Page 142 of Broken Omega

He releases my shirt from his grasp and smooths the fabric down before he looks back up at me.

“I want this bond with you, River,” he tells me. “But this is all really new to me. I just need a little time to process it.”

He’s overwhelmed. I guess this situation might feel that way if he was only looking for a relationship with one other person involved. He’s not just telling me what I want to hear. He’s in shock about his feelings.

“It took me a while to wrap my head around having two mates,” I admit.

“I think I’m still in shock,” he says.

“Well, you won’t be the only one once Frost gets back. I don’t think he expected you to have a connection with anyone but Brooke, either.”

He might not be pleased, but I’ll take any reaction with a pinch of salt since he’s going to be an insufferable dick until he’s slept no matter what.

“We could go eat now,” I suggest, kind of keen to get out of the enclosed space.

Rationally, I know Kellan’s not going to hurt me, but the closed door unnerves me.

It’s different at home. We have rules there. I feel safe.

Kellan and Brooke don’t know about that.

I’ll have to tell them at some point, but I’d prefer it to be when I’m fully comfortable with them both.

That might take a while if Kellan wants to take things slow.

“That sounds like a great idea.”

Kellan opens the door for me.

I give him a smile as I walk out, but only because he’s so genuine. I take in a few slow, deep breaths as I step back into the main room of the apartment. Most people have less pleasant triggers. I have triggers for a bunch of things that look sweet but can have malicious undertones.

Like having the door held open for me, because I’m being invited into a room where I’ll be beaten for something I did that my boyfriend didn’t like. My ex was constantly spouting crap about finding a way to get me to obey him. I always felt like his outbursts were my fault. I was never doing anything well enough. It took a damn long time to realize he was the problem.

Almost too long. If Donnie and Frost hadn’t gotten to me when they did, I would have died that night. Another minute, and I wouldn’t have made it. They saved me months before they accepted me as their mate. They’re my everything, and I don’t take that lightly.

I can tell Brooke needs us like we need her, and she’s becoming a part of us.

I don’t know about Kellan yet, it’s way too soon to tell.

KELLAN

Isit back down at the table in a daze. I went back there to talk to River, not to manhandle him into a kiss. Instinct got the better of me, and I almost took it further. He’s my mate. I feel it as strongly as I felt it for Brooke. I just can’t seem to get past the shock of the discovery.

A phone starts ringing and I check my pocket.

Right. Yeah. It’s not mine. I turned mine off when the academy was calling. Last night.

I switch it back on as Donnie answers his, next to the counter.

He doesn’t say much on his call.

Brooke is standing next to him eating a muffin by picking chunks of it off as it sits on the counter and putting them into her mouth a piece at a time. She’s sipping on the only other can of her favorite soda.

My phone takes a few seconds to start dinging with messages and missed calls.

Brooke glances over at me with her eyebrow raised.

I shrug helplessly as the dings go on.

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