Page 44 of Enticing Little Omega

The clink of plates and indistinct murmur of conversation dropped to silence the moment we stepped in.

Tracy didn't even blink.

She just sat there, one painted nail carefully tapping on her arm, like she hadn't just shattered years of distance with one uninvited appearance.

"Boys," she drawled, lips pursed like she'd smelt something sour. "You don't write, you don't call... What's a mom to do but come and hunt down her sons?"

William stiffened beside me. Anton's jaw clenched so hard I heard his teeth grind.

Me?

I've never wanted to punch my own fucking mother as much as I did right then.

"Cindy," Tracy added, smile sharpening even more. "Or should I call you Christa now? You've caused a lot of trouble, little girl."

Christa shrank back instinctively. I stepped in front of her.

"You don't call her anything," I snapped. "You don't even fucking speak to her."

Tracy arched a brow. "I don't need your permission,Alpha. She's not yet twenty-one. Therefore we have an underage Omega, unclaimed... and unregistered at that. And wouldn't you know... I'm theonlyAlpha with a legitimate claim."

"I'm not yours," Christa said, her voice low but steady. "I never was. Never will be."

She didn't reach for me, but I felt her fingers brush mine. A quiet anchor. I grabbed her hand and held on tight.

"Your hold on her is tenuous at best. She's mere months from being a legal adult," Anton said coldly.

Tracy tilted her head. "Now, now. Let's not pretend blood and law don't still matter in our world. And you..." she flicked her eyes toward Christa, "Ran away from a perfectly suitable Alpha who would have been willing to guide you and help you find the best pack possible."

"You mean you would have paraded me like livestock until someone offered you the right price or alliance," Christa said, her voice flat now, edged with steel.

And the fuck of it was, she spoke nothing but the truth, because that's exactly the thing my mother has been trying to do with us since we presented as Alpha.

Tracy's lips curled. "You were always so dramatic. I gave you everything after your father abandoned me with you. A roof over your head, food in your belly and safety from all the feral Alphas out there who would have taken you even if you were nothing but a useless Beta. Do you know how many orphans would have killed to be in your position?"

"I'm not some livestock for you to fatten up and sell to the highest bidder!" Christa's voice rose. Not overly loud, but clear. Steady. And it cut through the quiet diner like a blade. "I'm a damn person. And you don't get to decide what happens to me anymore."

The air in the room went still. All you could hear was the steady drip, drip, drip of the coffee.

Tracy's eyes narrowed. "I don't think you fully understand your situation,Cindy. I have all the required paperwork. Guardianship agreements. And luckily for you, when you presented atmysons' pack bonding ceremony, I had you registered as an Omega with the proper authorities."

She waved a dismissive hand towards us, like we were inconsequential to her and her plans.

"You'll gather your things, I'll take you home, and if my sons can come to heel in the required manner, then Imightconsider allowing them to court you."

"No." William's voice was deadly and final.

"Fuck off," Anton growled out, grabbing hold of Christa and pulling her tightly against his side.

"Not a chance," I responded as I stepped closer and put my arm along her other side.

Annerly stepped up to William, intertwined their fingers and looked at Tracy with nothing but disdain on his face. "Tracy, I believe you've gotten about as much time from us as we're willing to give you. No one here will allowChristato leave with you, so it's best you be on your way."

My chest puffed up with pride at the way our pack had stood up to my mother, but I couldn't help but worry about what we were going to do.

We all were successful in our own fields, and William was formidable, that was for sure, but we couldn't stand up to the law.

As my heart beat in my throat, and Christa shivered in our embrace, we watched together as Tracy lifted one disdainful eyebrow at us before leaving the diner without looking back.

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