Page 11 of Generation Omega: Revealed
My smugness as I stare up at thewhole packageis off the charts. “He is and he’s all mine.”
Our artist laughs warmly and then claps her hands together. “Okay, switch places and let’s get to it.”
I loved watching her work on me, her strokes so precise, her hand absolutely steady, her bold color choices creating amazing depth. She made me wish I was a painter instead of a sculptor. But watching her work on Ethan is even better. With his eyes closed, he looks like a revered statue from ancient times, everything a man should be. I don’t think I’m imagining that she’s taking her sweet time with him, making sure his blue orchid is pure artistry, beginning on his neck and continuing up to his cheekbone. My hot man just got hotter.
“Well, what do you think?” she asks brightly, while others in the line murmur their appreciation for the art and the man who wears it so well.
Ethan’s gaze locks with mine in our reflections. “I only care what my omega thinks.”
“I think you’re perfect.”
The use of that word hits him in the best way. After gushing our thanks and paying the artist, we hold hands as we walk toward Gideon Blake’s line that unsurprisingly wraps around the building and out into the hall.
Ethan’s shoulders hunch dramatically. “I feel like there should be a special line for alphas, like at the airport for people who do those extra checks or for celebrities at popular nightclubs. I mean, I don’t thinktheGideon Blake would ever have to wait in a line that long for anything.”
I giggle into my pouty alpha’s burly chest, grateful for the special spray the artist used to prevent me from smearing my beautiful flowers all over Ethan’s jacket. “That would be cool, but we’d be cutting in front of a lot of wannabe omegas and I bet they can get seriously feral.”
“Oh, I believe that. So, long line or something else first?”
My gaze moves on its own toward the section designated for all my beloved omegaverse authors. So many tables piled with hardback goodness—heaven on Earth has been located. I don’t have to say a word before Ethan clues in and we stroll toward Omega Author Alley. None are as hot as Gideon Blake, but the lines to reach them are impressive. At every single table, I’m a yammering fool, introducing Ethan to the authors, their books, my favorite characters, all the nuances of their take on the omegaverse. To rut or not to rut—that’s the question.
I enlist their help in educating Ethan about the finer points of the dark versus sweet versions of omega lore. Ethan gently takes issue with the entire concept ofwhy choose, and a few authors ask to snap a pic of my hot alpha to use as inspiration for their next books. I also buy so many signed special editions that we have to visit the bag check again.
By the time we return from that, I’m starving, so we visit the food court where everything is omegaverse themed. I eat a scrumptious alpha burger with some knotty fries—string fries tied in actual knots—and Ethan has some spicy heat wings and pack pretzels. We also have nesting strawberry milkshakes and perfuming cookies.
Seated together at a table, happily munching on all the goodies, I enjoy the view of the hall. They did such an amazing job decorating it, with floral rugs covering the floors and vines leading to each section. Temporary walls divide the space into different themes and everywhere you walk, a different scent teases you with possibility. If all of this proves to be real, I really hope omegas actually do perfume. It’s my favorite thing about all of it, a scent match to ensure the right people connect and the wrong people don’t.
“Thank you,” I whisper to Ethan.
“You’re welcome.” His smile is so at ease, which makes me realize how rare that is, even around me. Then he abruptly sits back and pointedly stares at me. “Could I ask you something? But I don’t want to ruin the mood by asking too many questions. I don’t want to be the guy who tries to figure out how the magician does his tricks instead of just enjoying the show.”
I pick up a fry and offer it to him. He leans and chomps down on it. “I love that you’re interested in this omega stuff. It shows that you care.” I tilt my head toward the oven mitts sitting on the table. “I love that you’re so willing to go along with all this goofiness. You’ve made this the best day, weekend, vacation, birthday of my life. So, what’s your question?”
He considers as he watches me eat a fry, before I offer him another one. After it’s gone, he says, “I guess my biggest question is what drew you to the omegaverse in the first place? I’m sure you told me at some point, but I can’t remember. I know you’ve believed in it since we were kids, but I saw it as a trivial thing, like devotion to a boy band.” He glances around us at the busy space. “I get it now. This is serious. I mean, Gideon Blake is here.”
If it were anyone else asking, I would lie and say that I always just thought it was cool. But Ethan gets my truth. “I don’t think the world is working right. Greed and power motivate people. And the powerful barely even notice how many people struggle every day of their lives and then have no choice but to hand that struggle to the next generation.”
I pause to sip my decadent and almost empty shake.
“I totally agree, but what does that have to do with omegas? How would an omega revealing help the world? They don’t have superpowers, right? They aren’t Robin Hood or the world’s fairy godmother. What would change if all of this is true?”
It’s strange to be discussing this, mostly because Ethan will hear everything I say with kindness. “Alphas and omegas don’t have superpowers—no x-ray vision, teleportation, or witchy hexes. I don’t think I would be interested in the omegaverse if they did, if all of this was just comic book heroes saving the world.”
I pause, assessing my own thoughts that feel somehow new or more solid today than ever before. “We don’t need superpowers to fix what’s broken in our world. We just need to care, and that’s what an omega is all about. Basically, alphas are called to protect the omega because she, or he, feels so much empathy and love for the world that it can be overwhelming. The omega can’t stop caring and neither can her alphas. Together, they are driven to make the world better, which would be really great, wouldn’t it?”
Ethan’s confusion is fair. “Empathy? That’s an omega’s superpower? That’s why everyone is here?”
My face warms as a blush overtakes me. “Well, empathyandheats, perfuming, ruts, nests, bondmarks, and the belief that our biology knows how to serve us better than we do.”
He caresses my cheek, his voice deepening. “I think we’re doing alright, even without omega biology to guide us.”
A second later, his lips are on mine, kissing me like he has all the time in the world.
When he pulls back, he practically purrs, “Tell me more.”
“Oh, no… more kisses.”
When we finally manage to separate, I intertwine my fingers with his, feeling the pull of a particular confession. “There’s something I want to tell you, but I don’t want you to think that mybirthday presentwasn’t everything to me.” I don’t want to saymy nestaloud in this crowded place, not because they wouldn’t be supportive but because it’s our secret. No one else gets to know about it, if I have my way.
