Forbidden: Part One – Chapter 31

I glanced over at Cam. His jaw was clenched, and his eyes kept sweeping the restaurant as if he were ready to jump into action. I realized he probably was. He hadn’t told me much about his past, but I knew he had served in the military for several years. It wasn’t hard to imagine Cam commanding people in dangerous situations. And right now, he was acting as if we were at imminent risk of being under attack.

When we arrived at the restaurant, one owned by a friend of Ben’s, Cam had demanded they seat us in a booth in a far corner where he could see the exits. He also insisted I slide into the booth first so he could better protect me. His anxiety caused an uncomfortable kernel of guilt to form in my stomach. I had been the one who wanted to go out to eat, and now Cam was upset.

I reached under the table and tentatively took hold of his hand. “Do you want to leave?” I asked in an almost whisper.

Cam tore his gaze from the restaurant entrance and looked at me with a bewildered expression. “Why would I want to leave?”

“You seem stressed,” I said, shifting in my seat. “Maybe this was a bad idea.”

“Fuck,” he said, running his free hand over his face. “Trust me, sweetheart, I want to be here with you.”

I thought I caught Theo scowling at Cam from across the table, but his expression transformed into a relaxed smile when he saw me looking.

Cam placed his hand on my thigh and gave it a squeeze. I leaned into him automatically, reveling in his warmth. He was wearing a tight black t-shirt that showed off his tattoos, having taken off the leather jacket he’d worn to the restaurant. I was feeling a little drunk off his scent and lamented that I hadn’t had a chance to explore every one of his tattoos yet.

“What looks good to you, love?” Theo asked.

In contrast to Cam’s casual outfit, Theo wore a black suit and a green plaid tie. His dark brown hair was neatly combed back and the candlelight danced across his chiseled jaw. God, he was like an even sexier James Bond.

Ben cleared his throat. I had been staring at Theo without saying anything for an inappropriate amount of time. My cheeks heated as I finally tore my eyes away.

“Next time, I’ll know to wear a tie,” Ben said, his eyes dancing with amusement.

I bit my lip and looked down at the menu. “I like what you’re wearing, too,” I mumbled.

I meant it—Ben had layered a soft blue sweater that brought out the color of his eyes over a white button-down. It looked perfectly cozy, and my omega wanted to curl up on his lap.

“I don’t know what I want,” I confessed, feeling overwhelmed by being out to eat for the first time in years. Ben had already taken charge of the appetizer order, getting almost everything on the menu.

“If Ben’s in charge, he’ll just order every entrée and make you try them all,” Cam snorted, squeezing my thigh again. Was I imagining it or had his hand moved closer to my core?

“Not all,” Ben responded with a glint in his eye. “Josie doesn’t like shrimp, so we’ll skip that one.”

I opened my mouth to say they shouldn’t spend so much money on me—I had planned to just order the smallest, cheapest thing on the menu—when Cam pressed his face to the top of my head.

“Don’t even try to argue with him, sweetheart. Ben takes his food ordering very seriously,” he said. Then he moved his lips to my ear and murmured, “I’ll get better at this, I promise. Can’t tell you how much I love being seen with you, to have all these people know you’re mine.”

My body tingled with warmth at his words and I snuggled close to him, unable to suppress a smile.

“Hate this de-scenter on you, though,” Cam said, his voice almost a growl.

My breath caught and I went to shift away from him. De-scenter could have an unpleasant metallic smell, but the idea of going out in public without it had been too much to cope with.

“Didn’t say I wanted you to move away, now did I?” he asked.

My lips parted as the authority in his voice sent a shiver through me.

“I’m sorry. I know it doesn’t smell good,” I said. “I just… don’t feel comfortable being out without it.”

“I understand, sweetheart. I shouldn’t have said anything. I want you to be safe and comfortable.”

I let myself relax, listening to Ben animatedly review the menu options and tell me which ones he thought I would like the best.

The waiter came to drop off our drinks—I’d ordered a cotton candy martini that sounded equal parts disgusting and delicious—when I noticed a group of women being led to a table near ours. I froze when I saw it was my mother and a group of her friends. Sam and I had dubbed the group the Omega Bitch Squad as teens—OBS for short. Sam’s mother, Victoria, was part of the group, along with several other omegas whose alphas were all Designation Traditionalists.

