Page 52 of Brandy Snap: Part One

“You can’t say that,” she answered after a pause.

“I mean it.”

“You’ve said a lot of things that you mean, Caspian.” Her sigh hurt more than her words. “It might be true for you now, but what about when the Selection Ceremony comes and we all have to make our choice?”

I couldn’t give her a proper answer. My hand slipped forward over the bed, aiming for hers. But this time, she was the one who moved her arm away from me.

Why did she have to be so fucking small? And why couldn’t I ever protect her? Why did we have to meet another omega when we couldn’t even look after the ones we had?

“You can’t mate with the Hiscox pack,” I repeated. “I’ll find a way to stop this.”

“I believe you. I do. But you’re not being honest. It was the same when you met Kai.”

I bit my lip, holding back my frustration. I’d waited two days after Sin to bite Kai because I needed her to tell me what to do. She could have told me no and I wouldn’t have done it.

But, yeah, she was right. That had been a lie. I went to her to ask for her approval, not her permission.

I couldn’t have stayed away from Kai if I tried.

And this time… With Mel… With an omega we’d only met once…

The silence ate away at us. Her gaze had fully left mine, glued to Sin as his conversation seemed to come to a close.

“Camille, can I just—”

“I’m feeling ill again,” Camille raised her voice, cutting me off. “I think I need to be alone. Could you come back tomorrow?”

Sin turned from the window, tucking his phone back into his pocket, and she gave her brother a weak smile.

“Yes, of course. Caspian?” He summoned my attention with a narrow stare. “We are needed elsewhere,” he said, giving me an out.

I thought I was going to be sick. That same look of betrayal was etched into her face again, and her scent had lost its calming edge as she pulled herself back from me.

I dragged myself from the chair, giving Camille one last look, but her gaze stayed fixed on the window, blocking us out. I wanted to say goodbye to her properly, but Sin sent a pulse through the bond, warning me back.

Kai glared from beside Sin, and I knew if I gave in and hugged Camille like I really wanted to, it would take days to make it up with Kai. Kissing her cheek was already bad enough.

Camille’s eyes fluttered as I rose, and the too-strong scent of camomile just told us how much she needed us to get the hell away from her.

A growl rumbled in my chest as I stomped out of the room like an absolute child. And I swore if I ever saw Mel again, I’d fucking kill her.

Melanie

Isqueezedmyfingerssharplytogether in front of me as I entered the main door of the care home Mum lived in.

Greensprings was like any of the other facilities we’d moved Mum to. White walls, fake leather chairs, patients sitting around plastic tables mumbling to themselves and each other. It was just that this place was tinged with an unnerving shade of lime green that made everything bright and uncomfortable.

My heat finally ended after another two days of torture, and it had taken me three more days to recover. The only reason I knew I was out of post-heat was because I’d lost the urge to jump on the alpha postman when he parked below my flat at ten a.m. each morning.

But it was hell. I was so worn out I barely recognised myself. I had been in a six-day sex war, and I was still suffering the consequences. I nearly winced with each step because my pussy had been on the front lines and taken the worst hits.

Rosa finally visited Mum two days ago, after I told her I was ill. I didn’t explain to her what was wrong or why.

I did want to tell her I'd presented, to ask her if there was anything I could do to adjust to the sudden change. Reading articles and advice blogs on late-presenting designations wasn’t the same as asking a real omega. And maybe our relationship might change now that I could understand her a little more?

But I didn’t want her to see me right after I’d been on a three-day masturbation marathon.

I was still processing all that had happened. But most of all, trying to handle not being with the three men I couldn’t stop fantasising about.

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