15. Chapter 15

Chapter fifteen

Genesis

G enesis did not call her fathers. She ignored their messages inviting her to lunch but sent a thumbs up when they texted that they’d made it back to London. They would have to be satisfied with that for a while. She wasn’t ready to deal with her conflicted feelings toward them, not when she had far more interesting things to do.

Josephine Valentine had a story to tell, and Gen V was going to tell it.

Genesis threw herself into her work over the next couple of weeks. Pack Rossi gave her space, seeming to understand that this was something she needed to do. They made her take breaks to eat, despite her dwindling appetite, and occasionally dragged her outside to get fresh air, but otherwise left her to it. They seemed content just to have her around. When she chose not to work in the main house, the alphas spent hours at the cottage, looking perfectly comfortable despite how large they seemed in the small space.

“We’ve never spent much time out here. The other omegas came to the main house for tending, but other than that, we mostly left them to their own devices,” Gabriel told her one afternoon. “We didn’t spend this much time with our other temporary omegas. Everything with you has been different, even before we started fake courting.”

Genesis’s stomach had fluttered with butterflies that she tried to ignore, reminding herself what fake meant for the millionth time. Still, she found it easier to think when Pack Rossi was around. They kept her from wallowing in the sad places. They entertained themselves quietly—Orlando usually reading, Gabe sketching or daydreaming, and Luke (whenever he gave in and graced them with his grumpy presence) inspecting and oiling lengths of rope Genesis hoped he’d use on her someday soon.

She liked having them there, sharing her space.

Genesis might not be good at emotions, but she was great at research. Soon, she had a reasonably detailed file on Josephine Valentine. She wasn’t sure why she’d never done it before. Regardless, she felt an intense compulsion to learn more about the mother who was now just a distant memory seen through a child’s eyes. Genesis knew nothing about her, really, and she suddenly needed to. She’d let her mother be forgotten, buried, silenced. But not anymore.

It wasn’t long before her mother’s story began to take shape. Genesis found the wealthy family that had disowned Josephine for mating with the upstarts of Pack Valentine instead of letting them sell her off to the highest bidder. It was common practice among prestigious old families to arrange matings like they were living in a regency drama, determined to make the most advantageous matches for their net worth and reputations. Omegas were still a rare prize, and traditionalists used them as chess pieces in their never-ending quests for wealth and power. It wasn’t trafficking, but it was trafficking’s well-dressed, botoxed cousin.

Serenity Rhodes! Genesis had connected with the famous fashion designer through Greyson’s new mate, popstar Destiny Duvalle. Serenity had a harrowing survival story she’d agreed to share with Genesis. She’d escaped an omega trafficking ring before finding her mates in Smyrna City’s Pack Rhodes. Juxtaposing her mother’s story with Serenity’s would drive home how dangerous life was for omegas of all backgrounds.

The pieces were clicking into place. She was going to shine a spotlight on the state of omega health and safety in their society, through the story of two incredible women. Two omegas who’d escaped the cages others put them in.

It was a start. There was still something missing, some additional component that would balance out the omegas who were two sides of the same coin. But she was getting close. She could feel it. The story she’d been waiting to tell was finally materializing.

Genesis emailed Serenity, wishing she’d done it sooner. Then she emailed the contacts she’d found for Josephine’s family, identifying herself only as Gen V. She had no interest in personally connecting with her estranged relatives, but she had to do her due diligence as a journalist and try to get an interview or a statement before she published an article that would paint them in an unflattering light. She was going to tell the truth, no matter how they responded.

While she was at it, Genesis sent a brief email to her fathers, asking them for any pictures or bits of information about her mother. Considering how quickly all evidence of her existence had vanished, Genesis had assumed her fathers threw it all away. All she had was a small photo album that she’d had the good sense to take with her to academy. If her fathers had anymore of her mother’s belongings boxed up and forgotten somewhere, they were rightfully hers. They owed her that.

“You need to eat, Carino,” Gabriel said, pulling Genesis from her perusal of an article on peripartum cardiomyopathy. The two were alone in the cottage on a sunny afternoon and had been working in companionable silence for hours. Gabriel handed her a glass of water. “Time for a break.”

