Page 25 of No Strings Attached (Omega’s Preference #4)
Jamie
I slipped out when I could, rushing off to the store and picking up a few things before returning to the venue.
My heart’s been light all afternoon, a grin plastered on my face that hasn’t faded since Olivia claimed Elias as our Omega in front of the whole crew.
That’s when I knew I had to do something.
There had to be a gesture from me, from Olivia and I to Elias that would mean something more than just…
we love you. My eyes widen at the declaration as I search myself for how I truly feel.
It's not quite love but it’s something dangerously close.
Which is why I had to stop by the nesting store.
I pull the bag from the console and unearth the small white squirrel, an almost replica of the one I saw tapping outside our window every morning.
Elias called her Snow and the way his face lit up when he saw her stuck with me.
I clutch the small, white squirrel plush from the nesting store to my chest, its soft fur brushing my sweater.
I thought about grabbing a picture or a decal for his bedroom, but this is better, something he can hold, something scented with us.
The passenger door opens as Olivia slides in.
“You got Elias a scenting present?” she asks, her brown eyes sparkling, a smile tugging at her lips.
My face heats, and I clutch the plush tighter, glancing around the lot for Elias.
“He’s taking a quick shower,” she says, answering my unspoken question.
“He said the scents from the shoot were bothering him.”
I nod, my cheeks still warm. “I thought he might enjoy it. Like, I don’t know where we’ll spend his heat, but he’s not going to move in right away, so I wanted him to have some of us with him.”
Olivia’s smile widens, her hand brushing my arm. “You’re my favorite Alpha, you know that?” she teases.
I scoff, my grin breaking through. “I better be your only Alpha!” I say, and we both laugh, the sound filling the car.
I’m practically bouncing as I watch Olivia take the small white squirrel plush from my hands.
She brings it to her face, rubbing it along her cheeks, her berry scent sinking into the soft fur.
I already scented it with my citrus, the plush designed to hold an Alpha’s scent for a week, sometimes two, and now it’s a perfect blend of us.
My grin widens, my fingers twitching with excitement, and I snatch it back from her, stuffing it into the bag on my lap.
“You’re really excited,” Olivia muses.
“I’ve wanted this for so long, love,” I say, my voice bright, barely containing my glee. “Someone who fits us exactly as we need it—no awkwardness, no weirdness, no feeling left out.”
She grabs my hand, bringing it to her lips. “I know, baby. It’s been a very long time since we were able to exist in our skin.” She pauses, her eyes crinkling with a smile. “Are you taking us to the little Italian place on South Street?”
I grin, my heart swelling. “I’m going to order him that pasta you like,” I say, then freeze, doubt creeping in. “Wait, what if he doesn’t like pasta? Oh no…”
The back door opens, and Elias slides in, his red hair damp from his shower, our Omega dressed in a plain shirt and jeans that hug his frame just right.
His honeydew rain scent hits me, sweet and heavy with his preheat, and my hackles go up instantly when I see the tension in his green eyes.
“Alpha, I like pasta just fine,” he says, leaning forward to kiss my forehead, his beard brushing my skin, “but can we go?”
“Did something happen?” I grip the steering wheel a little harder than necessary as I start to drive off, worry spiking through me.
Elias snorts and leans back in his seat. “No, but now that everyone knows I’m an Omega, the attention is weird, and I… keep perfuming, and everyone’s reacting. So please?”
The corner table in the little Italian place on South Street is cozier than I remember, the warm glow of string lights overhead casting soft shadows across the checkered tablecloth.
The scent of garlic and tomato sauce fills the air, mingling with my citrus scent and Olivia’s berry, but it’s Elias’s honeydew, sweet and heavy with his preheat, that pulls at me most.
It’s our first outing as a pack, unofficial without the bites but real in every way that matters, and my heart’s so full I can’t stop grinning. I slide the bag with the white squirrel plush across the table to Elias, my fingers brushing the paper. “For you.”
Elias’ eyes light up, and he pulls the plush from the bag.
He brings it to his nose, inhaling deeply, a smile spreading across his bearded face.
“This is perfect,” he rumbles before leaning over and kissing me thoroughly.
My cheeks heat as my citrus scent spikes before he sets the squirrel back in the bag, careful to protect it, like it’s already precious.
We settle back in our seats as the time passes, Elias sharing stories from when he first started adventuring, his voice animated.
It morphs into his younger years, Olivia and I entranced.
“Back when I was like eighteen or so, I was climbing this ridge with my twin brother, Leo. We got stuck halfway up, no gear, just sheer stupidity.”
I lean forward, my fork pausing mid-twirl. “Wait, you have a twin?”
Elias laughs. “Yeah, he looks just like me, but don’t get any ideas,” he teases. “He’s mated, happily, with two kids and another on the way.”
He flips through his phone and pulls up a picture of his family, and slides it across the table. I laugh, my eyes widening when I see Leo, his red hair and beard a mirror of Elias’s, standing next to their Omega father, who’s practically their doppelg?nger. “You all look just like your dad.”
Elias nods, his smile softening. “Yeah, we took after our Omega father, but Joel’s our other dad,” he says. “I mean, they all are, but biologically…”
“Your Beta father’s genes must be really strong to take over for that hunk of a…” I start, my voice trailing off, my grin widening even further.
Olivia’s hand shoots out, wrapping around my mouth, her eyes wide with mock horror. “Babe, Jesus Christ. That’s his dad!”
Elias laughs too as he steals back his phone and starts twirling more pasta onto his fork.
“It’s okay. I’m not worried about anyone stealing my perfect Alpha.
” My citrus scent spikes stronger now, and Elias raises an eyebrow, smirking.
“I’d offer to fuck you when we get home,” he teases, “but I’m not sure I can move after this meal. ”
Olivia slides around the table to Elias, her hand slipping under the table, cupping him through his pants.
His gaze darkens, a grunt escaping his lips, followed by a soft purr of satisfaction that makes my own body heat.
I watch her hand move slowly, in small, calculated strokes as Elias leans into her touch, his own scent thickening. “Yeah, we can go.”