Page 45 of The Omega Project

“Sometimes they can’t,” Lang says with a hint of guilt, watching Em exclaim over a bit of driftwood she’s plucked off the sand. Snatching up a strip of seaweed, she twirls it over her head as she skips further down the beach. “And there are plenty of alphas out there who take advantage of it.” He turns his startling blue eyes my way. “Do you think that’s what we’ve done? Ignored her consent?”

“I don’t think so.” It’s as honest as I can be, considering how overwhelming this whole experience has been. I’m still trying to wrap my head around Em being a switch, like Clark, and that the guy who triggered her is their mate. Finn sent me a report on Soren Hill’s condition when I agreed to take his job, and it’s obvious that his connection with Em has been good for him. I respect what he’s been through, but that doesn’t mean any of them should take Em for granted. “I guess it depends on how you treat her going forward. She’s never had very good alpha role models, or omegas for that matter.”

I don’t like to speak badly of her family, but both her mum and her sister are struggling in different ways and barely getting by. Plus, she’s told me enough about her arsehole dad to know that a lot of her insecurities stem from him. And after the bullshit that went down with her ex, the last thing she needs is a bunch of alphas making her feel second-rate.

“I know I haven’t helped there.” Regret twists Lang’s mouth and he shakes his head, staring at his feet. “When we finally got together, I panicked and ran, instead of telling her how I felt.”

I know exactly what he’s talking about. It was at a uni fundraiser before Em and I started dating, but she’d been dropping little hints about her career mentor for a couple of months. I knew she was excited about seeing him, but when I asked her about it a couple of days later, the hurt was written all over her face. “And what happens the next time you disappear for months on end? It was bad enough when you weren’t her mate.”

“Ourmate,” Lang corrects me, reaching out and grasping my shoulder. The sun is already warm on my back, but his hand feels like a brand where it sears into my skin. “And I’ll never hurt her again, Derek; you have my word. I might have screwed up our courting period, but I knew she was important to me from the moment I met her. Finn says we’re soulmates…”

I suck in such a sharp breath, it reignites my hacking cough, and I have to bend at the waist to stop my chest from caving in. It hurts like a motherfucker, and I’m wiping the tears from my eyes when Lang’s hand feathers up my back and comes to settle on my neck. Not sure why he wants to feel me coughing up a lung, but something about his steady grip gives me to strength to swallow past my raw throat. “Shit. That hurts like a mofo.”

His lips quirk at my ancient slang. “You know I can fix that. As your mate, my alpha juice is yours.”

I squint at him through the tears leaking out of my eyes. I grew up hearing jokes about alpha juice and how it’s the elixir of all ailments, but my amusement soured when I failed to present in high school. My friends moved off, cutting me from my lives, and any fantasies of treating a needy mate to my magical alpha juice went with them.

Hold up.AmIthe needy mate in this scenario? “You’re kidding, right?”

“Don’t knock it until you try it.”

I expect him to smirk and leave it at that, but he squeezes my neck, pulling me towards him until we’re chest-to-chest. I’ve already worked out that Lang likes to throw his weight around when it comes to me, and despite all my misgivings about alphas, it seems I like being manhandled by this one.

“All you have to do is lean over and kiss me again.”

Again, because the first time was right after he mated Em, and before he offered me his bond. I still can’t work out if he did it because we’re a package deal, or because he’s really interested in me.

But I won’t pretend I didn’t enjoy his kiss. It was hard and bruising, and when I tried to assert my dominance, he put me firmly in my place. Not something I thought I’d like, but it was kind of nice to give in for a change. Most people who look at me expect a guy who wants to carry the world on his shoulders.

“You’re a bit of a bully, you know that?”

I’m not sure if that’s the right label, but it sparks a bright white grin that looks remarkably like a shark. It also makes his hand tighten on my neck, his thumb stroking over my scruff. “I like putting big boys in their place.”

It’s an echo of the thoughts swirling around my brain, but I keep my chin steely as I stare back at him. “And where’s that, in case I’m curious?”

“Under my thumb.” He feathers the digit across my lips before pressing it back against my pulse, heat burning in his blue eyes. “And maybe in my bed, if you’re curious about that, too.”

I murmur something that sounds suspiciously like a scoff, but when his hand falls away, I lean in and peck his lips. They’re firm and warm, with enough of Em’s flavour lingering there to draw a hungry moan from my chest. I pull away, embarrassed by theslip, but he jerks me back with a growl, his mouth crashing down on mine. I could pretend it’s more of Em I’m chasing, but that would be a lie. Especially when he slips his tongue between my lips and rubs it against mine.

Em said he tastes like crumpets, but it’s more like the honey mead I once had at a craft brewery. Potent and sweet, with the perfect amount of spice. He doesn’t give me any time to get used to him, holding me tight to his chest as his tongue licks and tangles with mine. I’m not sure if it’s his alpha juice at work, but my blood is buzzing, and I have to fist his shirt to stay on my feet.

In the words of Star Trek, this might be going boldly where I’ve never gone before, but I seem to be more than ready for the adventure. As his hands land on my hips and he jerks me against his erection, I groan into his smiling lips. He rubs us together, almost purring as he feels my own stiff dick, and I’m guessing my mental pathways have been changed forever. At the very least, Lang’s tongue – and the long, thick rod in his pants - are sensory inputs I start to miss as soon as he pulls away.

“What’s going on inside that big brain of yours?” He laughs, his thumbs now pressing into my temples. He gives me a shake, but instead of looking annoyed, his eyes are gleaming with curiosity. “You look like I blew a fuse in there.”

“Uh.”

He laughs again, the blue of his eyes so damn bright I feel like I’m drowning in the ocean behind him. “That good?”

I have to wipe my hand across my mouth before I can croak out, “Good.”

He smirks, but leans in against to peck my lips. “Told you I could fix you right up if you just let me in a little.”

I’m still staring at him when something cold splashes against the back of my neck, and I turn to see Em standing up to her ankles in the ocean. She grins, kicking another spray of water my way. “Hey, lovebirds! Got any of that good stuff for me?”

I glance at Lang, my brain finally coming back online. He’s watching Em like she’s a magical sea creature who’s washed up on the shore just for him, and I feel a faint glow in my chest. “You look like you need to cool off, professor.”

He grins so wide, I can’t help but smile back, and then we’re charging towards the surf, Em squealing as she flings a strand of seaweed our way in a futile bid to escape us.

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