My voice cracks through the muted clearing, bouncing off the rock cliff and trees. A bird startles and flaps its wings in alarm. It’s raspy with breathlessness, but the power rippling behind the words is undeniable. It’s an Omega Command.
I don’t even mean to do it; the feelings were so strong it ripped the command from me.
They release me immediately. Knox lets go of me and throws his hands up like he’s surrendering.
I didn’t expect such a visceral reaction to my Command, and I stumble on the uneven, rocky ground, steadying myself on my shaking legs.
I’m such an idiot. Why did I let things escalate to this level?
“Princess?” Knox’s voice permeates the fog of sensations, and my eyes open blearily.
The sound of our collective held breaths is deafening.
“Are you alright?”
I nod and wrap my arms around my breasts, feeling exposed and vulnerable.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to Command you. It slipped out.”
“Did we do something wrong?” he continues. There are lines of tension pulling at his lips.
The lips which felt so right against mine.
I shake my head, ignoring the way my scent still hangs around us like a cloak. The intense aroma of our mutual arousal makes my head spin.
I let myself get carried away, and for a moment my stupid heart believed these males were my Pack.
Packs don’t exist and if they did, I would be the last Omega destined to be with one.
I need to remind myself that I’m just another mission to them. An order from General Stone, and when they’ve completed their mission, they’ll leave me with nothing but a broken heart.
“I thought that you were okay with this. That you wanted to touch us as much as we want to touch you.” Knox can’t keep the frustration out of his voice, and I wither a little inside.
I did.
‘Ido.’
I hear my voice inside my head, reverberating as if I’d spoken it aloud. They can hear me and I can hear them, yet another freakish power I’ve inflicted upon them. I need to stop dragging them into my mess.
I’m at war with what I want and what I can have. I want these males to be mine. I want to be their Omega, but the reality is… I can’t. I’ve proven that I’m dangerous with unpredictable, strange powers, and that’s on top of my existing defects.
The tightrope I’ve been walking on is too thin. A precarious balancing act between logic and need. If I indulge in my need, my entire world could come tumbling down.
My Omega recognizes that I’m overstimulated, and before I know it, I’m drifting into the soothing lull of O-space.
I shiver despite the heat still surging through my veins, and Viper steers me to sit beside the fire, but he doesn’t touch me. He can’t, not after I Commanded him not to, and I mourn the comfort of his warm touch.
Watching with detachment, the squad orbits around me as they set up camp and watch me carefully. They move with coordinated, collective efficiency.
Shade sets a pot of water to boil, casting concerned glances my way as I watch the bubbles rise.
They really are a Pack.
Eventually, Shade hands me a steaming mug of tea. I’m careful not to touch his skin as I take it from him, feeling like a junkie looking for her next hit of their skin against mine.
“We messed up?” Blaze asks Shade behind me. There’s confusion in his voice, like a lost boy reprimanded, and he doesn’t understand why.
I push through the haze and clear my throat. “No, it’s fine. I just…”
