Page 19 of Knot All Is Lost: Part 1

ten

HearingNixonspeakabout Cambrie’s scent and how it affected him was exactly the situation I was in now. Here I was holding her hand like it was the most treasured possession I’d ever had. With Spencer at my side and Cambrie nestled against us, I didn’t know my life could feel this complete. What scared me most about this was how clueless Cambrie was about how her perfume drew us to her like a drug. In this room were four powerful Alphas that had good standing in our world and money to care for her in the lifestyle that befits an Omega.

If we’d been in a day and age like Nixon spoke about we’d be sending her gifts, courting her, and showing how we would be good providers for her and any offspring she decided to have. Now, all of that ceremony and wooing was tossed to the wayside. The government placed Omegas, correction I now helped place Omegas into packs that had been cobbled together by how advantageous they could be to each other. Men and women might not even like each other but on paper, they show in the best way possible.

While the other men of the CoF might not choose to meet with the packs on the waitlist for an Omega, I did. I wanted to see the nest room, if they created an environment that would help foster a loving relationship with the people the Omega would be required to mate with. Once a bond was put into place there was no way to remove an Omega, no matter how much we wished we could.

Without thought, I rubbed my thumb along the back of Cambrie’s hand craving contact between us. It wasn’t sexual, more like the need to show affection that she clearly has been lacking. An Omega’s nature thrives on casual touch, kind words, and gifts of various kinds to show them they are valued. They want comfort, security, and the knowledge they are wanted by the pack. Cambrie had gotten none of this for almost all eighteen years of her life. It sounded like things were a little better when her mom was alive but that was a drop in the bucket of the attention she needs.

Nixon and Oscar kept chatting with her about scent and how it relates to Alphas and Omegas. They transitioned that into delving into how and why Omegas are coddled and cared for the way they are, creating resentment in Betas. I knew Spencer and Bodhi didn’t feel that way, it was just how Omegas were wired, and there was nothing they could do to change it.

Glancing at Spencer I could tell he was already taken with Cambrie. He watched every move she made trying to preemptively figure out what she needed. He was amazing like that. It was one of the many things about him I loved so dearly. His heart’s desire to care for others was so large that I’d never once felt I was getting the short end of the stick sharing him with Nixon. Spencer cared for us in different ways, each showing how much attention he paid to our every move.

The feel of his hand on the back of my neck as he massaged the tight muscles made me want to moan but I knew Cambrie wouldn’t feel comfortable with that. From everything she told us, it was clear her father didn’t touch her or allow others to touch her that way. Of that, I was thankful for whatever gods might be listening. The physical and mental abuse was more than enough for anyone to handle but to top it off with sexual abuse, it would break anyone.

Spencer caught my eye and gave a slight head tilt asking if I was all right. I smiled and nodded, reaching up to grab his hand from my neck to kiss his palm in thanks. With me being a political icon, we had to learn to share our emotions and affection in small ways that wouldn’t cause ripples in the media. Typically when we were home that stopped but having someone new in the house, I just didn’t want to put her on edge more than I’d already done. Part of me wished Spencer had given me the heads up, but he was also right that I would have caused one hell of a scene.

“Marius,” Rafael called, making me aware that I’d zoned out of the conversation.

“I’m sorry, my mind drifted off. What did I miss?” I said, looking at the others.

Cambrie shifted and looked at me, her beautiful blue eyes trapped me in a hold that seemed almost magical in its effect. “They were explaining Omega nature and that typically once an Omega found a pack they liked, no other scent would be as appealing. I asked if that were to happen with me and a pack would I be able to stay? I know I haven’t met many Alphas besides the four of you so I can’t really know if I react this way to everyone or not. But, if I did find people the old way will the CoF let me stay?”

That’s the question of the century now wasn’t it?

“Cambrie, I would love to tell you I have an answer for you but I won’t lie to you, ever. In the past ten years there hasn’t been a situation like this. Typically either the black market snatches them up, or they are given to the government by the parents. You’re one of the first to be out and about on their own meeting Alphas in a casual setting,” I explained. “This is a matter I’m going to have to do some research on, but I will find an answer for you. As we’ve already promised we won’t let anyone take you if you don’t want to go. You are welcome here in our home for as long as you like.”

“Trust me on this, they’re serious when they say that,” Bodhi interjected. “I was coming over on the weekends while Oscar was teaching me how to play piano and guitar. Then the next thing I know I live here with these guys. If they give you their word about something, then trust it will happen.”

I could tell by the looks on the other’s faces they were stunned to hear such a thing come out of Bodhi’s mouth. That Beta was one tough person to read, the only one who truly understood him was Oscar and they’d become inseparable. He’d aged out of a foster home when he stumbled his way into the shelter, beaten up by a group of thugs that ran the streets. Bodhi had tried busking to make money, and they made it clear that he wasn’t welcome on their turf. From the bits and pieces we’ve all learned over the years the group foster home wasn’t doing their job and they were only in it for the money. Kids were jammed in any available space and school lunches were the only meal they got.

If anyone in this room understood Cambrie in the slightest it would be Bodhi. I would be curious to see what he would do having someone younger to look after instead of being the kid of the group. Rafael of course was the oldest being almost forty while the rest of us were young to mid-thirties, leaving Bodhi at twenty-one almost twenty-two if I remember correctly.

“Okay, I’ll stay, just until we know what happens next,” Cambrie conceded.

My heart leaped hearing her say that she would stay with us. I knew she didn’t say it would be forever but everything in me told me she wouldn’t leave as long as we didn’t fuck this up.

“What do you say we find you a room to sleep in?” I asked, squeezing her hand. “Then you can change into something more comfortable and get a good night’s sleep. Unless you’re hungry? I’m sure we could whip something up by the time you get settled.”

“I get a room?” Cambrie asked, surprise ringing in her voice. “I figured I would just sleep on the couch or something. I don’t want to put anyone out.”

“We have plenty of open rooms for you to pick from,” Spencer assured her. “This place has space for I think ten people. There are even two open rooms with an attached bathroom. I think we should look at those first to see which one you like.”

“Any room will be fine, I’m not picky. I’ve been locked in a basement, anything else is going to be better than that,” she pointed out.

Spencer tucked a strand of hair behind her ear giving her a soft look. “Would you humor me so I feel better knowing I showed you both rooms? It’s a bad habit I have to mother everyone in this house, and it would make me worry less if I knew you at least got to see them.”

I couldn’t help but grin as Spencer worked the magic he did on us all. That Beta had a way with words and used them to bend us all to his will without us realizing it right away.

“I don’t want you to be worried or cause you any discomfort because I wouldn’t look at the rooms,” Cambrie said, then started chewing on her lip. It was obvious this was a physical representation of her feeling like she said or had done something that might upset one of us.

Rafael glared at her lip like it personally offended him, making me raise a questioning brow at him. He gave me a dismissive look and swooped in to pull Cambrie off our laps so she was now standing before him as he pulled her bottom lip down so it was free of her teeth.

“Little One, if I catch you doing that again I’m going to find a different way to remind you that those lovely lips are not for chewing,” Rafael warned, with raw heat in his voice betraying what he had in mind.

This was a side of the good doctor I’d never seen before. He exuded calm professionalism always, now here he was letting his Alpha nature get the better of him. All that heat came to a standstill when Cambrie gasped and fear flooded her face. She hadn’t understood that what he’d said wasn’t a threat of violence as much as one of passion. The man wanted to kiss the hell out of her not harm her.

“I… I won’t do it ever again… I’m sorry Rafael,” Cambrie stammered.

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