We took a break for sodas and large pretzels. He looked at me and said, “Now, isn’t this fun? By the way, your new clothes look great.”
I wanted to thank him. The words wouldn’t come out. How would I be paying for all this later?
“What else do you need?” he asked.
I toyed with my snack. “I don’t know.”
“What do you want?”
“I stopped wanting anything years ago.”
“Well, start again.”
“I still can’t figure out why.”
“I told you I don’t know. Life doesn’t make any sense, right? Let’s just enjoy whatever we can.”
Something curdled inside me and I shocked myself at what I said next. “Do you even want me?”
His lips parted in surprise. “You’re here, right?”
“You’re being enigmatic.”
“I’m being honest.”
“I’m an omega, you’re an alpha.”
He took a sip of his drink. “True.”
“I’ll try to be good. I promise.”
“Did I ask you to be good?” he asked.
“B—but?—”
“Be however you want to be. You have nowhere else to go. I’m not a normal person. Not a do-gooder. But I’m quite aware that you’ll have to come live with me now.”
“Really? Not a do-gooder? After buying me all that stuff?”
“I like it. So,” he pointed to himself. “Selfish.” He jumped up. “Let’s have some more fun. Don’t drear my world. Deal?”
“I thought I could be myself.” I walked with him to the trashcan.
“About that. If you want to gripe, do it while I’m not around.”
I watched him walk away, then hurried to catch up.
15
Malin
Iwas flying without wings. Doing what I could to stay above the waterline. Planning every next step by the seat of my pants. I’d deal with the fallout later. That was what I always did. My philosophy on life.
The truth was, I’d done something I’d never done before. Let emotion lead me. And hell was it tangled and convoluted and made no sense.
Getting Cassius out of that horrible slave prison—because it couldn’t really be called anything else—had been the right thing to do. That was according to my feelings and Malinekan’s inner whispers. The push to act on that feeling was as strong as Malinekan pushing to shift and take wing. I had denied my feelings in the past. Buried them. I never denied Malinekan when he finally began speaking again.
This…this was like that. Something I couldn’t deny. If Cassius stood before me needing something, I was compelled to give it.
