Page 48 of The Omega Exchange: Omnibus (The Exchange)

Chapter Three

Anastasia

There is a very hard cock jabbing me in the ass when I blink awake.

Wolfe's delicious manly smell fills my nostrils.

I bite back the whimper that tries to escape.

He smells like cedar and pine, which is strange coincidence because he's one of the outdoor tour guides for the lodge.

I wonder if his smell has always been so reminiscent of the forest or if his scent has subtly changed since he spends so much time around the trees?

I carefully lift his arm and slide to the opposite side of the bed. I woke up thirsty as hell.

Wolfe rolls over onto his back now that I'm out of the bed.

His cock stands up proudly popping up the blanket over his pelvis.

Shit, he's really freaking hot, and so much closer to the type of guy I imagined I'd end up with.

Someone a bit like a hyper Golden Retriever, but in human form.

Vik's more like a Rottweiler or a German Shepherd, but they have their own charm.

Don't think about Vik.

That jerk doesn't deserve a single moment of brain time.

I shake my head, aiming for the kitchen. The tile floor is cool under my bare feet as I aim for the fridge. I'm bent over in the refrigerator when I hear someone approaching.

"Good morning," I say, popping up and cracking the bottle of water.

Only it's absolutely not Wolfe.

Rafael Castro stands a few feet away in a pair of low-slung sweatpants and nothing else. His toes arch as he rocks on the pads of his feet and stares at me in confusion. He shoves his glasses up and opens his mouth, but no words come out.

Rafe is slender and relatively short for an alpha.

If I had to guess, I'd say he's around six-foot tall.

His dark eyes squint like he's trying to make sense of finding me in his kitchen.

He rubs at the back of his neck. Every ab and oblique on his body moves as he flexes.

His curly short black hair is messy. He looks sleepy and super confused.

My eyes zero in on the smattering of black hair that trails down into his sweatpants. I lick my lips.

Damn, he's been hiding quite the body under his jeans and polo shirts. My mind flies back to the last time I was alone with Rafe in this very kitchen. Back when Vik had Wolfe and Rafe on babysitting duty anytime he couldn't watch me himself.

"I'm stuffed," I groan, rubbing my tummy.

I'm seriously fucking impressed. For having such a slender build, Rafe Castro can destroy some food.

The very last thing I was expecting when he asked if I wanted to eat was for him to cook for me in the kitchen of his suite.

"I haven't had home-cooked food in so long. My stomach hates me right now. I couldn't stop eating," I say, shoving his shoulder. "I blame you. You're going to have to roll me out of here when we're done."

Rafe laughs, shaking his head. "My dad will be so damn smug when I tell him about this. He always swore that lasagna was how he wooed my mom." He freezes. "Not that I was trying to woo you. It's just what I had planned for dinner. That's why it was so quick. I only had to put it in the oven."

I laugh. "It's okay, I know what you meant. Did you grow up in a pack?"

He puts his plate down on the coffee table. "No, my dad is an alpha, but my mom is a beta. I was raised in a pretty traditional household, as far as just having two parents."

"Me too," I tell him. "My mom was great. She never cooked or anything, but we always had activities and things we'd do for holidays. My dad said it was beneath his wife to cook and clean."

Rafe frowns. "My dad cooks and cleans every bit as often as my mom. I'm pretty sure that sort of stuff is meant to be a partnership."

I bite back the cutting reply. Oh, I'm pretty sure my father had multiple "partnerships" with the maids and a few of our cooks over the years.

It's likely why they were replaced so often.

"You know, if I've learned anything from my parents it's that you get to choose what your life looks like.

You aren't destined to fall into a pattern just because that's what happened with your family," Rafe says, stretching out a hand and squeezing mine.

"My dad grew up in a pack. Everyone suspected he'd join one and find his omega, but he loved my mom so fiercely he couldn't imagine losing her. "

"He didn't end up feral?" I ask, tilting my head and studying his face.

"No, no way," he says, laughing. "But we spend a lot of holidays with my grandma and aunts, so he does get regular contact with omegas. It's obviously not a romantic situation, but it works for them."

