Page 1 of Omega Island
1
Senta
The curtains billowed in a soft sea breeze from the window I’d left half-open. The rain in the night had washed away the saltiness for now. The air smelled fresh and cool.
Despite the serenity of my surroundings, I wakened to my body feeling damp and unsettled. And surprisingly aroused. I took deep, meditative breaths, eyes shut, and tried not to think about what it might mean.
I was thirty-seven. I’d bloomed young and though I wasn’t old by any means, I hadn’t had a heat in two years.
This was Omega Island. We were experts here in dealing with omega heats and the various problems both mental and physical that omegas struggled with. I’d been assessed by the best of our physicians and been told my eggs were gone. My change in life had come early.
It was of very little matter. My home and family were the island and its inhabitants. I loved all the alpha and omega sex therapists on staff. And the people who helped run the place were my rocks. I couldn’t do any of it without construction, maintenance, cooks, cleaners, importers, accountants. Every one of them was precious to me. I wasn’t lonely. Everyone here was a friend.
The island ran smoothly, and I was always busy. I hadn’t had time to worry about the changes inside me.
But sometime in the night, a shift had happened. After two years of no cycles, the electric currents of my body switched to heat-like impulses. At least, it felt like an oncoming heat. If it was, I might be able to ignore the symptoms for another few days. After that, I would have to make myself unavailable for two to three days and leave things to my assistants.
At this point in my life, I had no desire to share any aberrant heat I might have in my approaching middle age with anyone. In my twenties, I almost always took alpha partners, but afterward, I didn’t like them sticking around. Some called me cold, but no, I was just driven.
When I inherited Omega Island and my grandfather’s billions, I realized the importance of what he and his own father and grandfather had started long ago. I wanted to see it all thrive and improve with each year, every decade.
Many alphas were not used to omegas who were the take-charge types. They tried to coddle me, get me to delegate my responsibilities, and few were keen on living on a remote island in the Caribbean that was a rehab resort for omegas with heat issues. I’d dismissed all my temporary boyfriends without a second thought.
This oncoming heat, if indeed it was that, was going to be a nuisance.
I stretched to get my body to fully awaken. It was quite early yet, but I was already feeling well-rested, so I got up, showered, dressed, ate my usual fruit and cereal, and headed out to my office.
The sky over the top of the jungle that surrounded the resort was dark blue, inviting the still hidden sun to show itself. I walked the blue brick path to the office building next door to my house. The only sound other than the thousands of waking birds from the rain forest came from the dining hall where cooks arrived early to prepare the guests’ meals for the day.
As I entered my office, the lights automatically came on. I went to my drink station by the balcony window overlooking the sea. The water looked sharp today, like tinted foil in the dawn light.
I turned on my coffee maker. While I waited for the brew, I moved to my desk and flipped open my laptop. I’d checked my messages on my phone back at my house, but a lot of my contacts were from all over the world and lived in different time zones, some already awake and at work, others getting ready for bed. New messages always started popping in for me as early as four a.m. and kept coming.
I liked the early morning hours, but I also liked my sleep. If indeed a stray heat was coming, my sleep would be disturbed for the days leading up to it, which annoyed me. At the moment I felt normal, as if my symptoms upon waking had been nothing but a dream. A man could hope.
Turning to my computer, I scrolled through my emails and one name stood out. Luca Brandis.
Luca and I had been roommates in college. We were two highly outspoken omegas who loved to stir things up on campus.
Luca was married now to the alpha of his dreams. I hadn’t seen him in years, but whenever we talked or texted, it was as if no time had passed.
I brought up his email and smiled.
Hey,Partner in Crime:
How’s the weather?I have a fifty-fifty chance of guessing right. Rainy. Sunny. Wait, it rains while the sun shines where you live. I win!
But I didn’t send this to talk about your paradise climate.
I’ve got a situation I hope you can help me with.
I don’t know if you’ve ever formally met Raimi. He’s my brother-in-law. He was at my and Bam’s wedding but that was a long time ago and it’s okay if you don’t remember.
So… Raimi is about five years younger than we are. And an alpha. He’s just come out of a very bad relationship with another alpha who mistreated him. Like—really bad. Alpha-on-alpha can get bad when they rut together, you know. Anyway, if you met him, you wouldn’t believe it. Total sweetie.
He's been staying with us for a couple weeks and it’s, well, awful. He’s so thin. He doesn’t really talk much and he’s so different from before. He used to be interesting, exciting, fun. Bam says Raimi is a different man. He has been going to therapy for depression, but he needs to get away. He needs somewhere safe to just cool off for a while. Just learn to be himself again.
I know your island is for treating omegas only. I know alphas aren’t part of the patient roster. But I’d appreciate it in my heart if you might let Raimi come for a little while. He could see what you do there, all the good work, all the omegas you heal, and maybe he can get some peace, relax and heal himself.
