Page 61 of Unlikely Omega

“Is that what you want to hear? That I want you? I think you’ve figured that out by now. But what does it matter? Do you really want me to rut with you because my body wants it, because this need overrules my mind? To rut with you like an animal because you’re an omega and I’m a Gods know what, some hybrid aberration?”

“Stop it!” she whispers, her voice breaking. “I don’t want that, no, but to me it’s not that simple. I don’t just want you. I…”

“You don’t know me. And I’ve failed.”

“Failed, how?”

“My parents are dead. My gods have abandoned me. My body and mind are betraying me.” I stalk to the end of the tent, putting the Commander’s desk and chair between us, and fuck if I seem like a coward tracing the furniture edges and walking around it, backing away until my back hits the tent wall. “Stay away from me because I fear that if we are kept together, I won’t be able to control myself around you for much longer.”

“Finn,” she says after a while, rousing me from dark thoughts.

“What is it?” I expect her to ask if I’m okay, if the blood I feel trickling down my side means I’m dying, that it’s my fault for picking yet another fight I can’t hope to win.

“When did your parents die?”

I start, jerk, and thump my elbows back into the tent. “What?”

“Your parents.”

I shake my head. Gather my wits. “A few days ago.”

“Oh Goddess, I’m so sorry.” There’s some rustling as she probably gets up from the rug. “What happened?”

“You don’t want to know.”

“Of course I do!”

I suppress a bitter snort. “They were killed for helping Fae-bloods. Hiding them. Sending them south. So stupid.”

“Finn…”

“They first got into trouble trying to save me. That made them think they could save others. But it was all an illusion. They weren’t even able to save themselves.”

“Oh, Finn…”

“Don’t.” Her steps approach me and I lift my hands. “Ari?”

When she slides her arms around me, I jerk, hard.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers against my chest. “So sorry. It’s not fair.”

“Life isn’t fair,” I breathe, still unsure what to do with her in my arms. Hesitantly I lift mine and wrap them around her. My hands slide down to her ass. It feels perfect, soft, round.

My thoughts scatter. The fire returns.

“But good people shouldn’t get punished for trying to save others,” she continues.

“There’s a lot that shouldn’t be, but the gods move in mysterious ways—”

“Don’t lay this on the gods!” She tries to pull back. “This is on people. On all of us. We can’t rely on the gods, Finn. Only on ourselves.”

“You’re asking me to change my beliefs.”

“Your beliefs are more complex than that. You did hear the unnamed god. You did fight the Synod. And you did come after me.”

“I don’t know what you’re doing to me,” I breathe, bowing my head to smell her better. “You’re driving me fucking crazy.”

“Are you saying you didn’t make choices? That it was all lust?”

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