Page 98 of Ondine: Vol. 2

29

Photography

Arnold

I’m taking Ondine’s photograph in our piano room. It’s for the posters for her performance. Sebastian is watching from the hallway, and thinks we don’t notice. But I always notice when he’s around only because of the changes in Ondine. I’ve never seen her particularly jealous or possessive, but when he is around, she’s all animal. She first checks him out head to toe, making sure he’s ok, I think. Then she looks around to see if anyone is looking at him or near him. She gets this cute little frown if there is someone with him.

“Hey, look over here, honey,” I remind her and she loses her little stern face.

I guess there was someone around. Probably Freddie. He likes this side of her and tries to bring it out as often as possible.

She looks beautiful.

She’s wearing a black gown. Her hair is sleek and perfectly coiffed with a ribbon tied in it. She has red lipstick on. Which gives me the dirtiest of ideas.

The performance will be in a month. Exactly between heats. Jake is already selling seats even without the promotional materials yet. His goal is to sell out the Wong Music Hall, something the symphony orchestra only does during the holidays. He also made two passing comments about it being the Meier Music Hall by the time he’s done with it.

I fix a stray hair on Ondine’s forehead and then back up for another shot. I glance behind me and the alphas have gone.

Jake has hired me on as a surveillance officer. I started with this house and property. I honestly had never done anything like it before, but it was kind of fun. And now that I have unfettered access to everything that goes on here, all the better. Instead of the heat-signature cameras at the Heat Clinic, I have HD quality video and sound everywhere. Everywhere. I’ve seen both times Ondine was fingered on the couch by Freddie while they were “watching a movie”, the time Jake chased her up the stairs and caught her mid-rise to fuck her right then and there, and last night when she sucked Sebastian off out on the little dock on the river. Sebastian was very nervous about being heard or seen.

Jake and Shadow fuck nearly daily in one of their rooms. But I don’t have that recorded nor have I watched. The camerasarein the rooms, but nothing is recording and nothing is being saved. Unless I want it to.

Ondine stretches her arms up, arching her back and then sighs. “You’ve only taken like two shots and we’ve been here an hour.”

I tsk. “You cannot rush art.”

She sighs and changes positions.

“Is that why you only took three photos even though I had so many more heats with you?”

I drop my camera. It snags on my neck with the strap, preventing it from breaking.

“What?”

“The photos? I only saw three. Were there more?”

“No,” I say with only breath. I suck on some air so I don’t pass out. “Ondine, I can explain…”

“It’s ok. I’ve sent the pack some photos. Nothing like that, but it’s fine.”

“Where did you…?”

“Jake is going to bite me during my heat, so he let me have access to the pack cloud storage. I got to see all their files. Financials. And he gave me the code to the safe. I found the pictures.”

This has been a constant worry for me. I don’t even know how to handle this. Jake let her see?

“Ondine, I don’t know what came over me when I took those photos.”

“Did you take photos of other omegas, or just me?”

“Just you. I’m so sorry.”

“Why are you sorry?”

I fall on my knees and crawl up to her sitting on the piano bench. She puts her hands on my face and looks me in the eyes.

“Cause I took them without you knowing. Before we knew each other like this.”