Page 61 of Royal Omega

Chapter Twenty-seven - Carissa

Iwalk to my mark,feeling defeated. I had been so happy when Conrad kissed me; so sure that it meant that we were going to take a step forward. But then he turned cold again.

I don’t know the whole story about his parents yet, but I’m guessing he has very good reasons for his distrust. It’s just so discouraging. I know I didn’t do anything wrong. I know that. But my stomach is twisting in knots, and the idea of staying here another week, watching Pack Five with other omegas... it hurts. And it’s hard for me not to be frustrated — ok, angry — at Conrad for not trusting me.

Willard is talking, but I’m barely listening.

“...So to help us judge the winner, we have brought in one of the shrewdest and most famous business women in the world. Isn’t it a wonderful surprise?”

My mother appears from the crowd, her arms spread wide, wearing her big, brilliant smile. The one that makes her look young and sweet and altogether non-threatening. “Hello, darlings!” she says exuberantly.

“It’s Iris Castle!” Willard announces, though there’s no chance my mother needs the introduction. After all, she’s one of the most famous omegas in San Francisco.

“Cut!”

Jenn steps forward, hustling toward me. “Hey Carissa, I need you to show us how you would react if you didn’t already know your mom was here.”

“Huh?”

Cindy snickers again, giving me that poisonous look, and Henry and Ransom growl behind me. Conrad doesn’t. I glance over at him, and find him deep in contemplation, watching Cindy with interest.

Swallowing the bile that threatens to rise in my throat, I listen as Jenn explains again that she wants me to act surprised and happy when my mom appears.

“Yeah, ok,” I say softly.

“Let’s reset!” Jenn calls, making a helicopter motion with her hand as she steps out of the camera’s way.

“Izzy, are you all right?” Ransom asks, his voice tender and rumbling in my chest.

“I’m all right,” I say with a sigh. He puts a hand on my shoulder, and I lean back into him instinctively.

“You don’t have to do any of this if you don’t want to, you know,” he says. “We could just run away from here. I doubt they would stop us. I can be more ferocious than those assholes who took that omega on day one, you know.”

“I’ll have your back,” Henry adds.

We all turn to look at Conrad, but he’s staring off into space, as if he’s not listening to anything we’re saying. My heart drops. I know I should be patient, but I feel like I’ve done everything I can to show him that I’m not who he thought I was.

“I’m ok, guys,” I say softly. “Thank you, though.”

“Any time, Carissa,” Ransom says. “And I mean that.”

***

AFTER ANOTHER TAKE, in which I beam so brightly at my mother that I think Jenn gave up on the idea of getting me to act, we get started on the damned lemonade stands. It’s baking hot, and despite the little awning over our stand, I start to feel overheated very quickly. Ransom growls every time I wipe the sweat from my brow, and Henry starts forcing me to drink a cup of our lemonade every half hour.

I’m grateful, in a way, but at the same time, I’m starting to experience another problem. The heat is one thing:myheat is another. And all the little touches, all the purrs and growls, all the close contact with these giant, powerful alphas is making me feel... well, I’m feeling.

By the end of the day, I’m practically trembling. I’m a mess of hormones, sweat, and deep emotion. My heat is coming, it’s unavoidable, and the idea of going through it with anyone other than Pack Five makes me sick.

But at the same time, I’m not sure how much I trust Conrad. And if I can’t trust him, can I really invite him into my nest?

I contemplate this all the way back to the mansion. When I step through the doors, a blast of cooled air hits me, and I sigh with relief. I’m not sure when I started thinking of this as home, but it feels welcoming, like a home should.

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