My mother and I locked eyes as she found her seat. Her mouth curved into the briefest frown before she turned away from me and sat down. I couldn’t be bothered to be hurt by her rejection—I was just relieved that she had decided to ignore me. I looked away, hoping Cam’s large body blocked me from the view of the rest of the OBS.

“This looks revolting,” Cam said, eyeing my drink. He picked it up and took a sip.

“Hey!” I exclaimed, trying to tug it out of his hands without spilling.

He chuckled and set the drink down. “That’s fucking disgusting.”

I scrunched my nose at him in irritation, but secretly I was thrilled that he had relaxed enough to joke with me.

I looked up and realized Theo had noticed the new arrivals.

“Josie, isn’t that…?” he asked.

“Nope,” I snapped, cutting him off. Theo’s eyes widened in shock and I bit my lip, ashamed of my rudeness. “Sorry,” I said, not meeting his gaze. “I know she’s here and she saw me. But I just want to ignore her.”

Theo reached across the table for my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. I closed my eyes, relieved he wouldn’t punish me for my outburst.

“Who are we talking about?” Ben asked, looking up from the menu and turning around in his seat.

“Don’t look,” I whispered urgently. “It’s my mom and her friends.”

But it was too late. Sharon, the OBS ringleader, had spotted us. Her eyes raked over each of my alphas in a way that made me feel profoundly possessive before her gaze landed on me. A wide smile spread across her face, a sinister gleefulness in her eyes. She nudged my mother, who turned to look at me, her eyes tight. I was sure my mother was ashamed to be associated with me, but now she couldn’t reasonably continue ignoring me.

Soon, all five omegas turned to look at us and Sharon got up, gesturing for them to follow her to our table.

“Fuck,” I muttered, every muscle in my body clenching with dread.

“Josephine, darling! I never would have expected to see you here. And who are these alphas?” Sharon asked, tossing her blond hair.

I clenched my fists to keep myself from shrinking down in my seat. I hated myself for feeling intimidated, but being around these women for the first time in years brought up all the terrible memories of my childhood.

I cleared my throat. “This is Cam, Theo, and Ben. My alphas.”

I swear all my guys sat a little taller at my words. Did they like that I had called them mine?

“This is Sharon,” I continued. “Victoria, Linda, Elizabeth, and, of course, my mother, Angeline.”

“Angeline told us you finally came into heat and found a pack,” Elizabeth said. “We were simply blown away. We had quite the betting pool going on if you would ever find alphas.” She laughed, a hollow, fake sound.

Cam tensed next to me.

“Oh?” I asked, feigning indifference. “Who won the bet?”

Sharon giggled, the sound high-pitched and girlish. “It was actually Victoria. Angeline was the most optimistic when she guessed you’d find a pack at twenty.”

My mother shifted her weight ever so slightly, the only tell that this conversation made her uncomfortable. She had never hesitated to remind me that my failure to find a pack reflected poorly on her.

My gaze landed on Victoria, who had the decency to look embarrassed.

Sharon leaned forward so much I thought her breasts would pop out of her tight dress.

“It’s so kind of you to take on such an unconventional omega,” she purred.

Then she touched Cam’s arm.

A red haze came over my vision as I stared at her hand. All sound fell away. Nothing mattered anymore except getting her off my alpha. I wanted to leap across Cam’s lap and tackle her, wanted to rake my nails down her skin for daring to touch him in front of me.

Before I could act, Cam firmly moved Sharon’s hand off of him with a scowl and pulled me closer to his side, rubbing little circles on my hip. The red haze eased enough for me to take a breath and focus on the conversation. I felt a foot run down my calf and looked across the table to Ben, who gave me a wink.

Sharon opened her mouth to say something else but was interrupted by two servers carrying large trays with all our appetizers. I shifted with discomfort, already prepared for the food-related comments they were about to make.

“Goodness, you must be starving,” Linda said, eyes wide.

I didn’t think I’d ever seen her eat at any of the countless dinner parties my parents forced me to attend.

