Page 11

NIRO

T horne, Kris and I were just finishing up our ice cream desserts out on their back deck. The sky had turned pale lavender and pink at the hilly horizon. It was a great view for watching sunsets.

Thorne was laughing as Kris pointed at, and correctly identified, every bird that flew overhead to their sleep trees. He’d become interested in birding in the past year, and Thorne joined him wherever he wanted to go to birdwatch.

I relaxed against soft pillows on a comfortable lounge chair, breathing in the fresh air and trying to convince myself this thing that had happened at Zilly’s would fade and all my worries would be wasted energy.

Without warning, a sharp pain shot across my forehead and through my brain.

For a split-second, everything went white.

I dropped my bowl of ice cream upside-down and into a cold half-melted puddle on my chest. I must’ve gasped aloud, because as soon as I opened my eyes, Kris and Thorne were at my side looking down at me.

“Niro, hey, brother.” Thorne had his hand on my arm and was lightly shaking it. “You okay?”

I gasped again, my free hand reaching automatically to the ice cream dish. Kris took it away and scooped up the mess with a white towel he must have had stashed close by.

“Niro?” Thorne prompted.

My mind was a blur. After everything went white, I heard voices as if they were coming from down a long hall.

Cambry stood with his back to me, frantically speaking.

Someone else was in his arms. I looked down to see who it was and saw the most beautiful, petite Omega lying against him, eyes closed, waves of golden hair framing a heart-shaped face.

“Angell.” Cambry said the name over and over.

I sat up, grabbing the towel from Kris and holding it tight to my chest. “Something’s wrong.”

Thorne’s left eyebrow rose.

“Something’s wrong with that Omega. Cambry. It felt like a knife went through my head. The bond just opened up wide and—and there’s another. I felt him, too. He was in Cambry’s arms and wasn’t moving.”

Kris’s mouth opened in awe. “You have a bond with two Omegas?”

Well, that was quite a revelation. “I don’t know?”

The echoes of that sharp pain in my head slowly ebbed. I threw my legs over the edge of the lounge chair and stood, wobbling. “I have to do something. I have to go there. Or call. Or something. I have to find out. I think it’s bad.”

“Find out what?”

“If they’re both okay.”

Thorne got up. “I can drive you to Zilly’s.”

“I have my own car.” I dug out my phone. “Shouldn’t I call first?”

They both nodded. “Can you still feel anything?”

“Just residual pain.”

I brought up the number for Zilly’s and the phone rang. It wasn’t too late which meant I didn’t have to wait for someone to pick up. Fooled again.

“It’s a fucking machine,” I said.

Thorne shook his head. “It’s a pretty huge establishment. Very popular.”

Welcome to Zilly’s! We are pleased to take your call!

To better route you to your needs, please listen to the entire menu and choose the right selection for you.

If you are calling to make an appointment for the Mating Hall, press 2.

If you are calling to cancel a Mating Hall appointment, press 3.

If you are calling for a specific Omega or would like to make an appointment to meet or date him, press 4.

“This is taking forever,” I grumbled.

If you are calling about investment opportunities, press 5.

If you are calling to make a complaint or have an issue that needs to be solved concerning our establishment, press 6.

That sounded about right. Before listening to the rest, I tapped 6.

Another recording came on.

If you have a complaint, please go to our website where you can find the form necessary to do so. Otherwise, stay on this line for one of our assistants.

There was about five seconds of dead air until I heard a real person’s voice.

“Thank you for calling Zilly’s. How may I help you?”

“I—I—” A dry lump stopped my words.

“Are you a customer? May I have your name, please?”

“Niro. I am calling because I think I made a spontaneous bond with one of your Omegas. I just felt something. Something terrible. Like pain. I need to know if he’s okay.”

“Ah, okay. I understand. May I have the Omega’s name, please?”

“Cambry.”

“Hold, please.” Canned symphony music began to play.

I looked up at Thorne and Kris, whose worried gazes had never left me. “I’m on hold.”

Throne rolled his eyes.

The minutes ticked by.

“I should be on my way there while I’m waiting.”

“I’ll go with you,” Thorne insisted.

Kris’s eyes went wide. “I—I’ll stay here and clear up the dishes. But call me as soon as you know.”

Thorne put his arm around Kris’s shoulders and kissed him hard.

