Page 82 of Lights, Camera, Omega

Sol is suddenly holding me through my blanket cocoon, which somehow only makes me want to cry harder.

“I woke up and none of you were there,” I cry like a child waking from a nightmare.

“Shhhhh, just a bunch of testosterone and pheromone neanderthals making loud grunting noises at each other because you've got us all in a one upmanship contest right now, Sunshine.” Sol comforts me, rubbing my back through the many rumpled layers of cotton.

“It's my fault, Daphne, darling,” Julian soothes, leaning in to rub his nose against mine and peck a kiss onto my lips.

“I should have stayed in the nest with you, even if the others decided they needed a break for a snack and some dick measuring.”

Cosmo looks at the three of us for a moment, a look of guilt straining his beautiful, delicate features.

I stretch my hands out to him, bracketed by Julian and Sol.

He drifts toward us and stoops to place a kiss on my lips. Cosmo shuffles in behind us; the four of us now looking at Magnus.

“I know this isn’t how we planned things would go,” I sniffle.

Magnus shakes his head.

“It’s not your fault that?—”

But before he can finish, my sobs become unhinged—the words tumbling from my blubbering lips, “I didn’t tell Vinny I started courting Pack Silver, I tried to go behind his back and get some new, taper down meds from the omega center,” I bawl.

“I promise I didn’t plan to start taking them right away—I wanted to wait until I got a few new jobs as an omega to help establish my change in career,” I continue, barely able to speak through my tears.

“But Vinny had been acting weird—and I don’t know if it was on purpose or on accident—but the refills he says he got from the Omega Center for me were the wrong ones,” I hiccup down another choking sob.

“If that omega makeup artist Ursula hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t have known what the fuck was going on. It was so scary to be on set with the pack that Vinny has been pressuring me to join while I was starting my surprise first heat.”

Now that I’ve gotten everything out, I can’t say any more—I dissolve into hysterical crying, scarcely able to catch my breath.

Cosmo, Julian, and Sol all look furious. Not with me, but with Vinny.

Magnus? He looks as if he is actively plotting Vinny’s murder.

“That rat,” Magnus seethes—his anger rising, hot in his face.

Cosmo wraps his arms around Sol, Julian and I.

“He was pressuring you to lean toward another pack?” Cosmo’s voice is calm, but I can feel the heat of his own rage simmering just beneath the surface.

“Literally since the very first night he brought me the scent cards for all the different pack’s, that son of a bitch has been all but forcing me to entertain the Lost Daze pack as my best option.” I turn my face so I can wipe my eyes on Julian’s shoulder, the combined embrace of Cosmo, Sol, and Julian actually helping to calm my frayed nerves.

Magnus grits his teeth and steadies himself, getting his anger back in check.

“Well, it sounds like we’re going to have to give old Vincenzo the boot,” Magnus finally speaks, his words cold to mask his burning rage.

I nod my ascent, tears streaming down my face.

“There are other agencies, hundreds of agents—Vinny is replaceable.”

I feel a pang of panic fire in my chest. One could easily say the same thing about omegas. Especially those who would be interested in bonding Pack Silver.

All I hear is that I am replaceable.

The fear mixes with my crippling arousal, and as pathetic as it may seem—I can’t separate the two in my heightened state. I want to feel like I’ve been chosen by this pack I’m so enamored with—and I want to feel them.

No, not want—need.

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