“Of course, alphas such as yourself need to eat to keep up your physique,” she added, practically eye fucking each of them.

Sharon let out a theatrical gasp. “Did you not get the omega-approved diet list?” she asked my alphas. “I barely recognized you at first, Josephine, with all the weight you’ve put on. I’m so concerned about your health.”

Cam vibrated next to me, his scent almost acidic with anger. We gripped each other tightly as if to prevent the other from attacking.

My mother glared at me, the epitome of if looks could kill. I tried to find a witty retort, but to my shame, all I did was shrink lower in my seat. It’s not like I didn’t know I had gained weight, but for her to say it in front of my alphas hurt.

My mother’s steely gaze flitted between me and the appetizers. “Don’t embarrass yourself, Josephine,” she said. It was obvious to everyone that what she meant was don’t embarrass me.

“Josie is perfect the way she is,” Ben said, his usual mirth absent from his tone. “We don’t need her to look a certain way.”

“Oh, I’m sure you don’t,” Sharon said with a wink. “I’m sure you’re not lacking side options to satisfy you.”

The red haze returned and I had to hold back a growl. How dare she suggest my alphas were cheating on me?

“I suppose there are limits on what we can expect from you,” Elizabeth said airily. “Nothing can make up for bad breeding.”

I crinkled my nose slightly, wondering how my mother would respond to the insult. But she didn’t react. Didn’t say a single thing.

“It’s time you return to your table,” Theo said, standing up, his accent deepening with his barely suppressed rage.

“Of course,” Sharon said with a girlish laugh. “It was so nice to meet you all.” She trailed one last finger down Cam’s arm before flouncing away, leaving us in silence.

I kept my head down, staring at the napkin in my lap. Suddenly, all three guys moved into action at once. Cam and Theo shifted their seats so they were blocking me from view of the OBS table, Cam pulling me in so close I was practically on his lap. Ben signaled for the waiter.

“We need all of this boxed up immediately,” he said. “And please box up some entrées and desserts as well—Seb will know which ones. We’ll be waiting in the parking lot. You can bring them to us out there.”

The waiter’s eyes widened, and he stammered in confusion. Ben clasped the waiter’s hand as he moved out of the booth. As the waiter pulled his hand away, his confused expression transformed into one of amazement.

“Right away, sir,” he said, gathering the appetizers and whisking them away.

“Did you just slip him money?” I asked, momentarily distracted. “I thought that only happened in movies.”

Ben winked at me.

“Let’s go, sweetheart,” Cam said, tugging me out of my seat.

“We don’t have to leave,” I said weakly. No part of me wanted to stay. Being this close to my mother and her vicious friends made me nauseous, but I didn’t want to be a nuisance either.

“If we stay, I’ll do something I regret,” Cam said, pulling me out of the booth. “Probably best we go unless you want to pick me up from jail.”

I wasn’t sure what it said about me that his words didn’t remotely frighten me. Instead, I pulled him down for a kiss, uncaring that the OBS was watching. For the first time, I left an encounter with them feeling like I came out on top. They could do their best to insult me, but I was the one leaving with three hot alphas who cared about me, while they all had to go back home to cruel alphas who didn’t give them the time of day.

The guys ushered me to the car, and Ben slipped into the back seat with me.

“I’m sorry,” I said, breaking the silence. I wasn’t sure what I was apologizing for, except that I had been the one who wanted to go out, and it had turned into a complete disaster.

“Baby girl, none of that was your fault,” Cam said tenderly, turning in the passenger seat and grasping my hand in his. “I’m sorry we didn’t do more to defend you.”

“I just kept hearing Amirah’s voice in my head saying the DC will try to take you away from us,” Theo said, a vulnerable look on his face. “We don’t believe anything they said. Forgive us?”

It took a minute for my brain to catch up to what he’d said. He was asking for my forgiveness?

“There’s nothing to forgive,” I stammered.

Theo reached out and held my other hand, rubbing my palm where my fingernail indentations had been.

“Don’t worry, we’ll get our revenge,” Ben said. “I’m texting Seb.” He kissed me on the cheek before continuing to text furiously. “Those women are about to have a terrible dining experience.”

