Page 81 of The Omega

“You’re not coming?” she asked Atlas.

Thank the goddess.

Atlas looked past her to where the tents lay in the valley with smoke and music drifting from them. Worry was etched on his face as he gave a slight shake of his head. “That isn’t my territory.”

And they say we’re dramatic. My wolf rolled his eyes, huffing as he stepped forward to nudge Atlas’s leg. That was as good an invitation as the big oaf was going to get. It was mostly because Opal wanted him to come, and only slightly because he’d finally admitted this land was mine.

Opal’s bright smile was contagious as she grabbed Atlas’s hand, keeping one hand buried in my fur, and the three of us stepped into my territory.

*

In hindsight, maybe I shouldn’t have been so eager to get Opal here. The music grew louder as we approached. Tobacco and hookah smoke tainted the air with its incense. There was a crash somewhere, followed by a whole storm of cussing.

The sounds of home sweet home.

Still in wolf form, I stole anxious glances of Opal as we walked. She’d pulled on a plain shift dress that hit her knees, but she looked anything but ordinary. The cold didn’t touch her. It amplified her unadulterated beauty by turning the tip of her nose and tops of her cheeks pink. No makeup. No show. A quiet sort of grace fit for a queen.

And way too innocent for my pack.

She’ll be fine.

But my wolf stopped to shake off the anxiety building within. Atlas stood there, judging, with a look that made me question everything.

Show him there’s nothing to worry about.

He kept walking, leading them deeper into the heart of my pack where the circle of tents gathered around each other, reaching toward the sky in their explosion of orange and red stripes.

Laughter mixed with the loud music. The party had already started.

Or it hadn’t ended.

Garrett threw a shrill insult at Georgie as they stumbled into the path in front of us and the two of them started rolling around in the dirt.

It was all in good fun.

“Don’t hurt him,” Opal gasped.

My stomach churned as I looked back at my mate, watching Atlas put a protective arm over her shoulder as he narrowed those judging eyes at me again.

Not an Alpha. Not fit to lead.

He doesn’t know shit.

“I’m fine.” Opal brushed Atlas off as she walked past us both, extending her hand to the males currently yanking on each other’s ears. “And who do we have here?”

Tweedledumb and Tweedledumber stopped tumbling long enough to stare at Opal. And stare they did. Comically, with jaws dropped and eyes wide.

“Stop staring at your Luna that way,” I growled as I approached.

Garrett pulled his tongue back into his mouth as Georgie jumped to his feet.

“My apologies, Luna.” Georgie bent himself in half, bowing from the waist down. “You grace us with your beauty. We poor fools know not how to act in the presence of a goddess such as yourself.”

“Cut it out,” I groaned.

Opal giggled. “And your name is?”

“I’m Georgie.” He hitched a thumb over his shoulder. “And that idiot is my twin brother Garrett.”