The Wedding Pact

1

Gail

The pictures in front of me on the kitchen table are blurry, a lot of black and grey and white. It looks like something from the Sixties, not something that was taken just a couple of days ago. But I can see them—my two babies.

Two. Oh, hell. Sure, I know it sometimes happens. Twins are not uncommon, especially not for Omegas with two mates. But these are our first kids, and we weren’t even sure we’d be ready for just one of them…

“Gail.” Cyrus stands behind me, running his large, warm hand over my back. “You ready to leave?”

I nod and stand up. Yeah, whatever.

He wraps his arms around me. “It’s all gonna be fine. You know that, right?”

I shrug. Do I? I’m going to talk to an Omega organisation, see if they can help out with the whole ‘needing permission from parents’ thing. Not only can I not get medical care without their consent, but I can’t even get married… How is that possible? How is that even allowed? I straighten my back. This needs to get done so I can get on with my life, live it the way I want to, not scared of my parents. “Let’s go.”

Cyrus will drop me off at the Omega Centre that we found online before his appointment at the bank. Yeah, like we need money issues right now… Like we need any issues. But since neither Lucien nor Cyrus has told their parents that we mated, and since they aren’t even planning to, Lucien’s Dad will pull his support for Cyrus’ school. So now Cyrus needs to get the money some other way.

“It’ll be okay. You know we’re here for you.” He tilts my head up and covers my mouth with his, kissing me slowly, exploring me carefully and thoroughly. I grip onto him, holding him tight as he attacks my senses.

When he breaks away from me his eyes are dark and he licks his lips, a movement I can’t suppress myself. Oh, how he keeps doing this, keeps making me forget about the world around me. He takes my hand and we get to the car.

“You got everything?” He looks at the folder I’m holding, the folder with whatever I could take from my old life before my parents emptied out my apartment. I went back, just once, to see if they left anything behind, if there was anything to be salvaged. But there was just a note on the door: ‘If you want your things back, come home. Love, Mum and Dad.’ The whole apartment was empty, nothing left behind, nothing at all. Of course, this angered Cyrus and Lucien no end. They’ve even offered to go home for me, but I don’t think that’s a good idea…

“Yeah, I’ve got everything. Everything I’ve got anyway.” I take his hand, making him look at me. “I’m fine. I just want to get this over with.” I try to show him a smile, but between the pregnancy and the problems with my parents… I’m exhausted, and I know it’s worrying Cyrus and Lucien.

“You and me both.” He leans over and gives me a quick kiss. “Let’s get this over with. Tonight we’ll relax with a movie and some popcorn or something.”

I nod. Then Cyrus starts the car and we’re off to the city.

The fields are frozen over and Cyrus drives more carefully than he normally would. It’s almost the end of the year, but it feels so much later. We skipped Christmas—we had a bit of a feast, but we didn’t celebrate at any of our families’ places. Cyrus is angry with his family, Lucien can’t stand to be around his parents… and me? I don’t think it would be safe if I saw my parents right now. Not for any of us.

So we celebrated by ourselves—some steak, a Christmas tree, and no alcohol for me. I never realised how easy it was for me to just ask for a beer or a cider if I was somewhere, but now… now I can’t. Gah, I hate being down like this. Let’s hope that the Omega Centre can lift my mood, because I really need it.

* * *

“This is all you have?” The woman in front of me doesn’t look very impressed. The room we’re in is impersonal, functionality over comfort, like I’m just another number, not a person.

“Yeah, am I missing something?” I brought everything I thought I needed. Damn, I’m so naive to think that this could be fixed in just one go.

“Your contracts from your last jobs?”

My heart sinks.

“I don’t have those any more… my parents…” They did what? Destroyed them? Took them? No clue. Fact is, I don’t have them.

“Do you at least have your work permit from the last couple of years?”

I shake my head. I forgot that at the apartment, and then it got taken away.

“Okay…” She looks over the papers. “Well, you went to college here, you finished a degree, and you have letters of employment from your last bosses.”

The one from the club wasn’t easy to get. Boss was very angry with me that I hadn’t called him myself about quitting my job. But he also was understanding. Apparently this isn’t the first time he’s gone through the crap of an Omega being forced out of work by their parents. But he too was—firm, he can’t hire me again until I get a new work permit, and maybe even then.

“You’ve been away from home for how long now?” She looks at her notes.

“About eight years.” I started college here, which my parents allowed, so I got away from home at eighteen.

“Yeah, that’s not long enough.”

I swallow hard and bite the inside of my lip to keep myself under control. Eight years away from them is not long enough? “How long is long enough?” I try to keep my voice steady, which isn’t easy.

“Ten years minimum, and you need to be in schooling or work for all of those years. And since you haven’t worked for a month now…”

Ten?! That is two more years. I can’t wait two more years. We can’t wait two more years. “What?”

“Ten years away from your family and with very little contact with them counts as being independent enough from them.”

That’s insane. Like… I can’t even believe this is going on kind of insane. “I can’t wait two more years. I’m pregnant, I want to work. I need to get independence from my parents.”

