeezing and rubbing her flesh, despite her stiffening spine and fervent attempts to push them off. She feels like a little doll for their amusement rather than an actual person. The chaperones step in and warn them not to touch, but Alphas are a force unto themselves. April feels like a prized cow being auctioned off, and she loathes it.
However, today she is looking forward to her date as she is going out with Bryce.
He told her to dress in athletic wear and to meet him at ten in the morning. She is very pleased to spend time out of a formal dress. She eyes her stash of heels issued by the academy and fights the urge to spit on the offending pieces of torture equipment. The Alpha last night insisted they dance for song after song, and her feet still ache.
Just before she leaves her cozy room, transformed over the years into her perfect Omega nest, she tears open the familiar envelope.
Good morning, Omega. Follow your heart and I’ll follow mine. I’ll meet you in the middle.
The chaperone looks peeved to be working on a Sunday morning. She barely grunts a greeting at April as she clutches a thermos of coffee and adjusts the thick sunglasses covering her eyes. April snickers under her breath at her companion’s expense. The Beta woman clearly indulged too much last night before being told about the early start time.
Bryce is casually leaning against a sleek, black SUV. His broad shoulders emphasized by the tight shirt stretching over his form. He looks even better in athletic clothing than he does in a suit. April bites her lip and gives him a shy smile.
“Hi Bryce,” she says, her voice breathy and soft.
She feels nervous being in his strong Alpha presence without the aid of her suppressants, and she fights the instinct that urges her to bend her neck to him in submission. It’s an inappropriate act to do in public. In fact, her visceral response to him is entirely scandalous.
“Mornin’ April,” he replies, his eyes darting over to her chaperone before returning to her. He raises an eyebrow pointedly and his eyes dance with amusement. They share a secret laugh at her escort’s expense and suddenly it feels like she’s with the Bryce she knew when she was younger.
The drive is at least an hour long, and Bryce refuses to tell her where they’re going. Instead, they talk as he drives them along winding roads and into the foothills of the nearby mountain range. While the chaperone snores in the backseat, they reconnect and reminisce about the years that have passed since they last spent time together in her childhood home.
“Whydidyou spend so much time at our home?“ She asks, chewing on the pain au chocolat that he produced from a paper bag stamped with the logo of her favorite local bakery.
“My parents often weren’t around, and your family seemed so normal. I craved somewhere filled with love.”
Bryce is staring at her mouth as she chews. She licks her lips, catching the flakes of pastry stuck to them.
“I’m not sure loving is the best way to describe my family,” she grimaces. It still hurts to think of them. They were the people who were supposed to love her unconditionally, but failed at the first hurdle.
Bryce makes a noise at the back of his throat that sounds suspiciously like a growl, but he doesn’t comment.
The car pulls to a stop in a secluded, mountainous location.
“Bryce, is this when you reveal you’re kidnapping me?” She asks with a giggle, hesitantly preparing to shimmy out of the SUV. It’s a long drop to the ground, especially because she is so short. Before she can push off, a pair of strong hands slip around her. They’re so large that they almost completely encircle her waist. Her body slides down his hard body, and she holds her breath to stop a whimper from escaping. Her insides clench.
“No touching,” says the chaperone, slouching in the backseat. There is a lack of the usual sharp bite and her skin is a sickly gray pallor. She makes no move to leave the car and waves them away with a groan of discomfort. A rush of excitement floods through April. They’ll be unsupervised during their date.
Bryce disregards the chaperone’s chastisement and extends his hand for April to take. She doesn’t hesitate to slide her smaller palm into his, and he confidently leads April up a steep trail to the base of a rocky cliff face. Two Beta males are waiting with a pile of ropes and harnesses.
“Today, we’re going rock climbing,” Bryce says, throwing his arms wide with enthusiasm. He doesn’t hide his teeth as he grins broadly down at her stunned expression. She doesn’t feel alarmed by the predatory display, not anymore. It’s like her hindbrain has accepted that Bryce isn’t a threat.
April blinks back at him.
“You’ve never been rock climbing,” he states with a self-assured nod.
“How do you know?” She asks, placing her hand on her hip.
“I know.”
He fixes her with a knowing look, his stare penetrating. It’s like he can see her innermost thoughts and she wants to squirm under his scrutiny. He knows she’s lived a sheltered life, initially in a cage of monotony in suburbia and then behind the gilded walls of The Omega Academy.
