“Bloody hell, that was intense,” Ri-ckon murmurs from beneath her.
I reach around to pat his cheek. “Good job, White Mine.”
He chuckles through broken pants. Gently I roll us over, still joined, while listening to our ohm-ee-ga’s sleeping breaths.
The sheer beauty of the moment leaves me speechless, although there’s much I want to say. Me, an alpha who had nothing and understood only fighting, now has a pack. I’ve shared cells, and challenges, meals, and learning with these three wonderful people, and every day brings new experiences. I’ll never be a prisoner to cold and hopelessness again.
And Red will never have to endure alone either. We’re here for her.
“Mine,” I mutter. “All mine.” I’ll never let anyone take this happiness from me. I reach over and clasp my two alphas around Red, and we sink into the few moments of sleep our woman allows us.
When she stirs with a whine, I release her for Ri-ckon and Cal-ee to take her to the shower. With a happy smile, I roll over and close my eyes again, thoroughly exhausted.
Did my ohm-ee-ga beat me?
No, because I no longer fight alone. Us alphas will take care of this wild fighting ohm-ee-ga, now and forever.
Chapter sixty-eight
Epilogue – Red
(Eight months later)
The huge cinema thunders with bass as the racehorses gallop by on the big screen. One red-haired jockey hunches over the horse’s withers, her face a mask of determination. I watch, spellbound, as Ashana rides for glory, suddenly swept into her omega manifestation.
I tighten my grip on Zack and Rickon’s hands, Callisto sitting on Rickon’s other side with his hand reaching over to rest on my shoulder. Surrounded by my alphas, I stare up at the premiere of The Omega’s Race. Ashana’ first, scary heat plays out in all its messy glory, sparking an intense battle of wits and wills against the designation-elitest racing industry.
That’s me up on the screen; big, bold, angry. And not giving a fuck even when my entire industry stands against me.
Heat rushes to my cheeks as the sex scene starts, and I can barely keep from climbing onto Callisto’s lap for a reenactment.
From the other side of Callisto, an omega leans forward and coos. “Red, you sexy doll! You’re gonna set the screen on fire.” Rose Nesters winks at me, eyes bright and floral scent overwhelming in the shadowed cinema.
“Just an average day,” I say, making her chuckle.
Rose grins and settles back in her feral alpha’s lap, looping her arms around Zane’s neck. I’m so grateful she and three of her alphas agreed to fly out for the premiere and to spend a couple of days with us. Although I’m glad she’s here, I still dive my nose into Callisto’s fingers to replace that rose perfume. He tickles his fingers over my cheek and shoots me a conspiratorial smile.
She’s not the only one who thinks it’s sexy. Just as I promised Director Yun, the scent of aroused alphas rises in the tiered theater. I cover a grin with the back of my hand.
I turn back to the movie, feeling each scene in my body. Here, on the big screen, the endless hours of reshoots, makeup, and aching bodies morph into a single, effortless production, shockingly short compared to the months that went into filming.
Before I know it, the end credits roll and the cinema lights grow stronger. The audience, made up of actors, staff, and celebrities, stands to applaud, and I notice more than a few dabbing tears from their eyes.
Ashana’s journey is one of courage, which isn’t so different from my own.
Director Yun gets up on the stage to give a speech, and he calls for the lead actors. Rickon helps me arrange my crimson dress, one leg completely exposed under the gauzy red layers emulating fiery wings. The layers float around me as I walk to the front to accept a bouquet of cheery native flowers.
The director gets a sly look on his face. “Anything you want to say, Red Jones?” He holds the microphone up to my face, giving me no room to refuse.
I scan the crowd of hundreds, my pulse twitching in my wrist. My gaze meets Rickon’s where he stands in the shadowed wings, quietly supporting as always. He nods, and our bond pulses with pride.
I smile, and the words all fall into place. “Well, I want to say thank you for this opportunity. Valencio Yun took a chance on me, and I hope I’ve done you proud.”
He smiles and nods in silent affirmation.
“And my most heartfelt thanks goes to my alphas, especially Rickon Jones, who taught me the ropes and gave me wings to fly.” I blow a kiss to my manager. “And I want to say one more thing before they take the microphone away.”
The audience chuckles to my joke.
