Page 53 of The Omega Lesson

“Dr. Finchley, this is Lexi Novak. She’s an alumnus, and my mate.”

I’m a little flustered, because this isn’t exactly something I talked to Lexi about beforehand – either coming here, or introducing her in that way. But Dr. Finchley holds out her hand, and smiles kindly at Lexi. “I’m Sarah. I’m mostly retired now, but I was part of the university’s School of Human Sciences for years, with a specialty in Designations and Dynamics.”

“Wow,” Lexi says, sinking into a chair at the table. “That was an amazing class. Not easy, mind you. I’ve never crammed so hard as for that final exam. And I still didn’t do that well.”

“Yes, it’s a very theory-heavy curriculum. I was pushing for more fieldwork before I left, but… the world of academia is slow to change.” She looks between us, that perceptive gaze that makes her such a world-leading researcher sparking with interest. “But Jack tells me you’re interested in switches. We have a small research collection on the phenomenon, but you’re probably best to go to the source itself.”

The look she gives me is meaningful, and I give her a slight nod. I contacted Sarah a couple of years ago as part of my own investigation into switches. I never told her how personal it was for me, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she guessed.

“Most of the scientific research to date is on the genetic aspects,” she explains. “There’s a generally held view that switches are born with a predisposition to alter their biology, similar to hermaphrodites. But there’s a small team here on campus looking at the causes of intersexuality in marine species and if they can be applied to switches. Things like parasitism, environmental sex determination, genetic abnormalities, and increasingly pollution in their environments.It’s still a bit like S.E.T.I. to the rest of the scientific community, but their early findings are interesting.”

Lexi is listening to her with a rapt expression, and I feel a pang of relief. I wasn’t sure how she’d take this, given she’s not exactly comfortable embracing her switch nature yet. And who can blame her? It’s not every day you learn that the designation that has ruled your life might be less absolute than you thought. But she seems open to talking about it, which definitely helped me in the early days after I switched.

“I don’t know a lot about genetics,” she admits. “I was a literature major, and I’m a high school teacher now. But I do have some questions. Mainly, if it’s genetic, is it hereditary, or does it come from exposure? I know the initial switch is triggered, but if you’re around a switch for a long time, can it increase the likelihood that the predisposition will manifest? We hear a lot about nature and nurture in development, and I guess I’d like to know if it applies to switches.”

“Like a parent to a child?”

“Yes. Or a child who’s in contact with multiple switches.”

“Well, it’s still a rare phenomenon.”

“But switches trigger other switches. It makes sense they would form a… cluster, maybe? I’m just thinking that because of our pack dynamics…”

Sarah is already nodding. “It would make sense. I know the research team has drawn links between animal species who live in polyandry and hermaphroditism.” She looks at me, her eyes shining. “You might be onto a good thing here.”

I know she means more than just the research topic, but Lexi looks distracted. “If switching is hereditary, are there markers to look out for? It’s just that we tend to force our children into a box – if they have softer, feminine traits, they might present as an omega; if they’re high intelligence, a beta; and if more assertive and physical, we expect them to be alphas. It would be good to know if there’s a chance they might switch, and then we could prepare them for that, too.”

“I’ve never liked the way we put children into boxes early on.” Sarah muses, her gaze settling on me. It makes me wonder if she knows my history beyond the few things I told her. And public record, of course, as manipulated by my dad. “It’s led to a hierarchy in our society that is unhealthy in some ways, and downright toxic in others.”

Lexi takes a deep breath. “I work at an elite all-alpha academy. But it’s really just a school of children who are expected to present a certain way.” She gives me a soft look, no doubt remembering what I revealed about my time at Prendiville, and then adds, “But if I’m a switch, I’m not sure I can work there at all.”

Sarah reaches over and squeezes her hand. “I’ll let you in on a secret, Lexi. I was a typical beta for fifty-seven years. I studied hard, worked even harder, and rarely thought about my designation beyond the parameters of my research and teaching. And then I switched. Right as I was on the cusp of menopause, I was suddenly an omega. An omega! My heat was gentle by comparison to most, and I was well past my reproductive prime, so why me? Why now? I wasn’t sure if it was a mistake, a mutation, or fate having a big laugh at my expense.” She leans in, smiling. “But I was head-over-heels in love, andthat’swhy I think I was triggered. I have no proof, but I felt it in my bones.” She sits back and raises her brows at us. “It makes you wonder about all those scientific know-it-alls who say switching is just a biological imperative to breed.”

“Wow.” Lexi’s cheeks are pink, but her eyes are shining. “That’s actually really romantic.”

“Isn’t it? Maybe we should be talking to the sociology or theology departments about switches and soulmates.” Sarah gives me a wink and then gets to her feet. “I have a bridge game to get to, but I know we’ll be seeing more of each other, now we’ve shared a sliver of our souls.”

“I’d love that,” Lexi replies, getting to her feet as well. “Thanks so much for talking to us and for sharing your story.”

“I imagine you have quite a tale to tell of your own. And now that you’ve come all this way, don’t be a stranger, Dr. Lyall,” she says with another cheeky wink in my direction.

We wait until she’s left, and then Lexi comes over to my chair, hitching up her skirt a little so she can sink onto my lap. “Dr. Lyall, you’re such a talented man.” She runs her fingers through my hair, tugging on the curls. “I’m surprised you didn’t offer to give me my pre-heat examination.”

I can feel the heat climbing under my skin as I wrap my hands around her hips. “I’m not that kind of doctor, unfortunately.”

“Mmmm,” she smirks. “Well, thank you for bringing me. Sarah is amazing. But I’m really surprised by all this. I genuinely thought everyone saw switches as a cross between science fiction and Mattie’s manga.”

“It’s personal for Sarah for obvious reasons. Most of the research is still kind of fringe, but there’s a growing interest in it in some circles.” I pull a face. “Mainly driven by pharmaceutical companies wondering if it could improve their suppressants and enhancers. Unlock the key to natural scent manipulation.”

“Like making a beta smell like an omega?”

“Or act like one.” She frowns and I kiss the tip of her nose. “It’s the murkier side of scientific progress, but there’s a big market for that.”

She just shakes her head and nibbles on my chin. “We’ve got a couple of hours until we have to check in with the others, right?” I grunt my agreement, her tongue now circling my pulse. “Maybe we could do our own scientific research into this soulmates and switch link.”

“Oh, yeah?” I smile, liking where she’s going with this. “What did you have in mind?”

She almost purrs as her lips skim my ear. “Do those seats in the van lie down in back?”

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