I'm close enough now to see the flecks of green in her dark brown eyes. Inches from her, her scent wraps around me completely, making it impossible to think about anything else. My Alpha instincts are roaring at me to get closer, to touch her, to claim her.
"Solana," I say again, just because I like the way it sounds.
"Dustin." She breathes out my name and the sound goes straight through me.
The air between us crackles with something electric. I can see her pulse jumping in her throat, her scent sweetening further, responding to mine in a way that's pure biology. Fuck, this is bad. I shouldn’t entertain the thoughts running through my head but I need her.
I need her like water.
I lean in slowly, giving her every chance to pull away but she doesn't. Her eyes flutter closed, her lips parting in invitation. So I kiss her.
The world narrows down to this moment, her mouth soft beneath mine. Solana makes a small sound in the back of her throat and then leans into me, her hands coming up to grip my shirt. She tastes like mint and something sweeter, and I want to memorize every single second of this.
My hand comes up to cup her face, thumb stroking along her cheekbone. She trembles beneath my touch as I gentle the kiss, making it softer, trying to show her she's safe. That I've got her. God, she’s perfect. I can’t wait to show her to Kade.
I drag my tongue along the seam of her mouth, knowing that every minute that passes, the more likely one of us is going to pay. Unfortunately, I have no self-control, something Kade enjoys, so I keep kissing her, keep tasting that sweetness of her lips like it’s the only thing allowing me to breathe.
Her fingers tighten in my shirt as she lifts onto the balls of her feet, kissing me back harder, all that carefully controlled composure cracking open. There's hunger in it now, desperation. Like she's been starving and I'm the first real meal she's had in years.
I press closer, my other hand finding her waist. She's warm and soft and everything in me is screamingmine.My Omega. My girl. I want to take her away from here, away fromHarmonyand rules and whatever hell that place puts her through.
But in the next second, a rough hand grabs the back of my shirt and rips me away from her. I stumble backward, trying to catch my balance, but a fist connects with my face before I can. Pain explodes across my jaw, the taste of copper flooding my mouth.
I look up through swimming vision, a large Alpha standing over me, his face twisted with rage. He’s in some kind of gray uniform, but I can’tsmellthe rage that should be wafting off of him. I’ve only heard stories of the guards or whatever they are that keep their Omegas in line but I had no idea any of those stories were true.Holy fuck,he’s terrifying.
"She's property ofHarmony," he snarls. "You put your hands on her again and I'll have you arrested."
Chapter three
Solana
I watch in horror as Dustin stumbles backward, his hand coming up to his jaw. A whimper escapes my throat before I can stop it, shock freezing me in place. A small crimson line thickens along his lip, fear bubbling up in my chest. The Warden hit him hard enough to split his lip.
Some part of me wants to run to him and check if he's okay. But my feet might as well be cemented to the ground because moving would mean consequences. More than I'm already facing. My heart hammers against my ribs as I stare at Dustin, unable to look away from the scene unfolding in front of me.
Alpha Marcus appears beside the Warden, who hit Dustin, fury written across his face. His hand clamps around my upper arm, fingers digging in hard enough to bruise. "Move," he snaps.
He yanks me away from the bathroom building and back toward the grandstands. I stumble over my own feet, trying to keep up with his long strides. My head turns back on its own, seeking one more glimpse of Dustin. He's still on the ground, one hand pressed to his bleeding mouth, but his eyes find mine across the distance.
The fury in his expression takes my breath away, but it’s not directed at me, though. It’s at the Wardens, at the situation, seemingly at whatever system allows them to hit people and drag Omegas around like property. At least that’s what I hope his anger is directed at.
"Eyes forward," Alpha Marcus barks, jerking my arm hard enough that pain shoots through my shoulder.
I obey because I always obey and the alternative is worse. But I can still see Dustin in my mind, that devastating smile replaced by blood and anger. My lips still tingle from his kiss. My skin still burns in the sweetest way where his hand rested on my waist.
We reach the grandstands, Alpha Marcus all but hauling me up the steps. The other Omegas have gone quiet, their excited chatter dying the moment they see us. Cara's eyes go wide as she reaches for me but Alpha Marcus pushes past her, dragging me straight to where Alpha Graves is standing with her clipboard.
"We have a situation," Alpha Marcus growls out.
Alpha Graves's expression hardens as she looks me over, taking in my flushed cheeks and my swollen lips. "Explain."
"Found her with an unbonded Alpha behind the bathroom building," Alpha Marcus says, his voice carrying across the section and I feel every eye turn toward us. "They were kissing."
Gasps ripple through the group of Omegas. Someone whispers something I can't quite hear. Shame floods hot through my chest even though I'm not ashamed. Not really. That kiss made me feel the most alive I've felt in years.
"Kissing," Alpha Graves repeats, her voice flat. She makes a note on her clipboard with sharp, angry strokes. "Did he force himself on you?"
"No," I say quickly. Too quickly, maybe. "No, I—" I put my hands up, trying to add to my explanation but Alpha Graves quickly cuts me off.
