Against his will: The omega he never chose

Alyssa tied the sleeves of her sweater around her waist and stepped out the door to the bar she worked.

Normally, she enjoyed walking home after work. The air of calm serenity that fell over the town in the wee hours of the night was soothing after the noise and crowds of the bar.

But tonight, nothing would soothe her.

Panic hit her as she thought about the tiny life that had taken up residence inside her.

What did she know about having a baby, much less raising one? She could barely afford to buy food for herself let alone a baby.

There was no way she could afford a doctor or medical bills. 

And as soon as her boss discovers she is pregnant, she would lose her job as well.

Admittedly, it wasn’t much of a job, but at least the tips kept a roof over her head. She angled across the parking lot and turned north. There were no sidewalks here.

The bar was on the very edge of town, too far out for such amenities. She walked on the grassy side, her worn out sneakers silent in the dew-dampened weeds.

Deep into her own whirling thoughts, she didn’t hear the pickup until it slowed almost to a stop next to her.

“Get in. I’ll give you a ride home.”

The voice sent a burst of anxiety through her. She glanced up but kept going, fear and anxiety making her omega jump inside her. She couldn’t possibly know.

“T-thank you, but I’d rather walk.”

The truck shot ahead of her and pulled over, the red flare of brake lights blinding her as Travis hit the brakes. 

The sound of the door slamming behind him echoed across the empty street.

Alyssa hesitated, then increased her speed, intending to pass right by the man. When she was even within an inch of  the truck, Travis caught her arm, his hand warm, his grip firm and determined.

The speed of Alyssa’s heartbeat increased again. “Alyssa, we need to talk.”

“There’s nothing to talk about. Go home, Travis.” Alyssa pulled her arm loose and started walking again, praying he’d just go away.

Travis fell into step next to her. “You’re pregnant, aren’t you? You don’t have a virus.”

All the air went out of her lungs at that statement that she thought she had slammed into a brick wall, and the blackness threatened again. 

She staggered to a halt, fighting to draw in a breath.

Travis knew. Dear God, the alpha hadn’t believed her earlier excuse about being sick.

It wasn’t until Travis caught her, lifted her, Alyssa hadn’t even realized she was falling. 

There was a dizzying sense of motion, then she found herself propped up on the seat of Travis’s truck.

“Alyssa?”

 His voice seemed to come from far away .

“Alyssa , if you don’t answer me right now, I’m taking you to the hospital.”

That got her attention. No way could she pay a hospital bill. She forced her eyes open. Travis leaned over her, sharp hazel eyes reflecting concern. Dark hair spilled onto his forehead.

Would the baby look like him? Hysteria welled in her at the thought. Fighting it off brought her back to her senses.

“Your scent.” Travis’s eyes flickered red when she broke out of her stupor. 

“I’m o-okay.” Or at least, she would be if Travis would just go away.

“Huh?” Travis shot her a look that said he didn’t believe her, his eyes narrowing to slits as he sniffed the air around them.

“No more arguments. I’m driving you home.” He climbed in next to her and started the truck. 

Alyssa managed to slide across the seat until she was huddled tightly against the door, as far away from the alpha as the small space allowed. 

“It’s on Maple.”

“Yeah, I remember.” The words carried a cynical edge.

Travis glanced at her. “You weren’t going to tell me about it ,were you?”

Alyssa remained silent. There was no way the alpha could know for sure.

 Travis was only making guesses.

“Did you think I wouldn’t know?”

Alyssa turned from the window to look at him.

 “Assuming you’re right, that I am pregnant, what makes you think the pup is yours? I’m the town’s wh*r*, remember. Or hasn’t anyone told you that yet?”

Alyssa tried to keep the sarcasm and bitterness out of her voice. The label shouldn’t hurt after all this time, but it did.

Just because it was true about her mother didn’t mean she was the same. 

But try to convince the people in this town of that. And now they had even more ammunition to convince themselves she was a carbon copy of her mother.

“I may have been drunk that night, Alyssa, but I wasn’t unconscious. You were a virgin. If you’re pregnant, we both know it’s mine. Don’t you think I have the right to know that you’re carrying my child?”

“No, you don’t know that.” She whispered. “And I don’t think you have any rights at all where I’m concerned.”

 The lights of the town grew closer together, plunging them in and out of darkness.

 “This isn’t your fault. It’s mine. So, if you’re feeling guilty, you can forget about it. It was my choice, my body, and it’s my baby. Mine and no one else’s.” Alyssa whispered those words.

“You’re wrong, Alyssa. It’s mine, too. Whether you like it or not.”

“Oh, right, Travis.” she was dangerously close to panic again. 

“You’re just going to proclaim to the whole town that this is your child. Your fiancée would really love that. Maybe we can all get together and have lunch after you break the news to her. She and I can even share experiences on your shenanigans. Should be really interesting. Of course, I only have that one time to use as an example, but it was enough. Boy, was it enough...”

To her horror, tears streamed down her face and she made a belated attempt to wipe them away. 

It didn’t help.

 The harder she tried to stop them, the faster they fell.

She wasn’t aware that the truck had stopped, but suddenly Travis was holding her, pressing her face into his shoulder. 

Weeks of keeping the fear and worry bottled up inside spilled out.

Alyssa clung to him, embarrassed and ashamed of losing control.

“Oh, God. I’m sorry. I’ve just been so scared,” she sobbed the words.

 “There’s no one I could talk to, and I don’t know what to do with it.”

Travis felt the tension in her body as his arms tightened around her. 

“You don’t have to be scared anymore, Alyssa. We’ll figure something out, I promise. We’re in this together.”

As much as She hated to do so, she pulled away from the alpha.