Page 78 of Shattered Omega

“Will you claim me as your husband, Shatter Kingsman?” he asked as he cracked the box and showed me what was inside.

I tried desperately to blink away tears that sprung up in my eyes. Glinting in the dim light of the SUV was a ring.

The most beautiful ring I’d ever seen. It was made of three thin bands that fit together—one for each of them, and the diamonds upon it… They were…

Not only were the diamonds large, but in clusters of hexagons across the top, scattered in a haphazard way perfectly imperfect. Perfectly imbalanced.

ERROR

ERROR

ERROR

Flashed in my head. Bright lights swimming in my vision.

I was broken.

A poison?—

“I’m sorry it’s so backwards,” he said.

Oh… bother…

I had just been standing here for an age, my mouth hanging open. “It’s um… it’s okay.” I was choked as I tried to shove back haunting memories, glad I could find my voice. “This pack is all backwards and upside down…”

He was still holding the ring out, still on his knees.

It must be cold.

I was making him wait.

I was supposed to… to answer or something. But I was mesmerised by the patterns across the ring. It was so beautiful. Something he’d chosen for me. But I was both mesmerised and terrified.

How could something as beautiful as that be for me?

I didn’t understand.

I reached out and took it, trying to grasp what I was looking at. He’d got this for me.

“I just… I need a moment.”

DUSK

So.

That hadn’t gone quite as I’d imagined it would.

Her eyes had gone wide as she’d stared at the three-part ring—normal. She’d teared up—normal. Then she’d taken a step back like she was going to run—possibly… normal?

Then she’d re-engaged constricted omega pupils on the ring, let out a little whine, snatched it, and fled.

Definitely not normal.

Well. No. That wasn’t true.

It was very Shatter.

I found her in the back of the back of the SUV, buried under the spare blankets I’d packed for the drive.

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