Page 15

Chapter 15

Ava

I’m absolutely terrified.

The last several days have been better than I feared. Cary’s been my handler every step of the way. I’ve done my various tests, been registered, all of it.

Now, I’m being put into a dress and dolled up for the Omega presentation, and I kind of want to throw up.

Cary watches as I’m laced into the corset of the dress.

“You have such beautiful natural curves,” the Beta in charge of wardrobe tells me. “We want to use the corset to emphasize them and draw attention to them.”

“If a single person says anything about child-bearing hips,” I mutter, “I’m going to start biting.”

Cary just laughs. She’s taken every bit of my grumpiness in stride. Not like she’s dismissing me. More like she understands.

That’s the one thing reassuring me. That, and the moments when I imagine I can smell the four men I left behind. Nothing soothes me like their scents did, and although imagining it isn’t really the same thing at all, it’s all that I’ve got—and that’s better than nothing.

I take a deep breath, close my eyes, and let the memory of those scents soothe me once again.

“There,” the woman lacing me up says, breaking my concentration. “You’re all set.”

“You look beautiful,” Cary tells me.

I open my eyes and look into the mirror. “Thank you.”

“We were right to go with the sweetheart neckline and bare shoulders. Your hair really deserves to be shown off.”

The dress I’m wearing is several shades of blue, the layers of tulle underneath a shining midnight and then going lighter and lighter until the top layers are a soft baby blue. The corset top is baby blue satin, but luckily they listened to me when I begged them to keep it simple.

With my arms and shoulders exposed, they curled my hair and are letting it fall around me, except for braiding and pinning back some strands around the crown of my head so that nothing gets in my face.

I have to admit, looking at myself in the mirror… I do look pretty. I like how I look.

Cary puts her hands on my shoulders and smiles, meeting my eyes in the mirror. “Take deep breaths. You look beautiful. And you scored well on the tests. There are going to be a lot of prominent Alpha packs who will be dying to meet you.”

I swallow. Maybe those words would make other Omegas preen, but I don’t care if I’m extra fertile, or have good genetics. I don’t care how ‘desirable’ I am.

“I can still say no to all of them if I want to, right?” I ask.

Cary squeezes my shoulders and nods. “Yes. And I’ll be in the room if you ever need me, keeping an eye on things. No Alpha is going to just steal you away.”

I take deep breaths, as she told me. There are security guards. Cary and the other handlers are here too. Nobody’s going to just steal me and take away my freedom. This is my choice.

I hope.

The event is taking place in the ballroom at the nicest hotel in the city, the kind of hotel that’s been around for a hundred years and still has all the décor from the Gilded Age, everything gold and shining, not a single detail overlooked.

I’m not the only Omega here at the event, but I’m the last. I take my place in line, listening to the other Omegas laugh and talk amongst themselves.

Judging by their looks, they’re all a few years younger than I am. Some are out of college, some look like they’re only nineteen, but they’ve probably known who they were since they were in high school.

They all seem excited. Not nervous, like I am.

“Allison!” one of the handlers calls, and the Omega in question goes up the steps and walks down the runway to reach the podium at the end, giving the Alphas in the room a good look at her.

The walls hide the room from me. I have no idea who’s out there, can’t get any kind of sneak peek at what kind of men might be bidding on me.

My heart races as one by one, each Omega is called up for her turn. Each Omega says a little something about themselves and what they’re looking for in a relationship when they get to the end.

The ORD handler assigned to them sometimes says something too, and then each Omega ends with a reminder from the ORD that there is also a brochure about each Omega that the Alphas can peruse.

I’m guessing that’s where they put the less-flattering information like, “impatient,” or “doesn’t like to do the dishes,” or, in my case, “will put up a fight and possibly bite your ear off if you try any shenanigans.”

Finally, it’s my turn.

I take a deep breath and walk up the steps as my name is called. The bright lights blind me at first and I have to blink and walk carefully so I don’t fall and embarrass myself.

Once my eyes adjust, I still can’t see past the lights to who might be in the crowd watching me. I get to the end of the podium, and turn in a slow circle so that everyone can get a good look at me.

“Ava here is one of our most special Omegas,” Cary says, speaking on my behalf. “She’s amazing with animals and would like to have children someday, but isn’t in a rush. I will say, gentlemen, that while Ava is sweet and kind, this is not an Omega who is going to stay home and do the housekeeping. She’s got dreams and aspirations of her own, and she values her independence.”

My nerves calm a little at hearing Cary speak up for me, letting the Alphas know what they’re in for.

“I’d warn against bidding on her if you’re in it to tame her spirit or if you want a stay-at-home Omega. But for the Alpha who can appreciate her personality and will give her the support and comfort she deserves, you won’t find a more loyal or sweet mate than Ava.”

I still can’t see anyone’s faces, but I can feel the attitude in the room, and as I stand there and show myself off, I feel… admiration. I don’t feel awkward. I toss a bit of my long dark hair behind my shoulder, and I feel as if I can hear the Alphas thinking she looks beautiful .

I have to admit, it is kind of fun. Intoxicating, even. To know that people think I’m desirable.

