Page 77 of Collateral Omega

“Do you know him?” Makar asked. The alpha’s eyes darkened. He was interested in Holi too. Fuck. “The alpha looks smitten with him. He’s trying to get close to the omega without looking too obvious.”

Xaine growled, his scent thickening. Holi stood there smiling sweetly. Why wouldn’t he? The alpha was handsome. Any omega would be flattered to have an alpha like him sniffing around them.

Fuck.

Makar laughed. “I don’t see a claiming mark on the omega. He’s clearly not your mate. What is he to you?”

“He’s my service omega,” Xaine said.

“Does he know that you want more?” Makar asked. Xaine gave Makar a scathing look before he walked away. He walked up to Holi and the alpha. The possessive bastard inside him roared to the surface. He grasped Holi’s hand and pulled him to his side.

“Master Xaine,” the alpha said, looking at Xaine and Holi’s joined hands. “My apologies, I didn’t think the omega belonged to anyone.”

“He does. He’s my service omega,” Xaine snapped. He regretted his words as soon as the alpha’s eyes dropped to Holi, shining with interest.

“Is he open to taking on another alpha?” the alpha asked.

Holi gasped in horror.

Oh fuck, Xaine winced. He wished he could take his words back.

“No,” Xaine growled. The alpha’s eyes widened before he scurried away.

Holi wrenched his hand out his and rushed to the door.

Xaine followed him out of the building. Preat opened the door when he saw them coming. Holi sat at the back of the pod. Xaine followed Holi there, sitting next to him. They drifted out of the parking dome, onto the airway in silence.

Xaine hated it. He felt like there was a chasm between them even though they were sitting next to each other. Xaine glanced at Holi, but the omega was staring out the window.

“Holi?” Xaine reached for him.

“Don’t,” Holi said softly.

“Are you angry with me?” Xaine said. “I shouldn’t have…”

“No. I’m angry with myself,” he said, still staring out the window. “Being a service omega is nothing to be ashamed about, but I never thought I would be one. Never thought an alpha would claim me as his service omega. I couldn’t breathe when you told the alpha that I was your service omega. Your words hurt me so much. I know it shouldn’t hurt because that’s what I am to you. But who’d want me now?”

I want you, Xaine wanted to say, but he couldn’t. Holi was hurting because of him.

“I’m never going to get bonded, am I?” Holi cried softly. “I’ll never have a family. I’ll always be alone. God, I hate this. Why did my father do this to me? I hate everything about my life. I hate you. I wish I never met you.”

Xaine balled his hands into fists to keep from reaching for him. Fuck, it was killing him. Holi softly cried, breaking Xaine’s heart all the way home. When they arrived, they awkwardly walked into the house. Holi went upstairs, and Xaine made his way to his office. He heard Klane in his dad’s storage room. Xaine made his way there. It was better than going to his office and agonizing over what Holi said.

“You’re back early,” Klane said, looking up from one of the boxes.

“What are you doing in here?” he asked, ignoring the question.

“I was looking for the Sacrum Manuscripts. They’re quite interesting,” Klane said, turning to another box on the floor. He took out an ancient looking tome. “Did you know the council of alphas was formed by eleven alphas.”

“I know our history, Klane.”

“But did you know that a Covus alpha was part of the council too?” Klane asked with a smirk. “Actually, the wealthiest families on the planet are descendants of the eleven alphas. An alpha from Deltta Kohle’s line, Tarymn’s line, Makar, Basil, Girland, Gong, Quin, Vic, Milten, Ckson Mephis, the previous alpha king, and then you,” Klane said. “Come to think of it, all the alpha kings present and past came from the eleven alphas.”

“Good to know.”

“You don’t sound interested.”

“I’m not. I have other things on my mind.”

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