Page 41 of Choosing Their Omega

I’m not sure if I should hug him or not. He touched me a lot, far more than he ever has before, while getting me home safely, but that was just because I was in a panic. I don’t want to read more into it than is actually there and misunderstand.

But then he reaches out and puts his hand on my shoulder, squeezing. “You’ll be okay.”

I nod, hoping he’s right.

Cruz is last. I hug him, and he kisses the top of my head.

“Thank you for hiring me and taking a chance on me,” I whisper. “The last few days have been wonderful.”

“Your stuff is going to be safe here, and so is your car, for as long as you need.”

I nod into his chest, then he gently lets me go.

Ben is teary as Knox picks him up to reassure him, and I just give him a quick peck on the cheek and ruffle his hair. I know if I linger, I’ll start crying from the sight of his teary face. I can’t handle it.

“You keep being your wonderful self for your uncles, okay?” I say quietly.

Ben nods. “I will.”

I turn away quickly so he won’t see any tears fall, then hurry to the foyer where Joanna waits.

I’m going to miss them. My whole life is about to change. I know it just did change once already, but that time it was changing for the better. I felt so happy and safe with these men. I like them so much already, and now I feel like I’m losing out on something before it’s even had a real chance to begin.

Joanna takes my hand and squeezes it. The look she gives me is warm but knowing. “I know this is scary, but it’s going to be all right. For all of you.”

I try to believe her, because walking out of the sprawling house and leaving this pack behind is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in my life.

Chapter 13

Lily

We get into Joanna’s car, and she smiles at me reassuringly as she pulls out of the driveway. “I know this is scary for you. You already have a life, and now it’s been interrupted.”

“Cruz said that when he spoke to someone on the phone that this happens more often than people expect.”

“Yes. That’s correct. Most Omegas still present much younger than you do, and that’s preferred since you can make plans for your life easier when you know what your designation is. But we do get Omegas and even Alphas who present later, people who thought they were Betas this entire time. When you’re already an adult, it can be hard to adjust everything.”

“But are people happy? It ends up okay?”

“Most of the time it does, yes.” Joanna glances at me as she drives. “Do you have anyone you can stay with, or will you need a place to stay?”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s dangerous for Omegas who don’t have a support system. You’re at the mercy of your hormones.”

I chew my lip, thinking about my romance novels. “So I could perfume at the wrong time and accidentally decide to bond to an Alpha I don’t really like?”

“Well, yes, but heats are dangerous if you don’t have an Alpha to help you through them, so until you’re bonded, it’s important to have the ORD facility ready to assist you. That might mean heat suppressants, or artificial assistance.”

An image of my knotting dildo pops into my mind, and I can feel my face heating up. “Right.”

“If you have friends or family you can live with until you’re with a pack, we can speak with them, explain your needs, and help them set up their home.”

“I don’t have anyone, no.”

My friends are good people, but I don’t think we’re close enough that I can ask that of them.

Joanna makes a little noise in her throat. “All right. Well, we have housing at the ORD facility with other Omegas, sort of like a halfway house. You’ll be with other Omegas going through the same thing you are, so you won’t feel alone.”

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