Omega Retreat

Its a match

The blue screen of your laptop lit up the dark and gloomy room as you booted it up and set your sights on the internet explorer icon.
Your eyes shift back and forth from the slightly crunched flier to the keyboard as you type up the website in the search bar.
Upon clicking enter, there is a cascade of red and pink hearts across the screen before the main page comes into view.

From the photos, it seems kind of like a glamping thing, with each couple or pairing having their own semi-remote cabin.
Singles retreats weren't a new concept—not that you've ever been to one, but this would be a whole week alone with a stranger, a man, an alpha.

That familiar twang of anxiety twisted in your chest at the thought, only for it to be snuffed out by another.

'We all have to grow up at some point'.

You eyed the two packages listed on the screen, one labeled as Silver and the other Gold. The silver package went by, Forget me knot." and you felt yourself chuckle a little at how cheesy it sounded. It was a 4-day stay at one of the cabins with an alpha provided by the website's dating algorithm.

The Gold package had another cheesy line listed as "Heat of the Night." It listed a full-week stay for the duration of the omega's heat with your new Alpha.

The prospect was, of course, very tantalizing, but it still didn't fail to make you nervous. You had never spent a heat with someone before, and it seemed a little scary. Was a week with a stranger worth seeing what you were missing out on?

You clicked the icon for the Gold package without thinking further, blinking at the screen as it shifted to the sign-up page. You'd only wanted further info but it looked like only members could access it. It was, however, free to sign up, a claim made by many websites and apps before it. Yet, even at the free level, it seemed you could at least get to look at the Alpha bachelors they had in their database. Just another step to pull you in closer to spending the big bucks.

It asked for a photo at first, making you hesitate before finally deciding on one simple photo of yourself. It had been your birthday, and your mother was by your side, hugging your shoulder. You had to crop out most of your mom, but your big smile still beamed just as brightly across the screen. You typed in a shortened version of your name for your little profile, along with your age, before clicking the next button.

The page flipped to a quick questionnaire, asking about your likes and dislikes—everything from your bedtime routine to your bedroom habits. It barely toed the line of TMI, but you supposed it had to be thorough to find you a match. You clicked through each question, making sure every answer felt right. Before you could tell, it had been half an hour and you were only almost finished. You snuggled yourself into your plush couch as you finally clicked the submit button.
A little spinning heart pops up on the scream alongside 'finding your perfect match' underneath it. The heart spun around on the screen until the loading bar hit 100 and the page shifted over to show your results.

Your eyes widen at the selection of handsome men flooding the screen. There are more Alphas flashing over your computer than you've ever seen in one small space, and already there are too many to choose from.
Part of you figured that to a seasoned romantic, it would seem like small potatoes, but to you, it was more men than you knew what to do with. The only distraction that could tear your eyes away was a heart-shaped character at the corner of the screen babbling away in a little text box. His happy little demeanor reminds you of a certain talking paperclip from old office software. Only you found this little guy less irritating.

'We have selected 20 of your most suitable partners. Please choose from the profiles below to chat and find your match.'
You clicked the speech bubble away, only for another to pop up.

'Don't forget to check out our selection of getaways for your official meetup' popped up across the page.
You clicked again, and another bubble came after.

'If for any reason you are unsatisfied with your matches, please take the quiz again.'
You take the little heart man's words into consideration before clicking back towards the alpha profiles.

The first was a rough-looking man named Brock. Too macho for your type, and you shied away from his profile immediately.
The next one was a sweet, gentle-looking man named Steve. He seemed really interested in a lifetime mate, but as romantic as it seemed, you just weren't too sure that was what you wanted just yet.

It was a little overwhelming. All these men were stunning, and yet the scared little omega inside of you kept turning tail at the gleam of each of their smiles, leading you to click at the next button again and again.

You'd gone through 12 profiles until you stopped on his picture. His brown hair sat at the base of his neck, looking soft and supple enough to tangle your fingers through, and his smile was immediately infectious.
The name James 'Bucky' Barnes sat below the photo in bold, but you barely noticed as your gaze locked on his light, smiling blue eyes.
You feel both your heart and your core flutter, leading to a wave of warmth and a bit of unearned embarrassment. You didn't think any further before clicking his profile, showing you more about this 'Bucky'.

It gave a broad list of hobbies, his likes and dislikes, as well as so many more dreamy photos.
His profiles stated he was interested in a mate but "wanted to test the waters first." Not interested in being too serious, but not scared of a commitment.

Even though this man seemed like an absolute dream, you couldn't help but second-guess yourself. Yet, the butterflies in your stomach overpowered the worries in the back of your mind. You let your cursor hover over the match button on his profile before slowly clicking down on the mouse and watching with bated breath as the screen changed again.

That little heart man, now less animated, was the last sight you saw after you clicked. He was accompanied by a few speech bubbles saying, "The alpha you have chosen will be notified; please feel free to browse our events as you wait."
The word 'events' was lit up in another color separate from the text and clearly a link to the rest of the website. At the end of the day, they WERE trying to sell you something, but curiosity got the better of you, and you clicked the link without another thought.

You looked over the two packages they offered and let your cursor hover over the gold package. You stared at its short description, comparing it with the smaller vacation bundle that sat beside it on the screen. You think it over and cautiously click on the icon.

