Page 45 of Generation Omega: Claimed
GIDEON
Ethan’s a walking cloud of conflicted emotions when he joins me on the flybridge, and I certainly don’t blame him. Given I’m also sporting an aura of abject failure and discontentment, we’re basically a matching set of moody mopers.
“Strange day, huh?” Ethan mutters as he sits beside me, intentionally pivoting so he can’t observe Kazimir’s boat racing away from him.
“They’ve all been strange days, haven’t they? We left the land calledNormal,and I think we’ve only skimmed the surface of what that means. And I don’t mean just us, but the world beyond our pack.” I pause, providing Ethan the chance to jump in if he wants. When he remains quiet, I continue. “I’ve been obsessing about the omega prophecy since Tillie brought it up this morning.”
I chuckle ruefully. “It’s a real struggle to remember the fine print, when the broader themes spark so muchupheaval.”
Ethan leans back, his arm resting over the couch. “I totally get that. When Thatcher was going on about how we need to announce the pack’s existence and claim power and whatnot, all I could think about was the troubling, biology-inspired logistics. Like how exactly is an omega supposed to save the world, if shecan’t stop climbing her alphas all the time? The omegaverse may be mighty and eternal, but it can’t change time, right? There are still only twenty-four hours in a day, and if non-stop boinking is how we use those hours, then…priorities, you know?”
Ethan’s glower transmits the message that he’s not finished, but that’s not all. His potent gaze is a warning aimed directly at me, not as Gideon but the pack’s first alpha who’s about to receive his first unflattering performance review from the packmate least likely to be discounted.
“You know I don’t want Tillie to be in pain—that’s not what I’m saying or would ever say—but let’s confront reality, as challenging as that is on this floating omega amusement park.”
He’s daring me to flinch or shut him down, but I just nod for him to speak his truth.
“I’m not claiming any great wisdom here, but it doesn’t take a genius to acknowledge that a passel of horny dudes and their favorite fucktoy aren’t changing a light bulb, let alone the world.”
I wince, despite my best efforts. Having Ethan use those words hits differently and deeper than if anyone else dared to say them. “That’s the problem, but what’s the solution?”
As though compelled by a force he can’t control, Ethan finally turns in the direction Kazimir departed, verifying what he already knows. His alpha is gone. Without appearing entirely conscious of it, he begins massaging the bondmark on his hand, possibly reaching for some sign he’s still connected to his alpha. I don’t ask what he feels, because his defeated expression says it all.
“Tillie needs to be present—that’s without question.” He checks with me, ensuring I’m on the same page. “I don’t know all theinsandoutsof the omegaverse and omega reveals, but it’s obvious that Tillie is not going to fully embrace her role if she’s never actually here. For five days, we had the feral first omega running our lives, and after not even a day, she’s back again.”Ethan gestures at the ocean. “I don’t know why Thatcher left—I have some seriously homicidal feelings about the guy—but what I hate even more than that shitbag professor is that we’re allowinghimand his actions to control Tillie and this pack.”
When Ethan faces me again, it’s with a new confidence, like he’s cracked the code. “Think about it. What if Thatcher is—and always was—the villain of our story? What could be more detrimental to our budding pack than to subject Tillie to such horrifying agony that she vanishes into her ancient, and let’s be honest, less brainy state. This situation, created by the professor, is denying Tillie the chance to be here and figure out what her role is and how she wants to lead. Like the prophecy says, everyone in this pack is supposed to support her, which means she’s in charge.”
Ethan’s getting more riled. “The countdown is on, which Thatcher fucking knows, and what could be more villainous than stealing this shrinking time when Tillie’s supposed to be preparing for what comes next?”
My already crappy mood is sinking fast. “I didn’t think about it that way. I just thought she was hurting, and we had a way to make it stop.”
“It all just happened, and you literally feel her pain.”
“Thanks for that, but excuses won’t keep our pack alive. What’s ironic—and also a vote for Thatcher as our resident villain—is that I truly believed his role was to ensure I always remember the big picture. As first alpha, Tillie’s needs are almost all I can see, her happiness and safety everything that matters. Consequently, I’ve got blind spots the size of alien ships descending over all the major cities in the world, and we know exactly how that goes.”
I pause to mourn the loss of my hero status, exactly like a self-absorbed movie star. “I hope you’ll take this the right way,but how would you feel about stepping into the position recently vacated by the possibly evil professor?”
Ethan groans, leading me to add, “Hey, be the change you want to see in the omegaverse, right? I mean, if you’re going to point out my shortcomings, you might as well do it with a title. Salary is negotiable.”
Ethan rolls his eyes, but then the weight of it all, everything that just happened with Kazimir, impacts him. “I’m a mess, Gideon, and I’m not sure I’m staying. That’s a terrible thing to admit—and Tillie can’t know—but I wouldn’t want to take a post that I’m going to desert exactly like Thatcher.”
I lean forward, resting my elbows on my thighs. “Ethan, you wouldneverabandon Tillie like that coward just did. Let’s do this. You accept a conditional job as my second-in-command, pending your issue resolution, and in exchange, you let me help you work through whatever’s going on with you.”
Everything about him tenses. “You don’t hate me for…”
“No—never. All of this is complicated and came on so quickly. We all blinked, and our lives shifted. I still smack myself, just to make sure it’s real and that I haven’t gotten lost in the wrong timeline. If you weren’t troubled by this, I’d be a lot more concerned.”
“Fine then, I’ll take a conditional job criticizing your leadership, if you’ll help me work through my shit. Because, fuck it all, I really need help.” Ethan looks so lost, like his world hasn’t been mapped yet, which is a reality he shares with the rest of us. He’s worrying his bondmark again, the ache of the stark silence unending. “I’ve got to find an authentic answer to a question I’ve never managed to confront on my own, and the clock is ticking.”
“Then let’s get started, but let’s drive the boat somewhere. You take the helm.”
Ethan’s murkiness lightens, which feels like a win. He stands and moves into the captain’s chair, while I search inside thesmall fridge, claiming a couple fruity beverages that raise a whole series of questions about Kazimir’s potential for excessive cavities. The man likes his sweets.
After handing Ethan a can, I reclaim my seat, enjoying the breeze that caresses my face.
Without any additional prompting, Ethan asks, “You know all of Tillie’s memories, right?”
I’m instantly back in that room where Tillie and I bonded on a property owned by some shady criminal. “I certainly watched her life story and witnessed the highs and the lows. But the initial bonding introduction happens like a levee breaking, sending our pasts rushing by while our bodies are hell-bent on getting familiar in other ways. So, even with that and hearing her thoughts now, I wouldn’t claim to know everything about her.”