Page 31 of Omega's Reign

“We have a couple of meetings we need to attend. Would you mind escorting Holly into town, and then we will meet you there? She has arranged a gathering with the Pack Regimes.” Beckett presses his lips together, the veins on his arms bulging.

I stare at him with my mouth open, wondering what the fuck kind of meetings he has. This was our meeting. We were supposed to approach Andrew and ask him about his thoughts of joining the Silverstein Pack, and it’s like Beckett lost his nerve.

I wiggle from Jordan’s arms and stride to Beckett, snatching him by the wrist and yanking him to me, dragging him to the corner of the office.

I stand on my tiptoes and get in his face, breathing in his citrusy scent. “What are you doing?” I whisper, my voice hissing with the words. “Have you changed your mind?”

Beckett sighs, his breath tickling my mouth. “No, but I realize that it has to be you. You need to talk to him. He sees you as our leader. Not me.”

We both know why. Because technically Beckett isn’t our leader, though he is my alpha. And now he wants me to flex my power.

I never thought it would be this way. It’s easier to demand alphas to do what I want to better our territory. But this is entirely different. This is basically asking him to marry me.

I know it’s common practice for alphas. At least, it happened before the pack wars, but I never expected it to be me in charge. The Silversteins were a happy accident and a perfect example of destiny. But Andrew?

Maybe it’s the same. Damn. Why am I so nervous?

“What if he rejects me?” I ask, realizing that the idea of being rejected pains me. It’s not something I’ve ever had to think about.

“He won’t. He’d more likely reject me.” Beckett swallows, the room absolutely silent as we whisper to each other. All eyes remain glued to us.

“I can’t do this.” I close my eyes and inhale a soft breath, trying to silence my unbidden negative thoughts. How embarrassing would it be for the leader of a territory to ask a man to be on her pack only to have him say no?

“You can. If you feel as if you can’t, then we won’t proceed. I don’t want you being uncomfortable about this.” Beckett rubs his fingers over my cheek, playing with my pale blond hair.

I narrow my eyes, his words daring me to prove him wrong. Because I’m not uncomfortable. I just… This is all so weird. But it’s not exactly bad. Just new.

“I’m not uncomfortable. I just—” I heave a breath and straighten my shoulders, accepting his dare. He wants me to take charge, so I will. His words were enough to want me to resist my innate nature to obey and to sit back and allow others to do things for me. This is all just some growing pains as I take the reins and my throne to heart.

Leaning in, I kiss him softly, teasingly, hoping he thinks about this kiss the entire time he is away from me. I want my affection to linger on his mind. I want him to crave me while I’m with Andrew. It would serve him right. It’ll truly show me if this is what is best for everyone.

I flick my gaze to my betas. “Make sure you guys aren’t late. I need you all by my side.”

Because I know what I have to do. I have to make it clear to the Pack Regimes that they don’t control me. I’m an equal to them. I’m more than my order. I’m more than what everyone thought I was supposed to be.

“Andrew,” I call, standing in front of my full-length mirror. “Can you help me?”

I should’ve just been honest the moment my pack left me with Andrew, but I lost my nerve and told him that I had to change into something more appropriate for a meeting with the Pack Regime. It wasn’t true, but I needed to buy myself some time to get my mind in the right place.

Andrew peeks his head into my wardrobe, his eyes locking on mine in my mirror. I hold up my dress with one hand, the zipper opened down to my lower back, exposing my skin. He drinks me in without comment, slowly sauntering closer.

“You look beautiful,” he says, his voice even as he stops behind me, his eyes shining in the lights.

I don’t turn to look at him, remaining frozen in place. The heat of his body warms me even without him touching me. I imagine what it would be like. If he’d be gentle. If his fingers would be rough from the years of his experience working with different pack authorities. It’s as if Beckett’s confession has awakened something new inside me. Something I had focused on resisting.

“Thank you,” I murmur, my body humming with his closeness, his sweet candy scent as alluring as his warmth. I take a step back, bumping into him, the air suddenly thick around us.

I swear sparks erupt from his fingers, his strong hand grasping my waist to steady me. Blush crawls up my throat, reddening my face. I wonder if he senses my sudden attraction, growing by the second.

I spent many hours watching my brothers encourage each other with Kinsey, and I never really expected such a thing to happen to me. I can hear Jordan in my head, telling me to use my sex appeal to seduce this man. I can imagine Beckett caressing my cheek, encouraging me to do what I feel is right by our pack. He said it himself. He’s seen how Andrew looks at me and how I reacted to such attention, even if it was on a more platonic level, just appreciating him as an alpha. His scent. His personality and how skilled he is.

“Holly…” Andrew’s voice trails off, his thoughts a mystery to me.

I spin around and face him, our eyes locking on one another. “Can I ask you a question?” My mouth opens and spits out the words before I have a chance to think things through. I talk when I’m nervous, and it’s been a while since I have felt this way. The last time was when I moved in with the Silverstein Pack. The first time we knew this was forever. But those nerves have faded, now only continuous excitement remaining.

Andrew releases a breath and rolls his shoulders, stepping back to put more space between us.

“Anything. You have to trust me completely, so I’m always open to you. I will never lie or be dishonest.” He swallows and shifts on his feet. Is he nervous too? There’s something about it that helps ease the butterflies swarming my stomach.

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