“What? Who’s Seb?” I asked.

“Seb is my good friend who happens to be the owner and head chef. And he owes me a favor.”

“Ben, you shouldn’t do anything,” I said without much conviction, a smile spreading across my face.

“Oh, but I should,” Ben responded before letting out an evil cackle.

“You’re such a dork,” Cam told Ben with a grin.

“I have to tell Sam his mom won the betting pool,” I mused.

“That was Sam’s mom?” Theo asked.

“Yeah, Victoria. She’s always been super quiet. I wasn’t even sure she could speak for a long time. But she came by Sam’s apartment right before he moved out to say goodbye, and I heard her tell him she loves him.” Of everyone in the OBS, Victoria was the least evil.

“You grew up with all of them?” Ben asked.

I nodded, but before I could say anything else, there was a tap on the car window. A middle-aged alpha wearing a white apron stood outside with several large paper bags. He was all warmth with brown skin, dark brown hair, and a beard streaked with silver. I caught a hint of his cardamom-orange scent as Ben opened the car door, instantly putting me at ease.

“Seb!” Ben exclaimed, taking the bags from the chef and putting them in the trunk. The two of them clasped hands in greeting. “I didn’t think you’d be the one running these out here.”

“I had to,” he said, turning his gaze on me. “Had to apologize to this sweetie for her less than stellar dining experience.”

“More like you were feeling nosy,” Theo said with a smirk.

Seb’s eyes sparkled. “Can you blame me? I’ve never seen Ben this excited. I just had to meet the lovely lady.” He held his hand out to me, and I giggled as he bowed dramatically before kissing it. Cam growled and Seb’s smile grew wider.

“It’s wonderful to meet you, Josie.”

“Nice to meet you, too,” I said.

Seb released my hand, and his face grew more serious. “I am truly sorry you had such a poor experience in my restaurant, sweetie. My servers and cooks have received special instructions for how to deal with a certain table, so rest assured we have everything under control,” he said with a wink. “Now I have to run, but please come back soon.” He clasped Ben on the shoulder before jogging back to the restaurant.

“How about we set up a picnic in the courtyard?” Theo suggested as he pulled out of the parking lot.

“That sounds nice,” I responded.

I still felt bad about ruining the evening, but then Ben moved to the middle seat and wrapped his arms around me. I leaned into his embrace, running my nose along his neck to breathe in his scent. He gently massaged my neck and I groaned, not realizing how tight my muscles were. He kept up the massage all the way home until I was slumped against his chest, totally relaxed.

Cam opened the car door for me, taking my hand firmly in his as we walked to the courtyard.

“You need string lights,” I mused, looking around the garden.

“It’s your house now, too,” Cam said, squeezing my hand. “And you’re right, we do.”

Ben set up the food, laughing as he pulled out plastic drink cups. “Looks like our cocktails came with us.”

“Gimme,” I said, holding out my hand.

We all sat around the outdoor table, and Ben plated the appetizers for me. I stared down at the overflowing plate, mouth watering at the array of food. But I couldn’t get Sharon’s voice and my mom’s disappointed glare out of my head.

Cam moved closer and squeezed my thigh. “You need to eat, baby girl.”

I forced myself to take a bite of the fried mac and cheese and hummed in delight. I looked up and saw all three alphas beaming at me.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“We like seeing you happy and knowing you’re safe and fed,” Theo said.

I blushed. “I haven’t had much of that in my life.”

“No kidding, if that’s who you grew up with,” Ben said.

“What’s the deal with them?” Cam asked. “Didn’t seem like your mom’s friends are very nice to her.”

“Yeah. I’m not sure they’re nice to anyone, but they’ve always treated her like an outcast.” I responded, taking another bite of the mac and cheese. “Sam and I call them the Omega Bitch Squad.”

Ben choked on his drink, snorting out in laughter. “Perfect name.”

“Why would they treat her like an outcast?” Theo asked. “I would have thought being bonded to your pack fathers would give her some clout.”

“It probably would have, except she ran away from the community with my father when she was young. No one could ever really forgive her for that crime,” I said.

“Wait, your father?” Cam asked.

“Yeah,” I said.

