Page 8 of Happy Birthday, Omega

April’s head snaps back and squeezes her eyes shut as a shout of ecstasy rips from her throat. Her panties flood, and she knows she’s soaked his pants. Her hips give a desperate thrust, seeking more of that delicious pressure where she needs him most.

With a frustrated groan, Bryce pulls his thigh away, his body retreating cruelly. She immediately misses his warmth.

“That’s our cue to stop,” he whispers against her mouth, planting one last peck against her swollen lips.

She whimpers and tries to kiss him again, but he resolutely holds her shoulders down and presses his forehead to hers. He releases a shuddering breath, like he’s hanging onto his control by a thread.

“You’re so responsive, Omega.” His voice is husky and deep with passion.

“Don’t stop,” she whispers, afraid to break the heady moment they’ve weaved on the clifftop.

“Mmm,” he says through a groan, his lips pressing a kiss to her sweaty forehead. “We have to. You’re not mine to fuck just yet.”

April hiccups at his possessive tone, and her hips buck uselessly on instinct. Seeking his touch.

A distant echo comes from below, at the base of the cliff.

“Omega,” her chaperone shouts with panic. She must have finally pulled herself together enough to hike from the car.

Bryce helps April abseil down the side of the cliff and she barely even registers that the activity should frighten her. Her mind is consumed with Bryce and her body is still buzzing. Her lips tingle and her pussy flutters each time she looks at him. When he places a hand on her back to help steady her descent, her footing slips in response. Bryce chuckles quietly with a knowing grin.

As they hike back to the car, her legs tremble uncontrollably, not from exertion, but from desire.

Later, in the safety of her dorm, she comes to a firm decision.

Bryce is her Alpha.

8

It’samonthlaterwhen April Howard receives a card.

It’s slipped under her door as she’s taking her morning shower. The moment she spots the familiar-looking envelope, she’s overcome with a wave of anticipation. She wraps a towel around her body and sits on her bed with a lightness in her chest.

Good Morning, Omega. I want to see you. Do you want to see me?

For the first time, there’s a return address written below the message. It’s a house in the old, wealthy part of town.

It’s unexpected.

To be honest, she has been so preoccupied with her growing relationship with Bryce and going on mandatory dates with other Alphas that she hasn’t thought of her secret admirer in a while.

She gazes at the card, running her thumb and forefinger over the paper’s texture. The person who has always remembered her birthday and validated her as an Omega has requested a meeting. She nibbles on her lower lip anxiously.

For years, this enigmatic individual has been the only steady positive presence in her life. When everything else seemed false and delicate, she could always count on a card arriving on her birthday. It was such a small gesture, yet she now recognizes how much she has come to rely on it. Someone out there cared when nobody else did.

And she cared about them, too.

She looks at the address again and decides.

Quickly scribbling a response at the bottom of the card, she bounces around the room while pulling on her boots. Catching sight of herself in the mirror, her eyes gleam and twinkle with optimism. It’s a big risk meeting this person. She could lose the one thing in her life that has been a constant joy. Her anchor. She takes a deep breath, steeling herself to be brave.

April leaves the academy halls without a chaperone for the first time. She waits until one of her classmates goes for her daily run, and slips past a guard who can’t tear his eyes away from the jogging Omega. She enters the waiting black taxi with a baseball cap pulled low over her eyes.

As the car weaves its way through the streets towards the stately homes in the nice part of town. She clutches the card tight to her chest, periodically letting it go to rub her sweaty hands on her skirt. Her blood pumps in her ears.

Pulling up outside an enormous manor, she pays the taxi driver with the money she’s saved from her measly Omega allowance. He casts concerned glances in his rearview mirror as he drives off. An unmated Omega traveling alone is an uncommon occurrence, but she told him this was her home so he wouldn’t ask questions.

April stands at the top of a tree-lined driveway amidst swirling dried leaves, stirred by a gentle breeze. The road descends, winding through manicured lawns, ultimately leading to the entrance of an imposing stately manor. Each time she looks, the house only seems to get bigger, like an Alpha puffing up their chest.