“I’m not hungry,” Genesis replied truthfully. “Did you know that omegas are at twice the risk of peripartum cardiomyopathy as betas, take twice as long to recover, are twice as likely to worsen before getting better after diagnosis, and twice as likely to fail to recover altogether?”

“I didn’t know that. That’s fucked up. I’m going to make you a smoothie.” Gabriel moved to the kitchenette, pulling out an assortment of fruits and vegetables from her little refrigerator. “But your mom didn’t even get diagnosed, right? Meaning she never received treatment at all.”

“Exactly!” Genesis exclaimed, hot with anger. “The doctors and my dads dismissed her concerns, instead of trusting that she knew her body better than they did. That’s paternalistic alpha bullshit at its finest! Taking care of your omega doesn’t mean assuming you know what’s best. It’s like all your senses are heightened except your damn ears. Fucking alphas.”

“Ouch,” Gabriel said, giving her a grin that made her stomach flip. “Hold that thought.”

He turned on the blender and, a few minutes later he was handing her a fresh smoothie. It smelled good, but Genesis’s stomach didn’t seem interested. She took a sip anyway, enjoying the sensation of the cold liquid on her throat. It was far too hot in the cottage now that spring had lost most of its chill.

“You’re onto something, I can see it in your eyes,” Gabriel said. “And your energy has been rubbing off on me. You keep peeling back all these layers of story, finding the common threads between them. It’s made me completely switch media because two dimensions weren’t enough. I’ve started a series of collages.”

“I can’t wait to see them,” Genesis replied, standing to stretch. “How about now? It’s so hot in here. I need some fresh air.”

Gabriel readily agreed, taking her hand and leading her from the cottage. His touch sent shivers down her spine, despite how warm she felt all over. His vanilla, clove, and charcoal scent seemed to caress her, intensifying when they reached his art studio.

“Who let you little goblins in here?” Gabriel asked the trio of cats who lounged in the late afternoon sunshine streaming through the skylight. “There’s way too much for you to destroy in here. No more unsupervised visits. Comprende?”

Venus, an orange tabby, yawned. Neptune, a gray shorthair, blinked slowly. Jupiter, the world’s largest cat, didn’t even open his eyes.

“You’re not the boss of them,” Genesis reminded him. “You’ll have to file a complaint with Duchess.”

It hadn’t taken long for her to get to know all of the planets, and to discover which were friendly and which were more skittish. The trio in the studio were long-time residents and bossed everyone else around, aside from Duchess. Genesis bent to pay her respects, scratching Jupiter under the chin, Neptune behind the ears, and Venus at the base of the tail, just like each of them liked. When she stood again, Gabriel was watching her wistfully.

“What is it?” she asked, flushing beneath his gaze. The studio was just as hot as her cottage. Or maybe it was just her body responding to how good Gabriel looked in his fitted t-shirt and loose gray sweatpants. He’d obviously opted against underwear, and his dick print was incredibly distracting.

Gabriel smiled softly. “You’ve taken to the farm so well. I sometimes wonder how Evie would’ve liked living here full time. I think it would’ve been too much for her. She wasn’t crazy about animals.”

Genesis laughed. “She might’ve surprised you. If a bona fide city girl like me can adapt, I’m sure a gardener like Evelyn would’ve learned to love it.”

“Maybe. I shouldn’t underestimate Evie. City girl omegas are full of surprises.” Gabriel studied her, his expression inscrutable. “Earlier, you said some things that made me think differently about the way we treat omegas—even well-meaning alphas who just want to protect you. We need to learn to listen better. This story you’re working on is going to open a lot of eyes.”

Genesis smiled, her chest warm with pride. Then she gasped. Just like that, the final piece of the puzzle clicked into place.

“Evelyn,” she said, gripping Gabriel’s hands excitedly. “A happily mated, successful, and beloved woman, who still fell prey to society’s victimization of omegas. She’s the third piece of the story. Will you tell me more about her soon?”