All three of them looked at me with confusion.

“Oh, I’m not related to Jericho or Richard. My mom fell in love with my father when she was seventeen.”

“Why didn’t she stay with him?” Cam asked.

“He died,” I said, a lump forming in my throat. “I’ve never even gotten to see a picture of him.”

I took a sip of water and blinked away my tears. Cam’s grip on my thigh grew tighter, his touch reassuring me I wasn’t alone.

“I’m sorry, angel,” Theo said. “Do you know what happened to him?”

I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “My mom never talked about him, except for one night. She came into my room and she was really drunk. She sat on my bed and told me about him. It’s the only time I’ve even heard her say his name. It was Jonas. They knew each other growing up, and she’d had a crush on him for years. He was an alpha but didn’t have a pack and wasn’t interested in forming one, so he wasn’t eligible to mate with an omega. But they loved each other, I guess, so they ran away. She said he wore a leather jacket and drove a motorcycle.”

A smile tugged at my lips. I couldn’t imagine my mom running away with a bad-boy alpha. It made me wish I could have met her before everything else happened.

“A year after they left, my mom got pregnant with me. She said that the pregnancy added stress to the relationship because they didn’t have much money. Growing up in a Designation Traditionalist community, she usually would never have been allowed to get a job, but she worked as a secretary until she had me. Then Jonas started drinking to deal with the pressure of caring for an omega and a child.”

“We’re not meant to do things alone,” Theo said. “They needed more support.”

I nodded, but deep down, I knew it was my fault. They were happy until they had me.

“My mom started crying, and she kept saying, ‘I love you, Jonas, I miss you, please come back,’ over and over. I didn’t know what to do. I’ve never seen her like that.”

“How old were you?” Ben asked.

“Nine.”

“Shit, that’s a lot for a nine-year-old to process,” Theo said.

I shrugged. It wasn’t the worst I had experienced growing up.

“When she finally got up to leave, she stopped in the doorway and said, ‘I wish you and I had died alongside him so we wouldn’t have to live this misery.’ I think it’s the only honest thing she’s ever said. She said she hates looking at me because I look like him. He had green eyes.”

“Fuck,” Cam said, his jaw clenched. He tugged me into his lap, his strong arms wrapping around me and his face pressed to the top of my head.

“It’s my fault that things got bad between them,” I said, tears streaming down my face.

“How can you possibly figure that?” Theo asked.

“He started working more to make money for me. If he hadn’t been so stressed, maybe he wouldn’t have started drinking. And then maybe he wouldn’t have died.”

“No, love, it wasn’t your fault,” Theo said, his expression devastatingly sad.

“Not at all,” Ben said, scooting closer to me so he could hold my hand.

I took a shuddering breath. I’d never told anyone this before except for Sam. It hurt to talk about, but something in me wanted to keep going. I didn’t want to be crushed beneath the secrets anymore.

“My mother didn’t have anywhere to go. She had a two-year-old and was an omega alone. So she returned to her parents’ house. I think they’re the ones who set up the match between her and Jericho and Richard. I don’t know if they ever loved each other, but they certainly don’t now. I knew I wasn’t biologically theirs because they told me all the time. My grandparents did, too. They made sure I knew, even as a child, that I didn’t really belong with them.”

“Fucking bastards,” Cam growled, the vibrations in his chest running through my body.

“Yeah, the whole family is horrible. And I…” I wasn’t sure if I should share this next part.

“What, sweetheart?” Cam asked, cradling me closer to his body.

“I don’t know. It’s probably stupid. But one time, my grandmother was talking on the phone when I was at their house. They had locked me in a closet. I think she forgot I was there, so she was standing nearby and said, ‘It was good we got rid of him.’ I don’t know if she was talking about my dad, but what if she was? What if they did something to him?”

“They locked you in a closet?” Cam growled, outraged.

I scrunched my nose. “I feel like the possibility of them murdering my dad deserves more of a reaction than them locking me in the closet.”

“Fucking does not,” Cam bit out. I looked at Ben and Theo for support, but their faces were both hard with anger.

“Did they do that often?” Theo asked, his voice low and cold.

I squirmed. “Umm, no.”

