The Beta: Part Two (The Beta, #2)

by Avanne Michaels

Her voice sounds almost drunk, the same way Jasper sounds after we take care of him like this. She's goddamned adorable.

She huffs and her foot starts searching for something, and it registers to me that Talia is nesting. I glance at Jasper and he is absolutely beaming at her. “The big, white blanket, please,” he says softly, pointing it out. I cover them with it, and take a step toward the door but Talia fusses, “you have to tuck us in.” I get the distinct impression that she's going to be a far more demanding omega than Jasper.

I don't know why everyone is so worried. If I can handle two omegas on my own, then so can the other alphas. We'll be alright if we let ourselves be alright.

Unclaimed omegas like me can't be in public without heavy guard, anyway, every pheromone addled alpha in the area would swarm and chaos would ensue until the unfortunate omega found a way to evade them.

I heave an exaggerated sigh, I'm going to be a terrible omega.

I'm coming to recognize that I've exhibited omega behaviors for most of my life, but they were small enough that I could brush them aside. Like folding laundry, for example. The act of folding laundry and stacking it and putting it away has always been so calming.

I can't be going into heat now, not yet. Not with Jasper gone. I don't even have a plan, and I'm not going to be coherent enough to make one soon if this is my heat starting.

Devon is the first person in my contacts list. Good. Devon will know what to do. He takes care of Jasper, he will know what to do. I swipe over his name to call and when he answers I whine at the sound of his voice even though it's digital and tinny. “Talia. Breathe. Tell me what's wrong.”

I shake my head and reach for him. Maybe if I can taste him it will help, and I can't stop my eyes from centering on his crotch where he's hard and straining just out of reach. “Goddammit,” he grits out, and takes a step back.

I whine again, hating the sound of it coming from me but I can't help it, can't make it stop. “Please,” I pant, even though it's obvious he doesn't want me to touch him. I feel tears prick at the rejection, I won't be able to keep myself from crying any more than I can stop the rest of this bullshit.

Then Devon purrs, strong and loud and soothing and I sigh. “Okay. Okay. Fuck, okay. It's going to be alright. I'm not going to hurt you, I'll never hurt you, Talia. But I am going to help you. Do you want...

I nod and try to get up on my knees but I'm cramping so much that I can't straighten. This must be some kind of omega shit that nobody talks about, the cramps keep you on your hands and knees or drawn up on your back, presenting...

His purr takes on a more urgent frequency and that doesn't help, it makes it so much worse. He'd fuck me if I let him, if he'd let himself, and that would make everything so much better.

I whine through my nose without releasing him and his lips draw up in a snarl that should probably be terrifying, but it isn't. It just makes me need him more. “Stop doing that. You're not in a position to consent. If you keep making that sound I might not be able to stop myself from giving your body what it needs, regardless of your wants,” he says between his teeth.

I pull off of him, fighting my body to raise onto my knees so I can be on equal ground with him. “I can consent, Devon. I can. I know you'd rather not, but please, please, this isn't enough, you in my mouth isn't enough. I need more. Please.” I fucking hate begging. I hate it more than anything else in the world.

And what I hate even more is how good it feels to beg him, to submit to him because he's an alpha and he can give me what I need.

And I do need it, I need him to make me feel better more than I nee...

He positions himself between my spread legs and looks me up and down, “I do want this, Talia. Don't doubt that.”

He growls and puts a hand behind my neck, his thumb pressing into my pounding pulse, “not yet. Not yet. Not yet,” I hear him chant, to himself apparently, because I don't know what he means.

I'm screaming and ripping and clawing and he has to hold my hands against the floor above my head to keep me from marking him up. He starts purring loudly and I breathe deep and allow it to calm me.

“I never knew, I had no idea,” Devon sounds almost reverent and when I peek up to look at his face he looks a little lost. “What's wrong?” I ask, starting to feel that sleepy, almost intoxicated feeling I felt after I drank down Trent.

“When…” he takes a breath, and seems unable to still the slight motions of his hips, “when Jasper takes my knot it feels...different. His body grips me in a different way. It's because you're a female omega, the placement is different.”

That's what you're worried about, that you will displace Jasper once we claim you as our omega. You won't. We will just have two equally precious treasures.

