Page 156 of Broken Omega

“Well, River knows more than I do. They don’t teach any of that at the academy,” she says, taking her sweater off and sitting it on top of the dresser. “The classes are all surface stuff. It’s honestly pathetic.”

She finishes stripping out of her clothes, leaving on a tank top and panties.

My dick gives a little twitch of interest, but I’m way beyond the point of exhaustion. I’m not even going to attempt to suggest anything sexual. There’s no way I wouldn’t pass out before we got much further than a kiss.

I start to haul my clothes off as she gets into bed.

When I slip under the covers beside her, she immediately shuffles closer, taking my arm and wrapping it around her. I lean in and kiss her shoulder.

“No funny business,” she murmurs.

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Well, Imightdream about it. The bed is doused in her scent, and she’s curled up in front of me, her fingers lacing through mine to keep my arm around her warm body.

Closing my eyes, I inhale her sweet cherry perfume as I pass the fuck out.

KELLAN

Donnie offers to swap places with me on the couch when we’re getting ready to get some rest. I’d feel too strange about sleeping right next to River while I’m still processing the idea of him as a mate. It’s been a crazy day, and I still feel incredibly guilty over attacking Donnie, even if it wasn’t really me. He isn’t holding it against me at all, but I wouldn’t blame him if he did.

“I know it’s not that comfy,” Donnie says. “I’ve crashed on it before.”

“It’s fine,” I tell him. “I might not really sleep. You guys need the rest.”

“I don’t know,” Donnie murmurs as he turns off the lights and closes the shades on the window. “You were fighting pretty hard back there. You might need a rest more than you think.”

“You were stronger,” I tell him, which I’m glad about.

Who the hell knows what might have happened if he hadn’t restrained me?

I hate to think what I could have done.

“We were pretty evenly matched, actually,” he admits. “I got lucky. You seemed to be obsessed with the idea of breaking those chairs.”

“I think I was looking for a weapon,” I tell him, feeling kind of weird admitting it. I couldn’t control anything that was going on once I heard that phrase. I saw everyone in the room as an enemy, and it would be easier to take them out with a weapon. “He trained me to do that. To find a weapon and use it on whoever was with me.”

“That’s so messed up,” Donnie says as he arranges the rest of the sheets on the mattress. “Why would he do that?”

“You really want to know?” I ask.

“You know?” he asks, his bright blue eyes widening.

“I remembered. He talked a lot while he was conditioning me. He hated me. Thought about killing me himself. Once, he got angry enough that he got a knife. He wanted to do it, but he would lose a test subject. I’m pretty sure that’s the only reason I’m still around. He was going to use it as a way to get rid of me if I got in the way of his plans for his daughter. Have me kill, or at least brutally attack whoever I’m with, and I’ll be locked away while he finishes his research and proves to his clients that he has the perfect way for them to control their unruly Omegas, or anyone else they need to rein in.”

“Holy fuck,” Donnie mutters. “How does he plan to prove it?”

I shake my head. “I don’t know, but I’m worried it has something to do with Brooke.”

It’s totally fucked. His daughter only matters to him for this deranged project that’ll hurt others who are like her. He doesn’t give a shit about her, or anyone else.

“Yeah, that seems pretty likely.”

River comes out of the bathroom in his underwear, his hair wet. “I took a shower. Figured everyone might be queuing to use the shower later when we’re getting ready to leave.”

“You’re probably right,” Donnie says. “I’ll need to wait a bit to take these bandages off, but you can shower if you want, Kellan.”

I nod. It makes sense. I was going to have to use the bathroom anyway. Might as well wash up while I’m at it. “Where are the towels, River?”

---