Page 22 of Omega and the Beast
“Ah. Yes.” He sighed. “That’s always on all of our minds. So far, we haven’t come up with anything, but I live in hope.” He didn’t sound hopeful, though. He sounded resigned.
Callista wasn’t sure what she could offer that was new, but she was an Omega, the first to arrive at the castle since the curse began. Maybe being in heat had been the deciding factor that allowed the Beast to keep from wanting to hunt and kill her… or maybe it was just her different nature.
One way or another, she was determined to find out.
Perhaps an Omega was the missing piece of the puzzle.
13
Adonis
Another day at the castle.Adonis slept deeper than usual through the morning, waking around noon. He was dimly aware of Callista waking up mid-morning and slipping from the bed, pressing a kiss against his forehead before she left. He grumbled, but let her go. She would want to see her father again, not lay in bed with him all morning.
It wasn’t her fault he ran as a Beast all night.
When he truly awakened later, the first thing he wanted to do was hunt her down. Not in a violent way, exactly, but he didn’t like her not being by his side. Didn’t like not knowing where she was.
Thankfully, Mirkon was in the great hall and knew where she was. After catching the deer last night, Adonis wasn’t hungry yet, ignoring the tables of food in favor of finding his mate.
Callista.
Not his mate.
He needed to stop thinking of her like that.
Just because he wanted her didn’t mean she was his mate. He would not bite her without her agreement — no matter what his instincts told him to do. He would not trap her here the way he was trapped.
Heading out to the orchards, Adonis waved at those he passed without stopping to talk. Deirdre smirked at him when she saw how quickly he was moving, but she didn’t get in his way. He mock-scowled back at her, but didn’t slow. He knew his infatuation with Callista was a source of amusement to the others here, but he didn’t care.
The bright sunshine shone down on the castle, illuminating the blossoming orchard. With Betas moving around in and out of the shade, putting down fertilizer and pulling weeds, he could almost pretend everything was normal. That everyone had chosen to be there and was happily at work.
Picking up a bag of fertilizer by the entrance, Adonis hefted it over his shoulder, wrinkling his nose at the smell. It wasn’t terrible, but it was strong when he was carrying it right next to his head. Striding into the orchard, it didn’t take him long to find Callista. Everyone who saw him pointed him in her direction.
There she was, standing under the apple trees with her father. Those trees wouldn’t bloom for another month or so. As he approached, her father said something to her, and she turned around, her expression brightening as soon as she saw him.
“You’re up!” Unlike the Betas, she came hurrying up to greet him, and Adonis dropped the bag of fertilizer to the ground. He wasn’t sure what her intention had been, but his would not be denied. Catching her by the waist, he pulledher in for a thorough kiss. When he let her go, she was blushing hotly.
“I’m up. How are you?” The question was loaded with extra meaning, considering their activities that morning.
Her blush deepened, but she tilted her chin up, as if physically rising above the embarrassment the question had obviously caused.
“I’m fine, of course.”
Her tone was a little challenging, tempting him to draw her back into his arms and see if he could kiss her into submission, but not with her father hovering just a few feet back, listening.
“Morning, Broderick,” he said easily.
Broderick tilted his head back, squinting slightly at the sun coming through the trees. “More like afternoon, I think.”
“Just about,” Adonis admitted.
“They told me you were an early riser,” Broderick remarked, his lips twitching.
“I am, usually.” He’d awakened later today because he hadn’t gone to sleep the moment he’d returned last night, and he had a feeling Broderick knew the reason, but it wasn’t something any of them wanted to talk about.
They got to work, Adonis helping them in the orchard. Other Betas came and went to say hello and introduce themselves to Callista throughout the day, and it pleased him that she already knew several by name. Deirdre made her rounds, offering cool water to those sweating with labor, and herbed bread stuffed with scraps of meat and vegetables from last night’s dinner to quiet their empty bellies until dinner.
It was like a moment out of time, a waking dream of the life he might have had without the curse.
