Page 80 of The Omega

I tugged on my restraints, offering a sly smile. “How about one more round and then I’ll put on some clothes?”

*

My body ached in all the right places. I admired the love bites and marks on it as I took my time dressing, then tidying up my nest. Out there was reality and I wasn’t really ready to face it just yet.

As I fixed up the bed, I caught snippets of Atlas and Dorian arguing. Over the past few weeks, I’d picked up the gist of their rivalry. Atlas thought he needed to protect his pack from Dorian, and Dorian thought Atlas was an uptight prick, but I still had no clue how to fix it.

From the sounds of their stalemate, I had my work cut out for me. I thought about what Penelope had said—that I could call any time for help from the Omegas. But I wasn’t sure there was anything they could do.

We were in uncharted territory here. Even my mom, for all her faults, hadn’t ended up in a situation like this. Her three mates couldn’t stop fighting long enough to mark her, and they hadn’t wanted to be chained together, so they didn’t let her claim them either.

I may have acted out of fear in binding my mates to me, but I refused to be someone’s sad love story.

So that meant I was on my own to figure the rest of it out.

No time like the present. My wolf urged me to let go of the nest, sounding braver than she’d ever been. Let’s get our Prince Charmings to agree to our H.E.A.

Dorian’s and Atlas’s heated conversation died at my approach. The two of them stood on either side of a dying firepit.

“Everything alright?” I smiled, aching to feel their arms around me again in the safety and quiet of my nest where I could pretend it was just the three of us against the world.

“Everything is fine.” Dorian smiled his handsome grin that made me weak in the knees.

Atlas stood taller, broadening his shoulders with the stance. “We need to know what you want to do next. Do you want to stay here? We can build you a more permanent structure. Something with more space.”

He'd thought this through and was so worried about what I’d say. Even Dorian’s eyes tightened as he waited for my response. My heart ached for them. This strain would be the cleaver that tore us apart.

When I couldn’t stand the distance anymore, I reached for both of their hands, drawing them closer to me as they relaxed under my touch.

I know what we need to do.

I gave Atlas and Dorian each an encouraging smile even as the dread of the situation twisted in my stomach. “It’s time for me to meet both of my new packs.”

29

Dorian

Opal’s midnight black fur shimmered in the setting sun as we trotted side by side. My wolf’s tan fur with golden streaks was in stark contrast to hers, making us a striking pair.

Or trio if you counted Atlas.

I hadn’t realized his wolf’s coloring was so similar to mine.

My beast didn’t want to count Atlas, though. He was as big and heavy a wolf as he was a man. And he wasn’t quiet or swift like Opal and me.

Yes. Stay there. My wolf curled his upper lip as Atlas’s meaty paws came to a stop before the border of my territory. I’d marked this land. Every inch of this border I’d painstakingly traveled and memorized, putting my scent on it. At least Atlas could respect that.

Opal’s beautiful black wolf whined as she stopped with Atlas and cocked her dainty head as if to ask why he was an idiot.

Or maybe I made that up because it’s what I felt.

I cursed him for being so self-righteous and not letting us complete the bond so I could hear what she was thinking.

Not that I would’ve forced it either, but it was a whole lot easier to blame Atlas for my problems here.

He shifted to human form, so Opal shifted. To spite him, I stayed in wolf form, moving my body between theirs to cover her exposed flesh with my fur. I might’ve also rubbed against her so that she smelled more like me.

Opal sighed in annoyance when I did that, but her fingers dug into my wolf’s fur just the same, making his chest puff with pride.