Page 72 of Knot All is Crystal
“I imagine it’ll be strange, but we’ll figure it out for Crystal,” Emmanuel says diplomatically. “But I’m not particularly looking forward to seeing your dick either, Maverick.”
“I have an excellent cock. Just ask our Omega.”
Heat floods my face, and I nearly fall out of my chair, jumping up from the table so fast. “Wow, I could use some more water. Let me go grab the pitcher.”
“She just doesn’t want to admit she fucked me in an alley,” he whispers conspiratorily to the guys. “But it was hot, so it’s fine.”
“This doesn’t feel like an appropriate dinner conversation.” Emmanuel’s tone is firm, setting a boundary I didn’t expect Maverick to need. “Let’s try to keep conversations like this to the nest, yeah?”
I slide back into my chair and take a long drink of water, thankful to the quiet Alpha for putting a stop to the conversation, especially since Gage looks like he wants to melt into his boots.
Maverick leans forward on the table, either not sensing the remaining tension or desiring to break through it. “Sure, sure. Anyways! Our first pack dinner, guys. This is one for the history books! We’ll tell our ki- wait. Are we gonna have kids?” He swings his head toward me.
“I uh…” My face heats. This isn’t a conversation I thought we’d be having tonight. “I don’t particularly want kids, but I know most Alphas…” I trail off.
The Omega Academy made it very clear that Omegas were made for giving birth. Our responsibility was to birth more Alphas and Omegas for this world, especially since Omegas are becoming increasingly rare, even with the Design Clinic intervening.
Now that the laws have been changed to reduce the amount of Design that can be done, it’s even worse.
But I never felt the call to motherhood that other Omegas seem to. I love kids—my niece Hannah has been my whole life since she was born—but I don’t want to be a mother myself.
“That’s fine with me,” Emmanuel says. “I’m nearly forty, and with my migraines, I worry I wouldn’t be a present parent for half the month.”
“Migraines, huh?” Maverick says. “Welcome to the bad brain club, dude!” He holds his hand up for a high five, and Emmanuel hesitantly presses his hand against the other Alpha’s. Maverick turns to Gage. “Your brain broken too?”
“Uh… Maybe? My mom died while I was ten, my brother refused to take me in, and I’ve never known my father. I’m sure that affected something up in the old noggin.” He taps his temple. “Mommy and Daddy issues.”
“Oh, me too,” I interject. “Mine died in a car crash when I was eleven, and my sister raised me.”
“Twins!” Gage shouts, high-fiving me. “Only not because that’d be weird since I want to see you na-”
His face turns bright red, and he dramatically pushes his chair back from the table. Manny tries to smother a laugh but doesn’t do a great job at it, and I have to bite my tongue not to make fun of the Beta’s clumsy jokes.
After a beat, Maverick bursts out laughing. “Well, looks like all of us are just a little bit broken! That can be our pack name. Pack Broken Brain. Pack BB.”
Emmanuel snorts into his glass of water. “Pack BB. I don’t know if we could officially register as Pack Broken Brain.”
His face still red with embarrassment, Gage looks between us with confusion. “I… pack?”
The implication of our conversation smacks me in the chest. We’re sitting here, joking around and talking about our pack like it’s a sure thing, and Gage and I just started interacting outside the tattoo parlor.
“I mean, I know you and Crystal are going to start going on dates or whatever,” Maverick says dismissively, “but let’s be real. No one can resist our dandelion.” He sucks on his teeth as I make a face. “Yeah, that one doesn’t work. Anyways, you’ll be pack one day.”
“Well, let’s not force anything on Gage. We’re just starting to get to know each other,” I say diplomatically. “He needed to meet you both before we could talk about exploring anything and-”
“I would appreciate it if you all wouldn’t talk about this like you’re going to let me join the pack. I know eventually that I’ll be kicked to the curb. I’ve come to terms with it.” Gage folds his napkin and sets it beside his plate. His pretty green eyes meet mine. “Getting to know you will be worth it, Crys.”
“Wait, what?” Maverick drums his fingers on the table. “Why wouldn’t we let you join the pack?”
“Alphas don’t share with a Beta.” His words brook no argument.
Maverick doesn’t get that memo.
“Bullshit. Packs need Betas. This whole notion that our society perpetuates, which suggests that because you can’t be bonded with a bite, you’re not supposed to be part of a pack, is asinine. An Omega needs a Beta for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is to help protect them while in heat from an Alpha whose rut went too far.”
“I agree,” Emmanuel interrupts. “In Colombia, Betas are still cherished members of packs. Some even have two. I don’t understand why our country treats Betas as assistants to the pack. They have just as much of a place in pack life as Omegas and Alphas do. Otherwise, we would not have evolved to have Betas, too.” He reaches across the table to pat the top of Gage’s hand. “We need to see if we all work together as a pack, but don’t go into this with a defeated attitude.”
My stomach churns.
