Page 27 of Ondine, Vol. 2 (Cash City Omegaverse)

“I have some of your things, Ondine. They’re in my truck. I’m sorry that I did that to you. I know how much you liked your place. If I’m being honest I agreed with Jake. I didn’t want you to leave us.”

I’m not listening. I’m wrapping the comb into my nest. The tail ends of the silver tie keeps the comb securely to the book. I sigh and Freddie slumps down in relief, feeling my small reprieve.

Unfortunately for me, my omega heart has already set its course right to the Meier Pack. So their idiotic behaviors aren’t deal breakers. The omega side of me is preening at the idea of them being so obsessed with me staying they’d burn my apartment to a crisp.

Omegas are absolutely silly.

What will Arnie think of me being ok with this? I turn to him, worried. But Freddie feels it and steps in for me.

“Ondine is worried about you. Who are you?” Freddie asks.

Arnie stands up tall.

“I’m her boyfriend. You must be her alpha.”

Now I’m doubly worried.

As well as proud he called himself my boyfriend.

Freddie cocks an eyebrow and asks me, “You have a boyfriend? How very avant garde.”

I debate telling him the whole story but I opt to just shrugging.

“And why are you worried?”

“I’m worried,” I lean in and whisper, “that he’ll think it’s weird that I’m about to forgive Jake and Sebastian for this whole thing.

Because it’s a very omega thing for me to do.

” Freddie smiles at me, like he smiles at his kitten when she gets the zoomies.

“And maybe a normal person would be horrified. And not…flattered.”

“Flattered!” Jake repeats.

“Flattered,” I mumble, ashamed.

Arnie takes me by my arms and sides, twisting me until I’m facing him and he pulls me into him. He hugs me and I bury my face in his chest.

“I don’t know if you realize this,” he says loud enough for everyone to hear, “But I’ve known this whole time you’re an omega.

You don’t need to be anything else around me.

I know.” He pulls me away so he can look me in the eyes.

His hand goes into my hair. His fingers grip me at my scalp, firm and loving.

“You ran away from me because you were ashamed that you acted like an omega with me, didn’t you? ”

My mouth is in a permanent pout. I nod a whole bunch of times. I did. I ran away because he’s a beta and I attacked him with my crazed omega pussy. But he didn’t reject me. He encouraged me.

He looked for me.

He knew the whole time I’d stolen his comb and put it in my nest.

He knows I’m fucking insane.

The moment I saw him on the street he pulled me into a bathroom and fucked me. He knows exactly what I need. No questions. No hesitations.

He dips his head down and kisses me on my closed mouth. I’m too overcome with emotion to move.

“Fuck me,” Freddie says from behind us. “She’s in love with him.”

Jake growls, but it’s just Jake being his regular jealous and possessive self. So it makes me lose my pout and almost smile.

“Ondine, we can keep him. If you want him,” Freddie offers, and Jake’s growl grows until it’s no longer cute.

“You can’t fucking keep him! He’s mine!”

“He looks like he’s Ondine’s.”

“I bonded him. He’s bonded and registered to the Meier Pack.”

Sebastian’s voice comes from the other side of the room, “He did it to make sure Ondine chose the Meier Pack. He wants her, Freddie.”

“I know! I wasn’t planning on keeping her for myself.”

“Stop yelling!” I yell.

Everyone shuts up.

While I loved fighting with Jake on the lawn yesterday, this is the not fun kind of yelling. And it’s upsetting.

I stand up and look over everyone. Four alphas. One beta. All men.

What was it that omega told me in the locker room at Sky Nest? Have you ever met two alphas you could rub together who were mentally stable?

No, can’t say that I have.

“Jake,” I say and he dips his head at me in reverence. “You need to stop. I can tell you are afraid. But I’m here. We are all here. Look around, Alpha Meier. This is the big pack you wanted. We are all in your house. With you. No one here is against you.”

His head dips even lower.

“Be happy. You have what you want.” I step closer to him and he bows even deeper. “I know you are used to fighting for everything you have. But you don’t need to fight any more.”

I pull down on his arms directing him to kneel down in front of me. I rest my hands on his shoulders. My nest in one hand.

“When you brought me here, you said it was for Shadow. But can you be honest with yourself? It was for you, wasn’t it? I was always here for you.”

His hands cover his face.

“I’m sorry,” he says and then drops his hands to the floor. His body bowed towards me.

“You had Sabbies do that to my apartment to keep me with you. You bonded the man I love. What else have you done?”

“A lot.”

I look around the room. Sebastian is behind Jake. Shadow is hovering on the other side of the kitchen. Arnie is behind me. Freddie to the side.

“I wanted to make it an easy decision for you.”

“Ever since the gallery at whiskey night, I’ve been falling for you. And you didn’t win me over by capturing Arnie. Or taking away my home. You helped me when I told you how I was feeling about myself. You convinced me you’d be a good alpha that day.”

He stays there prostrate on the floor.

“Jake, I’ve struggled to accept myself for who I am. All the parts of me. And that night—you made me feel hope. That I won’t always be fighting with myself.”

Without him I don’t know how much I would have fought for myself.

“What do you need?”

He sits back on his heels and looks up at me. His eyes are red. His face is crumpled up.

“It feels like I have no control of the situation.”

“You don’t,” I quickly say. His lips part. “I’m in control.”

I look over at Freddie and hand him my nest. He sets it in his lap. With my hands free I hold Jake’s face and pull us close, then rest our foreheads together.

“I’m in control,” I repeat. “Ok?”

His shoulders sag and he takes a deep breath. I can see the weight lift off of him. He nods, accepting it.

“I am here for you, just to let you know. I’ll gladly be here for you. I love this pack you have. This house you’ve made into a home. Your business that you’ve built for your family. You are a good alpha. I would be honored to stay with you. Forever.”

Before he breaks apart in my hands, I kiss him. He pulls me down into his lap and kisses me back.

Then he just tucks me into him, resting his chin on the top of my head. He sighs deeply and holds me tight.

“You’re in control, my dear,” he whispers, acknowledging the truth between us. “Tread softly, Ondine. Because you tread on my dreams.”