Page 148 of Lyric & the Heartbeats

And she understood. They wanted to protect her.

It wasn’t something she was used to, considering she’d been protecting herself from others for so long. Being protected was something she would have to grow accustomed to.

But dammit, couldn’t they be a little more gentle about it?

Lyric rubbed the knot out of her eyebrows, released a breath, and glanced to Henry, who’d remained suspiciously quiet the past few minutes.

His gaze was dark, and part of her wanted to say anything to erase that shadow of frustration lurking beneath the surface. But she was frustrated too.

For once, someone had seen her as nothing more than someone to look up to. In that moment, signing that woman’s shirt, taking the picture with her, Lyric hadn’t been an omega coming face to face with an alpha. She had simply been a musician signing a shirt for a fan

And she couldn’t help but dwell on that thought. On that honor.

Lyric was looked down on by so many others, seen only as an omega.

You’ll never be on stage, not as an omega.

Don’t worry, one day you’ll find an alpha to take care of you. Or two.

Don’t worry about music. You’ll find an alpha who will play you anything you want to hear.

Forget about those dreams, Lyric. The only thing you need to focus on is finding an alpha to set you up for life.

Lyric shook those memories out of her mind. There was no place for them here. A touch on her cheek startled her, and she pulled back as she blinked her eyes open, finding Emerson a few inches away. His lips were pulled back from his teeth slightly, the canines visible.

“She scent marked you,” Emerson growled, pulling Lyric close.

His nose drifted across her cheek, the same one that had touched the female alpha during the selfie.

“She didn’t scent mark me,” Lyric responded in a grunt. “We took a selfie and had to fit in the frame. Were you even watching?”

“I was watching alright. Worried if that alpha was going to hurt our omega—”

“I’m not just an omega, dammit!” Lyric shouted.

She gritted her teeth, cheeks on fire, and ignored the sharp stare from the others at her outburst.

Lyric turned, knocking Emerson’s hand away, and headed for the door, needing air to cool the heat in her cheeks and ease the embarrassment of losing her calm.

“Lyric!” Henry’s voice called out after her, but she was already pulling the door open. “What about the buddy system—dammit.”

She heard his sigh a few seconds before the door slammed after her.

Frustration fueling her, she stalked across the parking lot until the asphalt turned to grass, softer beneath her feet. She sucked in a lungful of cold air, but it wasn’t enough to cool the embers of anger in her chest.

Her fears were manifesting in front of her.

“I’m not just an omega!” Her own voice echoed in her head, and she replayed that moment over again. Revisited their stunned expressions, Adra’s worry, Javi’s concern, Henry’s sharp stare, Emerson’s surprise, Nohen’s shock. Even Desi had looked taken aback by her outburst.

Her throat grew tight and she marched faster.

It was like her mother all over again.

She just needed some air.

The night air enveloped her and she breathed it deep, letting it fill her lungs near bursting before she exhaled. Trees framed the entire area, and moonlight guided her way until she stopped, resting with her back against a tree.

She closed her eyes, keeping her ears perked for anyone who might sneak up, and she let out a breath. Even with her outburst and request for air, it was only a few moments later when she heard footsteps scrape across the pavement.