“Nice weather we’ve been having. Unseasonably warm.”
Josie, Jewel, and I stared at Logan, one of Angie’s alphas. He cleared his throat awkwardly, swinging his arms back and forth.
“This shop is… really nice,” he continued, looking around as if admiring the precariously stacked boxes in the back room.
“What’s wrong with him?” Jewel asked, brow furrowed.
Josie elbowed her in the side before turning back to Logan. “It is a nice shop, isn’t it? And the owner is such a charmer.”
Logan gave Josie a tentative smile.
I pulled her closer so her back was against my chest and looked over to where Theo and Ben were talking with Angie. As long as I was touching Josie, I could keep my anxiety at bay.
She wrapped her arms around mine and looked up at me. “You doing okay?”
I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding and kissed her cheek. I wanted her to get the serum. It terrified me that she was so vulnerable around other alphas right now. Even Logan, who seemed to be the most awkward, shy alpha I’d ever met, was registering as a threat. I just didn’t understand why she needed to be the second person to try the serum. Surely there were others who could try it before she did to make sure it was safe.
Ben waved at me, signaling for us to come over.
“I’m going out front to run my nice shop,” Jewel said with a smirk. “Kick some ass, Josie.”
My mate smiled and gave Jewel a little wave.
“Theo has deemed it safe,” Ben said with an eye roll, pulling Josie in for a kiss.
Theo looked up from the research team’s paper.
“The research was well done,” he said, almost begrudgingly.
“If it’s so safe, why aren’t you taking it?” I asked Angie, trying to keep the accusing tone out of my voice.
Angie blushed and glanced at her two alphas leaning against the back wall. “I would, except I’m pregnant.”
Josie squealed with excitement, throwing her arms around Angie.
“Congrats,” I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck. Feeling protective of Josie didn’t mean I got to be an asshole, especially not to another omega who was risking so much to help us.
I eyed Josie’s big smile as she and Angie discussed the pregnancy and wondered if she wanted to have children. She was on birth control, so it hadn’t come up yet. The three of us had never wanted kids, but what if Josie did? Theo watched Josie carefully as well, and I wondered if he was thinking the same thing.
Now was not the time to think about it.
“Alright,” Angie said, sitting down at a table with a metal tray of medical supplies. “You ready for this?”
“Yep,” Josie responded, sitting down across from her. Only the acidic edge of her scent gave away her anxiety, and I couldn’t help but pull up a chair next to her.
“This serum uses a similar formulation to the alpha tabs. As you know, we can’t remove your device without it alerting the government. The hope is that the serum will disable the device. If this works for you, you won’t be as susceptible to alpha barks even after the device is removed. It lessens the omega impulse to obey, hopefully evening the playing field when it comes to omegas being able to function in society, work, and make our own decisions.”
“How long until I know if it’s worked?” Josie asked.
“The other omega noticed a difference after forty-eight hours, but obviously, that’s just a sample size of one,” Angie said. “During the injection, you might feel a burning sensation, which could last several minutes.” She took special care to look at Ben, Theo, and me. Probably checking to make sure we wouldn’t lose our shit at our omega being in pain.
“Any other side effects?” Josie asked.
“The other omega reported some euphoric effects for a couple of hours after,” Angie said.
“What does that mean?” Josie asked.
Angie cleared her throat. “She was a bit loopy, almost like she was high.”
“That doesn’t sound bad,” Josie said, biting her lip.
“Good,” Angie said with a nod. “We’ll get started then.”
She turned towards the medical tray. Theo stood behind her so he could watch as she drew up the liquid.
“You don’t have to do this if you’re unsure,” I murmured, leaning closer to my mate.
“I want to,” Josie whispered back.
Ben stood behind Josie’s chair, lightly touching her shoulders. She glanced back at him with a smile.
“It’s going to burn, but you need to hold still for the full ten seconds,” Angie warned as she cleaned the spot on Josie’s arm with an alcohol wipe.
Josie nodded, her expression stoic. She was so brave while I felt like my heart would explode from stress.
“Want me to hold your hand?” I murmured, scooting my chair closer. I hoped she would say yes, mainly because it would make me feel less useless and because I selfishly needed her touch to stay calm.
She nodded, and I grasped her hand, noticing the marks her fingernails had left on her palm.
“Alright. One, two, three,” Angie said.
Josie’s eyes were screwed shut as she squeezed my hand in an iron-tight grip. Every muscle in her body tensed, and she held her breath.
“All set,” Angie said after what felt like an eternity as she pulled out the needle and quickly placed a band-aid on my omega’s arm.
Josie released the breath she’d been holding, but her eyes were still shut.
