Page 50 of Royal Omega

I sigh inwardly. I knew this was coming. Ransom is our pack defender; if he thinks there’s a chance someone is going to be hurt, he turns into the most protective of alphas. It’s usually kind of sweet, but not when I’m the target.

“Good morning to you too,” I reply without looking up from my eggs.

“Don’t be cute. Tell me you know what you’re doing. Tell me you thought this through.”

I want to snap at him that of course I didn’t think it through; Henry has been tempting me for years. Years of wondering, years of touching myself, imagining the two of us together. I didn’t consider the damn consequences last night; all I thought about was what I wanted. What I fucking needed.

When are Ransom and Henry going to realize that I’m not fucking good enough for them? When are they going to understand that I will fuck things up 100% of the time? Yes, we’ve been together for years, but our bond is fading faster by the day; it’s obvious they’re slowly coming to terms with who I really am. What’s the point in opening up to Ransom when he’s just going to reject me again?

“Are you gonna look at me, Conrad?” Ransom asks.

I don’t want to look at him. I don’t want to see the trust missing from his eyes; the loss of respect. Instead I keep my eyes on my plate.

“Conrad!”

“I don’t know what you want me to say,” I tell him.

“You slept with Henry.”

“What if I did?” I growl. “He wanted it.”

Ransom’s eyes narrow. “Of course he fucking wanted it, Conrad. He’s wanted it for years, just like you have. That’s not my problem.” He leans closer. “And believe me, if I thought for a second you had forced him, we would be having a very different conversation.”

There’s no chance I would ever force anyone to have sex. Not ever. But what Ransom is really saying is that if there were any doubt, I would be the one who was kicked out of the pack. Just another reminder that I’m dispensable.

“I know this has been a long time coming for you both,” Ransom adds with a sigh. “But still, you should have restrained yourself.”

I stare down at my plate, feeling irritated by the guilt sitting like a rock in my stomach. “He was asking for it,” I say defensively. “Smelling so damned good. He slept with Carissa, you know.”

Ransom scoffs. “With the ban on heat drugs, the omegas are practically clawing the walls begging for knots. Sleeping with an omega might be a precursor to claiming her. Lord knows I hope it is. But it doesn’t mean that’s going to happen. Sleeping with someone in our pack, on the other hand? You sure as shit better intend to make a commitment to him.”

I drop my fork onto the plate and push it away. “What kind of commitment, exactly, were you expecting here? He’s already pack.”

“You know as well as I do that our pack is more of a friendship than anything else. Sleeping with Henry changes that.” Ransom runs his hand through his hair and curses. “For fuck’s sake, Conrad, are youtryingto break this pack apart?”

My mouth goes dry. I want to tell Ransom that of course I don’t want to break us apart. Of course I want us to stay together. But if they’re going to leave me anyway, why should I put my own heart on the line? Why should I be the only one who cares whether I stay or leave?

So instead of bearing my soul, I shrug and say, “It seems like the two of you are more interested in adding my arch enemy to the pack than you are in keeping me with you. Maybe it’s the two of you who are breaking this pack apart.”

Ransom’s gaze flicks over my shoulder. Glancing behind me, I see Henry standing there, looking at me with bright disappointment shining in his eyes. “Good morning,” he says in a gravelly voice. “Any eggs left?”

“No,” Ransom says, his eyes returning to meet mine. “Someone ate the last of them.”

Henry is silent for a moment before clearing his throat and saying, “No worries... I’ll have cereal.”

As he shakes the dry granola into the bowl, I grind my teeth in frustration. The atmosphere in the kitchen is so tense that my muscles are tightening, my head starting to pound. I stare down at my eggs, irritated that I’m being forced to feel badly about what happened last night.

Why should I feel guilty? Henry and I, that was a long time coming. I didn’t betray him by fucking him. Or anyway, I didn’t betray him any more than he betrayed me when he slept with Carissa. She may be the sweetest omega who ever lived; I won’t deny it. I won’t deny I’m as drawn to her as the others. But if my pack were really mine, wouldn’t they be on my side?

They would be. I know it. And the fact that they aren’t just reinforces what I’ve known for a long time now; we’re falling apart.

I clear my throat and get to my feet, taking my plate with me. I rinse it off in the sink and then mutter something about getting dressed.

As I leave the room, I hear Ransom talking to Henry in a low voice. His tone is tender and warm; comforting. I can’t remember the last time he talked to me like that.

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