“But Mor—”
“This isnota negotiation. Neither of us is in a position to make a permanent decision right now. And I am about to do somethingverypermanent to you.”
She’s shaking, but I don’t think it’s from pleasure.
The omega in me writhes, still singing at the idea of doing something so permanent, but my forebrain finally steps in.
It’s not any sense of self-preservation that gives me conscious control of my limbs again. It’s just that Morgan is distressed, and I will do anything in my power to ease that.
“Do you understand?” she hisses.
“Yes,” I breathe.
“Gonow.”
Morgan releases me, and I sprint the few steps to the door, not daring to turn around until it’s slid back into place andsecurely latched.
Morgan has picked up one of the deck chairs, and she slams it down against the concrete of the balcony.
I jump at the sudden noise, then again when Morgan’s fist lands on the side of the chair, mangling the frame.
“Why can’t Icontrolmyself around you?!” she bellows, more at the sky than at me. Her hair falls from her ponytail, her face creased by anguish.
The alcohol has been wearing off, and as the arousal drains out of my head, I’m mostly sober again. I start to put two and two together.
“You’re the case study,” I say, and Morgan’s hearing is sharp enough I don’t need to speak up for her to hear it through the glass.
“Yes,” she grinds out, picking up a resin slat from the half-destroyed chair and snapping it in half.
Dear fucking god she’s strong.
“Let me help you,” I breathe.
“Absolutely not,” she says, danger flashing in her eyes as she finally looks at me, snapping another slat. “That is not your job.”
“But Iwantto—”
“You’re notthinking straight,” she growls.
“But I thought you wanted…”
Morgan barks a cruel laugh and twists the chair’s metal frame in her hands, as if it’s a blade of grass she wants to turn into a flower crown. She starts pacing. “You have no idea howbadlyI want this to not be a fucking problem.”
“So the… claiming bite is the problem?” I should have known we were playing with fire when I felt that ache in my neck. There’s a pair of glands there in omegas, one on each side of the neck near the base—modified lymph nodes. When one or both burst in the presence of alpha pheromones—usuallyby an alpha’s bite—it sets off the hormone cascade that causes bonding.Permanentbonding.
“Don’t even think about it,” she snaps.
“Mor, you can’t just… just throw me away like this after getting…” My voice tightens.
Her eyes soften. “Getting what?” she asks softly.
“Getting my hopes up,” I murmur, ashamed.
“Jamie…” There’s so much tenderness in her voice my heart might burst. She sighs. “I just… I don’t want to do anything permanent to you.”
The omega wilts.She doesn’t want you.
But I know better. Right now I feel like I want to be with Morgan forever. But I don’tknowif I do, just like she can’t know if she does.
