Page 32 of Omega on Fire

That pulls a reluctant laugh from me. "In your dreams, Motley."

But as I turn to leave, to give Charlotte the space she needs, I can't help the dangerous flicker of hopeigniting in my chest. What if Beaux is right? What if, after everything, we've somehow found our missing piece?

I dare to hope, even as I prepare for disappointment. Because that's what faith is, isn't it? Belief in the face of doubt. And God help me, I want to believe in her. In us. In what we could be together.

CHAPTER 13

CHARLOTTE

You know what I hate? The way your stomach sinks when you can't promise something to someone you love.

"For Christ’s sake, Charlotte!" Brookes' voice comes through the phone, high-pitched and dramatic in a way that only he can make sound endearing. "You're in a penthouse full of Alphas and a Beta. That's like being in a lion's den wearing meat-scented perfume!"

I roll my eyes, tucking my feet underneath me on the ridiculously plush sofa that probably costs more than my entire apartment back home. "You're being dramatic, Brookie."

"Am I though? Am I really?" He huffs, and I can picture him pacing our small apartmentkitchen, probably wearing those silk pajama bottoms he splurged on last month. "I mean, I know I joked about never seeing you again every time you leave the house, but that was before you actually got kidnapped. Like, actually kidnapped, Charlotte. Not metaphorically. Not in a romance novel. Actually taken."

His voice cracks on the last word, and my chest tightens.

"I thought I lost you," he whispers. "I've never been so terrified in my life, and I once walked a runway with a broken heel."

I try to laugh, but it comes out strangled. "I'm okay now."

"Are you? Because from where I'm sitting, this situation is no better. What if they?—"

"They won't," I interrupt, surprising myself with how quickly I defend them. The certainty in my voice shocks even me. "They saved me, Brookes."

"But they've taken you miles away from me and I don't know when you'll be safe enough to come home."

I can't argue that point, so I don't try. Instead, I stare out at the Manhattan skyline, all glittering lights and sharp edges. So different from Houston's sprawl.

"I just can't go through that again," Brookes says softly. "I can't."

And here it is, the moment where I should promise him it'll never happen again. Where I should say I'll be home soon, safe and sound. But the words stick in my throat like honey mixed with ground glass.

"I'm scared for you, too," I finally say, redirecting. "You need to be careful."

"Me?" He laughs, but it's hollow. "I'm not the one crusading for Omega rights in the belly of the Alpha beast. I just pout and look pretty for cameras."

"You're still an Omega in Houston, which isn't as safe as we thought." The memory of hands grabbing me, the hood going over my head, overwhelm me. I push it away. "And you're connected to me."

"Already handled. My agency hired security. Big, burly Betas who follow me everywhere. It's actually quite annoying. They won't even let me have a one-night stand without vetting the guy first." He sighs dramatically. "My sex life is officially on hiatus."

"Poor baby," I tease, relief washing through me. At least he's protected.

"Speaking of shitshows, have you been keeping up with Senator Justus?" Brookes asks, his tone shifting to something harder. "He's stepping up his campaign against the Omega free cities. Houston is first on his hit list."

My spine stiffens. "What's he saying now?"

"That they're breeding grounds for 'Omega-led social decay' and 'undermining traditional pack values'." I can hear the air quotes in his voice. "He's pushing for federal oversight. It's gaining traction, Char."

"Fuck." I stand up, suddenly unable to sit still. Heat blooms in my chest—not the warm kind, but the burning, righteous anger that's fueled me for years. "I haven't had time to watch the news."

"Too busy playing house with your Alpha captors?" There's an edge to Brookes' voice I'm not used to hearing.

"They're not my captors," I snap back. "And it's complicated. I've only just woken up from everything my body went through, Brookes."

"Isn't it always when Alphas are involved?" He sighs. "I'm sorry. That was unfair. I'm just worried."

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