Page 86 of Broken-Hearted

“Even though I nearly killed you with my bad cooking?”

“Even though.” He kisses me. “Why was he so obsessed with grabbing you?”

I wiggle around to get comfortable. “He was crazy. His father was too, and the pack killed him. He thought if he had an omega to iron out all that crazy, he wouldn’t end up the same way. Little did he know he picked an omega infected with her own brandof crazy.” I do a terrible impression of an evil laugh that makes Nathan chuckle.

“You just admitted you were an omega.”

I know. “Usually I tell myself if I don’t talk about it, then I won’t ever have to face up to a part of me I try to ignore.”

“It’s not a curse, Clara. Regan left a big hole in all our hearts when she left. What you are is a gift. A rare gift.”

“She took all that love to Dawley,” I admit. “She made it feel like home for so many people.”

“But not for you?”

“No. I should probably talk to her about it, huh?” I did a bit already, and it helped to talk to someone who knew exactly what it meant to be an omega.

He kisses the top of my head. “She’s surprisingly easy to talk to.”

“I know.”

We lie quietly for several seconds. “Will you ever tell her?”

“Tell who?”

“Hallee… about how you feel.”

Nathan is silent for a beat. “About how Ifelt? No. I think that’s best left in the past. She moved on, and I should have a long time ago.”

Nathan is drawing little circles on my lower back, his breathing is slowing, and I’m relaxing when a thought occurs to me.

I jerk my head up and Nathan curses. “Shit.”

I sit up, wincing. “Sorry. I just realized something.”

“That you didn’t choose violence today?” he grumbles, rubbing his chin.

I must have cracked the top of my head on it.

"Sorry.” I smile apologetically, tugging his hand aside to kiss his chin. “You had a surprise for me.”

He closes his eyes. “Did I?”

I poke his side. “Hey, no sleeping. You did. You went to get it before I… uh…”

“Volunteered yourself to be kidnapped?” he offers.

I wince. “Hmm-mmm.”

I can’t believe I thought that was a good idea. That has to go down as one of the most stupid things I’ve ever done in my life. And if Martha ever finds out, I’d be looking at a two-hour rant. If I’m lucky. If I’m not lucky, she’d climb into her car, drive up here and spend a weekend doing it.

Nathan peels his eyes open. “I don’t like it, but I understand why you did it. Quit feeling guilty about it, peach.”

“Does that mean I get my surprise now?”

He closes his eyes and pats my ass. “Maybe later.”

I scowl at him. “Whatever happened to romancing Clara Vincent? There were so many stages.”

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