Page 51 of Dream Mates (Into The Parallel Omegaverse #2)
Chapter Thirty-Two
Jett
I walked through the outdoor market with Brennan, his arm around my waist, as we browsed the produce stalls. Right now, there was a bit of a lull since it was after lunch but before people came to buy things for dinner. At least here in the produce area.
The market had many sections, including spices, produce, meat, clothes, and hot foods. It was a combination of stalls and shops. The head spa I liked to go to after rough days at work was here. The noodle shop I’d taken Grace to was here as well.
“What are you feeling like?” I asked as I looked at the bok choy. That would make a good side dish for whatever Brennan wanted.
“Oooh, can we get that meat? The kind that you put the sauce on and grill?” Brennan’s eyes lit up.
Fortunately, I spoke Brennan and knew what he was talking about. “Of course we can. Though I need to get some more spices so that I can make the sauce. We’re short on a few things anyway.”
I got the bok choy and some other vegetables to grill alongside the meat and we went to the area of the market where I bought most of our spices. We’d get the meat last.
As we browsed in my favorite spice stall, my phone buzzed.
Spencer had sent a photo of Grace on a patio eating pizza with a bunch of people. She was laughing and looked happy. Something I hadn’t seen much of since the Temporal Authority had taken her.
The guy she sat next to made me pause. The tall, blond guy looked eerily like her.
I showed it to Brennan as Spencer called me.
“Spence, what am I looking at?” I asked, as I started gathering what we needed spice-wise.
“Grace’s new friend that she met at the symposium. Creed Thorne. When Brennan had Grace investigated, did he get a genscan?” Spencer asked.
“Let me ask.” I turned to Brennan. “Spencer wants to know if you ever got a genscan on Grace.”
Brennan shook his head. “I thought about it. But never did.”
“Bren was going to but never did.” I put more small bags of spices into my basket. I’d pour them in our jars at home. Evan had this huge collection of antique spice jars, most of them from his mother. Sometimes he dragged me to antique sales to find more.
“Can you have a genscan done immediately?" Spencer asked me.
“Um, sure. But why? Isn’t Grace, you know, not from around here?” I replied, lowering my voice.
He wanted a what?
“The resemblance is interesting. I found the father online, but I can’t find his designation.”
“You’re talking about the guy in the photo? Yes, the resemblance is uncanny, but isn’t that just this world’s Grace? What do you mean about the dad? Share your thoughts with the class, Spence,” I added as I put the last spice I needed from this shop in the basket.
Brennan shot me a puzzled look. I handed the basket to him so he could pay for it
“What if there are no designations on Grace’s world because they’re illegal–and have been for so long, it’s nearly forgotten?” Spencer started.
“What?” Yeah, this was above my pay grade.
Putting an arm around my waist, Brennan returned with our spices and a frown.
“Hold on. I need to get Bren on this,” I said as we left the stall.
Getting my earbuds out of my pocket, I handed one to Bren and used the other so that we could both hear and speak to Spencer.
“Now, where are you going with this? Yes, this guy looks like Grace, but what does this have to do with the guy’s dad and getting Grace a genscan?” I asked as we found a place to sit.
“My father was sent to temporal prison for his work with a smuggling ring relocating omegas,” he said softly.
“He’d get them from other worlds where omegas were illegal, then use the Omega Protection Program to set them up with new lives here.
It’s a longshot, but considering there is a chemistry professor here that looks enough like Grace for people to ask her about him–and this young man she met today is his son–it makes me wonder if perhaps he was one of those omegas, and she was a child that got left behind.
Maybe omegas are not illegal in her world, but are forgotten? ”
“Wouldn’t it be quite the coincidence for her to end up here?” Brennan said.
“Not at all,” Spencer replied. “Her being allowed to stay has bothered me. As has something the agent told her. If her father was brought here for safety, wouldn’t it make sense to bring his omega child here? That’s assuming he’s an omega.”
That was an interesting theory. Spencer had also sent some photos of the dad. Yeah, that was also quite the resemblance. But still…
“I’ll do the genscan, but I don’t think this chemistry professor is her father.
Also, just because there might be a genetic similarity doesn’t mean they’re actually related.
