Page 57 of Hunted Omega: Part Two

For the first time, though, I feel like we’re on the right path, and I’m ready to see where it leads, even if it means navigating the complex dynamics of the pack. As I lock up the salon space, I make a mental note to talk to the other alphas soon.

I head to the back to grab some of the folders with the agreements in them, and the door opens again. I step out, my guard up, until I see it’s Aria.

“Hey, are you alright?” I take a step toward her.

She licks her lips. “Yeah, I just…” She blows out a breath. “I don’t want to wait.”

“What?” My heart beats out of my chest. Aria takes another step closer, the urgency in her voice unmistakable. “I don’t want to wait for us to figure everything out. I know we’re building this salon, and I’m excited about it, but what if we could start building something between us right now?”

I process her words, my heart racing. Her determination pulls me in, making it hard to breathe, and I can’t help but take another step forward, closing the space between us. “Aria,I thought you wanted to take it slow… to establish a solid foundation.”

“I do,” she insists, her steady gaze softening beneath the weight of vulnerability. “But I’ve spent so long holding back, and this feels too important to sit around and let it slip away. You feel it too, don’t you?”

I nod slowly, my pulse thrumming in the silence that envelops us. “I do, but after everything, I just wanted to make sure you knew we could take our time. I care about you, Aria. About us.”

Her mouth curves again, but it’s a more fervent smile this time—one that tells me she’s ready to embrace whatever exists between us. “Then let’s just be in the moment, Quinn. Let’s see where it takes us without the weight of expectations hanging over us.”

I can hardly process her words, the thrill of possibility sending a rush through me. “You mean… now?”

“Yes,” she whispers, stepping closer so we’re nearly touching again. “Right now.”

Her breath is sweet, and the world outside the salon’s walls fades into a blur. Time stretches as I reach for her, tangling my fingers in her hair as I draw her toward me once more. Our lips meet again, this kiss igniting a blaze of passion and longing. It’s deeper and more urgent than the first, reflecting all those unspoken thoughts and feelings we had been tiptoeing around.

I feel her hands on my arms, grounding me as if she, too, is trying to make sense of the whirlwind of emotions we’re unleashing. The kiss feels like a declaration, a promise that we aren’t just building a business but something uniquely ours.

When we finally pull apart, our foreheads resting against one another, I see the wonder in her eyes. “Wow,” she whispers, a smile stretching over her face. “I didn’t think it would feel like that.”

“Neither did I,” I reply, still caught in the magic of that kiss. “It’s like… everything just clicked into place.”

She lets out a soft laugh, a sound that makes my heart swell. “The salon might be our business venture, but this, whatever this is, feels like a whole different project—one that’s not tied to blueprints or plans.”

“Exactly,” I agree, my pulse quickening with every beat. The weight of unspoken words hangs between us, and I clear my throat to break the spell. “But we should talk about how we plan to navigate that, this pack, and everything else.”

Aria nods, but there’s an eagerness in her expression that ignites hope in me. “We can figure it out together.” Her voice is steady, affirming the bond that is growing stronger with each passing moment.

“Together,” I echo, meaning it with every fiber of my being.

In that moment, all thoughts of the pack, the salon, and the complexities of our lives slip away, leaving only the promise of connection. “So what if we just… live in this moment a little longer?” I suggest, brushing my fingers lightly against her cheek, absorbing the way her eyes spark with possibility and the way her breath mingles with mine.

“I like the sound of that,” she replies, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “Let’s own this, Quinn.”

Just like that, as if our previous doubts dissipated like morning mist, I lean in again. It’s a shared surrender, a mutual agreement that we are both ready to explore not only our dreams, but also each other.

I pull back, glancing at the windows before I lift her into my arms. Aria wraps her legs around me, and there is a softness in her eyes that sends a thrill through me.

She gives me a naughty smile as her scent deepens to arousal. “I want to break in every surface in here.”

Laughter spills out of me. “That isn’t very sanitary,” I tease, even though all the blood in my body just rushed to my cock.

Aria’s laugh dances through the air like a melody, infectious and full of mischief. “Sanitary be damned,” she declares, her tone daring. “We could always disinfect afterward.”

The thought ignites something primal within me, something that yearns to break free from the confines of all my careful planning. I sway slightly, our bodies aligning perfectly as I adjust my grip on her waist. “You’re one to bring pure chaos into a sterile environment,” I counter lightly, trying to mask the urgency coursing through me.

She just looks at me, her eyes sparkling with determination, the flush in her cheeks telling me she wants this as much as I do. “You think I’m afraid of chaos? I thrive on it, Quinn. Life is messy—that’s where the fun happens.” She leans forward, teasingly brushing her lips against my neck, her warm breath sending shivers down my spine. “Plus, this place is essentially ours already, so we can do whatever we want here.”

The heat of her breath ignites a fire in my gut, and I can’t help but hoist her up a little higher against me. “You’re right. This is our space… and that definitely sounds fun,” I murmur, my voice filled with anticipation.

With that shared spark, I move deeper into the room, instinct guiding me as I navigate through the scattered supplies and tools, the remnants of our earlier blueprints forgotten. I head into a cozy nook toward the back of the salon, where the light casts shadows that illuminate the fierce desire in Aria’s eyes.

---