Rafe is a gorgeous man. He's got dimples hiding under the scruff on his jaw. But it's the way his eyes seem to glitter with joy when he talks about something he cares about that makes my thighs clench.

He smiles and my stomach teeters in response.

"Speaking of omegas," he says, grabbing my hands and standing up.

He pulls me off the couch and into his strong form.

He isn't as tall as the others, but he's still way taller than me since I'm barefoot.

"You need to pick the style of nest you want.

We have one in our suite, and I'd like to show it to you…

" He studies my face. "If that's okay with you? "

"Yeah," I say, blowing out a breath. "I mean, has it been cleaned since it was used?"

Rafe frowns. "Vik and Wolfe have been in this suite for three years. It hasn't been used since they've been here."

My jaw falls open. "Do you use other rooms? I thought your pack was in the rotation to help omegas through their heat?"

"Fuck no," Rafe says, grimacing. "Sorry, my mom would slap me in the back of the head for using that kind of language in front of a lady." He guides me toward a long hallway and my heart tries to beat right out of my chest.

Yes, Rafe has a certain kind of charm that's all his own.

"I didn't know Vik was back," Rafe says, running a hand through the long black curls on the top of his head. It pulls me out of the memory and back into the moment.

"Is he?" I ask, shrugging. "If he is, I didn't hear about it."

"Good morning," Wolfe says, shuffling into the kitchen. "Would you grab me a water, sweetness?"

I laugh. He's only in a pair of black boxer-briefs. He could probably ask me to procure him a leprechaun and I'd have to do it.

I spin around, heading back to the refrigerator, and grab one for him. His warm hands wrap around my hips as I pop up, turning to hand him the bottle.

"Thanks," he says, staring down at me.

A bizarre fluttering hits my stomach. Wolfe is gorgeous. There's no way around it. If the broad shoulders and strong arms don't suck you in, then the perfect straight white teeth and dirty smirks will.

I won't even get started on the dark tattoos that cover most of his chest and abs. They're magically hypnotizing my brain and better judgment into thinking it's necessary to lick him to call dibs.

"I said thanks, doll." Wolfe chuckles, scratching at his chest.

"No problem," I say, heading to leave the kitchen. "Nice to see you again, Rafe."

"You too," Rafe replies, but he's not looking at me. He's busy giving Wolfe a look I can't decipher. I'm barely outside the kitchen when he continues, "What the hell? Tell me you didn't stick your dick in Vik's omega."

Vik's omega? Oh, no. Screw that.

I refuse to sit around pining and waiting for a guy to get his shit together.

I stop dead in my tracks.

I glance between Wolfe's bedroom and the door leading out of the suite. Yeah, it would be nice to have my dress, but also, fuck this.

I aim for the door out of their place.

I grab my shoes and my keycard, then ever-so-quietly unlock and open the door.

I can't let myself end up like Melody or my mom.

Evie introduced us before Melody left. I think she was hoping the two of us might be friends.

I sat around listening while they talked. Maybe I was meant to participate in the conversation but making one friend is kinda overwhelming, let alone two. But that's not the point.

The point is Melody spent ten damn years waiting for Luke's brother, Ben, to get his shit together.

Thanks, but no thanks. I'm not on board with sitting around waiting on a man to realize my worth.

Let alone allowing any such bullshit as Vik's omega to become a thing.

I'm stomping down the hallway, getting ready to head down the stairs, when Murphy comes down the flight of stairs above me. His long dark hair falls around his face as he does a double take.

"Where the hell are your clothes?" Murphy grumbles. He stops by my side and grabs a handful of Wolfe's giant t-shirt. He pulls it to his nose like an animal sniffing for scent. "And why the fuck are you wearing Wolfe's shirt?"

My mouth opens and closes a few times, but I'm not exactly sure that's any of his business.

"You don't have shoes on. Jesus Christ. It's not even forty degrees outside, Ana." Murphy sighs so heavily he sounds like an old man. Or maybe a pissed-off bear?

