Page 119 of Omega for the Pack

What the hell?

He must have felt the same because he looked straight ahead, his pale cheeks reddening. He had been my bodyguard for so long that there was no way I could have feelings for him. I suddenly noticed how close his thigh was to mine. And how his body made the car feel small all of a sudden.

My breathing quickened, and I felt like I was hyperventilating.

He was an alpha, and his nostrils flared as he smelled my aroused scent. The smell of peaches filled the car but had a slight burn to it.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered.

“Don’t be,” said Luke in a low voice. “Just calm down, okay? I know you’re upset about an arranged marriage in your future, but it shouldn’t be so bad.”

Thank goodness he attributed my scent to feelings of anger instead of arousal. And there was no way I would tell him I felt a spark between us.

At the café,I sat with my friend and my cousin at a table while Luke stood outside the door, pacing up and down the small road. The Café de Lune was a quaint little establishment nestled in the heart of Howl's Edge. It was a popular gathering spot for omegas. The atmosphere was warm and inviting. The walls were painted a soft, buttery yellow, and the floors were dark, polished wood. The plush velvet seating and the natural sunlight made it my favorite hangout spot.

“You keep staring at him,” said Beth with a slight smile as she sipped her latte. She had long black hair and a hooked nose. Even though she was a beta, she was one of my best friends growing up. Her mother was a maid at the palace, so we essentially grew up together, even though it was frowned upon for a princess to be friends with a beta. My mother knew about it but didn’t say anything.

“No, I’m not,” I protested, quickly blowing the steam off my coffee.

Ever since Luke held my hand in the limo, I couldn’t help but wonder, and my thoughts were going into forbidden territory. My face warmed, and I took a sip of the rich coffee. I had to squash the intimate thoughts immediately.

“Look at how red her face is,” said Yasmeen, fixing the red polka-dot bandana around her forehead. She liked to dress in loud colors with her matching polka-dot red dress. She was my cousin on my fathers' side. “Lyra, do you think you can do my makeup?”

“Of course,” I said, pulling my makeup satchel from my purse. It was handy and ready. I loved doing makeup and looked forward to it when anyone wanted their face done. I startedlaying out the eyeshadow colors, lipstick, and eyeliners on the table. “Did you bring your own foundation?”

“Yep,” said Yasmeen.

As I dabbed the foundation on Yasmeen’s nose, Beth wouldn’t stop asking questions about Vanessa.

“Is Vanessa, like, totally okay with your mom still being there?” she asked.

“She doesn’t give a shit,” I said, trying to blot the foundation just right. “If she could talk to my mom every day just to brag, she would love it.”

Over the past two months, Vanessa floated around with her long red hair and bossing servants around. But, of course, my fathers thought she was a charming omega because she didn’t do any of that stuff while they were around.

We were suddenly interrupted by loud yelling coming from outside. The screams were earsplitting.

“What the heck is going on?” said Yasmeen, half her face done with makeup.

I threw all the makeup back into my bag, running to the door in my silver heels. Luke was standing just outside the café doors, watching something down the road across from us.

“What’s happening?” I asked Luke breathlessly.

“Get inside,” ordered Luke with fear in his voice, his face white.

I caught sight of ten males with their fangs showing and fur running down their arms. They looked like a mix between a wolf and a human, but they were not fully shifted. What the hell? They were attacking people and trashing market stalls. I saw one bite into an old lady’s neck and fling her to the ground like trash.

Horror filled me. I’d never seen destruction to this level before on Howl’s Edge. We prided ourselves on having a peaceful island. They looked like feral animals that I’d never seen before.

“The Wild Wolfmen are here,” said Luke, barely gasping out the words. My fathers had been keeping them under control for so long, but the day had come. Luke grabbed my hand and we rushed into the café. I saw my friends hiding under a table, their hands over their mouths as they watched. The cafe owner shut the door and began barricading it with tables.

But they were too late.

The door smashed open, and Luke quickly covered me with his body behind the coffee counter. We were kneeling behind the counter, and I felt Luke’s body pressing over me and enveloping me as he tried to protect me. I heard windows smashing and people screaming.

“My friends,” I whispered, trying to get up, but Luke held me down.

“My job is to protect you. Only you,” he growled into my ear as he tightened his grip around me. His strength was steel as I tried to push him off, but it was fruitless.

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