Gabriel brushed a hand over her cheek, then gently tucked a curl behind her ear. “Of course, Carino. It would be an honor and a comfort. It’s been far too long since we talked about Evie like a person, rather than as something we lost. You’re giving us an incredible gift by sharing her story. Now, come and let me show you my new piece.”

Gabriel showed her what he was working on, a massive collage made of more materials than Genesis could identify. From a distance, she could make out a feminine face, but it seemed to move in and out of focus the more she stared at it. The collage’s intricate details were even harder to fully comprehend. Gabriel showed her how to look in the right spots, touching her often as he explained the way the picture changed when you shifted your vantage point.

A hand on her waist. Fingers trailing across her stomach. His breath on her neck as he tilted her head just so.

Genesis felt like she was going to explode. Her skin was flushed and tingling, and her inner thighs slick, but she tried to focus on his beautiful work. After what felt like hours, but couldn’t have been more than fifteen minutes, Gabriel sighed and gave her his most panty-melting puppy dog eyes.

“I’m running out of excuses to touch you, and you smell like the Garden of Eden, so can I eat your pussy now, please?” he asked abruptly.

Genesis almost wept with relief. “God, yes!”

Gabriel didn’t hesitate, his mouth crashing into hers in a frenzied kiss. Genesis pressed her body against his, her hands greedily roaming beneath his shirt to explore the hard ridges of his abs, and the firm muscles of his chest. He groaned into her mouth, walking her backwards until her ass hit the edge of a nearby table. Gabriel pinned her there, holding her face and deepening the kiss, his rigid cock jutting against her belly.

Genesis moaned, stomach clenching as slick drenched her panties. She writhed against Gabriel, seeking friction, desperate for more of him. Her body was on fire, and she needed this alpha ( her alpha?) to quench the flames.

“?Te deseo tanto!” Gabriel gasped, breaking the kiss. He hooked his fingers inside her waistband, dropping to his knees in front of her, and yanking her leggings and panties down to her ankles in one swift movement. “You make me ravenous, Carino.”

He rose again, lifting her easily as he did so, and set her on the table. Genesis kicked off her clothes as Gabriel reached around her to sweep everything off the table. Papers, paintbrushes, and pencils clattered to the floor, but he didn’t even pause. He pushed her farther up the table and buried his face between her thighs.

“Oh my god!” Genesis cried out, flopping onto her back. She buried her hands in his hair, urging him closer, needing him deeper, needing him everywhere.

Gabriel hummed as he lapped at her folds, sliding his tongue down her slit, before slipping it into her pussy. Genesis’s hips jerked, chasing the sensation, wanting more parts of him inside her. As if reading her mind, Gabriel licked his way up to her clit, sliding a finger into her pussy as he did so.

Genesis moaned, clamping her thighs around his head. Her stomach clenched, a growing electric buzz emanating from her core. Gabriel gripped her hips, devouring her relentlessly, driving her closer and closer to the edge.

Her hips bucked when he added a second and third finger, working them deep, stroking her g-spot while his tongue kneaded her clit. Genesis had the wild thought that Avery had prophesized this. Gabriel Acosta, dreamboat artist who is obviously the sensitive type that finds beauty in everything and can eat pussy for hours , she’d said. And he seemed determined to prove her right.

Genesis lost track of time, giving herself over to pleasure. She was practically vibrating, her body humming on a frequency that Gabriel was uniquely attuned to. When she got close to the peak, he switched tactics, sucking her clit, elongating her pleasure. She arched off the table, seeing stars. When he changed tack again, flicking his tongue over her clit faster than he should’ve been able to manage, the stars were suddenly inside her belly, burning brightly, preparing to explode.

Genesis came apart, the electric buzzing reaching its crescendo. She screamed Gabriel’s name loud enough for half the farm to hear and she didn’t care. The only thing Genesis gave a damn about at that moment was the artist currently creating a cunnilingual masterpiece between her thighs.

When her orgasm began to subside, Gabriel lifted his head, his eyes like molten chocolate and his fingers still moving gently inside her. “More, Carino?”

And just like that, her need rekindled. She wanted more. She wanted all of it.

“I need your cock, Gabriel,” Genesis whimpered. She sat up, pulling him toward her, reaching for his waistband as he stood.