But then—the Alphas in here might not be the kind I want. The kind I need. I swallow my hopes back down and turn one last time before heading back down the walkway.

Cary meets me when I get back down, taking my hands so I don’t fall over as I adjust back to the regular lighting. “You did wonderfully.”

“Now what happens?”

“Now,” she says, leading me to a chair, “the Alphas will put in their bids for the different Omegas they want to meet. Then the Alphas and the Omegas get to mingle so you get a glimpse of each other’s personalities for yourself.”

“Wouldn’t you want to put a bid in after that happens?”

“An Alpha can always put a bid in for an Omega after meeting one, if they didn’t put a bid in for that Omega originally. But attraction is important. Scent is very important. Every Alpha got a bit of your scent and got to see what you look like, and that’s a strong start. You want to be attracted to your mates and for your scents to be compatible.”

I nod. “What about if I don’t like how they look or how they smell?”

“Then you’ll tell me. I want you to actually put in the effort, Ava.” Cary’s voice gets a little stern with me. “I don’t want you to just dismiss everyone out of hand. There are some lovely Alphas out there who have the potential to make you happy. I don’t want you to dismiss them before giving it real thought.”

I take a deep breath and blow it out slowly. I don’t want to be dismissed for being an Omega. It’s unfair of me to dismiss everyone just for being an Alpha. “Okay.”

Cary smiles. “Great. Now go and mingle. At the end of it, we’ll go over the Alphas who’ve put in a bid for you. You can reject any of the ones you don’t want, all right? You can stay with us in the facility until you find Alphas you’re comfortable having court you.”

I try to believe her, but I can’t quite shake the nerves as I step out into the ballroom again. This time, it’s through a side door, and I can hear the voices of everyone chatting with each other like a hum of bees.

The moment I enter the room, though, conversation stops around me.

Everyone’s staring at me.

You can do this , I tell myself. It’ll be okay. Cary won’t let anything happen to me.

“Hi, Ava.” A man walks up to me with dark skin and a wide smile. “I’m Jason. My pack and I put in a bid for you, we’re hoping you’d like to chat with us?”

I nod and let him take my hand to lead me to two other men. They all have a spicy undertone to their scent, one with sweetness mixed in like jalapenos, another making me want to sneeze with how intense it is. Jason is sweet and friendly, and I don’t feel unsafe at all with the three men, but I don’t feel drawn to their scent either.

After Jason and his two other Alphas in his pack, I’m introduced to Blake, a lone Alpha who’s looking for an Omega. Blake is funny, and makes me laugh, but he doesn’t feel grounded in the way that I want, and I can’t always tell when he’s being serious.

Also, his scent makes my nose itch. I’m just not a fan of sandalwood.

Cary’s there throughout, appearing when she can sense I’m not feeling it and guiding me to the next group, or bringing a new Alpha to me. I have to admit I do feel desired, and pretty, with Alphas complimenting me. I could be crazy, but it feels like there are more Alphas coming to me than to the other Omegas.

“Ava.” Cary gently touches my elbow, distracting me from my conversation with a five-Alpha pack. Their scents are all wildly different, it’s hard for my nose. I feel a bit dizzy and confused. “I’d like to you meet Dante and his pack.”

My jaw drops open.

All four men are there, in sleek suits. Caleb’s is a sleek charcoal gray, while Ethan is wearing a striking blue suit, clearly wanting to light up the room and charm everyone. Dante’s and Garrett’s are both dark, almost black, well-tailored and sophisticated.

Their scents make my knees want to buckle.

“You’re here,” I blurt out. “You put a bid in on me.”

“As if we were going to pass up the chance.” Ethan grins at me and then winks at Cary, who might be happily bonded but still blushes. I don’t blame her.

Dante takes my hand, his thumb gently rubbing back and forth over my knuckles. “You look breathtaking.”

Garrett glowers at some other Alphas who are looking our way. I have to bite back a laugh.

“How are you?” Caleb asks. “Are you doing okay? Are they taking care of you?”

“They are,” I promise him. “Cary here has been looking out for me.”

My breath catches in my throat as Dante raises my hand up to kiss my knuckles. “Good,” he murmurs.

Unlike the other Alpha packs, I already know these men, so I’m not sure what to say to make conversation. But my body thrills with excitement, knowing they’re here to try to court me.

“I’m glad you’re here,” I admit. I don’t want them to think they did all this for nothing.

“Good.” Dante finally lets go of my hand. I flex my fingers, my skin feeling cold now that he’s no longer touching me. He’s still looking into my eyes, like he can’t look away. I feel caught, but for once, I don’t mind it.

“I love what they did with your hair,” Caleb adds. He steps in close, his fingers sliding through the strands as he picks up a lock of my hair and twirls it around his finger.

So close to them, their scents intensify and I feel like I’m going to swoon, in a good way, not in a panicked way.

“You sure the dress isn’t too much?” I ask. “I asked them to keep it simple, but they still wanted to go the ballgown route.”

“You’re stunning,” Ethan tells me. “The belle of the ball.”

“Maybe don’t say that so loudly the other Omegas hear you?” I laugh. I don’t want anyone else to feel insulted.

