Page 11 of Omega's Heart

“But I didn’t even know who they were.” Though maybe he knew the pack well enough to be able to say who it had been, even from my uncertain description.

“That’s okay,” he said and his hand brushed through my hair and down my jaw. “How are you settling in?”

He asked me that each week, and each week I gave him the same answer. “Fine. Everything’s good.” What else could I say?

Holland just nodded. “I saw your test scores. You don’t need tutoring, not like Julius. We’ll have to get you set up with Denver to see what kinds of jobs you want to do.” He frowned. “Are you comfortable going around the enclave alone or would you prefer we partnered you with someone who could act as a chaperone? You don’t need one here, and we certainly don’t expect you to tolerate one if you’re fine on your own, but I wanted to make the offer.” Small spots of color appeared on his cheeks. “Raleigh pointed out that accepting previously mated omegas is a different situation than unmated ones and that your expectations of us might be different.”

“I went around by myself all the time back in White River,” I assured him. “Don’t waste a person on guarding my virtue. I don’t think anyone wants it anyway.”

Holland reached for my hand and held it. “Don’t talk about yourself like that. I’ve seen a few interested looks coming your way, but you’re still new, and you’re omega—they’re going to be a little timid for a while.”

Timid. Well, that was one term for it. “Sure, I’ll keep an open mind.” But inside, I knew better. And honestly, anyone too timid to approach me because I was omega, even a Mercy Hills omega, was probably someone I’d be bored with.

Though the thought of sex was tempting... But yeah, I also didn’t want to be mated just for the sake of being mated. I wanted it to mean something. To look at my mate and feel so lucky I’d found him, and I wanted him to look at me like that.

As if. I really needed to lower my standards. That, or get used to the idea of being a single omega for the rest of my life.

I shook myself out of my thoughts. “Anyway, I just wanted to drop by and let you know what I heard. Cale’s more like a father hawk than a chicken hawk, and Julius is just…” I stopped myself before I could say ‘too broken’, but Holland caught my meaning anyway.

“Yes, he’s very Julius,” he said in a soft, meditative tone. “But time heals a lot of things and if we can bring his sister here, then I think that will make a lot of difference.” He leaned down to peer at whatever it was that his little boy had dug out from under the couch, then relaxed.

The door at the end of the room opened and I looked up to find the Alpha standing in the opening. “Hello, Felix,” he said in that deep, rumbly voice that I was embarrassed to admit I like way more than I should. “How are you getting along?”

“Good, sir. Settling in, ready to start contributing.”

He nodded gravely. “I’ll have Seosamh set you up an appointment with Personnel to see where you’d be a good fit. And while you’re there, you can talk to someone about whether there’s some training or courses you’d like to do. I’m not sure what the waiting list is like, but Holland might be able to help you skip the line.” He winked at his mate and I blushed, while Holland grinned.

“I might be able to find a few credits somewhere,” he agreed. “You ready for lunch?”

“Starved. And I need to escape the phone for a few minutes.”

“Let’s go out, then,” Holland told him. “I need a walk.” He turned back to me. “Did you want to join us?”

He was very good—they both were—but I hadn’t been omega all my life without learning to pick up the subtle body-language of a mated couple. Or any couple, really. “No, I’m going to check on Julius. And make sure Cale eats.”

“You know,” the Alpha said as he and Holland walked me to the door of the apartment. “Just looking after those two is a full-time job.”

“They’re not that bad,” I protested mildly and, to my surprise, I made the Alpha laugh.

“No, I guess they’re not.” He eyed me with renewed interest and I scooted out into the hall as fast as I could because I could already see plans forming in his head, even if I couldn’t tell what they were.

“Enjoy your day,” Holland called after me. “Someone from Personnel will call to let you know when to come down.”

“Thank you,” I said, as polite as I could, and beat a hasty retreat back to the apartment.

C H A P T E R 9

I was cooking our dinner a couple of evenings later and Cale was strong-arming Julius through some remedial math problems at the kitchen table when Cale’s phone howled beside him. Julius choked off a laugh and I turned to raise my eyebrows at him, but Cale just smiled and picked up the phone.

“What’s up?” he said and listened to whoever was on the other end. “Oh. Damn.” He raised startled eyes to mine. “Holland’s in labor,” he told me and Julius. “I have a damn exam tomorrow,” he said into the phone. “Don’t suppose you can have a little chat with him and tell him to wait until tomorrow afternoon?” He laughed. “When do you want us over?”

Julius and I watched him intently. I wondered if we’d be able to talk Julius into leaving the apartment to help out. That night when I’d arrived was the only time he’d left the apartment since he’d arrived, except for full moons. He panicked when asked to leave the building, a real panic that drove his pulse up so high it scared me the first time I’d witnessed it.

I suspected that some of his ‘difficulty’ with the schoolwork that Cale was helping him with was more to do with some misguided idea that he couldn’t live his life while his sister was still in prison. That, and being afraid to go out someplace where someone could see him, or where he might trigger the alarm on the ankle bracelet he had to wear by law. Though who he thought might be lurking in Mercy Hills watching for him and what he thought they might do after if they did see him, I didn’t have a clue.

Cale got off the phone. “He says it’s early yet, but he’d like us to come over.”

“I don’t want to go,” Julius said.