Page 13 of Omega Chattel
“Yes.”
“Sit.” He indicated the occupied table. “Boys, introduce yourselves, please. This is Alli.”
Two were reading tablets. One was handwriting scribbles in a notebook. They all looked up.
“I’m Oren,” said the first, a serious-looking young man with black glasses and close cropped pale hair.
“I’m Farrell and this is Tev,” said the next. The two sat very close together, like a couple, and even looked similar with their dark blond hair and square, handsome faces.
“Hi.” I felt suddenly all too shy, and my face heated. They were more mature than my Omega brothers back on the farm, more focused, less hyper.
They all nodded, watching me for a moment as I sat.
I expected a barrage of questions, or at the very least some suspicious looks, but they seemed immediately accepting, as if new guys came in to the house to live every day.
I wondered how long they’d been here, but I was too shy to ask anything right now. All Tarin had told me was they were his guests.
Where I sat, I faced a lovely window overlooking a bed of flowers and a white trellis supporting strands of ivy. I tried to focus on that and nothing else, but my mind spiraled with curiosity. Had these guys slept with Tarin? Were they a sort of on-call team for his Burns?
My stomach growled.
When Tarin put a plate of eggs, bacon and toast in front of me, I tried not to inhale it. I was so hungry. I downed half a glass of orange juice in a single gulp.
“Remember last night and slow down,” Tarin said, sitting with his own plate of eggs, bacon and toast after serving the other guys.
Everyone dug into their food without comment.
I made myself chew slowly as I tried not to devour everything at once. A bite of toast, then egg, then bacon. My mouth ached from all the lovely flavors.
Everything here was quiet, safe, peaceful. I could grow to love it but I couldn’t allow myself to become used to it. It was too much. It was everything. And no doubt I’d be leaving soon, losing it all, because Tarin hadn’t formally invited me to be his guest yet. None of this was mine.
But for now, I could at least enjoy a real breakfast after one day of protein bars and two days of nothing but my rationed water.
Again, I had so many questions bubbling up in my mind, but I stayed quiet. I almost didn’t want to know the answers. I didn’t want anything to change this peace right now. This comfort-feeling.
Tarin interrupted my silence. “Alli, you had many questions last night.”
I looked up at him, swallowing hard. The others glanced up as well, looking on as if to see what might happen and witness my fate at failing to measure up and being turned loose all too soon.
“Are you still interested in this place, in being here?”
I took a breath, straightened. “Are you? In me, I mean?” I wasn’t brave enough to ask,Do I meet your standards?
Both his sleek black eyebrows rose slightly. “Yes, I have questions for you, too.”
My body trembled at the idea. Questions scared me. I was afraid he’d lose his patience with me and dismiss me too quickly the way Gray had, Gray who had never liked anything I had to say, Gray who called me argumentative and accused me of things I’d never done.
I waited for Tarin to continue, thinking he might begin interrogating me in front of the others, but he showed no sign of further interest, focusing again on his food.
I had stopped eating and stared at him. After he had a few forkfuls of eggs, he looked up at me.
“Did you have any prospects in mind when you ran away?”
Get away from my pervert of a house-dad.I thought quickly about giving the right answer. Aloud, I said, “Find an Alpha benefactor, I guess.”
“Most who hunt the Trenches aren’t looking for anything like that.”
“I can work. I’m a fast learner and strong. If I could get a job.” Were these the right answers? I hoped.
