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Desmond shoves his hands into my chest, pushing me out of my room. I hit my back to the wall, groaning as the breath escapes me.
“Go help Arsenio and Wilder. I’ll take over from here.” Desmond meets my gaze. “Please, brother. Don’t fight me. It might scare her. Just go get some air. I’ll fix this.”
It takes everything in me to nod my head in agreement. He knows me as well as I know myself. If I go anywhere near Kinsey in my bed, I might not leave. I might lose my fucking sanity, her very nature encouraging me to stake my claim, something unthinkable until we take over our kingdom when our father leaves the throne.
“We’ll get it figured out, okay? Trust me.” Desmond nudges me again.
I squeeze his shoulder. “I do, Des. You’ve never let me down.”
If only I could say the same thing about myself.
Chapter 5
Desmond
Beta Order
Idon’tknowwhatthe fuck Enzo was thinking. I should’ve let Wilder and Arsenio see him with the omega, so they could set him straight. He’s lucky I can’t stand when the three of them fight. Their fucking scents test my ability to remain neutral. I sometimes wonder what it would be like if my manifestation hadn’t failed me and deemed me unworthy of following in our father’s footsteps. I’m our weakest link, and King Asshole would never let me forget it. I barely consider our pack leader as my father. Not like the others. But they don’t know what it’s like being born to follow and bow to them, especially when our pack rules over so many.
A soft breath draws my attention away from my thoughts, and I turn my gaze to the short, slender omega lying on the end of Enzo’s bed. He’s lucky she didn’t climb in, or else he’d fucking owe me a lot more for having to change out all his bedding. The maids only come once a week, and it’s usually us who strip down the beds and make them ourselves. We might be royalty, but we are all picky, and I know how much my brothers hate people touching their things.
I ruffle my fingers through my light golden-brown hair and stare at the omega, listening to her breathing, her mouth parting as she instinctively breathes in the scent of Enzo’s bed. I shouldn’t be so jealous, because I know it’s not intentional, but a part of me wishes to see her do such a thing in my bed.
Damn. I’m letting my envy get to me.
I don’t want to startle her, but I need to get her to wake up. Or maybe I can just move her. It’s probably better that way. She looks so exhausted that I doubt she’ll even get up. There’s something comforting to an omega when an alpha takes care of them. She feels safe after a night of fear. I’m sure of it. I’ve learned how to pick up such scents. It helps that I was born to a powerful bloodline.
Moving closer, I decide to wrap Enzo’s comforter around her, making it easier for me to lift her without shoving my hands under her body. It’s better if I don’t touch her anyway. I don’t need to start a pissing match with my brothers. We all knew that one day we would most likely share an omega, but it definitely can’t be this one. The woman we will spend our life with will be chosen by the king when we—I mean, one of my brothers— take the throne.
I don’t even want to think about that. We need to get everything else together first to ensure a smooth transition. Because the king grows weak with his age and lacks strong alliances. We’ll be able to challenge him soon enough, and he will relent, following our kingdom’s traditions. No alpha dies on the throne. If he were to die, that would give another pack the opportunity to steal what belongs to us. And there’s no way any of us would let that happen. They can fuck with their own territories. The Gilded Sands kingdom is ours.
I struggle with the omega in my arms, trying not to jostle her too much. I flick my gaze from the hallway to her, checking every so often to make sure she doesn’t wake up. Of course, I’m sure she will scream or some shit if she thinks I’m kidnapping her from my brother’s room. And now I’m starting to regret my decision. Fuck me. I was so concerned about getting her out of there to help him that my dumbass is about to scare this gorgeous woman even more.
If I can just get to my room and set her down, I can exit and knock to wake her up. She’ll be disoriented, but at least she won’t think her cute ass is getting kidnapped...again.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
I stride as fast as I can to the west side of the palace, wishing for once there wasn’t so much space between my living quarters and my brother’s. But it helps keep us close without being obnoxiously overwhelming. All of the staff live in apartments in the center of the palace and the rest of our pack members live in casitas either on the north side of the property or within the walls of my father’s fortress.
I enter the west wing and pass the massive library and study Arsenio favors. It’s where he used to teach Holly more than my father allowed her tutors, sharing his knowledge with our little sister before things went down.
I prefer the entertainment room, where I can watch all the movies I please. It helps me avoid everyone and everywhere else. Wilder basically lives in the gym and outside on the sports field, loving to challenge some of the local kids who are allowed on our property. Because we’re not dicks like some other royal packs, we like to immerse ourselves in our community, ensuring that our people remain loyal despite the ruthlessness of our father.
The omega groans, the softness of her voice tightening my chest. She’s going to fucking wake up. I’m not being careful enough with her. I brave sprinting the rest of the way to my room. Flinging open my door, I toss her to my bed only to spin and run out.
Am I a coward? Maybe. If it were one of my brothers, they would probably just stand and watch her, waiting for her to calm down before they even speak. But that’s not me.
“What the fuck?” The omega’s voice rings out, her confusion rising her words in volume. “Enzo? Hello?”
I straighten my shoulders and crack the door open, peeking in. “Sorry, little omega. My brother had somewhere to be and asked me to relocate you. I didn’t want to wake you up, but I didn’t want to scare you either. I’m sorry.” The words rush from my mouth as I try to get everything out, feeling the heat of her gaze bore into me.
“Don’t call me that, please. My name is Kinsey.” She sits up on her elbows and peers around.
I purse my lips, realizing she doesn’t want to be known for her order. And I guess I get it. She somehow managed to hide it. Something must’ve happened to her at some point to make her despise her place in this world.
“But you are an omega,” I say, leaning on my door frame. “Just because you were passing as a beta means nothing. I will respect your wish and call you Kinsey, though. I’m Desmond.”
“You’re a beta,” Kinsey says, straightening her back and scooting to the edge of my bed, grasping the blankets, not bothering to be careful with her touch. “I’m surprised Enzo was okay with you bringing me here.” I wasn’t the only one to recognize Enzo’s sudden shift. An omega would know when an alpha was interested, and this one might try to use it to her advantage.
