Page 65 of The Omega

“What’s this?” I asked as Penelope readied another needle.

“Just a sedative to help you get through the night until you reach your destination.” Penelope pushed the drugs into my arm. “I almost didn’t make it to my nest one time.” She smiled over her shoulder at her mates waiting by the door.

“Thank you,” I said. “For everything.”

“Promise you’ll call if you need anything else? We have an Omega settlement right here in Denver and I know they’d love to meet you in person.” Penelope gave my shoulder a squeeze, sending a calming wave of magic in her touch.

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. We’d see.

“I can’t believe you’re leaving already.” Clara pulled me away from Penelope as she handed me my bag. “I got all your stuff packed up and let Aspen know what was happening. She expects a call whenever you get done with… that.”

Her eyes widened at the sight of Dorian and Atlas standing in front of the resort, showing off their freshly healing claiming marks for the cameras.

I threw my arms around Clara and squeezed. “Thank you all so much for everything. I’ll find a way to pay you back.”

“Oh… You’re a hugger.” Clara awkwardly patted my arms. “I guess I should’ve seen that coming. But no worries, this was a fun adventure.”

“You know who you can pay back?” Jesse hissed as he put his hand on his hip. “Me? We were going to make magic this season.”

“I know,” Ken grumbled, sharing a heated look with the cheetah shifter. “But it’s time to let them go.” His gaze snagged on Cindy who hurried over to our little impromptu good-bye session.

“You’re leaving?” she asked.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t take all the males.” I swayed a little on my feet, still clinging to Clara for support. Whatever Penelope gave me was working fast.

“Honey, you can have as many as you like.” Cindy pulled me close. “Though I would love the details on how big Atlas is. Call me sometime and we’ll catch up.”

I giggled a little, thinking about how thick Atlas’s hands were. If that was any indication of the size, my wolf was going to be a very happy girl.

I will be when you stop drugging me. She yawned as the scent of spicy pepper and smoke mixed with rich leather and earth cocooned me in their embrace.

“You both smell yummy,” I slurred as the world started to spin. Thankfully, my mates were there to catch me when I fell.

24

Dorian

I palmed the healed mating mark on my neck as I surveyed our surroundings. As much as I hated Atlas, I had to hand it to him. In the ten hours it’d taken us to make the trip here, he’d somehow managed to get the shed Opal had designed as a nest dropped off right on top of the hill.

I had connections, but this kind of thing took a serious amount of money to make happen.

Bitterness turned my mouth sour and I spit on the muddied plains under our feet. The whole area held its collective breath, waiting for spring to finally warm over and the new growth to put leaves back on the trees. Wyoming wasn’t my first choice for a territory, but it was the only one with enough land and low enough population density for the government to allow a new pack to move in.

If it wasn’t for our neighbors…

“It’s too small,” Atlas grumbled as he carried Opal bridal-style up the hill. Penelope had given Opal some sort of sedative and us a strong warning, neither of which had fully worn off.

“My nest,” Opal whispered, semi-lucid. The scent of her heat warmed the frigid morning air.

I shivered under the weight of it as I touched her forehead. “Her nest is perfect,” I said, smiling at my girl as she smiled up at me.

“I meant for the three of us.” Atlas kept walking, forcing me to take longer steps to stay beside Opal. “I should move her things to a bigger space.”

Take her from him.

I held tight to my beast and ignored the urge to fight over Opal like she was a toy. Bigger space. Of course that’s what he’d want. His territory stretched for hundreds of acres. They had a small town. A large ranch house. Too much damn space if you asked me.

And all we wanted was the abandoned valley on BLM land where I’d legally staked my claim.