Page 25 of The Omega

Down, boy.

“I…” I swallowed, almost forgetting what I’d said. “You need more to eat.”

I stood before I could make a bigger fool of myself.

“Wait.” Opal’s hand touched mine. Her skin was as soft as it looked, but that wasn’t the reason my heart started to beat harder and a deep longing tugged the center of my chest.

I wasn’t sure before that moment if anything in me was broken or in need of fixing, but I felt it then. The missing piece. That emptiness in my soul I’d been carrying for so long. I hadn’t even known it was empty.

The taste of wholeness was another tease, gone too soon when she pulled her hand to her lap.

Those big blue eyes, as deep as a summer sky, blinked up at me like I held the answers to a question I wasn’t sure of, but I’d sure figure it out.

“I don’t usually eat meat for breakfast,” she confessed as she licked a bit of frosting off her bottom lip. “I like sweets.”

Is that what we were still talking about?

I resisted the urge to grab her and taste those lips for myself. To see if they were as sugary as I knew they’d be. But I wasn’t a beast. I had a duty to care for her. My mate.

“You need protein to start the day.” I frowned, realizing that wasn’t the best line I’d ever said. Not that I was good at pick-up lines, if that wasn’t painfully obvious by this encounter. But it was a true statement and that’s all that mattered. “From now on, you’ll include meat.”

“Yes… sir.” Something dark flared in her eyes as she smiled, crossing her legs under the table. Not before I caught the scent of her arousal in the air. The heat this time was more subtle, a warming spice. Like brown sugar. Cookies baking.

I’m hungry.

I groaned as I dragged my wolf away.

She needs to eat.

Reluctantly, he agreed. We have to take her home. Where it’s safe. With all the meat she’d ever need.

I felt her eyes on my back the whole time as I hurried to the serving line. It took everything in me not to lift the entire tray of bacon and carry it to her like some beast with its kill.

My wolf was right.

This was fated.

Opal had to know she was meant to be mine. I knew I was hers. There was no dancing around the truth. We belonged together.

I’d take her back to my territory this season. Mate her nice and proper. Give her a true welcome. Make her feel at home.

There was still the matter of Dorian Bailey and his pack, but I wasn’t going to let him ruin this for me. For her. For us.

And now that I let myself think about it, Volk Pack needed a Luna. They’d never admit it, but the loss and grief still haunted them. Opal would fit in with the dams and other women. They’d care for her like they did everyone else. I had a good pack. A kind one. They deserved a Luna to help care for them like I did.

I took my time plating a few strips of bacon, picking out perfectly crisped pieces, and tried to get my words ready so I didn’t mess this up.

We don’t belong here…

I can get us off the show.

Come with me, princess. I’ll make sure…

The doors to the cafeteria opened and I felt the cold loss as a breeze before I even turned around.

At the empty table, I carefully set down the plate of bacon, aware of all the eyes on me.

There was a hastily scribbled note on the napkin.