Page 15 of Omega and the Beast
“Callie!” Her father’s familiar voice made her jerk in surprise, her head whipping around. Relief flooded her as she saw him. His face was bruised and his arm was in a sling, but otherwise, he looked exactly like himself, limping toward her with open joy on his face, his unbound arm open wide.
“Papa!” Running to him, Callista slammed into him as carefully as she could, doing her best not to hit his injured arm but unable to hold back her exuberance completely. She was so relieved to see him alive. Even though Adonis had told her father was there, she hadn’t been able to fully relax and believe it until she saw him for herself.
“You’re here. I can’t believe you’re here!” He hugged her as tightly as she hugged him, obviously uncaring of his injury in his relief to see her.
Knowing what she did about the castle now, she couldn’t help but wonder if he’d been sure he would never see her again. He couldn’t have gone back to the village once he knew the truth. Not without risking his life.
She thought he probably would have eventually made an attempt, knowing her Papa, and she was so glad she’d followed after him instead.
“You’re here, and…” His voice trailed off as he inhaled, and she realized what he was doing.
A blush heated her cheeks as he pulled away enough to take a good look at her face, his dark eyes narrowing as he studied her expression, then his gaze cut away behind her towhere Adonis was standing.Heknew she would have run out of her heat suppressants.
“Adonis.” That was a tone she’d never heard Papa use before. It even had a hint of a growl to it.
She didn’t look over her shoulder to see how Adonis took it, just put her hand on her Papa’s chest.
“Papa, I am fine. Adonis saved me.” He’d done all manner of other things to her as well, but she wasn’t going to talk about that.
As things went, she would much rather spend her heat with Adonis than on her own. Or, worse, with Father Conal. Adonis had explained how an Omega’s heat actually would have sent the males into a frenzy if they’d scented her, Betas or no. The only reason it didn’t bother her father was they were related.
The Beta males didn’t have knots, though. They would have worn themselves out trying to relieve her and been unable to. And she would have let them because something was better than nothing. Only an Alpha could give her what she truly needed.
Only him.
Which was why she blushed. She didn’t know how much her father knew, but he’d obviously guessed something of what had happened, or he wouldn’t have spoken Adonis’ name like that.
Papa took a deep breath and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, his gaze met hers rather than looking past her.
“How did you get here?” he asked. “You weren’t sacrificed?”
“No, she was looking for you,” Adonis said, stepping up beside them. Something about the way he stood made her think he wanted to put his hand on her back, but herefrained. “Come, we need to get some food and water. We can talk as we break our fast.”
For a moment, she thought her father would refuse or perhaps insist on talking to her alone, but after another deep breath, he nodded stiffly. Callista was relieved. She didn’t want the two males fighting. Besides, she truly was hungry. She’d been too busy to eat for the past few days.
Thinking about that made her blush again. The things she’d done with Adonis…
She looked up at him as he flanked her, setting her between himself and her father as they moved to the front of the room, where long tables were set with food. He looked back down at her and smiled before she hastily glanced away.
Despite everything they’d done together — or maybe because of everything they’d done together — she didn’t really know how to act around him. What to say. She was the only Omega there, but that didn’t mean he wouldlikeher.
Shewantedhim to like her, she realized. Because she liked him. Even though she knew so very little about him, what she did know, she admired. Shewantedhim to like her.
9
Adonis
Introducing Callista to his Betas— because that was how he thought of the Betas who lived at the castle — was an exercise in patience. The possessiveness he felt over her was unwarranted, yet he couldn’t get rid of it. When Westian held her hand for too long, Adonis growled at him.
Westian immediately released her, his eyes dancing with amusement.
Adonis worried it was the Beast rising up inside him because he hadn’t been growling in play — he had been ready to rip Westian’s hand off if he didn’t back away. Fortunately, they didn’t need to test his self-control in that manner since Westian had gotten the message.
He was glad the male wasn’t afraid of him.
Mostly.
He didn’t want his Betas to be afraid of him.
