For the last few days, Freddie and I have stayed pretty close together, getting comfortable in our new environment and getting to know some of the other omegas. He’s lived with most of these omegas for the past five years, ever since he was sold to Roper & Associates by his parents.

Apparently, they couldn’t resist the allure of $100,000 in exchange for their omega son. Since the family already had two alpha children and a beta, they needed cash more than they needed the extra mouth to feed. Especially a mouth that wouldn’t contribute much to the household as it aged.

So, Freddie has been part of the baby making factory for a while and didn’t have any hopes of ever getting out. At least not until the facility was raided and he was rescued along with the rest of us.

The fact that I was picked up was pure luck, although I’m still not sure if it was good or bad. Even though I lived at Roper and Associates, I wasn’t officially a part of their stable. In fact, most people didn’t know I existed.

I found the facility when I was only eleven years old, but Tad felt sorry for me and kept me hidden from the rest of the omegas. As the beta in charge of room assignments, he had the unique ability to keep me safe. Right from the beginning, he took a liking to me and kept me away from everyone else. Instead of adding me to the pool of kids being groomed for auction at puberty, he tucked me away in a storage closet.

It was scary to be all alone, but I preferred that to being part of the crowd. And since he brought me supplies and gave me a key to use a private bathroom when no one was around, I was in much better health than most of the other kids. He visited me daily but only for a few minutes at a time. So after about a year, I started sneaking out at night to explore the city.

Sometimes I’d be gone for a few days at a time, but usually I was back before Tad noticed I was gone. I never interacted with the other kids, but they knew I was there. They just didn’t have the interest or energy to tell anyone in charge. So, I grew up in that storage closet, only venturing out into the world when the boredom became too much for me to ignore.

When the raid happened, I had enough time to sneak away if I’d wanted to. But after so many years of being hidden, I was ready to face the world. Even if I don’t stay at Omega House for long, I feel like this place is a part of my life journey that I was supposed to visit.

“They have pizza downstairs.” Freddie pokes his head in the room, pulling me away from my trip down memory lane. “Let’s get some.”

I’m not very hungry, but it would be stupid to pass up a meal when I don’t know which one will be my last. “Yeah, I’m coming.”

Once we have a few slices each, Freddie and I stake out a corner of the game room to sit and eat. As much as I hate being around other people, I’ve had enough isolation in my life and hate that even more. I feel an odd comfort being around others of my kind. Even though I haven’t been through the same physical and emotional trauma Freddie’s experienced, it’s nice to have a real friend.

“So, have you made any decisions yet?” Freddie asks me every night if I’ll be there in the morning, and I know he’s expecting me to leave at any time.

“Not yet.” I take a big bite and use the chewing time to decide how I want to answer. “I guess I am getting used to it here. It’s a nice place.”

Freddie nods as he swallows his own food. “I was thinking the same thing. It would be stupid to leave this place and try to have a baby on the streets as long as everything is so good here.”

“As long as it is.” My thoughts drift to the alpha I met a few days ago. Curtis hasn’t been back, so maybe I won’t have to worry about seeing him again. Just thinking of his name and picturing his face has the hair standing up on the back of my neck.

“Oh, there’s supposed to be an omega job fair downtown this weekend. Do you want to check it out?”

“A job fair?” I’ve never had a real job. I’ve earned a few bucks here and there cleaning up at some of the shops on the outskirts of the main strip, but it’s hard for omegas to get regular jobs. Those are usually reserved for betas because they’re considered to be more intelligent than omegas and don’t need to take time off for heat cycles. “I guess.”

Freddie flashes a wide grin. “Cool. I doubt anyone will want to hire me right now, but it would be good to know which places are willing to hire omegas for after the baby is born.”

I watch him rub circles over the top of his belly as he speaks. It creates foreign emotions that I don’t understand but don’t completely hate. “Who will watch the baby when you go to work?”

Freddie nods to the open hallway, in the direction of the nursery. “Angela said she’ll start watching the baby after two weeks. Supposedly that’s how the minimum amount of bonding time they recommend with newborns.”

“That’s cool.” Two weeks doesn’t seem like very long, but considering he didn’t get any time at all with his previous babies, I’m sure that time will be well-spent.

“Do you know how to read and write?” My jaw drops at the invasive question. It’s not unreasonable for him to ask, but if I was illiterate, it would be embarrassing to admit in such a public space.

“Yeah, Tad brought me workbooks and helped me with the basics.”

Freddie just raises his eyebrow and nods. Every time I mention Tad, Freddie gets quiet. I know he has something to say, but he hasn’t said it yet.

“What?” I’m tired of waiting him out. “What are you thinking?”

He sighs heavily then leans back on the cushion. “I still don’t really understand your relationship with Tad. Like, why did he single you out? Why would he risk his career…and his life…to protect one random omega?”

I’ve asked myself the same question a thousand times. I still don’t have an answer so I remain quiet.

“No offense or anything. You’re a great guy. But there were always a bunch of kids coming in and out. So why you?”

The accusation in his tone may not be intentional, but it instantly puts me on guard. “I don’t fucking know why me. Maybe I reminded him of someone. Maybe I caught him on a good day. Who knows?”

“So, nothing more ever happened?” Freddie lowers his voice and leans closer to me. “Like, did he do stuff with you in exchange for protecting you?”

“No!” I stand up, prepared to storm out of the room and maybe the house. “Nothing ever happened with Tad…or anyone. Ever.”

Just as I turn to leave, I feel the same tension in my body I felt before. That blast of adrenaline through my body that makes me want to run. I just don’t know if I’m supposed to run to him or in the opposite direction. If my spike of pheromones is from fear or excitement.

Curtis is here.

I slowly turn and come face to face with the alpha I’ve been thinking of nonstop for three days. The man who terrifies and intrigues me at the same time. The only person who has ever made my body react in such a visceral manner.

The air is heavy between us as I try to reassess my situation. Without the chaos of people and kids running around, I can feel and smell his intent much more clearly.

Lust.

That’s what his pheromones are projecting. Right. At. Me.

Holy shit, this is worse than I expected. I’ve felt lust from other alphas before but nothing this strong. And my body has never wanted to respond in kind.

Something’s happening to me, and I don’t like it.

All hopes of sticking around for a while are gone as the reality of my situation sinks in. This man is going to take me whether I want him to or not…unless I get the hell out of here.

I don’t know if he can sense my fear or if he just anticipates my next move is to escape, but he takes two steps forward, reaching out to me. “Max, let’s talk for a minute.”

I back away from him, vigorously shaking my head. “I’m not interested.”

“But, Max. This is—”

Nope. Not gonna entertain any arguments about what he thinks I want to hear. I haven’t tightly guarded my virginity for all these years just to let some overgrown alpha come in and steal it from me.

Unfortunately, my traitorous body is already preparing to give in to whatever this or any other alpha wants to do to me.

Fuck, I must be in heat. Talk about having the worst possible timing ever.

I’ve never experienced a full heat before because Tad provided me with daily suppressants to ensure the stud alphas at Ropers would never detect my presence. And they never did.

But it’s been almost a week since I’ve taken one. Apparently that’s long enough for it to clear out of my system and allow my natural biology to take over.

I circle wide around Curtis without taking my eyes off him. Even though it takes more effort than I can ever remember exerting, I run away from him, heading straight for the front door. Maybe I’m being dramatic, but I know what happens when alphas set their sights on an omega. Omega sanctuary or not, he would get what he wanted. And with my body sending out signals that I want it to, there would be no way for me to resist him.

Desperate to get away from him before he can have his way with me, I run down the driveway, praying for a miracle I have zero expectations of finding.