Page 15 of Royal Omega

“Is it? I know you hold them responsible, but Conrad... it’s not like the Castles actively had your parents killed.”

“They might as well have,” Conrad snarls. “They practically pulled the trigger themselves, and you know it. If it weren’t for the Castle family, my parents would be alive. That makes them responsible for their deaths.”

“I know,” I say softly. There’s no point in arguing the matter with him; it would only hurt him more.

The truth is, Conrad’s father decided to take his life and the life of his mother after they were ruined financially. Conrad learned of their deaths after he was already out of the country. And he was out of the country because of Carissa. Because of the lies she told.

From Conrad’s perspective, blaming her really isn’t crazy; but I also don’t know if I think that what happened is completely her fault. She was eighteen after all, a kid more than anything else. How much did she really understand what she was doing?

I sigh, running my hand through my hair. “Is getting revenge on this woman really going to bring you peace, Conrad? It seems to me like this is only going to make you feel worse.”

“Just back me up, ok? If you were going through this, I would tell you that what’s important to you is important to me. Isn’t that what it means to be a pack?”

I bite my tongue, but I want to ask him if he really still sees us as Pack. Our bond is already so weak that I’m having trouble sensing him.

When we first connected, we were all kids, really. We were all eighteen or nineteen, alone in Iceland, at one of the few universities that caters to alphas. We’re allowed to go to school elsewhere of course, but most schools don’t understand dynamics all that well. Outside of San Francisco, there’s a school in New Delhi, and there’s University of Pekkingu in Iceland.

Conrad and Henry were in their first year at UP. I wasn’t in school; I was there trying to find a place for myself in the world, working as a computer technician. We all worked nights at the computer lab, where we bonded over wires and microchips. For the first time, I had real friends — people who were there for me, who listened to my problems. I had a reason to wake up every day. Something to look forward to.

At the time, it seemed like everyone around us was linking up and forming packs, and we were friends... it seemed like the thing to do. But since then, we’ve moved in totally different directions. Henry hasn’t touched a computer in years, though he does keep up on the latest trends for his security business. Conrad builds computers with his own two hands, but he never asks me to help him. And as for me... I write some code in my spare time, but the joy isn’t what it used to be. I’m more interested in people now; that’s why I like to work with kids, teaching them how to code.

Despite our differences, I don’t want to lose Conrad or Henry; they’re a part of me. It feels as if something fundamentally important is dying, and I don’t know how to save it.

“I’ll support you the best I can,” I say at last.

Conrad frowns in disapproval, clearly thinking I’m not excited enough to destroy this omega’s life. “I’m going to go check out the gym with Henry,” he says, dismissing me with a wave of his hand.

I turn and walk out of the room. My body is screaming that I’ve made a mistake; that anything I do to Carissa should be focused on her protection and happiness. I walk through the bedroom and out onto the balcony that looks out over the city.

It’s a long, broad balcony that wraps around the entire house, separated into sections by small railings that designate each suite’s private space. Leaning against the railing that looks out at the city, I let out a deep sigh.

“That sounds like the sigh of someone with a lot on his mind,” a female voice says from my left.

Startled, I look over to see a woman standing on the balcony, separated from me by only a thin railing. Her scent washes over me, confirming what I already suspected: it’s Carissa Castle, my omega.

She’s wearing a long, blue, silk robe that cinches on the side. Her hair is loosely tied back, locks escaping and blowing in the breeze. She looks unreal, like a spirit conjured here to tempt me.

When I don’t respond to her comment, she turns to face the city, leaning against the railing. An image fills my mind: me jumping over the thin barrier that divides us, onto her side of the balcony, pulling up that robe and touching her in her most intimate places. Finding the spots that make her moan before I spread her wide and fuck her with the entire city laid out in front of us. She would sob for my knot.

“I’ve always loved San Francisco,” she says, interrupting my fantasy. “I mean, it has its problems, but there’s something special about it, you know?”

“What’s your favorite thing?” I ask, my voice sounding hoarse even to my own ears.

“The fog,” she says. A breeze blows along the side of the mansion, catching her scent and wafting it under my nose, teasing me. She tucks a tendril of that honey-colored hair behind her delicate ear. Turning to face me again, she wrinkles her nose. “Is that weird?”

“No,” I answer in a raw voice. “I thought the omega suite was on the other side of the mansion.”

Carissa’s mouth quirks up in a smile. “Surprise. One of the many plot twists we can expect, I imagine. They gave me my own suite.”

“And why would they do that?”

Carissa bites her bottom lip and shrugs. “Mixing it up, I guess.”

I grunt, deciding not to call her on the lie. I bet her parents pulled some strings to get her more space for herself. Omega royalty and all. It has to come with some perks.

“What about you? What’s your favorite thing about the city?” she asks.

“The bridge.”

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