Page 5 of Monster's Obsession

Trembling overtook me as I turned to my small table, setting down the precious bundles before I dropped them on the floor. My shirt was smeared with the fluids that had leaked from the rabbits, but I couldn’t find it in me to care, a slow laugh escaping my chest as I braced my arms on the tabletop and caught my breath.

I was still chuckling when my door shook again, this time from the pounding of a fist. I jerked upright with a scream before clamping a hand over my mouth to cut it off. It took a few seconds to get my shaky legs to unlock and move me toward thedoor, another round of knocking coming before I reached the wooden barrier and pulled it open.

Dagus stood on the other side, the dog next to his ankle, trying to force its way in until I narrowed the gap and blocked its entry.

“Yes?”

Dagus was a good enough alpha. He’d been friends with my brother, but had been one of the many voices over the years saying I needed a firmer hand to guide me. He’d never outright mentioned my size, but the comparisons to Lainy had been clear enough.

“Why did you run from Three? You know he’s not going to hurt you, Meaghan.”

The man’s unimaginative names for his animals was another strike against him in my opinion. His previous herding dogs, One and Two, had both met tragic ends, leaving me suspicious of his training abilities.

Frowning as the persistent thing scratched at my shoe to get me to move, I tightened my hold on the door.

“He was trying to steal my meat. You should have better control over him. What if one of your lambs gets hurt? Won’t he eat it?”

Wide shoulders shrugged.

“Probably.”

I rolled my eyes, the utter lack of care or even comprehension more than I could take.

“Well, I’d prefer to eat mine myself, so if there’s nothing else…”

I let my voice trail away, hoping he’d get the hint as I tried to push the door shut, but I’d apparently used all my luck in making it inside with the rabbits.

“Actually—”

His palm connected with the wood, keeping the door propped open. His lips tipped down in a frown when my foot braced against the other side prevented him from shoving it wider, but he focused back on my face after a quick glance down. His nostrils flared and I knew he was scenting me, my cheeks burning with a rush of heat.

“You still haven’t announced who you’ve chosen.”

My stomach clenched, the breakfast I’d appreciated such a short time ago threatening to come back out.

With force.

“I haven’t chosen.”

My words were terse, the topic uncomfortable, especially knowing what was coming. Dagus had already come to me claiming he would take me for my brother’s sake, his attitude suggesting I should be grateful he was willing to accept the burden of being my mate.

Fuck that.

“Meaghan, you can’t keep putting it off. You don’t have long before—”

“I’m well aware of what’s happening in my own body, just as I’m aware of youroffer. I’ll decide when the time is right.”

His face clouded further, mock-concern turning to irritation.

“You should have made your choice a year ago instead of maintaining this foolishness about being independent, Meaghan. You’d be a properly bound omega by now, tending your alpha and a babe like you were meant to.”

I knew I was scowling, and I didn’t try to hide it. Omegas may be naturally submissive, but that didn’t mean I was going to let anyone talk down to me. This was the exact reason I didn’t want any of the alphas in this village.

“Maybe I’ve decided not to accept any of you. An alpha is meant to cherish his mate, not degrade her and tell her how much better the other omegas are. You’ve made your opinion ofme clear, and I have no interest in being tied to you for the rest of my life.”

Pushing the dog back with the bottom of my foot, I lashed out through the small opening, connecting my bent knuckles with the inside of his elbow, forcing his arm to bend with the sudden blow. Jerking back before he could recover, I slammed the door in his face, leaning against it as I panted in reaction to the surge of adrenaline.

None of that had been the smartest decision.

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