The prices were the first thing that struck you, as none of them were very expensive for what they were advertising. Saving a few bucks always seemed to sweeten the deal, but it really made it all seem too good to be true.
The resort has a full staff available in case of an emergency and are simply a call away. All meals would come in the form of meal kits or ready-made gourmet dinners, as well as a selection of wine and spirits for those 21 and over.

There was a little policy note at the bottom, in smaller letters.
"All reservations are refundable upon cancellation 7 days before the date of the reservation. If you cancel your stay after 7 days, you will be charged a cancellation fee. In the event that your desired partner declines your match, you will be prompted to choose another alpha from the list given to you."

The idea of being rejected by a stranger online made some of the appeal wear thin. You x-ed out of the pop-up, only to notice a notification lighting up your screen.
He had matched with you immediately, causing another flutter of hearts to pulse over the computer for one moment. On the little message icon sat the number one to indicate somebody had reached out to you, and you clicked on it right away.

The chat room opens up on your screen to show a little chat box bubble saying, "Hi beautiful ;)". The old-style winky face gave his age away and made some of the insecurities in your belly melt.
This 'James' had matched you so soon, and to have him reach out to you on your screen still made you nervous.
The bouncing dots popped up below the first message to indicate he was still typing. You're frozen on the spot as the messages just keep popping up.

"Hello?"
It seemed a bit impatient, but you didn't think to care; you were too thrilled by this new encounter.
"Hi, sorry, I was.." Oh god, what could you say? "...away from the phone." Not true, but telling your possible new beau that you were frozen with fear upon seeing his message seemed, well, lame.

"That's ok."
"You new here? I haven't seen your profile before."

"Yeah. I just signed up."

"Does that mean I was your first choice? ;)"

You felt you should be honest after your previous fib, and answered immediately.
"☺️ I just saw your profile and clicked it right away. I didn't expect you to get back to me so soon."

"Leave a beautiful Omega like you waiting? Not a chance, doll."

Every word made the air grow thinner, making your head just swim in the rising heat that started to subtly overtake your body. It was such a new feeling to have warmth in your body feel so good.
Those three dots danced across his next speech bubble, and you waited every second for his next word.
"Have you ever been with an alpha before? I'd hate to come on too strong and scare you away."

Your breath felt shallow before you answered truthfully. "No, I haven't."

There have only ever been two people you've given yourself to like that. Two particularly nice betas who just couldn't help you as you needed, but tried anyway. Being with an Alpha seemed like so much more of a big deal, but the idea of a big, horny monster sinking their teeth into your flesh makes you start to hyperventilate. It was permanent, and you didn't want to just throw away your forever to someone who could be cruel to you.

But something about this felt different. He looked so soft and kind, you could nearly feel his finger gently caressing your cheek as each word popped up on your screen. Something about this encounter felt safe.

You typed without thinking, letting the question fill the screen as anxiety ate away at the warmth that once sat in your belly. "Does that bother you?"

You waited for a response, watching those little dots until they disappeared without a new message. A solid minute felt like an eternity, and your heart sank further as each one ticked by.

You typed out a quick "I'm sorry,"  hoping you weren't the one scaring him off instead with your lack of experience.
You breathed a sigh of relief as his response popped up. "Do not be sorry. There is no problem with wanting to wait." Followed by another "I feel like a lucky guy."

"I guess I'm just a little embarrassed; I'm glad it doesn't bother you." You typed away, fully engrossed in his attention.

"Don't be; that kind of thing means more than you'd think in this day in age."
It popped across your screen, giving you much-needed relief, only for the next message to set your nerves ablaze all over again.

"What made you decide to join the site?"
It popped over your screen faster than you could shoo it away. The reason for you was obvious after dragging yourself through that doctor's office. You needed help, and somehow that simple red flier had shown out to you like a beacon on a stormy shore.

You wanted to be honest, but some things felt better kept close to yourself than within the reach of others. You answered with the shallow truth.

"Dating can be difficult. I found the advertisement today and decided to check things out." You tapped the enter button and sent the message, but your fingers continued to type. Maybe it was an attempt to keep his questions from probing into your answer even further, as you sent him an inquiry of your own.
"What about you? What made you decide to join the website?"

The laptop sat silently, aside from the whirring of its little fan. No bouncing dots, no indication of his response. Maybe his reasons were somehow more personal than your own.
You began to lose a little faith as the chat room continued to sit empty until his chat bubble finally popped up. Each second it took for the words to show was a second too long.

"I'd say it's about the same. I guess I just wanted to try something different."

"And how's it working out so far?"

"I'd say, far better since you popped up."

It was such a cliche line, but you loved it. You even laughed a little as you typed back.
"That fast, huh? It's been less than a day 😄"

"But you've already made my whole week."
It brought an immediate smile to your rosy face. It was so fun—almost a fantasy. No danger, no recourse, no fear. You looked back at his little picture on the screen, his smiling face; it was a far cry from any other alpha already, and you hadn't even seen him in the very flesh.

But it had been less than a day, and it was an obvious blow to this little oasis that had built around you in the matter of minutes. You didn't want this moment to end, not when reality was waiting for you afterward.

The hours passed as you did each playful word with this 'James'.

"I can't wait to meet you, Omega."
Your heart fluttered to an unnatural rhythm the moment it popped onto your screen.

"Omego," you repeated his use of your denomination.
For a whole week, you could be the omega to his Alpha. You thought about the glamorous getaways your matchmaker had advertised. So you thought that, just maybe, that could be you.