The woman looks me over and I can see the pity in her eyes. A knocked-up Omega, trying to get away from his family, with not enough paperwork and just generally unprepared… I must look stupid. “Is the genitor, the one who knocked you up, at least with you?”

The one who knocked you up… At least… See? She thinks I’m some sleaze who doesn’t know how to protect himself. “Yes, both genitors are with me on this. They want this to be over as much as I do.”

She nods. “Well, I’ll make some copies of these files, and I’ll be right back with you.” She takes my folder with her and leaves the room, leaving me behind in the room that feels more like a punishment than a place of help, like the fates of whole families aren’t chosen right here. I grab my phone and check for messages. Nothing.

“I want to leave. I don’t think they’ll be able to help me here.” I send the message off to Lucien and Cyrus, and then start a new message as the door opens again.

“Are you Gail?” The man who comes in looks me over.

“Yeah?” I’m not sure what is going on, but I don’t like the way he steps into the room and closes the door behind him.

“The woman you just talked to? Don’t trust her. She’s calling your parents.”

Yeah, and sneaking into a room where someone else is having a private conversation is not suspicious. “How do you know?”

“Because I heard her talk to the lady at the desk and they were discussing calling your parents on you.” He shrugs as he turns around. “Just don’t trust the people here. Find a better place to help you.”

“And what do you do here?” He doesn’t look any less suspicious now than he did a moment ago. Why would a random person come in here to tell me something so scandalous?

“Because I’m here looking out for people like you. Omegas in crappy situations. There are some really good centres out there. This isn’t one of them.” He opens the door. “Stay safe.” And he’s gone again.

The lady from before comes in just moments later. She looks at the door a few times before she talks. “Did a guy just come in here?”

“Yeah.” His words of warning may have sounded ridiculous, but I also don’t know if I can trust this woman who has been nothing but negative and unhelpful from the start.

“Don’t listen to anything he says. He’s got a grudge against the centre for not writing out contraception prescriptions, even though he knew he didn’t fall under the urgent cases law. He’s been trying to ruin us ever since.” She sits down again and hands me my folder back. The papers are inside it, but sticking out at odd angles and, as I take them out and try to stack them properly so they will fit back into my bag, a bright piece of paper catches my eye. I didn’t leave that there. A quick glance doesn’t make me any happier. It’s my parents’ phone number and there is a scribble under it that looks suspiciously like ‘want him returned’. Oh, god. Damn.

I put the papers back into the folder and then stash the folder into my bag. I try to keep my face as neutral as possible. I can’t show them that I know.

“I can’t help you right now, but if you can give me some more papers, I may be able to help you next time.” She hands me a list of items. “If you can get me at least two or three of these, that would be great.” She takes out a planner. “Can you meet again next week, on Wednesday?”

I take a look at my phone, trying to appear confident and as if I’m checking for availability. “I’m not sure…”

“This is sort of time-sensitive, you know, so making a follow-up meeting is in your best interest.” She taps her pen on the page.

I don’t feel this is going the right way. Something in what the man said and the way she is acting now is destroying any trust I have in her. I shake my head. “Sorry, won’t be able to. But I can call you the week after to see if we can match up our schedules.” I’m not sure what comes over me, apart from a very strong need for self-preservation.

“Well, I guess we can do that too. Though I think that your freedom would be important enough to change any plans you do have, don’t you think? Isn’t that why you’re here?” Manipulative. She’s being manipulative.

“I’m sorry, my mates have odd schedules, so I never know up front when they can drive me here.” Self-protection. Create distance and drop in that you are cared for by two mates, not just one.

Her face falls. “Well, I guess that can’t be helped.” She hands me her card. “If you know anything, don’t hesitate to call.”

I take the card and put it into my bag with the list of other items I have to provide. “Thank you so much for helping me.” I smile as I stand up, a grimace that doesn’t quite reach my eyes.

The woman is being friendly enough, but I need to leave, like… right now. I can’t stay any longer in here. The woman leads me to the door and then waits until the last moment before she puts her hand on my shoulder. “If you need any help, the centre is always open for you.”

It’s then that I feel it—Beta power. She’s not even an Omega, she’s a Beta. She is using that power to influence me right now, like I won’t recognise it for exactly what it is.

“Thank you.” I show her my best smile, but then quickly leave the building. I shudder as I’m out the door. Not good. So not good. I send a text off to Cyrus, asking if he can come pick me up yet, but he doesn’t answer.

Then the man from before stands right at the edge of my vision. When I look up at him, he looks straight at me.

“Who are you?” I don’t know what else to ask. He was right. They are not going to help me, not at all.

“I’m just a guy, just an Omega who wants to be treated like a normal person, not some object that can be moved between parents and partners.” His words are sharp and I can see the emotions on his face.

“I don’t want my mates to get in trouble. I don’t hate them, I love them.” Damnit, I do. I love them so much, which is why I’m so willing to fight for all this.

“So do I. I love my mate to the moon and back. That doesn’t mean that being treated as a second-rate person is fair.” He comes closer, looks at me and then focuses his eyes on my face. “You saw something. You know they’re lying to you.”

I nod. Yes, I saw something. I was trying to be responsible, and then I get fucked over by people who supposedly are there to help me. Crap.