Page 62 of Stream Heat (Omega Stream #1)
CHAPTER FORTY
Kara
I woke up alone after my nap, but the room was thick with the scent of five different Alphas, layered on my skin like fingerprints I’d never quite wash off.
Malik’s was the strongest right now, sandalwood and sage, earthy and insistent, the newest mark settling into my body, overlaying the others but not erasing them.
My hand drifted to the crook of my elbow.
His claim throbbed there, a low pulse that didn’t hurt, exactly, but left no doubt that I belonged to him. To all of them.
Five bonds. Five claims. Five different cords, all pulling in slightly different directions but somehow holding me together.
I stretched, careful not to jostle any tender spots.
For the first time since the suppressants stopped working, I actually felt like I fit inside my own skin.
The twitchy shakes that used to run under my flesh were almost gone, and the constant anxiety was pushed so far into the background that I almost forgot it was there.
Dr. Levine had called it. The pack’s presence was stabilizing the mess my system became when I was forced off my suppressants, and they were doing it better than any doctor or prescription ever managed.
Someone had left tea on my nightstand, steam still curling into the air in gentle spirals. Next to it, a folded note:
Rest. Recover. I’ll be back with food later.
Malik’s handwriting was clean, precise. I smiled, picked up the mug, breathed in the sharp herbal scent of one of his weird blends.
I should have been used to the care by now, but it still caught me off guard.
For so long, it had just been me against the world.
Now there were five people who anticipated my needs before I even knew I had them, and sometimes that felt like more than I deserved.
I sipped, let the heat settle in my chest, and listened.
The house was quiet. No Theo hollering down the hallway or breaking into song from the kitchen.
No Jace’s careful steps, always mindful of how sound carried.
No Ash cursing at equipment in the garage.
No Reid’s clipped instructions drifting in from the living room.
No Malik’s steady, grounded voice guiding meditation or dropping dry commentary at the breakfast table.
Just me. Alone.
A few months ago that realization would have clawed panic up my throat, set my brain spinning with old fears of being left behind.
Now? I just felt calm. The bonds were still there, humming underneath my skin.
I wasn’t alone, not really. I couldn’t be, not with their marks woven into my body, not with my scent wound tight around theirs.
My phone pinged. Probably one of them, checking in. They didn’t know how to let go, not really; space was always bracketed by little reminders that they were thinking of me. But the notification wasn’t a text, not even close.
brEAKING: Platform Executives Scrambling After Pack Wrecked Claiming Incident
For a second, my heart stopped. Then I remembered, the stream, Reid’s claiming bite, the way my body had gone limp into his hands right there on camera.
Everything that came after had been a blur of new bonds, recovery, and trying not to trip over my own feet, but yeah.
Millions of people had seen that moment.
I clicked the link with numb fingers. The headline hit like a slap across the face.
LIVE CLAIMING BITE CREATES PR NIGHTMARE/GOLDMINE FOR STREAMING PLATFORM
I skimmed fast, eyes catching on phrases as adrenaline sharpened my mind:
…the most significant designation event ever broadcast on a mainstream platform… tournament prep stream went sideways when Pack Wrecked Alpha Reid Maddox delivered a claiming bite to Omega streamer Kara Quinn after defending her from harassing comments…
…platform execs divided. Content guidelines technically prohibited “explicit designation behaviors” but engagement metrics were “off the charts.”
“It’s simultaneously a PR nightmare and goldmine,” says one source. “We have clear policies against broadcasting designation rituals like claiming bites. But the clip has been viewed over twelve million times and subscription numbers for both channels have tripled since the incident.”
A nervous laugh clawed up my throat. I kept reading. It was a car crash, I wanted to look away, but couldn’t.
Legal experts were debating the implications for content policies, with some suggesting the incident could force platforms to update their guidelines around designation expressions and pack behaviors.
“Current policies were written when streaming was dominated by Beta and Alpha-presenting creators,” says designation rights attorney Maria Vasquez.
“They don’t adequately address the realities of pack dynamics in content creation, particularly for Omega streamers who’ve historically been underrepresented in the industry. ”
I set my phone down. Tried to breathe. Reid’s moment of raw instinct, the claiming bite, his arms around me, my own shattering surrender to the bond, all of it had gone from raw embarrassment to the kind of seismic event that shakes up an entire industry.
