Page 39 of Broken Omega

“Whydidyou come all the way out here?”

“Will you even remember if I tell you?”

I shrug. It doesn’t matter anyway. Nothing she can tell me would change anything.

“Brooke’s father had you blacklisted. I overheard Geraldine on a call with him. He knows you’re Brooke’s fated mate. I assume you know you’re her true mate?”

“Why do you think I did everything I’ve done?” I ask, not wanting to say it out loud if it can never happen.

She nods slowly. “It made a lot more sense once I realized that was behind it.”

“Her father called me and warned me to back off. Geraldine must have called him after I harassed her. I’ve got no chance with Brooke, Lana. I never had a chance.”

“Brooke can’t stand her father, K. He sends her a birthday card every year with an invitation to dinner, and she has this fake smile that she plasters on when I give her it.”

“Warren Corvina’s a dangerous guy,” I tell her. “He’s hiding something. I looked into his business accounts, and I know there’s something that isn’t legit. I’ve never worked out what, but it doesn’t look good. He could kill me if I try to get to her. He could hurt people I love.”

“I wouldn’t be too surprised if he’s a mafia boss or whatever,” Lana admits. “But if she’s your true mate, nothing will stop you from getting together. Isn’t that what being fated for each other means?”

I reach for the remainder of the vodka bottle, and Lana picks it up.

“There’s nothing else I can do,” I tell her. “Let me have my consolation.”

She shakes her head, getting up and moving over to the kitchen sink.

I watch in horror as she uncaps the bottle and pours the last quarter of the bottle down the drain.

After putting the bottle down on the counter, she moves back to the armchair.

“Brooke needs you. Geraldine’s working with her father to find her a mate she doesn’t want. We can’t just let that happen when we know you’re her true mate.”

“Wait. Did you just say we?”

She nods. “I’ve seen enough love at first sight matches to know true mates really do exist. Geraldine pretends it’s not a thing because she wants all her Omegas to be matched with Alphas that are pre-approved by her criteria. It makes the academy look more successful that way. Brooke’s been there the longest because she’s resisted every attempt to force her into taking a mate. She’s strong, but she’s been backed into a corner now. She has to take a mate before the end of the year, or her father’s going to pick one for her. I can’t let that happen.”

I can’t stand the thought of my mate with another man. I can’t stand the thought of her being bonded to someone she doesn’t even like.

Oh, God.I thought I was backed into a corner, but my mate’s the one who’s trapped like that.

She needs to be rescued. I need to find a way to save her.

“Do you hear me, Kellan? Brooke doesn’t deserve that. She deserves someone like you. Someone who’ll move mountains for her. I’ve seen what you can do. You can save her. You’re probably the only one who ever could. I guess that’s what makes you her mate.”

“That might be the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me.”

“Well, it’s only the truth.”

“You’re a good friend.” My best friend, really.

She gives me a wry smile. “That’s what everyone always tells me.”

“Well, it’s only the truth.”

KELLAN

Lana spends the night in my cramped apartment, telling me she doesn’t trust me not to harm myself. It’s not clear if she thinks it would be intentional or accidental. I’m too wasted to question her. I allow her to order me around as if it’s her apartment, laying down on the couch when she hands me my sheets from the bed. Telling her where to find the spare sheets when she asks.

She leaves the door halfway open when she goes to bed, so she does trust me on some level, just not when it comes to taking care of myself, apparently.

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