Page 1 of Omega's Triplets

Prologue

“Maddy! Madison, wakeup.”

Madison Wood blinked her way slowly out of her dream. Her house mother, Leanne, was standing over her, holding a breakfast tray. She sat up, grumbling just a little as she did. “I was having a good dream, Leanne.”

“Well, you’ll want your breakfast before it gets cold,” Leanne said briskly. “I’m not going to make you a second one later because you weren’t awake to eat. I have chores to do today, you know.”

Maddy nodded. Reaching behind her, she arranged her pillows to support her, then accepted the tray of food Leanne was holding out. “Oatmeal again?”

“It’s good for you,” Leanne said. “Eat it all, now.”

“They’re having bacon and waffles down in the kitchen, aren’t they?” Maddy asked.

“Do you really want me to tell you?”

Maddy sighed theatrically. “It’s just so unfair.”

“You know why you can’t eat that sort of thing, Maddy.”

“Because I’m an omega.” She stirred her oatmeal unhappily, contemplating the tomato juice beside the bowl. “I know. I have to keep my body at peak health, so I can bear healthy children someday. But someday isn’ttomorrow. I’m only thirteen. Couldn’t I have some bacon?”

“No, you couldn’t,” Leanne said. “Nathaniel has given strict orders about your diet. You know that.”

“Everything Nathaniel does is strict.”

Leanne softened a bit. “That may be true,” she said, “but he’s your alpha, and the alpha of our pack. All he wants to do is take care of all of us. And that’s a difficult job. You could make his life a little easier by eating your breakfast without complaining.”

Maddy sighed again.

“Come on, now, you’ve got a full day ahead,” Leanne said. “You’ll be spending time with Nora and Baby Evelyn today.”

Maddy brightened at that. “Oh, I love Evelyn!”

“She’s darling, isn’t she,” Leanne agreed. “Be glad that you get to spend your days learning the skills you’ll need someday as a mother, Maddy. Some of us will be cleaning the grout in your bathroom.”

Maddy looked abashed. “I’m sorry, Leanne. I didn’t mean to seem spoiled. And I’m sorry if I messed up the grout.” She paused and bit her lip. “What’s grout?”

Leanne laughed. “Don’t you worry about it. It’s not a problem for an omega to think about. Your job is to learn how to care for that baby.”

Maddy nodded and finished her breakfast with noticeably increased enthusiasm. After draining her glass of tomato juice, she hopped out of bed and made her way over to the closet. She chose a simple shift dress, one that wouldn’t get in her way while she worked, but one that she knew made her look pretty. She was always aware of the compliments she received from the other members of her pack when she dressed well and smiled prettily. Part of an omega’s job was to be charming.

Maddy took pride in her status as the pack’s only omega. Not many people could contribute to a pack in the way that she could—omegas were very rare. And even though she wouldn’t be able to bear a litter until she was a grownup, she was determined to do everything she could right now to be the best omega her pack could ask for.

Even if it meant giving up bacon.

***

BABY EVELYN WAS ALWAYSfun to spend time with, Maddy thought.But Nora was not.

“All she does is cry,” Nora said, holding the baby out to Maddy the moment she arrived. “Thank God you’re here, or I’d never get a break from it.” She didn’t sound to Maddy as though she was actually grateful for the help. She sounded annoyed with her baby, and annoyed that Maddy had taken so long to arrive.She probably doesn’t dare to say anything about that, though, Maddy thought, feeling ever so slightly smug. It was one of Nathaniel’s rules. No one was allowed to say anything unkind to her, to make her feel unloved or unwelcome.The omega is just as important to the health of the pack as the alpha is, he often said.You must all treat her with the same respect you show me.

Nora was probably jealous, Maddy thought. Jealous because she could only have one baby at a time, and jealous because her baby wasn’t special the way Maddy’s would be someday. But she didn’t say any of that, because she also wanted to be kind. It was important for omegas to be kind, to be able to win people over. She took the baby into her arms. “Does she need a bottle?” she asked.

“She’s already eaten,” Nora said. She slumped back in her armchair, looking exhausted. “Would you take her outside? I can’t listen to that crying anymore.”

Balancing Evelyn on her hip, Maddy left Nora’s room and went out into the backyard. It was one of the few places she was allowed to go without supervision, because it was surrounded by a high privacy hedge. The pack was very protective of her—too protective, she though sometimes. The other kids her age were allowed to go to the mall together, or to the beach, or out to a movie. But if Maddy wanted to go along, an adult had to be a part of the group. It was understandable that the other kids were never that excited about that prospect, she thought. She could see why, after a while, they had stopped inviting her.

That didn’t make it any less lonely.

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