Page 15 of Happy Halloween, Omega
“Detective Fox,” I whisper in a hollow voice.
Like a crash of icy water over my head, the frigid memories of that fateful, bloody night flash through my mind. I gape, struggling to draw a breath. All the thousands of dollars invested in therapy dwindle away as his handsome face drags the buried trauma back.
I fumble behind me for the trunk of the tree, my fingers scrambling in the coarse bark for something to steady me while my universe quakes. Out of every Alpha on the planet, why did my Halloween ghost have to behim?
As if summoned by the flood of emotions and confusion, my inner voice morphsinto my mother’s eloquent accent, honed at The Omega Academy in her youth.“He wants to own you. Possess every thought. Become your entire world, and he will give you nothing but pain and heartache.”This is everything she warned me about. The allure. The pull. The need.
And my heartdoesache. From the confusing mix of triggered traumatic memories, fear of the unknown, and my out-of-control attraction. I want to scream, cry, and laugh all at the same time.
He leans forward and inhales deeply, his nose grazing my neck. An errant moan escapes my lips as he nuzzles against my skin.
“This is where you belong, Kitten,” he whispers, his voice low and husky. “You belong with me. Your body, your mind, your soul. I told you I’d keep you safe that night, and I keep my promises. You’re mine to protect and cherish.”
I press harder into the tree. I’m trapped, his body blocking my escape. I can smell his scent straight from the source. I want to lick him and rub all over him so every Omega knows he’s taken. That he’smine.
“You need to quit your job.”
His words break the spell, and I tense, jerking away to throw a confused look at him. “What are you talking about?”
“You’re not safe there anymore.”
I can’t dispute his claim. I feel the stares from the Alpha contractors that come into the administration office, their nostrils flared with questing curiosity.
“I have bills to pay. I have to work.” My jaw aches as I speak through gritted teeth, trying to sound braver than I feel. He looks the same, and I can’t believe I didn’t recognize the stiff way he holds himself. I spent hours with the case detectives while they questioned me from my hospital bed. To be fair, it’s all a bit of a blur. I was in shock for what felt like weeks after the incident.
“You don’t need to worry about your bills. I’ve paid them.”
I make an incredulous noise at the back of my throat, utterly perplexed by his statement.
The Alpha leans back down like he intends to continue nuzzling me.
I shove at his shoulders, ignoring the warm tingling in my hands where we touched. “What? Why the hell would you do that? You’re a stranger!”
“Not a stranger, Kitten. Like I said, I’m your Alpha, and I protect what’s mine.”
I shake my head, trying to understand what he’s saying. I feel like I’ve stepped into an alternate reality where nothing makes sense.
“Protecting? Is that what you call stalking me and breaking into my home?”
His eyes flash with anger, and a trickle of fear cuts through my ire and attraction. He’s so intense and in control, while I feel like I’m falling apart in front of his eyes.
“You weren’t ready for me yet.”
What does that even mean? Is he really trying to gaslight me into believing my trauma is the reason he was forced to become a crazed lurker? I gulp back the fear and clasp to my reckless bravery. I want him to feel as off kilter as I do.
“Do you know what I think?” I ask with a sneer.
His nostrils flare, and his heavy brows pull down into a warning glare. It sends another potent shock of fear spiraling into my gut, and it spurs me on.
“I think you get off on it. You like being a predator stalking his prey.” I match his raised eyebrow with one of my own, challenging him in blatant defiance of all of my mother’s rules for survival as an Omega. “I don’t think this is part of the macho Alpha protection act at all. I think there’s something twisted in your brain and you enjoy having me at your mercy. You like it when I know you’re watching and my heart beats faster.”
His lips curl up into a smirk. “Like I said, you weren’t ready for me. You were still a victim and pretending to be a Beta. Do you have any idea how hard it is to be an Alpha who knows exactly who his fated Omega mate is, but can’t approach her? I was going insane and became so violent I almost lost my job so… I improvised.”
I narrow my eyes. He’s lying. Alphas don’t hold themselves back, they take what they want.
Don’t they?
“You followed me to that Halloween rave.”
