I reached forward, grabbing a slice of orange. "The Omega Industries taught me to cook some recipes, but I learned to cook mostly as a child."
Bran took a slice of orange. "I've known I was going to be a beta my whole life. What was it like not knowing what you'd be?"
"I didn't put much thought into it. I was born into an alpha-omega family, not to a beta home as some, still I didn't think the possibility was going to be an option. I'm glad my mother knew the signs before it was too late and got me to the industry."
James leaned forward, "So you never had – you hadn't- you-"
"No. I never went into heat; I've been on suppressants since right before I'd fully transitioned."
A low groan left the alpha, a sound that made my thighs squeeze together in a way I'd not understood. It made butterflies dance in my stomach, and my pulse quicken. He ran his hands over his face for a moment. "Your previous alpha... you didn't... I mean..."
It was cute that an alpha was at a loss for words. Or maybe it was the discomfort of the questions, but I was an omega in a fullyfunctioning unit's home; I couldn't let uncomfortable questions hold me back.
"I stayed on suppressants during my short stay at my other unit. We never initiated a bond."
A low growl left James, but it was Leo who spoke. "Did you want to?"
My eyes fell to my lap. "I- I don't know. I am inexperienced. Most omegas are until they find their unit, or go into heat at a facility. But I did not like my previous unit. They had a cruelness about them that made my omega whimper when they were near."
"Did they hurt you?" Bran's eyes were fire when he leaned forward.
"No," I swallowed. "I mean, not physically. But it was clear that I was not what they wanted."
Swifter than I could track, James pushed to a stand, grabbing his plate he carried it to the sink and set it down. "I've got work to do; I'll be late tonight."
Then he pulled on a pair of well-worn boots and was out the door in seconds, leaving the delta and beta alone with me. I stood up too, the bubble we were in ruined by James's mood. "I'll clean up."
Leo nodded before he gathered a few plates and put them in the sink, then he headed down the hall to get ready for the day. When it was just Bran and me alone, Bran sighed. "You'll be with me today, omega. Hope you like weeding; we've got a whole field to work on."
CHAPTER
FIFTEEN
JAMES
They didn't want her, didn't treat her right?
How?
How can they not see what a fucking gem the omega is, how fucking beautiful she is? Not for us of course; we live on a farm, and a farm is no place for a girl like her with designer clothes, a luggage full of heels, and hair that always is perfectly done in ringlets down her back. But for another unit, she was perfect.
That thought soured my mood further. I didn't want to think of her with another unit, even when I knew it should be her destiny. But last night with the curve of her hip under my palm and her warm back heating my chest, I'd never been so peaceful. Her scent alone calmed the alpha in me, lulling us into the most peaceful of sleep.
Mine.
Ours.
Bite her.
Claim her.
I wish my alpha realized it wasn't that easy.
Hell, knowing that she was completely innocent, untouched by another alpha, even I was becoming weakened by the allure of my own omega. Not like that fact changed much, but the possessive part of me wanted to be the only male who owned her, knotted her, made her wither and scream with the release that only an alpha could bring.
The thought only amplified when I found her in my bed, looking so damn cute and smelling like heaven. I should have woken her last night, forced her out of our room, but she was sleeping so soundly, looking so angelic, and hell, it was plain to see that she had worked so damn hard to clean up our home. She deserved to sleep, and a selfish part of me, the part that clearly won, liked having her in my arms with her scent surrounding me as she did so.
I slung a hose over my shoulder, dragging it to the goat pen so I could fill their water troughs. If I worked hard, I knew that I could put this omega out of my mind at best, and at worst, I could come up with a solution that would work for us all. One that involved one pretty brunette omega, with the perfectly wide hips, moving as far away from my home as possible.