“Sweetheart? Are you okay?” I asked. I ran my hand up her arm and realized she was trembling.
“Josie,” Theo said, his voice sharp.
A whine slipped through her lips, and I lurched, gathering her up in my arms. Little tremors wracked her body. Ben wrapped his arms around both of us, pressing his face to Josie’s.
A soft whimper slipped through her clenched jaw as if she was trying to keep her pain from us but couldn’t quite hold it in. The sound was almost enough for me to go feral.
Theo let out a low growl, pressing himself to my side so he could touch Josie.
“The burning should pass in the next few minutes,” Angie said, her voice infuriatingly calm. “The best thing you can do for her is stay relaxed.”
It took everything in me to not snap at her. My alpha said it was her fault that my mate was suffering, but I managed to hang on to reason and focus on my omega.
Ben stroked Josie’s face and purred. Immediately, I felt some of the tension leave her body. Theo and I started purring as well, touching her as much as we could. Her breaths were coming easier and after what seemed like an eternity, she opened her eyes.
“You still hurting, baby girl?” I asked.
“Just a little,” she said, leaning her face into my chest.
“I need to take her vitals,” Angie said.
I tensed, not wanting to let anyone outside our pack touch Josie.
“You can keep holding her. Just sit down in this chair for me,” Angie said patiently.
Josie patted my chest as if trying to reassure me. I took a deep breath and sat down, biting my lip to keep myself from growling as Angie put a blood pressure cuff and heart rate monitor on Josie.
“Everything looks good,” Angie sighed with relief, moving to take the blood pressure cuff off Josie’s arm.
“That’s mine,” Josie said, tugging her arm away from Angie.
“What?” she asked, raising her eyebrows.
“Don’t take my present,” Josie said, her nose scrunched with disapproval.
“What present, sweetheart?” I asked.
“This,” my omega said, her tone exasperated as she pointed to the cuff.
“That’s not yours?” I said, trying to cover my confusion.
“My present.” Josie crossed her arms and shifted closer to me.
“Oh my god. She’s totally high,” Ben said with a chuckle, leaning down to kiss Josie on the cheek.
“Hi!” she said brightly, pressing her hands on either side of Ben’s face until she squished his cheeks.
“What are the odds I’m getting that blood pressure cuff back?” Angie asked with a smile.
Josie scowled at Angie, placing a protective hand on the cuff.
“We’ll get it back to you later,” Theo said with a chuckle, brushing his hand down Josie’s hair.
Relief was the overwhelming sensation through the bond. We certainly weren’t about to take something she wanted away from her right now.
Josie tilted her head back so she could look at Theo.
“No more grumpies,” she said, pointing sternly at him. His lips twitched, but he managed to control his expression.
“Grumpies?” Ben asked, laughter in his voice.
“Theo had the grumpies this past week,” she said.
“Alright, angel. I promise, no more grumpies.”
Josie nodded imperiously before turning on me. She frowned, scrunching her nose up in that adorable way she did.
“Am I mad at you for something?” she asked.
Do. Not. Laugh.
“No, not at all,” I said as earnestly as I could.
Her eyes narrowed before she turned to Ben. He immediately held his hands up. “I haven’t done anything. No grumpies here.”
“Where’s my cake?” she asked, looking around.
“Umm,” I said.
Angie covered her mouth to keep from laughing as her alphas helped her pack her supplies.
Josie’s lower lip trembled. “You didn’t bring my cake?”
“Cam forgot it. Can you believe that?” Ben said, smirking at me. “Good thing I have some at home for you.”
Josie pushed herself off my lap and I reluctantly let her go, seething at Ben.
“Have to remember cake next time,” Josie muttered, her voice low and cranky as she made her way to the front of the shop.
“Ben!” Josie cried out, spinning around in the shop.
“What precious?” he asked, pulling her in for a hug.
“We have to find Jewel a pack. I think she’s lonely.”
I tensed, glancing over at Jewel. The alpha could be unpredictable sometimes, and I wouldn’t let her do anything to upset Josie. But Jewel just smiled softly.
“She acts tough, but she’s a marshmallow,” Josie told Ben in the loudest whisper I’d ever heard.
Jewel chuckled. “Thanks, sweetie.”
We stayed in the shop for a few minutes as Josie ran around with excitement, pointing at all the things she wanted. I knew she would be embarrassed once the effects of the injection wore off, but the three of us loved seeing her so uninhibited.
We finally left the shop, my arms laden with bags of blankets, books, and cute house shit. Ben and Theo held Josie’s hands to keep her from running off as we got back in the car and headed home.
