Page 23 of Loving My Omega (The Perfect Designation Trilogy #2)

Chapter

Twenty-Three

T he adrenaline, terror, and fury that had filled me evaporated and I stumbled back against the kitchen counter. My hand grabbed for the edge but slipped. Tipping, I started to go down when I felt Colton wrap his arms around me.

“I got you.”

Smiling, I held onto him and kissed his hair. “Sorry. I probably should have sent you into the bedroom.”

He shook his head. “Your power is intense, but not overwhelming. At least not for me. I felt…safe. It wasn’t directed at me and while I might not understand how big of a deal this is, I know you’re doing everything to protect me. I just wish it didn’t pit you against your own family.”

I shook my head as he helped me to the couch. “It’s not pitting me against them. The issue is both protecting you and protecting them.”

“Knowledge is power?”

I smiled and pulled Colton into me. "Knowledge can also be extracted. Not telling my family means they are safer because they will never know. The reason why my dad agreed is because he would do anything for me, but also for his mate. If Mom knew, it might put her in danger. So he agreed.”

“Is it really that bed?”

I took a deep breath. “Straddle me, little Omega. I need you close for this conversation.” Without a moments of hesitation, Colton sat in my lap. I grabbed his hips and pulled him closer to my chest. My hands roamed his back before I slipped my hands under his shirt. Next, I explored his front before setting on our hatchling. His hands brushed my shoulders before they splayed out on my chest.

“Do you know when the last Omega-10 there was?”

He shook his head.

“His name was Rafael Spritus Domingo. He was a dragon who lived over three thousand years ago. That is who your father is, Colton.”

His eyes widened. “So, how did they…? Did they kept his seed and use it? That’s both gross and impressive. How could they even do that if he lived literally three thousand years ago. We just got the technology to save sperm and eggs…a century ago at most…not a millennium.”

“Magic, Colton. There was very strong magic back then. I don’t know how, but I couldn’t imagine very many samples survived, if any outside the one your pack managed to get ahold of.” I smiled, brushed away a few hairs from his face. “Though, it does explain why you didn’t have any issues standing up to your Alpha or your father. You’re a higher level than them, even if you are an Omega.”

“And you?”

Chuckling, I shrugged. “You are affected by me. The night at the club proves that. But I’d need to probably push as much of my pheromones on you as I did on my dad just now. That’s why I had you stand back. It wouldn’t be a level issue between us. It would be Alpha to Omega related. Which…” I closed my eyes for a moment to rest them. “…is actually nice. We basically are on equal footing. That’s probably the positive of it. I never thought I would have that.”

Colton frowned for a moment. “The way you and your dad reacted…is it really that bad?”

“It’s not bad . It just puts you in a lot of danger. I’d like to say that the Dragons worshiped and revered Domingo once they realized what he was. He was our salvation in a time where dragons shifters were going extinct. However, at a certain point, that mentality wore off and it devolved into much like how your kind treats Omegas now.”

His eyes widened. “Breed him dry?”

I nodded. “He was passed around territories, birthing dragon after dragon. When the fear of too much inbreeding , he’d be traded off to another. It also was believed that he was the one who had to be pregnant in order to birth more Omegas. Apparently, the females they did use never birthed Omegas but there isn’t any data left, even in the archives, to know if that was just a coincidence or there was another reason. So why someone kept his semen and with magic that would have it preserved enough to work…” My words trailed off as my thoughts ran in a million directions.

“Marcus.”

I peeled my eyes open and caught Colton’s eyes as I hummed.

“So, this is history. I’m fascinated by it and I want to know more, but I need the now . Why are you so freaked out? I already knew as an Omega I was going to be bred and abused. Which race I come from doesn’t really matter.”

Growling, I cut him off. “Dragons are ashamed of that time period, Colt. It’s a dark age and while our numbers grew, we have always regretted how it was done. It’s why we are so insistent on making sure our Omegas are safe, loved, cared for, and more importantly, have the freedom to choose and do what they want.”

“But I’m a level ten. That would entice anyone, is that what you’re saying?”

I closed my eyes and nodded. “You being able to produce other Omegas, when there is not a single leadership Omega left that can produce more Omegas, would make people lose their sense of morality. Yes, absolutely, it would entice any shifter. You are the only shifter in the world now who can down actually produce Omegas, Colt.”

Colton stared down at my chest, taking in everything I was saying. He was at least taking it better than I was. Though, he’d lived his life knowing how grounders would treat him if he were caught. This wasn’t that much of a difference except it was. I just don’t think he could comprehend that with the limited information. At the very least, he caught on to how serious I was being.

“Did Domingo never mate? I know we don’t have fated mates, but he could have mated. Wouldn’t that have stopped all that from happening? For us, being marked and mated binds us to that Alpha. We can’t get pregnant by any other person.”

Reaching up, I pushed his hair back off his shoulders. “I don’t know about back then. Now, how we as dragons are raised, the relationship between an Alpha and Omega are beyond special. It’s why Alphas request to court and defer to the Omega, having it be their choice.”

