Page 56 of Dream Mates (Into The Parallel Omegaverse #2)

Chapter Thirty-Five

Evan

A s I ate my lunch I updated my wedding-inspo pin boards so that I could send them to potential wedding planners. Earlier, when Grace was on the train for her field trip as she called it, we’d been sending photos back and forth.

Now I was getting pics from Grace of, well, I wasn’t sure exactly what it was. But she was so excited. I texted Wes.

Me

I have no idea what I’m looking at. I mean I sort of understood the super collider stuff, but I don’t even know what this is.

Wes

It’s a modeling program. It could be the basis for what they want to do. Wait, you understand super colliders? I mean I do. But that’s because I bullshitted my way into a class I had no business taking back when I was in university so I could help her with her research.

The idea of Wes fast-talking his way into a class solely to impress his dream girlfriend was fucking adorable. He’d done something similar when we were in the military, only it was him finding reasons to interact with me.

Me

Awww. That's sweet.

Hazards of being friends with Spencer.

Wes

Fair. Hey, you’re going to meet with a wedding coordinator right?

Me

Yes, but I’m going to wait for Grace. If you have more pictures send them to me.

My phone was flooded with hand-drawn sketches, including the one I’d seen of Grace in that fluffy wedding dress.

Wes

Grace and I had lots of plans. She probably has different dress ideas. I’m pretty much open to anything, I just want to make sure that if she still wants some of our old plans that she’s heard.

They had plans. Again, fucking adorable. I created a new pin board and started adding them.

Me

Of course.

Wes

Do you think Spence is going to bond her?

Me

Well, he is courting her.

Wes

I mean on this trip.

Huh. Things had been moving pretty fast between them ever since she got back from the Temporal Authority. But things could move rapidly between an alpha and an omega. I saw it all the time.

Me

Would you be okay if that happens?

Wes

Yeah. He makes her happy.

All I want is for her to be fucking happy.

Me

Same. You know when they do bond they’ll have to have a party, and they won’t be waiting a year until the rose garden is in bloom.

Wes

Why are we waiting a year?

Me

My parents had a May wedding. Also, Bren did buy a venue because I wanted to get married there. It won’t be ready for a while.

But if you and Grace want to reenact your childhood ideas and get married sooner, I’m fine with it.

Wes

It’s up to her.

Shit, Spence will throw some fancy-ass party, won’t he?

Me

Probably.

Actually, I knew of the perfect person to help plan that party. Someone who’d not just get along with Grace, but Mrs. K.

Wes

Well, I’m off to another meeting. Eating lunch? Did I do a good job?

Wes had packed me lunch because Grace wasn’t here. Brennan did so for me yesterday. While I was fine with making my own lunch, I loved someone packing my lunch for me. Wes even had put a little I Love You note in it.

Me

It’s perfect. Thank you.

Taking the note, I put it in the box in my drawer I kept all Grace’s notes in.

It was my happy box and filled with notes from clients, pictures, and things they’d made me.

The box was a reminder of why I did this job.

I hadn’t always wanted to be an advocate.

Really, I’d taken social work and psychology classes because it was one of the more interesting education options the military offered me, and I wasn’t one to turn down free education.

It wasn’t until I awakened as an omega and ended up with a desk job in the family mental health clinic because of my background, that I realized that I wanted to be a social worker–and an advocate.

I’d worked a lot with both, helping to support the families and packs of service members.

So, I’d started taking all the classes I needed, then finished up after I got out of the military and began interning at the Omega Center.

Once I was licensed, I applied for the advocate training program.

Now, here I was. Claire fully supported me wanting to take Blanket Brigade training while keeping my advocate position, and just going on the emergency roster.

I was excited. The training didn’t start until fall, so it wouldn’t interfere with any of our summer plans, and it would end right before the wedding.

Another reason to hire a wedding planner. I would be busy. So would Grace.

Grace. I was still weirded out a little by that guy she met yesterday. Spencer’s failed theory about Grace’s bio-dad being one of the omegas his father resettled was also odd.

Closing my pinboards, I opened our database and looked up Nate Thorne.

Yep, there he was. He’d have to have been young to be Grace’s daddy.

But omegas did have kids in their early twenties.

I couldn’t view everything in his file, but I saw some things.

Wow, he’d met with his advocate for decades.

I scrolled down. Yep, until his advocate retired.

While we kept an eye on our omegas for some time, and they were always welcome to re-engage an advocate, having one continuously for decades was unusual. Huh.

Oh, his file showed that at one point, ages ago, he was flagged as a vulnerable omega . Okay, that could be part of it?

Though there was nothing here that indicated he was a bad person. No, there were lots of little notes about him being sweet or applauding his volunteer efforts tutoring people in chemistry.

Hmmm. Could I tell if he was part of the Omega Protection Program?

Nope. But, really, I shouldn’t be able to tell.

Which was why I had no luck with what Wes had suggested–which was me trying to see if I could identify any of the omegas Spencer’s dad had resettled in an attempt to find a therapist for Grace.

There was also the issue that this was decades ago, and they were probably processed through Centers in Greece, or at least Europe, which made it a little harder.

Sure, I could call in a favor, but how did I even come up with a good explanation?

With a sigh, I went back to working on my case notes from all my client visits this morning. It was Thursday and Riley would be here soon. I got a hit of anxiety from my bond with Grace, followed by sadness.

