Page 19 of The Beta: Part Two
“The big, white blanket, please,” he says softly, pointing it out.
I cover them with it, and take a step toward the door but Talia fusses, “you have to tuck us in.”
I get the distinct impression that she's going to be a far more demanding omega than Jasper. I tuck the blanket in all around them, making sure to tuck it all the way under their feet, and kiss Jasper's temple before I walk quietly out of the room. I don't know why everyone is so worried. If I can handle two omegas on my own, then so can the other alphas.
We'll be alright if we let ourselves be alright.
Chapter nine
Talia
Jasper insisted on a trip to town to get whatever he thinks I might need that we don't already have here. I don't know what he could possibly think we need, I keep everything stocked and that goes for extra stuff to carry us over when he goes into heat.
I obviously couldn't go, if I have a heat spike in the middle of the cereal aisle it would be a disaster.
This is one of the things about being an omega that pisses me right off. When I was a beta I could go do whatever I needed to whenever I needed to, but omegas can't do that. If they're anywhere near their heat they can't be in public at all.
Unclaimed omegas like me can't be in public without heavy guard, anyway, every pheromone addled alpha in the area would swarm and chaos would ensue until the unfortunate omega found a way to evade them.
My own mother hasn't been out of the house on her own without at least one of my fathers since, well, ever, I guess. She never seems to mind, the opposite, actually. She basks in the presence of my fathers and I've always loved that. They love her so much and take such good care of her, it never occurred to me that it would be oppressive until now. I feel trapped and closeted, no matter that it's for my own good.
I heave an exaggerated sigh, I'm going to be a terrible omega.
Kaleb and Trent escorted Jasper to do his shopping, and he's no more bothered by it than any other omega. Devon and Nathan are here with me. Devon said he needed to wash the vehicles, so he's got the truck, the flashy little sports car, and my heap lined up in the driveway. I think he's just looking for something outside the house to do, he seems more twitchy than me most of the time.
Nathan is in the security room with every one of his digital resources digging through every corner of the council's system that my father could get him access to. By the time he's done I'm sure he will have gained his own access to everything else. Nathan's ability to filter through all that code and mess is astounding. I took him a coffee earlier so I could have an excuse to check on him and the rolling columns of foreign symbols on the monitors just made me feel confused and impressed; I'm glad he's able to process all that. I never could.
I placed his cup beside his keyboard and stood behind him to watch for just a minute and, if I'm honest, take in his scent because Nathan is infinitely soothing, but before I realized what I was doing my hands slid up his shoulders and I began manipulating the tight knots formed by stress and hunching over computers for too many hours. His purr both encouraged and startled me, and I didn't exactly jerk my hands away but I did pull away and put them in my pockets as I left the room. Now I'm in the laundry room folding towels and pairing socks because it makes me feel better.
I'm coming to recognize that I've exhibited omega behaviors for most of my life, but they were small enough that I could brush them aside. Like folding laundry, for example. The act of folding laundry and stacking it and putting it away has always been so calming.
Taking care of whatever pack I was with, finding out the special things that various members enjoy, has always made me feel warm and good. I even enjoyed caring for Seth's pack before he decided I wasn't worthy of them unless I was an omega and tried toawaken me. There are other things, small things, that when you add them up amount to definite omega tendencies that I was completely and sometimes willfully blind to.
I ran out of towels to fold a bit ago, and I'm halfway through the massive basket of unpaired socks when a vicious cramp seizes my body out of nowhere. I'm immediately doubled over with my arms pressing hard into my lower abdomen and slick drenching my thighs. Just as it begins to ease up I feel another creeping in and I can't breathe.
I can't be going into heat now, not yet. Not with Jasper gone. I don't even have a plan, and I'm not going to be coherent enough to make one soon if this is my heat starting. The next wave crashes through me and I drop to my hands and knees, fuck this hurts. And aches. My cunt is throbbing in the worst possible way. I'm trying to crawl to my bedroom or the stairs, fuck, I don't know where I'm trying to go, I only know I need to go. I need to find something. But I can't make it, I can barely make it to the doorway of the laundry room, I can't even make it over the threshold. Then I remember my phone in my back pocket. I can call someone for help. Someone will know what to do.
I pull up my contacts and have to breathe through another cramp before I can call anyone. Devon is the first person in my contacts list. Good. Devon will know what to do. He takes care of Jasper, he will know what to do. I swipe over his name to call and when he answers I whine at the sound of his voice even though it's digital and tinny.
“Talia. Breathe. Tell me what's wrong.”
I try, but I can't breathe, it hurts too much, all I can do is gasp out, “laundry room. Help.” Then I drop the phone to the floor and curl up in a whimpering, shivering ball.
Seconds, minutes, maybe years of agony later, I hear and smell Devon rushing down the stairs. He's damp with sweat and water making his sweet grass scent stronger, his knee length cut off jeans have wet patches on them and he isn't wearing a shirt. He has a red hat on, turned backwards, and he's wearing the disgusting things he calls his yard-shoes all over the floor I just vacuumed this morning. But that doesn't matter, all that matters is his scent.
He stops just in front of me and his nostrils flare wide, “what do you need? You have to tell me what you want,” he says, his voice rough with a growl that makes even more slick drip out of me and I whine again. “Fuck, Talia. What do you want me to do? We can call Jasper, they can drop everything and come back home. I can get Nathan.”
I shake my head and reach for him. Maybe if I can taste him it will help, and I can't stop my eyes from centering on his crotch where he's hard and straining just out of reach.
“Goddammit,” he grits out, and takes a step back.
I whine again, hating the sound of it coming from me but I can't help it, can't make it stop. “Please,” I pant, even though it's obvious he doesn't want me to touch him. I feel tears prick at the rejection, I won't be able to keep myself from crying any more than I can stop the rest of this bullshit.
Then Devon purrs, strong and loud and soothing and I sigh. “Okay. Okay. Fuck, okay. It's going to be alright. I'm not going to hurt you, I'll never hurt you, Talia. But I am going to help you. Do you want me in your mouth? Jasper said that helped you before.”
I nod and try to get up on my knees but I'm cramping so much that I can't straighten. This must be some kind of omega shit that nobody talks about, the cramps keep you on your hands and knees or drawn up on your back, presenting yourself perfectly and submissively to the alpha taking you.
He sees my plight and lowers himself to the ground, unfastening his cut-offs and pushing them off on the way down.