The pressure from his hands against my chest increased for a moment before settling back. He was thinking, his eyes reading information that wasn’t in front of him. I ran my hands up and down his sides, happy to have him here to ground me.

“So…wouldn’t us mating fix it? At least when it comes to me being used?”

He was right. It was what I had been thinking as well. Except, I didn’t want him to choose to mate me simply because it was survival now. Suddenly there were stakes and mating me was a way to help. I didn’t want that for either of us. I love this little wolf but he needed to be sure that he loved me enough to be with me for my lifetime.

“Yes and no. Yes, it would stop anyone else from impregnating you. The fact that this process can work through insemination is…new. Especially since, it was his seed not his egg. Before there was never an Omega born from his seed and you still somehow managed to be there first there too.”

Colton’s hands bunched up my shirt. “Even if I had good intentions, like Domingo had back then. If I donated my eggs or sperm to help the Alpha and Omega population, with the current mindset, my children would most likely be slaves. Just like every other Omega now.”

I wanted to tell him he was wrong. That the increase in population of Omegas would mean the auction house would close. There would be no need for it anymore. But I couldn’t. The likelihood that, while he didn’t directly birth them, those children would either be sold or snatched up by power hungry Alphas was high. Swallowing hard, I brushed his cheek as a couple tears fell.

“No good deed goes unpunished?” He whispered low.

Sighing, I nodded. “I wish I could promise the world would change. That you would bring about that change, but I can’t promise it would. I worry that it would break you if the world just kept going the way it has or even getting worse after putting yourself out there.”

“Because those would be my children…whether or not I gave birth to them…”

I nodded again. “I want to protect you and keep you safe. If you decide to put yourself into the world, I will be by your side. I want you to know that. This is your decision. What I did with Dad was so you had time to think about it.”

“But if I come out as an Omega…I lose all my dreams, including the one with a mate and a family. I’d lose it all. If my pack snatched me tomorrow, it would…”

Rubbing his arms, I pulled him into a hug letting his weight fall against me. “Nothing will happen to you, Colt. I give you my word. I will protect you.”

He chuckled absently. “How are we supposed to go out on dates with me hiding everything? I mean, I’m small enough now to hide under a couple layers of coats but with how you’re feeding me, that won’t be very long.”

Throwing my head back and laughing, I kissed his lips lightly. “Damn right. I’m going fatten you up.”

He whined and I knew it was because he thought I wasn’t taking it seriously. He was so cute though I couldn’t help myself. Plus, it made me feel good that he was worried about me taking too good care of him.

“Courting is also not necessarily about going on dates. It’s about getting to know one another. Seeing if we fit. If we can love each other. It helps up decide if we want to be with that person for the rest of their lives.”

“And we happened to be thrown together and living together for a week or so. That normally doesn’t happen. We get to have a crash course in each other.” Colton brushed my cheek with his.

“All you’re doing is reminding me to shave.”

He laughed and laid kisses along my jaw. “I think most people would have run for the hills. I’m so complicated and the world will be out to get me, not just my old pack. I’m too complicated. No plane could carry how much baggage I have.”

I hummed before smiling and nipping his bottom lip. “Oh Colt, your situation doesn’t scare me. I told you all that you bring to my life. A little extra excitement doesn’t matter. Plus, I don’t mind moving out onto a farm.”

Colton smirked. “Having lots of pups?”

My smile widened and I wiggled my eyebrow up and down. “Loads and loads of hatchlings and pups. I want to raise a horde. You’ll have to accept that. We would have three hundred years of making our own horde. As busy as you will be as a professor, I’m going to ensure that any time in between would have you like this.”

My hands splayed over his bump. “A little girl. Our little girl. She is going to be a dragon too.”

“Why does it feel so much more real now?” He was quiet as he looked down at my hands.

“Now that we know the gender?”

He nodded. “I just…they…she has always just bean or pup. Now though…she is more than that.”

I smiled and I watched his face, seeing the acceptance wash over him. Not just that but a look of love that I wish I could have taken a picture of. It was so peaceful and beautiful. My heart felt so full that I thought it was going to burst.

Colton looked up at me and reached out, kissing me. “I never thought I would thank the Alpha that fucked me that night only to wind up pregnant but thank you.”

Chuckling, I shook my head. “You make it sound like I did something bad.”

“You didn’t? Throwing your pheromones around like that.”

“Oh? Who started it? Little Omega, dancing for all the humans. Perfuming for them. You think any shifter could ignore that?”

He laughed and curled up against my chest. “This is really hard to wrap my head around.”

“I know, Colt. We will figure it out. What it means for you, us, and our hatchlings.” I chuckled again. “At least the first one is a hatchling.”

“Of course. Do you see how big I am? With my side and how far along I am? Some females don’t show until much later! I’m already disproportionate.”

Nuzzling the side of his head, I shook mine. “You are just right, Colt. She is growing just fine. It’s you that needs to eat more.”

Huffing and shaking his head, Colton let out a long sigh. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the feeling of his weight on me. This would be something I could definitely get used to. All of this. These small moments were something I didn’t realize I was missing. Now that I had them though, I was addicted. Happily and completely.