Page 13 of Vallaverse: Noir
“So anytime?”
I sigh again and slump down on my bed. “Probably.”
“I'll stay with you if you want,” she offers again. “I can tag out with another Beta so you aren't alone. What about suppressants? Would that be a better option?”
Would it? Probably. But regardless of what's happened, I'm still determined to find my Alpha. If I end up not going into heat at the Selection, then at the very least I'll be putting out enough pheromones that it will attract the right one for me. If they're there, that is. If not, I'm going to take the suppressants as soon as I get home from the ball.
“I don't know,” I tell her. “I'll think about it.”
Chapter Seven
Beckett
I'm not filing a report, pressing charges, or anything else. It wouldn't do any good. It never does. If they had hurt me, maybe I'd feel differently; but I don't feel like it's worth the risk of retaliation. Risk. No. Guarantee. They know where I live. I might be leaving here in a couple weeks, but I'm still here now and I refuse to become another statistic because I wanted justice. Is it fair? Not even a little, but I'm more afraid of those Alphas coming back here to seek revenge than I want them to have consequences for their actions. I want them to stay gone. Sometimes, unfortunately, it seems that the best way to stay safe is to keep yourself out of the minds of the people who might want to hurt you.
I don't think they wanted to actually hurt me. Not really. I think they wanted to claim me, each one for themselves. Another Omega might want overbearing Alphas like Kyle and Josh, but I don't. The entire experience has taught me a lot about what I enjoy and what I don't. I enjoyed most of the things they didto me, and even the things that weren't my favorite were still pleasurable. What I didn't enjoy was their refusal to leave my space. Even more, I didn't enjoy the way neither of them used my name. I love being an Omega. I love every single thing about it. I absolutely drip whenever an Alpha uses my designation when they're fucking me. But the fact that neither of those Alphas spoke my name the entire time they were here sat heavy and cold inside me. It wasn't right, and that was one of the big reasons I wanted them to leave.
The biggest and most important reason I needed them gone was because of the Selection. They were trying to trip me into going into heat early so they could trap me here. So they could fight it out and the victor could put his mark on me without my consent. I don't want an Alpha like that. Or one who refuses to say my name.
I'm picking up my suit and mask for the ball today. I had the last fitting a couple of weeks ago to make sure it wouldn't need any new alterations. I've gone all out for the balls before. I've done an entire themed costume. I even wore what was essentially a men's ballgown before. None of it ever caught anyone's eye. I've gone very basic and simple with my ball attire before, too. Just a classic black suit with a plain white mask. Dressing down never caught anyone's eye, either. This time, hopefully the last time, I'm going with a very classy suit with tails and all the extra trim, but none of the flash. No wild or bright color for the sake of attention. No feathered or jeweled mask, I'm going to use one of the ones the sponsors provide at the door. I won't need the extra touches this time. I figure going into heat in the middle of the ballroom should be enough on its own.
I've only had one spike since everything happened. I didn't call the service. I don't intend to ever call them again. If I can't manage the spike on my own, then I'll take a low dosesuppressant before I'll call for another Alpha. It isn't worth the risk.
Another decision I've made is that I'm leaving CCOE regardless of what happens at the Selection. I'll get a job and an apartment and sign up for one of the many matching apps available. If I lose patience, or heart, with waiting to find an Alpha through one of the apps, well, then maybe I'll resign myself to never having an Alpha or pack. Some Omegas never match with an Alpha. Sometimes it's their choice to remain solitary and they lead perfectly fine lives. I will become a solitary Omega if I have to and I will lead a perfectly fine life as well.
I don't have many belongings in my quarters at CCOE. Mostly clothing and necessities. Having stuff never really appealed to me. I do have nesting supplies, but that's mostly soft blankets with a few very specific pillows. My mother needed everything but the curtains on the windows for her nests, so I think needing less is a good thing in my situation. Maybe that will change if I find my Alpha. It's possible that having an Alpha will trigger the need for an intensely luxurious nest, and I'm sure my Alpha will go out of their way to provide for that nest like my father provides for my mother's. It's also possible that I might compensate for my lack of an Alpha with building a much more intricate nest, but I'll deal with that if it happens. For now, though, I am determined to find an Alpha.
~
There has been no sign of either of the Alphas from the heat service coming by or watching me. I'm honestly surprised. The way they were talking, and refusing to leave, gave the distinct impression that they wouldn't be so easily dissuaded. Either of them. I'm glad they haven't come back. I don't know what I would have done if they did. Calling the authorities is hit or miss; and even if an officer does end up coming, the Alpha sniffing around will be long gone by the time they get there.