"I'm good," I assure Evie's alpha. I'm holding my shoes and I wiggle them at him. "I'm headed down to my room now."

Murphy grumbles something under his breath. I think he says, "Evie would have my damn head. I miss the days when I didn't have to pretend to care. All right, hop on." He crouches down and nods to his back. "Better hold on tight. I'm not touching your ass."

I stand blinking in pure confusion.

Murphy eventually gets frustrated and barks, "Now, Anastasia."

I climb onto his back like I'm a five-year-old getting a piggyback ride. Murphy heads down the stairs at a rapid pace. We hit the second floor landing, which is where my room is located. At the same exact time Evie and Archie, one of her other alphas, come up from the bottom floor.

Archie laughs while Evie grins.

"This is absolutely not what it looks like," I say, tossing my hands up.

Only Murphy wasn't lying about not holding me up, so I slide down his back. My feet hit the carpet as Archie snorts.

"Really?" Evie asks, laughing. "It seems you've had your own version of the carry of shame."

"I have no idea what that means," I say, glancing down the hall toward my room.

"Get dressed," Murphy says. "We have a policy against half-naked, unclaimed omegas running the halls."

"Do we?" Archie asks, amusement in his tone. "If we don't, we should probably add an addendum."

"Ohmigosh," Evie says, coming to my side. "All right, let's go. This occasion calls for girl talk."

"No worries, lovely. I'll ensure the store is opened in a timely manner," Archie says, coming over and kissing her cheek.

"Oh crap," Evie hisses. "That's right. We have jobs. Thanks, Archie."

"I'll kiss you when I see you next. Make sure she gets some damn clothes on," Murphy grumbles. With that he turns and heads off.

For being such a soft-spoken person, Evie can sure shriek with the best of them. It's kind of impressive how bossy she is despite the fact she's about as sweet a person as you'll meet.

I managed a five-minute shower and changed into fresh clothes, but Evie relentlessly waited in the living room.

"What the hell happened last night?" she asks, slapping at my arm. We're both on the couch in my suite.

I shrug, picking at my fingernail. "I went to the mixer. It wasn't very exciting. Wolfe asked me if I wanted to hang out and watch a movie. We ate. That about sums it up."

"Okay," Evie says slowly. "How did you end up in his shirt?"

I roll my eyes.

"If you want to know if I screwed Wolfe then you can just ask.

" I laugh at the look of discomfort on her face.

"I didn't, by the way. I fell asleep watching the movie.

Wolfe let me sleep in his bed. Then I ran into Rafe this morning in the kitchen…

" I explain what I overheard. "I'm not okay with that.

I don't care how pathetic I am at the current moment.

I still refuse to fall into the same trap as my mother.

" I roll my lips together to keep from saying more.

I feel awful saying that, because I loved my mom more than anything, but I also learned from her mistakes. I barely hold back the tears. I'm not used to being weepy at the drop of a hat.

Now isn't the time to lose myself in my emotions.

"I really don't think that's what's happening here," she says, leaning forward and squeezing my hand. "Did you ask Wolfe what's going on with Vik? He'd be the best one to tell you..."

I shake my head. "We don't talk about Vik at all, under any circumstances."

Wolfe tried a few times in the beginning. To avoid bursting into tears I bit his head off, and Wolfe hasn't broached the subject since.

Evie sighs. "I might end up with a serious spanking for suggesting it, but put some real effort into meeting a pack. I bet if you went on an actual date, Vik would magically appear within days."

I snort.

"It's very inconvenient that Lydia confirmed spanking is safe during pregnancy," Evie grumbles under her breath. "I thought we had a womanly bond thing going on. Apparently not."

I laugh, shaking my head. She's ridiculously cute sometimes.

"We need to get to work," I remind her. "I can't afford to lose any hours off my check."

We get up and prepare to head to the shop, but all day my mind replays what Evie said.

Maybe she's right. I don't hate the thought of tormenting Vik, the same way he's plagued my thoughts for the last few weeks.

And I'm damn tired of being walked all over by men who think they own me.