Page 45 of Wild Omegas
I reach back and prick my finger on whatever the item is. “Shit.”
I scramble for the larger light’s switch and flick it on only to find my bleeding finger holding a thorn-stemmed rose.
A rose.Randomly here. In my nest.
A rose with a small note attached to it. A cursive “D” adorns the front. My breath catches.No.It’s been a week. Why show upnow?
Dread sends icy spiders down my spine. I’m glued there, barely dressed, staring at this rose with Brooks passed out a few rooms away.
My gaze jumps to my closet. My breath picks up and my heartbeat thunders loudly. Is Damien in there? Is he here in the house still?
There’s one place I know he’s not. I leave the rose on the bed and rush back into the bathroom and lock the door. It still doesn’t feel safe enough.
I climb into the shower and sit on the floor with my arms wrapped around my knees.Damien is here in the house.
Damien ishere. Again.
I rock myself and try not to drown in the onslaught of memories. Fire and Damien’s anger in the street as the flames burned. At his promise of revenge, and my fleeing of the city I called home.
Of Carson with a foal in his arms surrounded by fire.
I can’t do this anymore.
I’m not sure how long I sit there rocking back and forth, but eventually footsteps sound outside the bathroom door. I freeze and try not to breathe, as if anyone who comes in won’t see my shadow through the frosted glass doors of the shower.
“Josie?”Carson.
Relief floods me. I spring up and open the shower doors. “Here,” I try to say but my throat and mouth are far too dry. It comes out croaked and weak.
Carson opens the door at the same time I unlock it and we both jump back. His brow is creased and his eyes serious, but when he sees me, he pulls me in tight to his chest. I wrap my arms around him.
“Damien,” I get out.
Carson doesn’t let go. “We know.”
Luke appears in the bedroom door and waves to us in the attached bathroom. “Brooks is waking up.”
My eyes widen. “Brooks! Oh god. I?—”
Carson tucks hair behind my ear. “He’s okay. Drugged, we think. But okay.”
Carson doesn’t sound calm, though. Something else has happened.
“Carson,” I plead, hoping just saying his name will be enough for him to understand.
Brooks stumbles in ahead of Luke. He sighs with relief when he sees me okay. “I was drugged.”
Luke and Carson meet gazes. Luke says, “We should’ve never left the ranch.”
“Where did you even go?” I ask. “Why did Damien feel so safe coming into the house?”
“Because we were out looking for him in Fairwater Falls,” Luke explains. “A bad idea as it turns out.”
“Did you find anything else while out there?” Brooks asks.
Carson shakes his head. “Nothing.”
So Damien wins again.If he’shereat Wild Skies maybe going back to New York City would be safer.
