Please don’t leave.
No matter how hard I’d tried to be stronger and more independent, I still craved being spoiled and taken care of.
“Why haven’t you eaten since last night?”
Uh-oh. He sounded mad. I curled in on myself automatically. My omega hated disappointing him.
“I’ve been busy with work. I was on my way to get food when I saw Felix.”
“Not good enough.” He stood and held his hand out to me. “Do you need me to carry you?”
“Where?”
“The diner.”
I could already hear the gossip that would spread if Wilder carried me down Main Street. Carmen and Marisol might faint from excitement.
I took his hand and stood. “I’m okay.” My limbs were still weak, but the world had stopped spinning. Wilder grunted and kept my hand firmly in his as he led me down the street.
28
Wilder
I kept a careful eyeon Lucy as we walked to the diner, my hand hovering inches from her back so I could catch her if she passed out.
She’d better not. My heart couldn’t take it. Even now, I was fighting the urge to pick her up and whisk her away to my cabin, where I’d wrap her up in blankets and feed her.
That’s called kidnapping and is illegal, the angel on my shoulder pointed out unhelpfully.
Who gives a fuck about the law? Do whatever you can to keep our omega safe.The devil on my shoulder made a lot of sense.
We headed inside the diner without further incident and settled into a corner booth. Lucy was pale and her hand shook as she took a long drink of water. I got up and grabbed her a straw, but what I really wanted was to hold the glass for her.
I’d done my best to stay away, but every glimpse of her through the coffee shop window pushed me closer to breaking. She’d sealed her fate when she ran into the fire station…when she came tomefor help.
Our server—an omega named Rosie—came over, but my alpha couldn’t have been less interested in her. “Hey, guys, welcome in. What can I get you?”
Lucy stared unseeingly at the menu and my alpha urged me to take control, but I couldn’t because I didn’t know what she liked. Irritation flooded my veins.
“You go ahead.” Lucy glanced up at me.
I shook my head. “You go first, sweet girl.”
“Are you doing okay, Lucy?” Rosie asked.
“I’m just tired.” Her smile was strained. “I’ll do the veggie burger and fries, please.”
“Cheeseburger for me, thanks.”
Lucy fixed her eyes on her glass of ice water as she created a tiny whirlpool with her straw. I wanted her eyes on me, but at least this gave me the opportunity to study her. Her hair was in two braids, tied at the ends with ribbons that had strawberries on them, matching the pattern on her shirt and pants. She looked fucking adorable. If she were mine, she would be in my lap right now. It wouldn’t matter that we were in public. I wanted my omega touching me at all times.
She caught me staring, and I quickly looked away.
She wasn’t mine,couldn’tbe mine, but staying away from her was unbearable. My life had beenfinebefore meeting her. It might have been dull or lonely, but at least it was uncomplicated. Nothing about the omega in front of me was uncomplicated.
Ever since that fateful storm on the mountain, my dreams had been consumed by Lucy. In the nightmares, she was in danger and I couldn’t save her. I’d seen her fall off a cliff and be swept away by the undertow as I stood helplessly frozen. The worst ones, though, were whenIwas the danger she couldn’t get away from, when she ran from me in the woods and I caught her, throwing her down on the ground like the monster I was.
Dangerous creature.
