Page 76 of Love in Unexpected Places

two

JUDE

“Hey, Jude. What are you up to tonight?” my best friend, Callie, croons.

Phone between my shoulder and ear, I slide my key into the lock of my apartment door and push it open. “Not much. The implants are off tomorrow, so I’m going to hunker down until it’s over.” The population almost went into collapse because of alphas and their out of control impulses. The device helped settle the Alphas, keeping their aggression low and allowing the population to swell once more. But over the years, there has been unrest, Alphas wanting more freedom than they have. The Game Night that will take place tomorrow is the concession to calm the restless Alphas.

I wish there were another option, but this is what the government came up with. I hate the idea of Alphas running free to wreck havoc again. My fear threatens to swallow me whole but I have a plan to stay inside until it’s over. As long as I’m out of the way, I’ll be safe.

She sighs. “I know. I’m glad I’m mated. It’ll be a crazy night. We’re going to head up to the cabin to be asfar away from other Alphas as possible later this evening.” I nod, though she can’t see me. That sounds like the perfect idea, but I don’t have a cabin that I can disappear to.

“Be safe,” I mutter, checking my fridge to ensure I have enough food so I don’t have to leave the apartment tomorrow for any reason.

“Of course. Let’s to have dinner tonight. We still have over twenty-four hours before the implants are turned off. We’ll probably stay in the cabin for a week or so, and I won’t be able to see you.”

Sighing, I close the fridge and lean against the door. “I’m not sure. Now that I’m in the house, I don’t want to go out again.”

“Please, Jude. I already haven’t seen you in a few days. And then another week without looking upon your bright, happy face?”

I chuckle and shake my head at her saccharine tone, pushing off the refrigerator to walk to my room. “Yeah, okay. Where?”

“Yes!” She cheers on the other end of the phone, and I can’t help grinning.

Callie and I have been friends for over fifteen years and met for the first time in middle school. We’ve been practically attached at the hip since then. We usually see each other a few times a week. Now that she mentions it, we haven’t have done lunch in close to ten days.

“Let’s go to that diner near your job. I could do with a nice, greasy burger.”

“Please, no,” I mutter. “That place hasn’t gotten above a C on their cleanliness in like twenty years.” Callie chuckles in my ear. “There’s that bistro down the street from my apartment. They have burgers there. At least I can eat somewhere sanitary.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll see you there in an hour. I promise to have you back home before it gets too late.”

We say our goodbyes, and I tinker around the apartment until it’s time to go. I marinate some steaks for dinner tomorrow, since I’ll be treating myself while the savage Alphas are rutting against any omega they can catch outdoors.

Gods, I never want to be involved in that. Being chased down and fucked with abandon.

At least that’s what I tell myself. There’s some part of me that finds the thought more intriguing than I should. It’s just my omega nature shining through, wanting to be claimed by an Alpha that is so deep into his instincts he falls upon me in a show of feral dominance.

My mind flashes to Aldric, how his muscles ripple under his shirt, those sexy veins in his arms showing when he rolls his sleeves up. How his eyes flash when he looks at me, lust clouding his vision as he looks me up and down. What would someone like Aldric do during Game Night? Will he take an omega hard, fucking them with abandon?

Fuck. I need to stop thinking about Aldric and how he would fuck me hard and with aggression when that implant is turned off.

I can’t think about that. We live in a more civilized time, and I won’t let my instincts drive me. I just have to remember what the reports tell omegas to recenter myself.

There’s no greater privilege than being an omega. This is an honor no other dynamic can experience. Don’t look at your station as being below or inferior. Look at it, instead, as a support system. When you work for or under an Alpha, remember the sanctity your position holds. Allow the peace and fulfillment of knowing your submissive dynamic serves such a high purpose flow through you and give you serenity. Youare sacred. You are beloved. You are cherished above all. It is for the protection of your precious dynamic that the Alphas are constrained. Never forget the delicate power that comes from your submission.

I am more than my designation. I am revered, and I am sacred. As long as I remember that, I can banish more base thoughts from my mind.

An hour later, Callie and I are sitting in the bistro, catching up on our lives. She asks about work, and I scoff.

“What’s that for?” she asks, sliding a forkful of food in her mouth. “You never complain about your job.”

“Aldric Richards. The Alpha I told you about. He’s always around, sniffing at me.”

Callie smiles, leaning forward while dropping her voice. “Aldric? The Alpha with the dark hair and huge body that kept staring at you at the party you invited me to?”

I groaned. I invited Callie because I wanted company I enjoyed. The entire time, Aldric’s steel gray eyes were on me, and they wouldn’t leave. His gaze on my face was almost physical, following me as I drifted around the room, introducing Callie to co-workers so I could further avoid his hot eyes.

“Yes.” I play with my food, no longer having an appetite. “I don’t know what to do. He doesn’t try anything, what with the implant, but he stares far too much for me to think he’s only looking because of my work. There’s something about him. A glint in his eyes that tells me if given half a chance, I’d have his claiming bite.”

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