Page 15 of Power Shift

Fuck. All he’s wanted since the moment I met him when we were ten was an omega of his own. The facts of the meeting won’t matter. He’ll assume she’s something she isn’t and that it was more than just a terrible mess. Our pack is already weak enough without adding yet another crack in our foundation. The mess from earlier isn’t important. I don’t want anyone getting the idea that it could be.

“Wait up, Lan! I’m sorry about the comments about your scent. I’ve just never smelled it like that before. Are you okay?” Dash asks, rushing up behind me. “Did I upset you?”

When he gets to my side, he subconsciously rubs his arm against mine. I release a tight exhale and hand him the bag of food. He takes it eagerly, continuing to glance at me.

“You didn’t upset me. I just had a shitty evening. Need to shower, and then I’ll be good.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. I’ve got pasta in my hair.”

A light chuckle. “Yeah, I see that.”

“Thanks for checking in, D.”

“That’s what pack is for. I’ll get the food dished up for us for when you’re done de-pasta-ing.”

“Alright,” I mumble, exhausted.

I swing the front door open and let the familiar, comforting smell of my pack soothe me. Every step inside helps, and once I’m in my room, I’m out of my pants and in the ensuite shower, the hot water cranked.

My wrist is sore by the time I step out, and while the lemon shortbread scent may have swirled down the drain, I stay rock solid for the rest of the night.

And the following days.

6

BRIAR

I wishI was in the position in my life where I could hide away under the covers and mourn for days. I’ve already licked my wounds more than I should have, and I knew it was only a matter of time before Clover came to pull me out of my nest by the hair.

Well, what I call my nest but she considers a pile of clothes and flat pillows with lumps of feathers built in the corner of my bedroom.

“It stinks in here,” she declares, hovering at the entrance of my hideaway.

“No it doesn’t.”

“I almost expected to find you dead. You know, since you haven’t responded to any of my messages or calls in five days.”

“Well, I’m not.”

My voice is scratchy and sore, dull. It exposes the emotions roiling around in my head. The same ones I’ve been drowning in the last few days as I hid from the world.

I got lucky to not be called into work at all. Clover knows as well as I do that regardless of what I’m struggling with, the onething I’ll never do is turn my back on another omega in need. What we do is too important to let my focus sway. Even if I’m suffering what feels like a heartbreak but without the broken relationship to go along with it.

Clover drops to a crouch in front of the entrance of my pathetic attempt at a fort and surveys me and my surroundings. I push back against the wall away from her when a vicious protectiveness springs to life inside of me. It’s not so much in defense of this place, but just . . . myself.

Tears burn my eyes as I bury my face in my hands and curl tight around my knees. This is far from the first time I’ve cried over what happened in the restaurant last week, but I wish it were. I wish I hadn’t shed a single tear over the embarrassment I felt or the mortification at the realization that the only alpha who has ever had that much of an effect on me ran at our first meeting.

I’ve tried to reassure myself that the situation was just really bad and that it had nothing to do with who I am as an omega. That only made me cry even harder because I knew I was lying to myself. It had everything to do with me, and that’s the worst part of it all.

Clover sighs softly, and I lift my head enough to watch her reach a cautious hand into the nest, offering it for me to take.

“Please don’t bite my hand off, sweetie. I kind of need it for work,” she murmurs.

The immediate change in her tone startles me enough for my spiky energy to smooth a bit. Without crawling out completely, I scoot forward on my butt and take her hand. Her warm brown sugar scent welcomes me closer before wrapping all the way around my body.

“I’m not a birthing omega,” I mumble.

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