Page 4 of Wild Omegas
I wave him on in. He’ll have to see it to believe it.And I need to know if Luke and Brooks are also scent-matched to Josie.Simply from pure curiosity. We formed our pack a year ago afterwe’d all worked here on Wild Skies Ranch for many years, but never has an omega entered the picture despite our looking.
Maybe Josie just fell right into our path like she did her grandparents’ driveway.
“Are you okay?” Luke asks now that he’s sat next to Josie. He’s reaching for her shoes but she bats his hand away.
“I can take off my own shoes,” she argues and then does so, but not without great difficulty. “After some ice I’m sure my ankle will be fine.”
“And rest,” I add.
She shoots another glare my way.
“My mistake, Josie,” I say. “I’ll let you hobble inside in pain next time.”
At this, Josie finally looks just alittleguilty. It’s enough for me to say, “I’m sorry for assuming carrying you would be okay. I just didn’t want you to injure yourself further. It’s not in my nature to let omegas suffer.”
Luke gives me a sidelong glance.
“Well, thank you,” Josie lets out. Her eyes are wet with tears about to fall. Understandably so. Twisted ankles hurt like hell.
Luke’s hand is flexing at his side just out of Josie’s view, but I see it. “You’re an omega?”
Clearly he can tell that she is. It’s plain as day.
Josie nods sheepishly. “I am. Was too young to know that when we knew each other though.”
Brooks hurries in at that moment. “Hey, I heard a car that very badly needs a muffler and knew it wasn’t you all. We have visitors—” He sees Josie and stops in place, dumbfounded.
See. That is the kind of reaction she has on people, and Luke’s over here trying to confirm something she couldn’t have known twenty years ago. That’d make her, what? Ten or fifteen back then? She looks about our age but it’s hard to tell for sure.
“You arebeautiful,” Brooks says like a wonderstruck teenager. I clear my throat and he straightens. “I’m Brooks. You must be the owner of the car needing a muffler?”
Josie’s cheeks flush with warmth but her eyes are still welling with tears. We’re a lot, I realize. This is all a lot. And she’s in pain. “I am. Nice to meet you all. Do you… staff the ranch?”
“Yes.” Luke stands. “We’re all employees of the Rose family. We heard someone was coming to stay but had no idea it’d be you.”
Josie pushes a loose strand of brown hair back behind her ear. “I… truthfully hadn’t expected to have company upon arrival.”
“Lucky for you, you do,” I say. Or she’d likely still be in in the driveway trying to bring in a heavy-ass cooler on a bad ankle.
“I’ll grab you a painkiller.” Luke disappears into the kitchen before Josie can protest.
“And we’ll bring in your things,” I say with a nod to Brooks.
Josie goes to stand up. “No, it’s really okay. I’ve got it.”
“Are you always this stubborn?” The question is past my lips before I can stop it. I have no right to talk to her this way, but something about Josie just… lights a fire within me. Gets under my skin. Makes me understand why Luke enjoys the work he does with wild horses so much.
Break them. Make them realize they’re safe. Then love them with all you have.
The moment Josie quite literally fell into my life, I finally understood Luke.
Josie’s jaw sets hard. “I can handle myself.”
It’s clear she can’t. I’ve seen the same look on overwhelmed sales teams, on burnt-out CEOs, on so many staff in the billionaire life I left behind. “I never said you couldn’t. But you should accept help when you need it.”
“And help we can absolutely do.” Brooks makes his way back toward the front door. He slips his work boots back on. “Anything you want brought in first?”
Resignation finally shows on Josie’s face. She relaxes back against the couch. “The cooler. There are groceries in there absolutely need to hit the fridge immediately.”
