Page 9 of The Beta: Part Two
“I don’t know, Devon. I thought it was a fluke at first and then I thought it might have been triggered by Jasper’s pheromones like Nathan said. By the time I realized that she was probably building up to an actual heat I didn’t know what to do. She never made a big deal about it, never said anything. I thought once you’re old enough to register with the council it’s a done deal. I’ve never heard of a beta flipping over to being an omega, not once in my life. Have you?”
He shakes his head.
“Why do you think she didn’t say anything once she started having spikes?” I ask, but I’m pretty sure I already know the answer.
“Because I made such a big deal about her only being welcome as long as Jasper wanted her here. Because I made sure she understood the only reason we agreed to have her here at all is because she wasn’t an omega. Because she’s built her life around being a beta, and she knows that once she changes her registration from beta to omega her entire life will change. Because she doesn’t think she’s worth anything to Jasper or to us unless she can act as a beta. Probably a hundred other reasons, her mother being one of them, too. I didn’t give you all the details of the agreement, but that’s why Elizabet negotiated with my father to have her here. Apparently Elizabet didn’t have a heat cycle until she met Alpha Graves and Alpha Smith. Then once Alphas Reynes and Colton joined their pack she started going into heat more regularly. Every month, to be exact. My father didn’t share that little bit of information until I had already agreed to take her. Elizabet was hoping that Talia would find a pack to bond into; and if that pack triggered Talia’s omega awakening, all the better. Dad didn’t think that would happen, but he did think it would be good for me toexperience some pushback. And fuck if that isn’t all Talia does.”
I’m genuinely shocked. “Every month?! Jesus, Devon. No wonder she’s got nine kids. Talia’s the youngest, isn’t she?”
He nods, “Elizabet knew that it would take the right pack to trigger Talia’s heat deep down. She knew it would take a strong pack like ours to finally make Talia’s subconscious recognize that she was safe enough to allow her body's natural state and that her pack would be able to care for her and handle her needs. And we fucked it up. Hell, Kaleb. I haven’t even looked at a girl since I was going through puberty, Nathan and Trent haven’t been with a female since we claimed Jasper, and I know you haven’t touched a girl since I told you I wanted him. It never occurred to me that our pack might trigger a female omega’s system to come online. Why would it?”
He isn’t exactly wrong. Nobody but Jasper has been affectionate with her, he’s certainly the only one who has been sexual with her. We haven’t given her any reason to believe that we would be the right pack for her, unless Jasper is all it took.
From the moment she walked through the kitchen door they’ve had this bizarre connection. A pair of omegas being fated mates is unheard of, it simply doesn’t happen. Omegas need alphas to survive, and two omegas would never be able to take care of each other’s needs. A female omega cannot be sated without her alphas’ knots. As much as Jasper wants to take care of her, he can’t provide that and I know it must be killing him. “I meant what I said, Devon. I’m putting my mark on her. I’m bonding her into this pack. If you have a problem with that we need to hash it out now instead of in front of her or Jasper.”
He straightens his shoulders and his face transforms into the face of the strong alpha I know and respect, “yes, you are. You will first, then Nathan, then Trent, me last. We’ll all mark her. I just wish Jasper could, but he can choose where I put my mark and he can help me distract her from the pain of it when it’s time. We’ll make it right, we’ll make her want to be part of us, not just part of Jasper.”
We share a hard look and I know we’re on the same page.
When we get back to the hospital the room feels significantly different than it did when we left. Talia is still silent and sad, but she’s wearing our clothes, exactly like Trent said. She is, in fact, wearing his socks. It’s inappropriate to think, all things considered, but she looks pretty adorable. Especially with Nathan’s hat turned backwards on her head.
Jasper is wearing one of Devon’s hoodies and is positively beaming. He’s sitting on the bed with her perched in front of him between his legs, with his arms wrapped snugly around her torso and his chin on her shoulder. Trent is standing on one side of them, petting one or the other of them every few seconds, and Nathan is standing at the counter beside the sink going over paperwork with a very happy nurse.
“A word?” Devon motions to the nurse and Nathan to follow him outside. I know he’s going to ask about her heat cycle.
I walk to the bed, and go to my knees in front of Talia, “I know you’re not happy. I know you’re afraid. I know we’ve made more mistakes with you than we have any right to atone for, but we will make this right if you give us a chance. Jasper makes you happy, I can see how much you care for him. Let him love you, Talia. Please give us time to prove to you that we can take care of you. If you have to, let us try just for Jasper’s sake at first until you can start to trust us with yourself. Let us show you that we are strong enough to hold you. We don’t deserve either of you, but we showed Jasper that we take care of him, let us show you the same thing.” I take both her hands in my own and bring her fingertips to my mouth to brush the tiniest of kisses against them.
She doesn’t say anything but she holds my solemn gaze with her own.
Chapter five
Talia
I don’t know what to do.
Everything has changed so abruptly.
Everything.
I am constantly fighting against myself. I want to cocoon myself in their laundry and bed sheets, and at the same time I want to shove them all as far away from me as I can get them, except Jasper. He’s the only one I can stand touching me. It is exactly as I swore to myself in the hospital, no sex unless with Jasper. If it wasn’t for him being so patient with me, being sweet to me, I think I’d be insane at this point.
I can’t stand to sit around doing nothing. Before my system flipped I had a schedule, and my body wants me to keep to it. I tried to stay hidden in Jasper’s room for a few days, but I only lasted three before I couldn’t stand the smell of burned food and stale air.
I got up early that morning and made breakfast. But when Kaleb came into the room I couldn’t stand it and bolted right out of there, texting him when I was back under Jasper’s blankets to please take the quiche out of the oven before it burns.
I tried to do some laundry. but I stood in front of the washer with my nose buried in one of Nathan’s dirty flannels for an absurd amount of time before I couldn’t stand touching it anymore and just shoved everything into the machine. I feel like I’m going crazy, and I think the men in this house are afraid of me.
I’m a little afraid of myself.
The heat spikes are also getting worse and more frequent. The nurse from the hospital told me that I would have them sporadically until my system settled itself from all it has been through, she also said that having regular sex with my alphas would help that along. But I don’t have alphas. Jasper has alphas and I have Jasper; and he’s doing his best.
I’m not really trying to bother him with any of it, but ever since one of the others brought attention to the scent of one of my heat spikes he’s been doing everything he can to ease them now that he can recognize them. It does help, just not enough. I’m always aching and throbbing, and sometimes dripping down my thighs, because my stupid omega pussy can’t be satisfied. And my stupid female brain won’t allow Jasper’s alphas to touch me.
All I have to do is get a breath of any of their scents, even Kaleb’s gunpowder with a tiny hint of brass that reminds me of ammunition, and it sends me spiraling. Sometimes I think if I would just lay still and let one of them fuck me it would ease this enough to let me think clearly.
I told Jasper that I’m afraid of what will happen when I do finally go into heat. He says he and the alphas will take the best care of me, but that doesn’t feel right. I’d let Jasper fuck me and take care of me every second of the day if it wouldn’t exhaust him or rub him raw, he’s not the problem. They’re the problem.
I don’t want to have them fuck me just because Jasper is making them or because they feel guilty. I can’t make myself believe that there are any other reasons for them to touch me, and would hurt my stupid, weak heart too much to let them when I know the truth behind it. I’m afraid that when I do go into heat I won’t be able to stay away from them, and I’ll likely beg them all to fuck me any way they will. I already want to beg them for that at least once a day.