So many things are so very similar between our worlds that it would make sense that there might be genetic ones, too.
I mean, this piano piece she played for me the other day is eerily like one here.
So are some movie and book premises,” Brennan said.
“True. It’s just very strange watching them.” He sighed. “I suppose it's a coincidence and not an interdimensional conspiracy.”
“You’re watching them?” I asked. Yeah, alphas were stalkers.
“I was coming from a meeting and about to join them. It’s a student gathering we’re hosting. Seeing the two of them together made me pause… and worry. I care so much for her, and I don’t want to see her hurt.” Spencer’s voice went rough.
“I get it. I’m all for being safe. Especially if this guy’s appearance makes Grace feel a kinship to him. I wouldn’t want him to take advantage of her,” I replied, thinking of all the ways that this could go wrong.
“Absolutely,” Brennan added. “But I’m just not sure this is an interdimensional conspiracy. Oh, I bought the building, also my mother stopped by my office.” Brennan filled him in on what happened, and the things the investigator had uncovered.
“I think it’s time to sue her for your inheritance and go no-contact,” Spencer told him. “So far she hasn't moved against my business. But I don’t like her treating Brennan this way.”
Yeah, I didn’t either. He’d told me what happened, and it made my blood boil.
“I appreciate your support. I’m suing the lawyer tomorrow,” Brennan commented. “Also, you’re going into Carolina tomorrow for meetings, right?”
“Yes, I’ll be in Research Circle for a meeting and Grace is going to tour some facilities there,” he confirmed. “Did you need something?”
“Actually, yes. If you have time there’s a distillery that I’d love a case from. Grace might like it there. They don’t ship. I can send you the information?” Brennan asked.
“I’ll take a look. If I have time, I’ll try my best,” Spencer replied.
“Thank you. Anyway, we’ll run the test and I’ll let you know what we find. Have fun,” Brennan said.
“Thank you for doing that,” Spencer told us.
Brennan ended the call and handed me my phone and my earbuds.
“We’re going to run a genscan on her? Weird but harmless. But she’s not here.” Most of the tests used cheek swabs.
Brennan stood. “We’ll do a test with all the blonde hair that’s everywhere. She probably has a hairbrush in Evan’s bathroom. Sometimes with Spencer it’s better to let him just mad-genius things while he figures it out. Testing her is harmless.”
“True.” I took his hand and stood. “You’re asking them to bring back bourbon?”
“It’s that bourbon that we were given at Christmas from one of my managers,” he told me.
“Oh. I remember that.” We started walking again. “Do you need anything else before we get the meat?” I asked.
He thought for a moment. “Can we get some of that tea you buy for my headaches.”
“Sure.” I led him to the tea shop and ordered his tea in Mandarin. Brennan sometimes got headaches, a reminder of his accident.
As she blended it, I looked at all the jars. Hmmm. I should probably get some tea for Grace. Maybe she’d like it better than the stuff Evan kept trying to give her.
I asked for that as well.
Brennan looked up from his phone. “What else are you getting?”
“Something for Grace. I’m glad Evan’s trying to make her eat better but there has to be a tea she likes more than what Evan gets from the Center. She’s always making faces as she drinks it,” I replied.
“Oh, that’s thoughtful.”
We paid for the tea and left the shop, Brennan carrying everything. Threading my arm through his, we walked toward the area with the butchers.
Delicious smells filled the air as some musicians played. I loved this place more than the grocery store, and I was happy Brennan liked to come with me.
“Oh, those are the things you like.” Brennan stopped at a booth and bought me candied fruit on a stick, and one of plain fruit for him. “Here you go, Dear.”
“Awww, thank you, Honey.” I kissed him. “Oh, you should let everyone know we’re making dinner.”
Taking a bite of my fruit, the crisp sugar coating cracked, giving way to a ripe strawberry.
“I will.” Brennan texted the group chat. “We’ll get the meat and go home, unless there’s anything else you need? While it’s marinating we’ll see what we need to do to get the test sent off.”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” I replied as I bit into another strawberry.
A genscan on someone from another world. Sure. We’d indulge Spencer. It’s not like it would find anyone anyway.