Harper’s [POV]
Omega.
The word plays in my mind like a curse.
Everyone lied.
Michael lied.
James, Grey, Beau they all knew the entire time.
I put my head in my hands and collapse on the bed, struggling to breathe.
Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.
Even Charlotte knew.
The signs were there, but I didn’t put them together.
Cramps. Arousal. Wetness.
The bruise on my shoulder, which I realize is a fuckingmating gland.
I’m an Omega.
I scream into my hands, fresh tears spilling down my cheeks.
Part of me understands why they didn’t tell me, though.
Would I have believed them? How could I, when my identification card says Beta?
Michael faked documents.
Is my name Harper?
Is my birthday on October 16th? Or is it just a random number he decided?
Did he even know me before the car accident?
Breathe, Harper, c’mon.
I feel a wet nose nudge at my arm.
Wilson purrs loudly, rubbing the side of his face against me.
“I’m not mad at you,” I assure him, scratching under his chin. His eyes turn into thin slits, and he huffs out a satisfied breath.
Who should I be mad at?
Michael first, of course.
And then…myself.
Myself, for not knowing my own body.
Myself, for taking stupid pills without questioning what they were.
My mind spins, and I try to maintain my grip on reality.
Stupid girl, how did you not know…
Is that why James and Grey were such assholes to me in the beginning?
Were they surprised that an unmated Omega showed up in the middle of the night?
“Gah!” I yell in frustration.
There’s a knock at my door, and I want to fling the lamp at it, and tell whichever Alpha it is to go to hell.
“Harper? It’s Charlotte.”
I bite my lip.
Am I angry at Charlotte?
I don’t think I am. She gave me suppressants, though, and didn’t tell me what they were.
You shouldn’t have taken them without knowing what they were!
“May I come in?”
There’s a long beat of silence.
“Yes,” I finally sigh.
When the door swings open, she looks guilty and chastised.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers, sitting on the edge of my bed and taking my hand. “I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you the truth.”
“I understand why you didn’t,” I murmur. “It’s a lot. I don’t even know if I’m mad at them.”
“It’s an awful position to be in,” she agrees. “Simply presenting as an Omega is traumatic. And you finding out this way can be terrifying. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.”
“Thank you,” I whisper.
“For what it’s worth, Beau, Grey, and James are good men. You mean something to them. And, if you want to, you could send them away now, and they would continue to let you stay here.”
A sharp pang stings my chest as I imagine rejecting them.
I need Alphas!
“I don’t think I want that.”
They never took advantage of me. I wanted everything they offered.
I don’t regret it one bit.
Even if I’m still confused, frightened, and hurt.
“I think we need to take you to the hospital,” Charlotte says softly. “I think you should tell them what’s happened, and that you need a correct prescription for suppressants. And then we can pick up Heat supplies too.”
Heat.
I’m going to go into Heat.
“Okay,” I say quietly. “Will you drive me, then?”
Charlotte squeezes my hand. “Yes. Of course.”
Ten minutes later, I’m out the front door, with the Alphas nowhere to be found, their potent scents lingering in the front room.
I ignore the ache in my chest.
The blood tests come back, and the doctor explains the results.
Michael could have killed me with the withdrawals.
My mating gland shrunk, and now that it’s slowly resurfacing, the skin is incredibly tender to the touch.
My fever could have spiked to where my organs shut down.
Based on how high a dose of suppressants I was taking; it would have been impossible for me to believe I was an Omega.
The doctor asks me if I want to file a police report.
And yes, I do, even if nothing comes of it. Even if they just show up at his door and scare the shit out of him.
Because I’m not leaving the Aurora Inn.
They give me a pamphlet on heat, a list of recommended items to use, and the proper prescription for suppressants.
The ones Charlotte gave me were from the drugstore. Those usually work, but because of what my body has gone through, they needed a specific medication for me.
Even with the correct dosage, the doctor tells me my Heat should come within the next few days.
I’m perfectly fine with that.
I realize I directed my anger at the wrong people.
Michael is the true villain.
Charlotte, Beau, Grey, and James are the ones that matter to me now.
And Wilson, of course.