Page 43 of Collateral Omega

Xaine felt Klane’s eyes on him. They hadn’t talked about this part.

“No. I’ll find a way to pay you back.”

“I don’t think you’re in a position to negotiate,” Xaine said, getting to his feet. “I don’t need credit. I need a service omega. You can contest the validity of the contract in your own time. Klane will give you my legal advisor’s details, but that doesn’t change the fact that you belong to me. And I can do whatever I want with you.” Xaine extended his hand to Holi. “Let’s go.”

“No.” the female alpha jumped in. “He’s still grieving. We laid his father to rest a few days ago. Give him today. He’ll come to you tomorrow, please. A few hours won’t make a difference.”

Xaine stared at the omega. He did look a little shaken. Xaine turned and walked out of the house. He heard Klane tell the omega that a pod would be sent to him in the morning to bring him to his house.

Tomorrow was too far, Xaine thought, but he forced himself to keep walking.

“You’re going to turn him into your service omega,” Klane said as they drifted away.

“I’m not going to take more than what I need from the omega.”

“And you think being your service omega is not too much. Omegas choose that life, Xaine. You’re forcing him into one.”

“It's only for a year, Klane. It’s not a lifetime,” Xaine reasoned.

Klane shook his head and looked out the window.

***

Holi

What the hell just happened?

Holi clutched his chest. His heart ached. It felt like someone was twisting a knife in there, making him feel the worst kind of pain.

There was no way. His father wouldn’t do that to him.

No. His father didn’t borrow all that credit, and he didn’t put him down as collateral. No. His father wanted him to get bonded. He wanted a better life for him.

This was all a lie. It had to be.

But there was no way they could fake his father’s thumbprint. The data reader had a biometric system for identity authentication. It would be hard to fake the contract. And they did go to the Covus party last year. Did his father borrow the credit then? Holi's body turned cold.

He shoved to his feet.

“Holi?”

“I need to go. I can’t…I can’t do this,” Holi said, running to his room. He pulled out his case from the clothing cubicle. Holi thanked the heavens he was already packed to move into a commune house.

“Here change into this.” Saki threw some clothes at him. Holi caught them and quickly got dressed. “Your father must have had his reasons for doing what he did,” she said.

“Don’t make excuses for him!” Holi snapped. “He lied to me. He lied!”

“Holi…”

“No. I don’t want to hear it. I don’t even understand what’s going on right now. How did he get me entangled with that…. that…beast? He is uncouth, domineering, and acts like he owns the damn planet. I’ll never let him lay one finger on me.”

“You can’t run away from him, Holi.”

“Watch me,” Holi said. “I’ll find a way to get out of that contract, even if it kills me.”

“How are you going to do that?”

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