“Josie,” Cam said. “Don’t lie to us.”

“I mean, sometimes they would. But it’s actually a good thing because it forced me to learn how to pick locks. Which, you know, is a handy skill,” I said, trying to lighten the mood. It didn’t work. A heavy blanket of silence fell.

“Don’t be mad,” I whispered, looking up at Cam.

He took a deep breath and met my gaze. “I’m not mad at you, baby girl.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck, squeezing tightly.

“Why would your grandparents treat you like that?” Ben asked.

“They didn’t approve of my dad,” I said with a shrug. “I think they also blamed me because my mom couldn’t have any more kids. She was in and out of doctor’s offices most of my childhood, but I don’t know if they ever figured out what was wrong. It gave my mom some status when I revealed as an omega. Everyone had been convinced I would be a beta, so it was a relief for her. But I’d always been fat, even as a kid, and that didn’t change once I revealed. They took me for testing multiple times to ensure I was an omega and to figure out what was wrong with me. But the doctors could never figure anything out. Everyone just decided that I was the problem.”

My alphas protested at once, so fierce in their disagreement that I let out a startled laugh.

“Love hearing you laugh,” Cam murmured, his lips brushing my ear.

“Thank you,” I said, looking at each of my alphas. I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to have them.

“I feel like there has to be something wrong with me, though, because my mom hasn’t been a mother to me, but I still feel sad for her. I can’t remember seeing her happy—she was definitely never happy with me. And I know Jericho and Richard treat her like crap. She’s never stood up for me, never helped me, so why do I feel so sad? Why do I still love her?”

“Because you have a kind heart, beautiful,” Ben said, his eyes shimmering. “You’re so sweet and incredible. They don’t deserve you.”

“Maybe her criticizing you is a way to protect you from repeating what she had to go through,” Theo mused.

“Yeah, maybe,” I said, staring back at my food.

“Doesn’t make it okay,” Cam grunted.

“Of course not,” Theo said easily. “She obviously doesn’t have your strength or compassion.”

The conversation lulled, and I picked at my food.

“Okay,” Ben said, clapping his hands. “Enough sadness.” He handed me his phone. “Pick out some music, precious.”

I looked at the music app, unsure of what to choose. “What do you all like?”

“Nope,” Ben said cheerfully. “Pick something you like. And let’s get these cocktails poured.”

I finally selected an album by a popular female artist. There was speculation that she might actually be an omega. I figured if the guys hated it, we could always change it.

The bass pumped as the melody of the first track started playing through speakers I hadn’t known were hanging on the courtyard wall.

“Excellent,” Ben said. He handed me my martini in a plastic cup and I took a long drink. Cotton candy flavor exploded in my mouth. The energy at the table eased with Ben’s enthusiasm for the food and the upbeat music. I found myself humming along to the songs and eating everything Ben put in front of me.

Theo launched into a conversation about his favorite books, and I eagerly joined in. I saw Cam out of the corner of my eye sneaking sips of my martini when he thought I wasn’t looking. Finally, I turned around fast enough to catch him in the act. His cheeks blushed furiously.

“Next time, you have to order one for yourself,” I laughed. I leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. “But don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me.”

Cam set down the drink and gripped my chin with his thumb and forefinger. “I guess I just like tasting sweet things.” My body heated at his words and I swayed closer to him. His firm hand on my face guided me into a deep kiss. I could taste the cotton candy on his tongue.

I held back a whimper when he pulled away. His hand returned to my thigh, giving it a tight squeeze.

“Finish eating, baby girl.”

Theo and Ben’s eyes were on me, their deep scents swirling in the breeze. I knew I wasn’t ready to have sex with all of them yet, but a gush of slick soaked my underwear at the thought of all their hands on me.

I cleared my throat, grateful for the de-scenter masking most of my perfume, and continued to eat.

The night turned chilly. The moment I started shivering, the guys announced it was time to move inside. I caught Ben’s hand as he was tidying up.

“Thanks for a great evening,” I said. “I didn’t think I could feel relaxed after everything, but you made it happen for me.”

Ben beamed and pulled me into a tight hug. “You make everything better.” He spun me around, making me laugh, before tugging me inside.