What was going on? I looked at her location and she was no longer at the university she’d been at, but the one next door.

I texted her.

Me

Are you okay?

Grace

Just hearing a sad story. Love you.

Me

Okay. Love you, too.

Huh. I went back to work but kept getting panic and anxiety from my bond with her.

Carly came in. “Are you okay? You don’t look okay.”

I rubbed the center of my chest. “I think something is wrong with Grace.”

Did Wes feel it? Their bond was stronger, but still kind of fucked. My bond with her wasn’t super strong but was more nuanced.

“You can leave. I’ll cover you.” She opened her lunch box.

“She’s away at a conference.” A huge burst of sorrow and anguish rolled over me enough to make my eyes tear.

Yeah. Something was wrong.

Taking a deep breath, I called her. “You’re not okay. What’s wrong, Peaches?”

She sobbed. “I was having coffee with Creed when his dad walked in. The chemistry professor that people think I look like. It wasn't planned. I had zero interest in meeting him. But it was… intense.”

Oh. Shit. I looked at her location. Briar University. I looked up the professor. Who worked at Briar University.

“Yeah, I could see how that can get weird. I checked him out and he doesn’t seem like a bad person, but you absolutely have no obligation to meet him. This Creed guy wasn’t pushing you to meet him, right?” Maybe I should have Jett run background checks on that entire family.

Yeah. I should. I texted Jett.

Me

Can you background check that Nate Thorne guy’s entire pack, please? Mates and adult children, especially that Creed guy who befriended Grace. Things are getting weird.

Jett

Of course. Love you.

Me

Thank you. Love you, too.

“His alpha yelled at me, grabbed me, and threw me to the ground. But I’m going to find the front of campus and catch a ride to meet Spence and go try bourbon and have a picnic on a farm,” she added while I was texting.

“Did you just say some alpha grabbed you?” Fuck.

“I’m okay. Apparently Creed might actually have a sister my age out there somewhere because his parents were colossal assholes when they formed their pack.

Anyhow, I’m okay. Because they’re not my parents.

Though Creed is really nice. I’ll call you later?

” Her voice still shook, though the panic I’d been getting through the bond had subsided.

“Grace, it’s not okay for someone’s alpha to push you. Where’s Spencer?” I frowned at my phone. Of course, she probably didn’t realize the huge issues at hand here.

“I’m going to go to him now, and I’ll tell him what happened,” she told me.

“Good. Text Wes, too. Please? Hey, Creed might have a sister your age?” I went back into Nate Thorne’s record. Creed was listed as the oldest.

“So, they say. This is a lot.” Her voice broke.

“I know. Go find Spence. Call Wes if you need him. This is what alphas are for, Peaches. I love you.”

“I miss you.” Her voice became small.

I sent her all the love I could through the bond. “I miss you, too. But we’ll see you Saturday.”

“Love you.” She ended the call.

Carly looked startled. “Someone grabbed her?”

“We’re having a really weird situation. Grace doesn’t know her bio-dad, and she ran into someone at a conference who looks like her and has a missing sister.” Which was the absolute truth.

“Maybe she should get a genscan?” Carly took a bite of her sandwich.

“We’re doing that.” Well, Brennan was. He’d had me get her brush yesterday so that he could submit the test because Spencer had asked him to.

All of this was so weird. I trusted Riley’s verdict that his record was real. But we were missing something.

“Where was her alpha?” Carly frowned. “Is she with Wes? She’s not alone, right?”

“She’s with Spencer. He was at a meeting down the street, and she was having coffee with someone.

Grace is also very kind, and I don’t want her to get taken advantage of because she feels a connection to someone because he looks like her.

Here. Do you see it?” I showed Carly the picture of Grace and Creed that she’d sent me yesterday.

“Wow. Grace makes a very pretty dude.” Carly laughed.

“Yeah, especially if you like beanpole alphas,” I agreed. Though I wasn’t drawn to him like I was Grace.

“Oh, congrats on getting accepted to Blanket Brigade training. Claire recommended me, but I think we’re going to try for another baby during my next heat.” She grinned as she finished her sandwich.

Awww. Brennan had told me that Katie was expecting and Lexi and Lana were trying, too. Yeah, give me all the sister-pack babies to stave off baby fever.

“I’m so happy for you.” My phone buzzed. I got a picture of Riley in the lobby.

Riley

Feed me, you doofus.

Me

I’m in the office. I’ll be right there.

I’d finish the case notes later.

A moment later, the door opened, and Riley came in. She plopped down at an empty desk and took out her laptop.

“Hi, Carly. Hold that thought, Evan. I have to cut a bitch.” Riley started typing.

“Do I want to know? Don’t do anything illegal on a government server please?” I might as well try to finish my notes.

“What am I, an amateur?” Riley rolled her eyes, gum popping. “Grace called and asked for my help. I’m just hacking the footage from the cafe where that alpha dickhead laid hands on Grace so that she can file a report with campus police.”

“That is a good idea,” Carly told her. One of her mates was a government hacker and he, Wes, and Riley had epic conversations sometimes.

As Riley worked, I finished my notes, and Carly ate her lunch and texted her mates.

Finally, Riley put away her laptop and stood. “Mission accomplished. Feed me.”

“I think your valiant efforts also deserve ice cream.” I packed up my stuff.

Riley grinned. “Sounds good to me.”