Page 8 of Omega's Faith
"What's wrong?" James asks, alpha instincts on high alert.
"Jonah got matched," Dad says quietly.
The room erupts. Congratulations and questions overlap until Robert—eldest and loudest—whistles sharp enough to make everyone wince.
"Who's the lucky alpha?" He grins, ruffling my hair like I'm still ten.
"Alexander Colborne."
Silence drops.
"That’s the drunk guy with the pool noodle." This from Michael, unhelpfully.
I frown. “What pool noodle?”
My brothers exchange glances. “Never mind,” Michael says.
Corinne sinks onto my other side, her jasmine scent wrapping around me.
"Okay," she says, practical as always. "So, it's not ideal. But maybe—"
"If anyone else says maybe there's more to him than the tabloids, I'm going to scream."
"I was going to say maybe you can get the match contested." She squeezes my hand. "Surely a match with someone that unstable can't be right."
But we all know it doesn't work that way. The Bureau's algorithm is supposedly infallible.
Fighting it means lawyers, appeals. We don’t have that kind of money. Everything we have goes to the Fellowship.
"Let's eat," Mom says, rising. "Everything looks better on a full stomach."
Dinner is subdued despite the kids' chatter. Everyone tries to act normal but I catch the worried glances.
My four-year-old niece climbs into my lap, ice cream sticky on her chin.
“Can I be a flower girl, uncle Jonah? I was only a baby when uncle James got married so I wasn’t allowed.”
I smile, despite myself. “Yes. You’re going to be the best flower girl too.”
She pats my cheek with a sticky hand. "And I want to be the babysitter for all your babies.”
My chest goes tight. Babies. With Alexander Colborne's DNA. Will they inherit his addiction genes too?
"I need some air. I’m going to go for a walk." I pass her over to my brother who pats my hand as I get up. I know my family have my back and they will support me, but Colborne is going to be my family soon. He is going to be my alpha. He is supposed to be my priority.
I escape to the park, my old refuge. I collapse onto the rubber swing of the old swing set that my father built. This is where I expected to bring my children. I knew I’d get matched with someone outside of the Fellowship. There are only seventeen families in our settlement but I thought it would be with someone who would share my values and who would be happy with the blessed, traditional life that we have here. That’s what happened with my siblings.
Somewhere, Alexander Colborne is probably reaching for whatever bottle's closest. Or maybe he's already drunk again. Maybe there's another omega in his bed, soon to be discarded like—
My first meeting with him is tomorrow. Less than twenty-four hours. It’s the first official Bureau-supervised meeting attheir offices. It has all moved so fast.
I stay on the swing until the streetlights flicker on, just trying to let my brain settle. When I finally go home, Mom's waiting with tea and a gentle smile. We go through my closet trying to pick an outfit for tomorrow—pathetic compared to what Alexander probably expects. Everything I own is handmade, sewn by myself or my mother. Mom pulls out my best shirt, the one in my favorite pale blue.
"You're going to be fine," she says, smoothing imaginary wrinkles. "You're strong, Jonah. This is meant to be, even if it doesn’t feel like it."
"What if I'm not?" The question slips out small and scared. "What if I can't handle him?"
"You can." She cups my face, fierce and protective. "You are strong and if you struggle, just pray for guidance and it will be given."