Page 22 of Unhinged Omega

Her eyes hit me first. They're the color of royalty, a shade of violet so deep and rich it puts the finest Surhiiran silks to shame. They widen slightly as they meet mine, and for a moment—just a fraction of a second—I think I see a flicker of the same awe I'm feeling reflected in their depths.

But then her gaze hardens, and the spell is broken.

Well, not broken exactly.

I'mstill locked in it.

Because in spite of the clear disdain twisting her features, she's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Who am I kidding? The spite only enhances it. Like a little pepper in a gourmet dish.

My eyes travel over her face and body, committing every detail to memory. The delicate arch of her eyebrows, the heart-shaped face. Her nose is straight and slightly turned up at the bottom, flushed slightly across the bridge. And that mouth...

Full lips, the bottom one slightly fuller than the top, currently pressed into a thin line of hate. I find myself wondering whatthey'd look like parted in pleasure instead. Or wrapped around my cock.

The thought sends a jolt of heat through me, and I have to clench my fists at my sides to keep from reaching for her. My gaze drifts lower, taking in the graceful curve of her neck, the hollow of her soft throat where her pulse flutters visibly.

The silky robe clinging to her plush curves looks rough and harsh in comparison to her skin. The robe has slipped off one shoulder, revealing a tantalizing expanse of creamy skin just begging for me to bury my fangs as deep as my…

Fuck.

No.

Fuckno.

Get it together, you fucking assclown.

I've spent years building my empire, clawing my way to the top through blood and betrayal. I've sacrificed everything—my family, my conscience, any chance at a normal life—all in pursuit of power.

And now, standing before this slip of an omega with eyes like amethysts and hair like moonlight, I realize how fragile it all is. Fragile enough that all it would take is a glimmer of moonlight to bring it all crashing down.

This omega is going to cost me everything.

Chapter

Five

COSIMA

Ilook around in the endless dark, but this time, it's different. The abyss stretches infinitely in all directions, yet I'm not alone. He's here with me, closer than he's ever been at the start of these nightmares.

The monster towers before me, his massive frame backlit by the only other thing in this void. A perfect full moon hanging impossibly close. His iron mask gleams in its light, and for once, I can make out every detail. The intricate patterns etched into the iron. The jagged edges where it's been damaged. The way it seems fused to his face.

But something's changed.

The usual predatory tension is gone from his shoulders. His metal arm, usually poised to tear and rend, hangs loosely at his side. He simply... stands there, face tilted up toward the moon like a flower seeking the sun.

I try to move, to run, but my feet might as well be rooted to the ground. My heart pounds against my ribs as I wait for the moment he notices me.

For the hunt to begin.

Instead, he just keeps staring up at that moon, and I find myself studying him. The rods of metal protruding from his back like broken wings. The jagged scars covering his muscular torso. One resembles an autopsy scar, spanning the width of his collarbone and cutting straight down to his navel.

I'm surprised he has a navel at all. I don't know why I never imagined he could have possibly been born. And for a moment, he's less terrifying than usual.

He looks... almost peaceful.

Then he turns.

Those glowing blue eyes lock onto mine through the holes in his mask, and my breath catches in my throat. Terror mingles with an odd sense of inevitability.

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