“Let them,” Garrett says, sounding a bit smug. I blush harder.

“You know that if anything’s wrong you can tell us, right?” Dante murmurs, stepping in a little closer so that he can talk to me without Cary overhearing. The other three are around me too, blocking anyone else from seeing me, keeping me in a little bubble.

I should probably feel caged, but I don’t. I feel the opposite. I feel shielded. Safe.

“Perhaps we should finish meeting the other Alphas?” Cary says politely, cutting in.

Garrett’s already staring at the others in the room like he’s going to eat them for breakfast. I don’t want to leave them. Even though we haven’t said much, just being in their presence calms me down.

But Cary’s right. I need to give the other Alphas a fair shot. Even if I already suspect that I know who I want to court me.

The very fact that they’re here for me has my stomach erupting with the kind of butterflies I thought were just fake, the ones that I thought weren’t actually ever going to happen to me. I feel like I’m in high school again, and the football captain that everyone had a crush on just asked me to prom.

“I really should go and finish meeting everyone,” I say. I try to sound firm, but my voice comes out far too soft instead. Perhaps even longing. “I have to be fair to everybody.”

The men all exchange a look of reluctance, but take steps back away from me. Cary takes me by the elbow and gently leads me away.

I can feel the men’s eyes on me as I leave them, and it kindles the warmth in my chest again. I know that they care about me and that they want me. If I had doubts that they’d stick with me after I was taken to the ORD facility, those are gone now.

It seems like this pack really wants a chance with me. Do I want to give it to them?

Cary leads me through the crowd to speak to a few other Alpha packs before our time is up. I notice that while some Alphas I’ve spoken to are also speaking to other Omegas, a few aren’t. They talk to me and then they leave.

Was more than one pack really only interested in me? I’m not sure how I feel about that, if I’m flattered or if it just makes me more nervous.

But at the end of the party, I’m not sure it really matters, because there’s only one pack I care about. And they came specifically to see me. Not because they liked Cary’s spiel or because they think I’m beautiful, or even because they like my scent, but because they know me.

I try to give the other Alphas a chance. At the end of it, Cary gives me a list so that I can flip through the Alphas and remind myself of the people I met. But when I close my eyes and try to picture any of them, I either don’t remember at all, or I immediately wrinkle my nose at the unpleasant scent memory.

None of the Alphas affected me the way Dante’s pack does.

Cary and the other ORD representatives shuffle the Alphas out, and the room is quiet as the various Omegas are given chairs. We sit down and review the Alphas we spoke with, to mark whoever we would like to actually try courting.

I scan every entry and try to be fair. I ask myself, what about finances? What about professions? What do they think about kids? How would they feel if I had a demanding career outside of the home?

I want to run my own animal shelter someday, and I know that won’t happen right away, but whether I’m an employee or the manager or the owner, I’m going to have to put in a lot of hours to take care of these animals. I need an Alpha pack who would be okay with that. And I need Alphas who will be able to provide for me financially, and feel happy in their careers.

But even as I ask myself these questions and try to be objective, my mind keeps flitting back to Dante and his pack.

They smell so good. They’ve already proven they can and want to take care of me. They sought me out after I was taken from them. I’m still sure that they would’ve physically fought the ORD agents who came to their doorstep for me if I hadn’t said something and chosen to go without a fight.

My heart is set on them.

I tell myself that it’s for practical reasons as well. They’re certainly financially stable, confident, established. I trust them, seeing as they had me alone in their home and never took advantage of me. I like them, I like their personalities.

They also happen to drive me insane with desire, making my body hum with a kind of arousal I didn’t even know I could feel before I met them.

I’m not making this choice because it’s practical or logical. I’m making it because it’s what I want. Full stop.

Cary walks over to me. “Have you made a decision?”

She sounds a little knowing, like she already suspects what I’m going to say. “Do you know about how I got to the facility?”

She nods. “Yes. And I know that’s who those Alphas were. I want you to know, I checked them out. I couldn’t stop them from applying for you, of course. But I wanted to make sure they hadn’t been holding you hostage in any way.”

She really is looking out for me. “I appreciate it. But they really were keeping me safe. I didn’t know what to do after what happened at the club. I’m sure I’d be a lot worse off if it wasn’t for them.”

“And you want them to court you?” Cary asks. She’s not quite smiling, but she has a gleam in her eye that suggests she’s amused.

I nod. “I want to accept their bid.”

Cary smiles and takes the brochure from me. “All right then. I’m going to save this, in case the courting doesn’t work out, we can look at this again and find another pack to try. All right?”

I nod again. As Cary walks away, I know that I’m about to change my life forever.

Part of me is terrified. This is still the thing that I knew for years I didn’t want, the thing that I was scared of because it could take away everything I wanted to do with my life.

But the other part of me is thrilled. Excited. I want to see the men again, to be surrounded by their scents and to feel the comfort and safety they gave me.

I feel like I’m sitting on a rollercoaster that’s about to take off, my stomach mixing with fear and exhilaration in equal measure.

Am I really ready to make this permanent? I ask myself. It’s one thing to be drawn to someone. It’s another to bond with them forever.

But I guess there’s only one way to find out.