And I’ve already found my Alphas.
My phone buzzes from beside my laptop. Lyra’s name lights the screen. My Omega Protection Program counselor.
I swipe to answer.
“Hey, Lyra.”
She lets out a joyous laugh. “Girl, we got him! Three nights ago. DEA made the arrest off your tip.”
I sit up more. “Seriously?”
“He had enough unregistered suppressants to sink a ship. You weren’t the only Omega buying from him. You were the only one to speak up.”
The pressure under my ribs shifts. Still there, but no longer crushing.
I swallow hard. “So my fine…”
“You’re clear. No penalties. No strike on your file. And don’t worry, you remain anonymous. There’s no way he’ll ever figure out it was you.”
My head drops back against the couch. Breathing comes easier than it has in weeks.
“There’s more,” Lyra says.
I press a hand to my brow. “Yeah?”
“About your unrelenting heat symptoms. I couldn’t find anything new. But I dug into some archived trials. Unpublished work from ten, maybe twelve years ago. They studied Omegas caught in long-term heat cycles, both induced, like yours, and natural.”
My pulse kicks up. I grip my phone for dear life. Please tell me she found something good. The sex is fantastic, but I want to go three hours without needing a cock in my vicinity.
“They tried everything. Suppressants. Scent-blockers. Hormonal resets. Nothing worked. Until bonding.”
I blink. No fucking way. Well, if this isn’t the Universe telling me to bond with the guys now, I don’t know what is.
“Once bonded, every subject stabilized within a few hours. No crash or heat symptoms again until their normal monthly cycle. The body switched into recovery mode like it had just been waiting.”
“You’re serious? It feels too fucking simple to be that.”
“I am. I’m not promising it’ll fix everything. But with how long your system’s been fighting itself, your body might respond even faster.”
My thumb moves in a slow arc across the couch cushion under me. My throat pulls tight. “I mean, it makes sense. If cared for heats helps us feel good after, and ruts help Alphas, it makes sense that a bonding would offer something stronger and more permanent.”
“You’re one of the lucky ones. You have your scent-matched Alphas. A lot of Omegas out there can’t say that much. If they want to fix their problem, they often have to bond with Alphas who don’t pair with them as well.”
She’s right. In terms of luck, I’ve won the lottery four times. Getting mated to my best friends. “I wish I hadn’t taken so long to come to terms with who and what I am. There’s a chance I would’ve found them a lot sooner.”
She lets out a long sigh. “You should’ve been referred to the Omega Protection Program at fifteen. We could’ve linked you up with the right people to offer you therapy and also meet other precocious Omegas. Luckily there’s laws in place now so that noHeat Clinic can get away with treating a minor Omega without alerting us first.”
I let out a laugh tinged with bitterness. “Silver lining, I guess?”
“Are we still on for your appointment next week? I have a few Omegas I’d like you to meet. They’re all bonded, so maybe it would be good to bring your pack as well. I have a feeling you might be bonded by then, too.”
I nibble at my lower lip. “Yeah, if they’ll have me. We’ve only been courting a few weeks. I don’t want to rush them into something they might not want.”
“Frankie, stop it. Stop it right now. You and I both know those men would jump into a volcano for you. You have worth and they love you. You’re not a burden no matter what your silly brain tells you.”
I hear her, I do, but it’s so hard to believe her. “Yeah, I know. I’ll get there one day.”
“Shoot, my 11:00 just arrived. I need to let you go, but if you need anything or feel in crisis, call me. I’ll see you Friday with your pack in tow.”