We ran through the house and out the front door. Thorne’s truck was beside my car. He ran to it. “I’ll drive, okay? You can stay on the phone.”

It sounded logical, so I jumped in the passenger seat, and we were off.

I held the phone on speaker as Thorne drove down the highway, speeding just a bit.

When the voice returned, it stated very matter-of-factly.

“Are you still there?”

“Yes.”

“I have checked with Cambry’s house dad for the evening. He is unharmed. If you would like to understand the bond and the pain you are feeling further, I would suggest making an appointment to meet Cambry. I can transfer you to the appointment attendant.”

“What about his friend?”

The Omega on the line stuttered, then said, “What?”

“Angell. His friend. The one he, um—” I stopped, not wanting to give away what I thought might be more than a friendship between them. If they had a bond, and it seemed they did, it would be taboo. The consequences could be severe.

“Are you inquiring into the Omega Angell?”

“Yes. Please check on him. I know something is wrong. I don’t need an appointment. I’m on my way there now.”

“You’re en route to the farm?”

“Yes.”

“I need to contact the appointment attendant and let him know. Hold, please.” More canned music.

I turned in my seat to face Thorne. “This is ridiculous.”

“I know. But we’ll find out what happened soon.” Thorne reached out and patted my forearm.

“Thanks for driving.”

“Happy to help.”

“I don’t know why I’m panicking. I only met Cambry for one afternoon. I don’t know either of these Omegas at all, really. But I am compelled to be sure they are safe.”

“A bond is funny thing. It opens onto senses we’ve barely explored—if it’s your first time it can be a little overwhelming.”

“A lot overwhelming. I really thought it would fade, but now after this….”

Finally, the line opened again. “Hello, Mr. Niro?”

“Yes. I’m still here.”

“When you arrive, you’ll go into the receiving lobby. An escort will take you to Warden Chirl’s office.”

“Thank you.”

“Is there anything else I can help you with?”

“That’s all. We’ll be there in about fifteen minutes.”

The phone clicked off.

“Warden? That sounds ominous,” Thorne said.

“That’s the title they’ve given him. I’ve never met him.”

Thorne let out a long sigh that ended in a hiss. “I can’t imagine Kris being brought up in one of those places. It was bad enough the way his father treated him, locking him away like that.”

“Now you’re making me feel guilty for using their facilities.”

“What? Alphas aren’t supposed to feel guilt.”

I scoffed. The truth was, I did feel guilt.

But Burns were a reality of life, and the farms existed to make that reality easier.

For us Alphas. It wasn’t fair but I didn’t ask for it.

I consoled myself by remembering our ancient history, when Alphas fought each other to the death to possess an Omega.

Back then, Omegas had no rights. At least in our current society, some had their rights.

They still had to have Alphas in charge of them, but they could be educated, have jobs, raise children including Omega children should they choose to keep them.

Some Omegas had loving families that gave them every privilege.

Maybe a day would come when all Omegas had the privilege of choice in their lives, with futures that didn’t require an Alpha over-presence.

As we got closer to the farm, my restlessness increased.

The pain in my head had dissipated, but the urgency grew stronger.

I needed go to this Omega named Angell. I needed to see Cambry.

My hands clenched to fists as if preparing to break through some unseen barrier.

My mind dangled between a weakening self-control and all out panic.

Why? I didn’t really know either of these Omegas.

The image of Angell in Cambry’s arms wouldn’t fade. My heartrate kicked up. Was he dead? No. He didn’t “feel” dead. The bond told me that much. But there was a strange emptiness there. And worry from Cambry.

I needed to go to them now.

“Can’t you drive any faster?” I growled.

Thorne glanced at me. “Hold on, little brother, we’ll get there.”

When we pulled into the parking lot, Thorne pulled into a space, and I was out the door before he stopped, my shoes hitting the pavement hard.

“Niro, wait,” he called out.

I stopped at the sidewalk, huffing. It seemed like he took forever to gather his key fob and get himself out of the driver’s seat.

Before he got to my side, I ran up the little flower-lined pathway to the only entrance I knew—Mating Hall reception. I yanked open the door and strode inside, not realizing the state in which I presented myself until I saw two Omegas behind the little counter draw back in shock.

Thorne came in behind me, quietly shutting the door.

“Welcome to Zilly’s, sirs,” the braver of the two said.