“Sit on the couch.” My sister didn’t wait for me to listen, grabbing my arm and leading me to the forest green couch that took up the entirety of one wall.
She had me sit cross-legged and sideways on the middle cushion, with Mira in front of me and Violet behind. They were a flurry of energy, easy to be swept up in. A great distraction from my thoughts of how this night may go.
Sinking into the cushions, I grabbed a leaf-shaped pillow to clutch to my chest. Mira’s scent was ever-so-slightly more potent on it—trust us to gravitate toward the same oddly-shaped pillow.
With Mira painting foundation onto my skin, I wasn’t expected to talk. Instead, I got to listen to their friendly chatter above me.
“I was kind of expecting white walls, antiseptic smell, and a hospital cot when Violet invited us to stay here,” Mira said. “It would have been so depressing.”
Violet laughed. “When West first dropped me off, I thought that was what I was in for too.”
“Yeah, but how are you supposed to heal your omega side if you can’t make the space your own? So it makes more sense that it’s like this. Do they let you do anything you want?”
“Pretty much. The walls are white and we can’t paint, but they let us put up decorations and shelves. Conrad and I online shopped like mad when I first moved in here. He helped me pick out the forest tapestries and the couch, and I made the macramé wall hangings during my treatment.”
“The couch didn’t come with the room?”
“Nope. Every room has a double bed, and then you can move in whatever other furniture you want. They have some in storage for people who don’t have the means to furnish it on their own. Some of the omegas here prefer to have a desk or a dining table or bookcases on every wall, but I wanted somewhere comfortable for my visitors to hang out.” She frowned. “Not that I’ve had as many visitors as I’d hoped.”
It was strange to me that every room would look completely different. I’d always thought this place was like a hospital, with everything as standardized as possible.
Considering it again, we wouldn’t get such raving reports of the Omega Haven Residence if it stripped the individuality from its residents.
“We’ll visit you all the time,” Mira said. “Talia’s idiot bondmates weren’t taking good enough care of their sister, but you have five new siblings now. We can do way better.”
“I’ll make sure West visits too.” I took advantage of Mira finding the perfect eyeshadow colour to speak without risk of being poked by a makeup brush.
Violet kept gently tugging at my hair, weaving it into an intricate updo. She didn’t say anything, but when Mira turned her attention back from the eyeshadow palette, her eyes went wide.
“We don’t have to harass you,” Mira rushed to say. “Don’t worry, we can turn off some of the intensity of our family.”
“No, it’s fine. I’m not?—”
I couldn’t see Violet behind me, but her voice was choked. She was crying.
“That’s not why,” she explained with a sniffle. “It’s just… thank you. That’s all. Let’s not derail the process, OK? Talia has somewhere to be.”
I locked eyes with my sister and saw her hesitation. She didn’t want to drop it—Mira never did. I managed a tiny shake of my head without disrupting Violet’s work.
Mira sighed softly. “Well, you’re welcome. Let’s make sure jaws drop when the pack catches sight of Talia.”
“We don’t want too many jaws dropping,” I complained. “I want to blend in.”
Mira shushed me. “They’ll be the only ones stunned, of course.”
Empty reassurances, but I wasn’t as nervous anymore. People would look at me regardless. I was a young omega entering alone. The scent of my bond with Benjamin would scare off all but the most shameless of alphas, so at least it was good for something.
And with my family and my pack by my side, I could handle a little attention.
Definitely.
Chapter
Twenty-Two
TALIA
Maybe I couldn’t handle attention after all.
