The guys are quiet for a while, until Max speaks up, his low voice warm, comforting, soothing. “How long have you been doing it? Hiding?”
I try to relax my shoulders, try to remember that they don’t know, try to remember that their questions aren’t asked in malice. “I’ve taken suppressants since I was old enough to, but the other stuff, hiding my scent, that’s since I started attending college.”
Liam moves, his attention fully on me. “Are your parents okay with it? Do they support this?”
I glare at him. How can they be so dense? “You think my... Hell no. Of course not. But this is my life, not theirs.” I turn around, taking a couple of deep breaths. It’s easier to think when I don’t look at them. I need to stay calm. I can’t lose my temper.
It’s not their fault that everything is falling apart. They’re just... They don’t know any better. “I only want to live my own life, make my own choices. I don’t want my whole life controlled by others. I don’t want my life to be at the whims of whoever is supposed to be my ‘keeper’, my ‘guardian’, my ‘babysitter’, at that time. I just want my own life.”
Zack doesn’t seem to accept my answer as he makes a dismissive sound. “What has pretending to be human to do with that? Of course, you can live your own life. Why wouldn’t you? It’s not like you’d be locked in a cage or something. What’s your issue with the shifter world?” He doesn’t so much sound confused as he sounds out of touch with the world outside of his own little Alpha bubble. Does he have any clue as to how most Omegas live? The constant pressure, the constant fear? The inability to make our own choices, especially for Omegas like me?
“Are you fucking kidding me? What are you, a kid?” Liam jumps up behind me and then there’s sounds of struggling.
I turn back and my mouth drops open. Spence is holding onto Zack, as Max is holding Liam back, both guys looking ready to punch the other in the face. They were about to fight, over me...
“Stop! Just! Stop!” Four heads snap my way, their eyes wide in surprise. “This is why I don’t want to live like this. This is why I just want a normal life, a human life. You were about to fight over a girl you barely know. How is that something I’d want? How am I supposed to like that? That you’d fight each other to death over me?”
After a bit of grumbling, the guys sit down again, though their grumbling seems to be more about me telling them off than about what I said.
“Can I ask?” Max looks at me. “What type are you?” He motions around. “I know that most of us here, and around this area and the city, are fairly uncommon to even rare types of shifters. So even if you’re not a very common shifter type, you should have been able to have a normal life here, even at college. But if you’ve been hiding yourself, it means you don’t feel safe here, which raises a few questions.”
I nod. “I... I don’t think I...” I take a deep breath, but I can’t let myself tell them. It still doesn’t feel safe, too many unknown factors. They might be my mates, or potential mates, or whatever, but that doesn’t mean they can’t turn me over to whoever would pay them the most for mating me... And that’s a danger I always have to keep in mind, no matter how kind they act now, that could all be an act.
Max nods carefully, standing up, thinking. “You know what. It doesn’t matter that much. And I think I’d like a strong drink for the next part of this conversation.” Then he walks off to a locked cabinet that’s near the kitchen.
Spence nods, his face thoughtful, while Zack stalks after Max. “Next part? What next part?”
“What do you think, kid?” Liam glares Zack’s way. “How short is your attention span? Why are all four of us, four Alphas, all sitting here, with just the one Omega? Have you already forgotten what happened at the party? What do you think the next part of this conversation is going to be? What matters more than Cyra being an Omega?”
That stops Zack, making him turn and stare at me, his eyes wide with an emotion I don’t know how to read. “The scent.”
“Yes, that.” Liam sighs and goes to a cupboard to my side as he grabs some glasses. “You too?” He eyes me as he holds up one of the glasses.
I nod. Getting drunk might not be a good idea, but I’m definitely going to need some liquid courage.
Liam puts five glasses on the low table between the couches as Max returns with a tray full of different types of strong liquor, which he puts next to the glasses.
Max looks me over as he nods, almost more to himself than to anyone in particular. “Let’s see if we can find you something more comfortable to wear. I’ve got spare clothes in the guest room, some should fit you. I think you’ll feel better in something that’s less... restrictive.”
I nod. The dress is okay for a few hours at a party, but I’m not up for wearing it during what I’m presuming is going to be a difficult and confrontational conversation, and a little time for myself is probably a good idea too.
I follow Max up the stairs. There are doors all along the hallway, I count five or six, none of them giving a clue as to what’s behind them. He walks me to the one on the far end, holding the door open for me.
“Check the dressers, there should be some clothes in your size in them.” He waits until I pass him before he turns to walk away.
I can’t stand him being kind to me like this, while