Tiffany has called a couple of times, just to check in. It felt nice to have someone follow up about the situation; and about me. I'm not a social reject or pariah. My family doesn't hate me. I'm just a natural loner. I'm also an Omega, and Omegas crave attention. No matter how old or young we are, what our professions are, how many friends or siblings we have, we need attention and for someone to care about and for us. We can't help it. So, Tiffany taking time out of her day to check on me ticked some Omega boxes that were desperately empty; especially this close to my heat.
I just want to go to the Selection tomorrow and find my Alpha. That's all. With any luck, the right one will offer me their rose before I throw myself into heat, and they can get me out of there before something unfortunate happens. I'll have the little vile with the hormone and pheromone cocktail already tucked safely away into the inside pocket of my suit jacket. My plan is to drink it down during the first half of the ball if it looks like I need to. After I swallow it, there will be no going back.
Chapter Eight
Dana
No less than five small groups of Omegas have been led into the back of the building since I took up my post this morning. Five. No more than six in a group at a time. The Selection doesn't start for hours but none of the Omegas have come back out. They're probably being kept in several separate rooms inside the ostentatious hotel that houses the Selection. I thought I'd see at least one or two Omegas being escorted out on the arm of one of the few Alphas who have also slipped discreetly into the building, but there have been none.
Maybe they'll have their private meetings today and then make things official when they leave together from the ball. I suppose I won't find out until tonight. My time slot isn't until the ball is already going to be underway. My plan was to stay camped out in the backseat of this car until it's time for me to get dressed for the evening. My gown is carefully tucked away inside the garment bag in the trunk. There's a chance that the Westover girl is going to be here tonight, whether it be at my private meetingor at the ball itself. I spent the money to book a room at the hotel for the night under an alias so I'll have a place to get her quickly out of sight. I'll sit here and watch the door until I have to go in and change.
It won't take me long to get ready. The gown isn't intricate. It's a simple, champagne-colored design that flows loosely around my legs. It's cut a bit lower in the front than I would normally wear. I want to give the impression that I'm putting myself, and my lack of bond mark, on display. Clean, unmarked skin is one of the better things I possess that might appeal to a wayward Omega who needs to be returned to her worried parents. I'll even twist my hair up into a bun to further emphasize the open real estate.
The rest of the afternoon passes in a long and boring blur of nondescript vehicles and unremarkable people until a few minutes before I have to leave my post to get ready for the ball. A dark SUV pulls up right to the door and the driver gets out to scamper around the back of the vehicle to open the back door closest to the building. My jaw drops as when an absolutely massive and incredibly well dressed man climbs out and sweeps his gaze from one end of the street to the other as he adjusts his overcoat.
A Valla.
They so rarely leave their homes, or lairs as we call the places where Valla live, that it's utterly jarring to see one standing on the street. Obviously, they do come out. They have to function in the world like the rest of us, but it's not often that they subject themselves to the circus of things like the Scarlet Selection. The Baker has his own private showings of Omegas before the ball, everyone I've talked to thinks so; but as far as I know, no other Valla does that. Unless they do and I've just never known or paid attention. I've never had reason to pay attention to somethinglike that. The fewer interactions I have with a Valla, the happier I'll be.
I watch him nod at the driver and step further onto the sidewalk. He says something over his shoulder and takes one more look around, then disappears into the building. He had to duck to get through the door. He almost had to turn sideways. Okay, that might be a slight exaggeration, but he did completely fill the door frame. If my reaction to seeing him is this unnerving, I can't imagine what the Omegas will think when they see him. Why else would he be sneaking in through the back, besides getting his own meet and greet with some Omegas of his liking? I'm an Alpha. I smell like an Alpha, and I have the typical, dominant Alpha aura. The energy and scent he pumps out is probably overwhelming, to say the least.
My gut tightens unexpectedly. What if the Westover girl is in the grouping for the Valla? What if he chooses her? I technicallycanchallenge a Valla, but I'll be damned if I want to. Not for a case. Not for a lot of things. I wouldn't want to challenge a Valla for anything less serious than my actual, literal offspring. If that girl is in his viewing and he picks her … Well… He can have her. I'll give Mr. Westover his money back and wish him and his oddly uninvolved Alpha the best of luck. I'm not risking life and limb for a case. Not again. Not ever.
My sigh is heavy as I drag myself out of the backseat and go to get my gown and shoes from the trunk. I'm not moving the car. It can stay here till morning. I got here early enough to snag one of the very few twenty-four hour metered spaces on this block and I'm not giving it up for the chance to let a valet driver steal my car.
The hotel lobby is a different story than the back. There are Alphas everywhere. The bar is dripping with Alphas, and the lounge and restaurant are overflowing with them. There are more male Alphas than female, but I'm certainly not the onlyfemale Alapha here. There's a scattering of Betas throughout, but the number of Alphas crowded in the lobby is as dangerous as it is overwhelming. This many dominant auras and scents, all these pheromones? Yeah, it's a recipe for violence with or without the saccharine presence of available Omegas.
