Page 13 of Omega Alliance

Dead leaves crunch beneath my feet as echoing birdsong drifts toward my ears. My new outfit is all black, simple, and nondescript. I am not a spectacle. Instead I blend in with my surroundings.

Kieran, on the other hand, looms large ahead of me, commanding the very trees as he passes. His shaggy blond hair reaches past the nape of his neck, and his strong shoulder muscles flex as he pushes stray branches from our path.

He is all alpha.

My body would have known that even without the advance warning. My reaction to him is strange and unwanted, making me feel that I’ve only been playing at my biologically assigned role before now.

A thousand scents assault me—dirt and grass and moss and something distinctly masculine. Pine sap, I decide, even though all the trees in this forest are deciduous.

It must be him, I realize with a start, hating how much I enjoy the feel of this man in my nostrils, how it leaves me wondering what parts of him I might like to taste.

I don’t want this attraction.

Being an omega has brought me nothing but misfortune. They all said I was one of the lucky ones, to have survived the way I did, but look at what life has brought me so far.

Pain. Imprisonment. Objectification.

And now whatever this is.

It’s jarring to feel my mind and body so at odds.

“We’re almost there,” Kieran calls to me as he glances back over his shoulder. He doesn’t smile, and neither do I.

I nod and continue to trace our path through the woods until at last we come upon a clearing.

Kieran pulls at the edges of an army green tarp, revealing a shiny chrome machine on two wheels. “We’ll use this to get to the safe house,” he reveals as he unlatches a pack at the back of the motorcycle and hands me a large, black helmet.

Wind sweeps through the forest, picking up leaves and making them dance along the path we just departed. I shiver and lift the protective gear over my head, taking care to buckle it into place.

Kieran catches my eye and smirks. “It’s too big.” He places one hand on top of my head and uses it to slide the helmet back and forth. “Let me help. After all, it’s my job to keep you safe.”

I nod my consent, then suck in a deep breath as he closes the distance between us, stopping mere inches in front of me as he reaches both hands toward my face.

He seems to be holding his breath too as he makes the necessary adjustments and then quickly backs away.

I let out a long, shuddering sigh as I watch him mount the bike and move his hands to the controls. “You’ll have to hold onto me. Is that okay?” he asks before pulling an equally enormous helmet over his head. The dark visor obscures his features, which must mean he can’t make out my face either, given that I’m wearing the exact same thing. We’re both shielded from onlookers now. Safe.

“I can handle it,” I say, swinging my leg over the bike and pulling my body in tight with his.

“That a girl,” he crows with approval, then brings the engine to life. Its throaty growl reverberates within my helmet, the rumbling of its raw power vibrating straight into my bones.

I clench my thighs tight around his hips, press my arms to his sides, and lock my hands together in front of his torso. My inner left thigh throbs angrily but remains the least of my concerns.

Kieran skillfully navigates the chrome beast down a winding dirt path until at last we emerge onto the main road. As soon as the tires connect with the pavement, he revs the engine and accelerates at a feverish pace. My body rattles with its thundering purr, bringing me to life in a way I hadn't realized I needed.

The cool autumn air glides around us, Kieran’s hulking frame shielding me from its true impact. And little by little, I loosen my grip, relaxing into him, trusting.

I hang on to his chest with one hand and reach the other out to the side, weaving it along the current, enjoying the feel of the racing wind as it slips between my fingers.

I laugh with joy. I can’t help it.

This experience is so new, so needed.

Now I am really free. Flying, just like in Dani’s song.

I shuffle my grip on Kieran and allow my other hand the chance to dance along the wind. As I do, I marvel at the world while the two of us zip past.

Rich green fields, bright yellow flowers, a clear blue sky that seems to go on and on forever. Out here, there are no directors. No handlers. No watchers.

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