He hissed out a breath when she slid her hand inside his sweatpants. “Fuck, your confidence is so sexy. Take what you want, Carino. It’s yours.”

Genesis shivered, his words touching some primal place within her. She wrapped her hand around his cock. A little voice in the back of her mind whispered mine , and her rational mind added for now , but neither of those things were as important as getting Gabriel inside of her as quickly as possible.

He seemed to be of the same mind, pulling Genesis to the edge of the table and thrusting into her without further preamble. They both moaned, and Genesis thought that she’d never felt anything so perfect as Pack Rossi’s cocks. Gabriel’s girth filled her, stretched her, touched all the places inside of her that craved his attention.

He fucked her slowly, relishing each stroke. The squelch of Genesis’s pussy, the slap of thighs with each thrust, and their moans of pleasure were loud in the huge open space. Genesis hooked her arms around his neck and legs around his waist, trying to match his rhythm in spite of the way she slid on the slippery table with each thrust.

“Hold on to me, sweetheart,” Gabriel panted, making sure she had a good grasp before lifting her off the table.

He carried her to the nearest wall, pinning her against it. With the stability of the wall behind her and his strong grip on her ass, Gabriel picked up speed. Genesis cried out as he fucked her harder, enjoying the intensity of the new position. He kissed her, swallowing her moans, his tongue demanding and insistent. Genesis loved the feel of him claiming her mouth and pussy, filling her, flooding her senses with his taste and his vanilla and clove scent.

It just felt right.

She came again, swearing and shuddering, pussy clenching greedily, and nails digging into his shoulders. Gabriel growled, trailing his teeth over her throat and along her neck, until he reached the temporary claim mark. Distantly, Genesis remembered how a few weeks ago, she would’ve panicked with his teeth so close to her neck. That Genesis wouldn’t have believed she would trust any alpha this much.

Gabriel sucked on the spot, and she felt the familiar ache of pleasure-coated pain. Pack Rossi had made sure the bruise stayed fresh, their pride evident every time Genesis wore something that bared her neck. Whenever she caught sight of the mark in her reflection, she felt a thrill of both fear and exhilaration—like the moment when a rollercoaster reached its first drop.

“Me encanta tu cuerpo,” Gabriel murmured against her skin. “You feel so fucking incredible. You want my knot, Carino?”

“ Please ,” Genesis begged, gushing slick at the very idea. Each member of Pack Rossi had knotted her since they’d begun their fake courtship, but she still hadn’t gotten used to how amazing it felt to be that full, that connected. She couldn’t believe she’d waited so long to experience it. All these years she’d been missing out.

Or had she? Would she have felt this safe and confident with another pack? Was she overestimating their connection based on her inexperience?

Genesis couldn’t possibly give a fuck about those concerns when Gabriel buried his swollen knot inside her, murmuring a stream of Spanish that Genesis didn’t need to speak the language to understand. She orgasmed again, gasping and quivering, as her pussy fluttered around his knot, and he filled her with cum. It seemed they were suspended in that moment for hours, Genesis’s greedy cunt milking him for every drop.

After eons or minutes of absolute bliss, Gabriel sighed happily and planted a soft kiss against Genesis’s forehead. The simple gesture made her swallow hard against a sudden lump in her throat.

Holding her close, Gabriel carried her to one of the studio’s quirky armchairs, being careful of the connection locking them together as he sat down. He settled back with Genesis straddling his lap and she couldn’t help but melt against his chest, burying her face in his neck. She breathed him in, his pheromones soothing and familiar now. Gabriel rubbed her back and purred, and Genesis floated in a euphoric place between sleep and wakefulness.

They stayed that way a long time, his knot slowly softening. Genesis wasn’t sure how long because at some point she succumbed to sleep. Multiple orgasms worked better than melatonin. She probably would’ve slept all evening and through the night, if it hadn’t been for the excruciating cramps that woke her a few hours later. She sat bolt upright and immediately realized two things. One, she was in her bed at the cottage, Gabriel sleeping naked at her side.

And two, her first unsuppressed heat had begun.