Page 40 of Choosing Their Omega

“Do you need anything?” Lawson asks. “Food? Water?”

I shake my head. “I just want to know what to do.”

“We’ll call the ORD office for you,” Cruz promises gently. “They’ll know what to do. You can’t be the first Omega who’s presented a little late. It’ll all be okay. They’ll take care of you.”

I nod, the tears that have been threatening springing into my eyes. It’s all so unknown and terrifying. I thought that my life was finally on solid ground, and now the rug has been yanked out from under me again.

“Hey, it’s okay.” Miles gets out of his chair and kneels on the floor in front of me. Lawson does the same, so that I’m literally surrounded on all sides by the four Alphas. I drag in another deep breath, letting the unique combination of their scents soothe me. “You did nothing wrong, Lily. This is what the ORD is for, right? To help Omegas and guide them. You’ll be okay.”

I nod, and Cruz pulls back to go and get the phone. Lawson takes his place next to me, rubbing my back as Cruz calls and explains the situation.

“They said that this has happened before,” he says when he hangs up. He smiles at me reassuringly. “Apparently, it’s more common than you’d think, people presenting later in life. They’re going to send over some agents who’ll escort you to the Omega Resources Division offices. They’ll get you registered and explain everything there.”

A part of me seizes up in panic at the idea of leaving my men. Except… they’re not my men. I know that. But it’s hard to remember it when they’ve been so good to me, supporting me and enveloping me in their scents.

The men sit with me until the agent comes, keeping me calm through their scents. Miles gets me something to eat and insists that I take it. I don’t feel hungry, I’m in too much shock for that, but I know I need the energy, so I eat it anyway.

And Miles made it, so of course it tastes delicious.

Ben is brought down after a while so that he can hug me and say goodbye. None of us want him to think I just vanished without a trace after what happened with his mother. I hug him fiercely. I know that I have no right to feel this way about him, but I love him so much, and it makes something rip apart in my chest when I think about leaving him.

“He’ll be okay, right?” I ask the men. “While I’m gone? I’m so sorry to have to leave so suddenly.”

“It’s not your fault at all. We’ll call his previous babysitters and set things up,” Knox assures me. “We won’t let him be left in the lurch.”

I kiss the top of Ben’s head, my eyes swimming with tears of affection for him. I know that he’ll be okay with his uncles who love him so much, but I can’t help but worry, being away from him. I don’t even know how long it’ll be… or if I’ll even see him again.

Now that I’m apparently an Omega, everything is different.

A knock sounds at the door, and Cruz goes to get it. I can hear him talking with someone who has a feminine voice, and a moment later he, returns to the living room with an older woman in tow.

She seems to be middle-aged, with dark blonde hair and a steady face. She’s an Omega, I can tell by her scent, but she smells different from how I do. There’s something bolstering her scent, making it calm and steady.

She must be bonded, I realize. She has Alphas.

That’s what’s in store for me now, as an Omega.

The woman smiles at me. “You must be Lily.” She holds out her hand. “I’m Joanna. It’s nice to meet you.”

I shake her hand. Joanna feels my pulse at my wrist, then kneels down to tip my chin up and examine my face.

“Mm. Yes. I see.” She lets go of me and stands up again. “I’ll be taking you into the local ORD facility to get you processed, and we’ll be able to explain what it’ll be like as an Omega, how everything will go, run tests and things. With older Omegas especially we want to make sure that you’re well taken-care-of and that everything is okay and you’re healthy.”

I nod. I’m not sure what to say. I feel scared and numb, but I can tell that this woman is doing her best to reassure me. She seems truly kind.

Joanna glances at the men, who are still huddled around me. “I’ll give you a moment to say goodbye. But we should leave as soon as we can. I’ll be at the front door.”

Lawson helps me to my feet as I stand up. “Thank you,” I tell him. “For defending me from Alfred.”

“Hey, anytime. Nobody messes with you on my watch.” He hugs me, pulling me into a firm embrace.

I hug Miles next. “I’ll miss cooking with you.”

“Same here. But you’ll be okay,” he promises.

“Thank you for protecting me at the zoo,” I tell Knox. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if it had been just Ben and me.”

“I’m glad I was there,” Knox replies.

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