The phone vibrated again. And again. And again.
I glanced at the notifications piling up, faster than I could even register them:
Did you see what’s happening? Your claiming clip is EVERYWHERE! #PackProtection trending worldwide! -Callie
Hey Quinn, it’s Damien from GamerCore. Would love to interview you about designation representation in esports when you’re ready. No pressure.
GIRL CHECK YOUR SOCIALS! You’ve gained 2 million followers in 48 hours! -TrixieStreams
Ms. Quinn, I represent Omega Voice Coalition. Your recent experience has resonated deeply with our community. Would you consider speaking at our annual conference? -Dr. Eliza Barstow
I didn’t even know what to do with that. I flipped to a different social media platform. It was a circus, a thousand threads picking apart the moment, splitting it into a million versions. #PackProtection, #ClaimingGate, #OmegaRights, all trending.
The clips were everywhere. Some obsessed over the troll’s disgusting comment and the way the Alphas snapped back. But mostly, everyone zeroed in on the claiming, Reid’s jaw locked around my shoulder, the flash of my eyes, the tension breaking as the pack bonds slammed into place.
But it was the other streamers’ responses that got me, the Omegas who never dared admit what they were, the ones who’d been hiding or faking Beta for so long it probably felt like a permanent lie.
Watching @KaraQuinn accept that claiming bite on stream gave me the courage to finally stop hiding. I’m an Omega. I’m a competitive gamer. Those things aren’t mutually exclusive. #ThankYouQuinn
Been using suppressants for 3 years to maintain my “marketable Beta image.” After seeing what happened to Quinn, I’m done. Health Career. Throwing them out today. #OmegaTruth
My management told me to hide my designation or lose sponsorships. @KaraQuinn and @PackWrecked just proved them wrong. Authentic content IS marketable. #DesignationPride
I blinked, and tears slipped free, hot and unashamed. Omegas everywhere were using my moment of accidental vulnerability as a rallying point, not a punchline. People were coming out. People were refusing to hide.
A DM flashed from Callie Cross, and I opened it before I could think twice:
Hey Quinn. Just posted my reaction to everything that’s happened. Wanted you to know I’m 100% in your corner. What those Alphas did was beautiful, and I hope you’re truly happy. This is changing things for all of us. Thank you for being brave enough to be real.
There was a link to her new video. I clicked it, hands a little shaky.
Callie’s face filled the screen. Pink hair, glitter eyeliner, more emotion than I’d ever seen from her in any stream.
“Hey besties,” she said, popping her gum. It was her trademark, but this time it was also a nervous habit. “So I know everyone’s talking about what happened on the Pack Wrecked stream, and I’ve been getting non-stop questions about my thoughts as another Omega in the space.”
Her voice dropped a little, intimate and ragged at the edges.
“Here’s the truth. What we witnessed wasn’t just a claiming bite.
It was a revolution. For years, Omegas like me, like Quinn, have been told we have to hide who we are to be taken seriously in gaming or, in my case, streaming in general.
Suppressants, Beta masks, lying to ourselves and everyone else, all so the world doesn’t write us off. ”
She gripped the desk in front of her. I could see her knuckles white against the camera.
“Quinn didn’t just accept a claiming bite on that stream.
She accepted herself, publicly, unapologetically.
And those Alphas didn’t just protect her from trolls.
They showed the world what real pack support is.
Not the fetishized garbage you see in TV dramas, but actual respect.
Actual care. They honored her strength.”
Callie blinked, and there were tears in her eyes, too.
“So to Quinn, if you’re watching this, then I want you to know that I hope you’re truly happy.
I hope those bonds are everything you deserve after what this industry put you through.
And thank you, from me, from every Omega who’s ever been told to be less, to hide more, to pretend just to survive.
You didn’t ask to be a symbol, but babe, you’re changing everything. ”
I closed the tab, and the tears just kept flowing. Not humiliation, not fear. Solidarity.
Another text popped in, it was Reid, of course, direct and to the point:
Just checking in. How are you feeling? We’ll be home soon.
I rubbed my eyes dry and forced a smile.
Better than I expected. Have you seen what’s happening online?
His response was immediate and I wondered what he felt through the bonds.