Page 33 of Gold Rush
I jerk up, fumbling to pull it out and freeze when I see the screen, unable to process it.
“Juniper?” Arin says my name, the question hanging in the air.
I blink, making sure I’m not hallucinating, but the screen still saysMOMacross it. Quickly, I answer it, self-conscious of the audience in the room as I mutter, “Mom?”
“There you are.” Her voice is chipper, like I’ve not been trying to contact her for four days straight, or that her last message to me was an outright dismissal. “I wondered if you would pick up, it’s quite late here, but I thought, ‘Oh, I should call Juniper.’ How is your little signing going? Have you met any nice betas?”
“It’s been days.” I stare at the coffee table, my voice barely above a whisper. “I’ve been trying to get you to call me back fordays.”
“I heard you the first time.” She scoffs. “It’s not ladylike to repeat yourself. Now tell me when you’ll be home again? Your father and I think you should come to the club with us, start attending regular meetings like you used to as a kid. Sundays are justbetterwhen I’ve been.”
My mind spins as I try to figure out what the hell she’s talking about.
“I had to cancel my tour.” I spit out the words, my throat raw with the admission. “I’m not allowed to fly home until after the first heat passes.”
She makes a noise in the back of her throat, soft and admonishing. “Cancel it? I hope you realize how many people you’ve probably disappointed for that. Don’t they plan these things far in advance? Sell tickets? Juniper, I raised you better than —”
“I couldn’t go!” I snap at her, at my breaking point, fully aware of howquietthe living room is and the four men around me. “Ihadto cancel. I told you, I’m…”
“Don’t you take that tone with me.” She interrupts me sharply. “Thisomegaplay-acting you’ve done is extremely distressing, Juniper. Rhonda from the club called your father and asked if we’d be taking a trip to London, and I said, ‘Now, why would we do that, Rhonda?’ Because, honestly, you know how she is — and then she said that you were telling people that you aren’t a beta? And I told your father that this isexactlywhat we tried to prevent you from doing when you started writing those books about…” She pauses, making a distressed noise. “Packs.”
“I’m not lying.” I clutch my phone. “I was at the designation center, my blood is golden. I’m an omega.”
“That’s not possible.” My mother sounds faraway, and I hear her talk to someone else before she puts the phone back to her ear. “Your father is beside himself, we tried to call thedesignation center in London and they told us that your records were sealed to us.”
Closing my eyes, I press a hand against my head, my voice soft. “Why would you need my records?”
“How am I supposed to believe you’re telling me the truth? How am I supposed to know this isn’t just you wanting to sell your stories to anyone who will listen to them?” She pauses, then sighs, like I’ve asked her for the moon and the stars.
“We’ve had a lot of calls, Juniper. If you…” She trails off. “Well, if youarean omega, it’s our job to make sure you pair with agoodalpha, one who can provide for you and ensure the life of you and your future children is built on solid foundation. Of course, there is the issue with your age — there aren’t many men who will want an old omega, but that’s outside of my control. How much do you weigh right now?”
My eyes flutter open as I stare at the paused TV, my throat burning, unable to think ofanythingto say to that.
“The center at least said you were no longer in their care. Where are you, Juniper? We can have an alpha come pick you up, one has already offered — he’s a part of the club and apparently in town.”
I blink, looking over at Seth, my heart pounding as he reaches out, his face full of concern. His hand lands on my arm, grounding me.
“No.” I clear my throat, my eyes flickering from Seth’s face to Bennett as my mother lets out a noise of surprise on the other end of the line.
“Juniper, this is not the time for your wildly liberal ideas about packs. I wish you’d given us time to prepare, but if this is what we need to do, we’ll help — itisour responsibility. If you’re an omega, your father and I will make sure that you go to a suitable alpha. I’m sure they’ll be eager to have you pregnantbefore the end of the year, but we can figure that out after you’re home —”
“Absolutely not.” I cut her off, my hand tightening on my phone. Arin shifts in his seat, drawing my eyes, as I flounder. My mother has always hadstrongopinions, but I’m having a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact she’s so eager to sell me off to the next alpha she speaks to, rather than letting me, her grown daughter, make my own decisions.
She makes a harried noise. “Please don’t tell me you let this center place you with multiple alphas. God help us, please tell me you aren’t with apackof them. You can be comfortable with someone we’ve approved, none of this…sharedomega ideology — it’sdisgusting.”
Anger, white hot, and flaming, licks up my spine. It’s potent andwrong— rising in my chest at the way she splutters. Instead of being happy I’m safe — she’s more concerned with theopticsof me being with a pack. When all Seth has done is make me feelwanted, when all Bennett has done is takecareof me, and all Arin has done iswelcomeme.
My eyes fall on Theo, unbidden, but instead of finding scorn, he’s glaring at my phone like he’d like to rip it from my hand and throw it against the wall. He’s the outlier — but the fire in his gaze says more about his actual opinion of me than anything that’s come out of his mouth since I’ve gotten here.
“There have beenoffersfor you. There is an alpha in London who called us and he could come get you now. He sounded just fine. You need to tell us where you are and you can come home — he’ll have to bite you and bond you before you can fly but —”
“Oh mygod.” I recoil, nearly dropping my phone. “I’m not telling you where I am so some strange alpha can come to the door andbiteme. Are youinsane?”
A deep snarl cracks through the room and I look up sharply, unable to place which of the alphas it was.
“Well you aren’t staying there —”
“Yes, I am.” I spit the words out. “I’m stayinghere, because I’msafe.”
