Page 71 of Omega Rock

“Wes is just concerned for us.”

“Do you really believe that?” Noah asks.

I frown. “No. I guess I don’t. I mean, he IS concerned for us and cares about the band. But that was reckless with Designation Outsider.”

Guilt swims over Noah’s features. “That’s on me. I threw the first punch.”

“Theystarted it, Noah,” I argue.

He releases a tight breath. “When they started acting like they were going to take you away from us, I just… Lost it. I’m sorry.”

I reach up and hold his cheek. “Don’t be. Especially not over that. I wasn’t going anywhere, though.”

Noah nods then turns his head into my palm and kisses it. It’s such a soft and intimate motion that I can’t help but melt a little. “I’m happy to hear that, angel.” But there’s a sadness in his tone I can’t ignore.

“What’s wrong, Noah?” I ask softly.

Another pause—this one thick with hesitation. “Did your father tell you what happened with me at Juilliard? I’m sure he’s pointed out our connection.”

“Not in detail,” I answer. “All I know is what you’ve told me. That they let you go from bad behavior.”

Noah chuckles dryly. “Partying too much will do it, yeah. But it was more.”

I think back through what I know and come up empty except for one thing. “Was it fighting, too?” Given how he’s reacted to all of this with Designation Outsider, I have to wonder if I’m right.

Noah nods. “My quick temper, yes, but also because I stepped in when others wouldn’t. The Dean at the time, she was an omega. And… I don’t know.” He shakes his head. “It all happened so quickly. I saw her out one night at a bar. I wasn’t therewithher, but she was there, and I thought that was weird, so yes, it caught my attention. And then there were these alphas following her around.”

I feel like I know where this is going. “Did you protect her from them?”

Noah shrugs with tight eyes. “I tried. You see, she didn’t need it. I didn’t get the full story as I was arrested pretty quickly. I thought they were going to attack her and I stepped in. I was kicked out of Juilliard by that Monday morning. Banned from campus and everything. But it turns out they wereherpack, and none of them were her husband. So my assumption is that she was cheating on her non-alpha husband with them, the guy who also taught at Juilliard. Like we all knew who he was…” Noah trails off as his fists clench at his sides.

“That sounds complicated.” I hold his cheek again. “I’m sorry.”

“It is,” Noah says. “She didn’t want anyone to find out, obviously, so she worked up some story and got me kicked out over it. But with my previous track record of drinking and partying too much on campus, my well-known hot-headed temper, and everything else… guess it wasn’t hard to build the case to kick me out.”

“Actually insane.” My own anger builds as he finishes his story. “You didn’t fight it?”

Remorse fills Noah’s eyes. “No. I figured there was no point. But look at where this path has led.” He holds my face in one hand. “What we’re building here is beautiful and it’s everything. Which is why I got so pissed about seeing it torn apart.”

I lean in and kiss his forehead. “No one’s ripping this apart. I’m not leaving Exit Fate, and even if Wes takes us off his roster or something, we can keep on. And even if we can’t, we’re still a pack. Nothing changes that.”

Noah pulls me down to his chest and wraps his arms around me. “I hope so, angel. I hope so.”

Noah falls asleep quickly. I envy it because my brain is doing circles around itself trying to find a way for all of this to still work.

I fall asleep eventually as the sky starts to lighten with morning.

ChapterTwenty-Three

LEO

I’mawoken to the pain of lava flowing through both my arms. It’s a distinct feeling, one I’ve been terrified of every day for eight years. One I’ve been feeling since the night in the jail cell. Except now, it’s worse.

It’s all-encompassing.

I try to sit up in my bunk and am met with a fresh wash of it sorawand excruciating that it is the only thing that exists. Reality falls away. So does my mind. I no longer exist in myself.

It’s just this lava-in-veins shooting agony that seizes my breath.

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