Sighing, he mutters to them. “I’ll explain later. Just let it go for now. Gabe, head on up and she’ll be right behind you.”
Gabe hesitates, watching me on the floor with concern. “But…”
“Now, Gabe.” The tone of Rogue’s voice leaves no room for argument, and Gabe’s shoulders slump as he turns away, heading out of the kitchen. I shuffle behind him to keep up, ignoring the sting of pain.
“What the fuck? And why is she wearing acollar?” I hear Ace’s voice ring out from the kitchen, the murmur of their voices falling away as they head outside.
ChapterFourteen
Gabe
Imove slowly towards the stairs, a mix of confusion and elation filling me. She’s here. We actually have an omega female in our home and she’s staying with us.
And she’s fucking beautiful.
Wide amber eyes with long dark lashes remind me of falling leaves in autumn, my favorite time of year. Sculpted cheekbones sit high on her face, surrounded by waves of fire-red hair that fall down her back like a waterfall.
Something’s off about this whole situation though. She’s far too thin, for one, and her outfit can’t even be called clothing. It’s basically a camisole and a pair of panties.
When Rogue brought her into the kitchen after his vague explanation of the rules being stricter than he thought, I thought my heart would flip out of my chest. It was pounding so hard I expected the pack to pick up on it.
Devlin’s acting weird too, which isn’t a surprise. It was always going to be difficult given his background, but the omega’s behavior tells me there’s something else. There’s also her appearance. She’s stunning, but she’s skin and bone and covered in bruises. The collar around her neck looks horrific. A growl runs through me at the thought of it, fingers twitching to pull it off her slender neck.
I know that there are strict laws governing alpha and omega relationships, but I’ve never really thought about it in detail before. I remember that Rogue mentioned a manual, and I make a mental note to look through it at the first chance I get.
The shuffling sound behind me makes my jaw grind. The sound of her crawling makes every alpha instinct I have howl in anger.Shouldn’t be kneeling. Thinking of Rogue carrying her in, my heart stutters. Maybe she can’t walk properly?Carry her, my instincts scream.
I spin around to face her, and she jerks.
“Can you walk?” I blurt out. Mortified, I screw my eyes tight for a moment. Way to go, Gabe. Just blurt it out.
Harper looks up at me, her flame hair falling around her face. “I…I’m not allowed to walk.”
She’s what? Harper clearly sees the confusion in my face.
“The Omega Creed?” she says hesitantly, watching my face. “It’s the sixth commandment.”
I haven’t got any idea what she’s talking about. I know of the creed, but I always thought it was more of a guiding principle than anything else, and I don’t think I’ve ever actually looked at it.
“What does that mean?” I hate feeling like I’m looking down at her, so I drop down to my haunches.
“Omegas must kneel in the presence of an alpha.”
My first instinct is to snort with amusement. Harper watches me steadily and I realise she’s genuine. “Are you serious? That’s bullshit. How does that even work?”
She shrugs, lightly, and leans back on her heels, gesturing between us. “Like this.”
The amusement fades away and revulsion takes its place. “So… every time you’re around an alpha, you’re not allowed to walk? That’s batshit.”
Her lip twitches and she inclines her head in agreement. “It is, but it’s the law. There are some exceptions, though.”
I can’t help myself, and I lean in closer to her. Herscent. It’s autumn mornings, the sunset over a field. It’s almost drugging in intensity. I inhale deeply, and she gasps lightly as my nose touches hers.
Pulling back, I give myself a shake.She doesn’t need you slobbering over her, I chide myself. “Sorry, it’s just… you smell amazing.” Smooth, Gabe. Real smooth.
“So do you,” she whispers. A surprised look comes over her face, as though she didn’t mean for the words to slip out. We stare at each other for a moment until I remember exactly where we are.
Jumping up, I hold out my hand to her with a stern look that says I won’t take no for an answer. Her throat works as she eyes it like it’ll bite her. Glancing back towards the kitchen, she shakes her head at me, a tinge of sadness threading through her voice. “I can’t.”
