I grab the forgotten glass of cider and down the entire thing to calm my raging Alpha urges.
Her lips are swollen and her neck red from my fervent sucking. God, I need to touch her. My body actually trembles with the effort to stay away.
“Let’s go for a run. My wolf isn’t going to leave me alone until he gets to meet your little Omega.” I grasp her hand and tug her behind me towards the front door. I don’t bother saying goodbye to any of the guests, and no one stops us. Not with the sheer level of pheromones swirling between us. We’re a walking horny warning sign: approach with extreme caution.
I don’t stop to don wooly gloves or a hat. Our wolf’s fur will be more than enough insulation against the December cold.
The wreath clangs noisily as I swing open the front door and we step out into a flurry of snow. The porch light illuminates each floating flake, making them look like sparkles swirling in a snow globe.
We’re halfway down the front garden path when Nevaeh stops, her kitten heels slipping on the icy pavement.
“Omega?”
“I can’t do this.”
Panic surges through me, and I can feel the color drain from my face.
What does she mean she can’t do this? That she can’t be with me? Her eyes are wide, her pupils blown, and her scent is still so deliciously aroused. She can hardly deny her attraction to me, so what the hell is going on?
“You can’t do what, baby?” I croak the question out, my breath fanning between us like a white cloud.
She’s shivering, and I immediately regret dragging her into the cold. She looks so small in the leather. I just want to bundle her up in her nest and never let her out of my sight.
“I can’t shift.”
I nearly choke on the relief, and I’m sure the look on my face is bordering on manic.
“Are you worried about getting naked in front of me? That’s okay, I won’t look… yet.”
“No, Casey. You’re not hearing me. Ican’tshift. There’s something wrong with my wolf. We can’t connect properly.”
I blink dumbly, unsure of what to say. I’ve never heard of a wolf shifter who doesn’t shift. My concern for Nevaeh grows.
“What happens to you when you try?”
She sighs, the white fog mixing with mine. “She goes into a panic and it hurts her. Badly. My skin gets all itchy and painful, like its stretching. My muscles cramp and feel like they’re on fire. It’s horrible.”
I pull her into my arms, overcome with the need to protect her. She’s dealt with this a long time and my heart aches for the wolf and woman. What would I do if I couldn’t take my nightly rambles through the forest as my furry counterpart? Go insane. The giant beast within me would tear me apart from the inside out if I tried to keep him locked up.
“I don’t know what to say, baby. I’m so sorry you’ve had to deal with this on your own.”
She shakes her head. “Don’t be. I’ve accepted it. It’s the pack Alphas that have a problem with it. As far as they’re concerned, an Omega who doesn’t perfume or shift isn’t an Omega at all.”
I look down at her sweet face, all big doe-eyes and cheeks flushed from the cold, and indignation flares within me.
“Bullshit. You’re the most Omega-y Omega I’ve ever seen Omega.”
She blinks at me briefly before throwing her head back and laughing loudly.
I don’t give her a chance to catch her breath, instead I scoop her up into my arms and press her body against the side of the house. Her legs instinctively wrap around my waist, and I lean my weight against her, pinning her between the wall and my chest.
My mouth descends on her with a bruising force. She tastes divine. Her mouth is a mixture of her cider and something sweeter. Pure, unmated Omega. My Omega.
“I don’t give a shit if you never shift, baby girl. You’re mine. I’ll take you however you come. And you’ll come, alright. Like a good Omega should.”
“Oh my god. You’re such a caveman,” she giggles, but her hands are roaming over my shoulders, tugging my body even closer to hers.
“Cavemen didn’t have the same sense of humor as I do. Don’t compare me to them. They’d be so jealous of my jokes.”