And we will never come between you and Jasper. Did you know that we think you're mates? The true mates that people talk about but you never see anymore. We can all feel the connection he has to you through our bond with him.”

Oh. That actually does make sense in an intensely insane way that I cannot possibly process with Devon still gently thrusting into me. “Okay,” I say lamely, my voice laced with the sl...

I'm just drifting into unconsciousness when I hear a camera sound followed by the obnoxious noise of a text being sent out. “Put your phone on silent like a normal person,” I grumble, but he just strokes down my back and shushes me. “I sent Jasper a picture. Nathan, too, he was worried.” That's okay, Devon can send whatever picture he wants.

and I wonder how long he sat there and let me sleep in his lap. I reach for Jasper and he pulls me over to sit across his own lap and kisses my temple.

All I want is to go up to our nest and burrow into the blankets. I look around the floor and frown when I don't find anything Devon-scented to hold against me.

“I'm sorry I missed it, but I did make that picture my lock screen,” Jasper says, petting my back. I groan, “you can't have a picture of Devon's d...

But it's just a selfie of him holding you while you slept,” Jasper informs me, but I still grumble about it.

Another shared masculine chuckle curls warmly through my veins, and I sigh into Jasper's arms.

There's no way only two alphas will be able to take care of you sufficiently. And, to be blunt, you're fucking aggressive. Trent can take it, but Nathan and Jasper...”

“But,” Jasper continues, his tone going sullen, “I agree that two alphas and one me isn't going to be enough for you. What's worse is that I also agree that keeping Kaleb and Devon outside the haze of your heat is a good idea. I know you've refused every time I've brought it up, but I would feel so much better if you'd at least let us put in a call to Corso, to see if he would be willing to be on standby to lend a hand, so to speak.

Asking this of him is a cruelty.” “It is an honor, Talia. An honor. And he will see it as one,” Kaleb says with such solemn honesty that I lower my eyes.

“Fuck yeah, I do. I want you both to have a go at me.” Of course Trent wants that, the lech. He said it jokingly, but I'm almost sure he really would like it if the two of us became feral in our need and tore into his flesh.

Hearing him call me his girl makes me shiver, and causes me to release another rush of slick. That is definitely not on the list of omega perks.

Silence. I was right. This was cruel. Now I'm staring down the table with my own glare.

Corso is very well spoken, is very polite, but he is one of those alphas that doesn’t need bravado. He'd rather rip out your throat without announcing it.

but Jasper loves the flowers and the knives. Devon, not so much. He's sulking. Probably because he didn’t think of filling the house with flowers and new weapons for our pleasure.

He has tried every way he can to make Devon feel better, but I’m sick of Devon’s attitude about it. Devon doesn’t say anything, he just keeps making the same face he’s made off and on since the flowers started arriving.

I’m trying to remind him that he doesn’t have anything to be sulky or jealous about, but Devon, as always, ruins it.

I’m sorry, Talia.” Well, I might just fall over from shock. “It’s fine, Devon.” “It isn’t,” he says, “I’ll do better.” All I can do is offer him a smile.

Granted, since I've gotten myself back together, for the most part, Jasper and I are very physically affectionate with each other. I think Kaleb and Trent especially enjoy watching us.

I can't shake the feeling that I'm causing Jasper hurt in some way, no matter the reassurances. He says that, too, will right itself when I let them claim me.

We're going to come at him from so many angles and senses that he's going to be an adorable, sexy puddle when we fuck him. I'm almost bouncing with excitement.

No one is in the kitchen with me, Kaleb is always at the table but he isn't there now. Trent is usually under my feet, stealing bites and samples of whatever I'm making, but he isn't there, either.

She's perfect and beautiful and vicious. I knew she would be. I was worried that she wouldn't want our pack's clothes after she pushed them away that horrific day in the hospital, but she wants them.

Even worn thin and pale, with dark circles under their eyes, Nathan and Trent aren't letting up on my girl, soon to be our girl. They're giving her everything they've got.

I crawl across to her and my heart stutters at the expression of absolute wonder and love on her face as she watches me come to her.

“Fuck him, Trent. I want to watch,” her voice is slurred, soft, sleepy, and blissed out, “lay down beside us, Jasper. I want to fall asleep to the sound of you cumming for your alpha.”