Page 90 of The Heart of Winter

"No."

"Why?"

His such a close presence was making it impossible to think straight.

We were standing only a few inches apart. I was too warm. My breathing was too shallow.

Then he asked, his voice low, "You just… didn’t feel like having sex?"

I closed my eyes. I just kept letting myself feel him, his energy, basking in it, like in a warm wave.

"I did. More than once."

"Then why not?"

I felt his fingers brush against my elbow. His breath ghosted over me, carrying a faint scent of mint.

He ran his fingers gently up and down my arm, in a motion that was both soothing and undeniably sensual.

"I didn’t want to… with him," I choked out. "I haven’t felt anything for Finn in a long time. I don’t want him."

"Did you… tell him that?"

I sighed and finally opened my eyes. "On Friday, right before the holidays, I met with him one last time. Just to tell him, it was over. To make it clear where we stood."

Sariel’s eyes locked onto mine. We were standing in line, so close now that his face was barely half a foot from mine.

"So, that means you’re mine now," he said in a low voice.

A strange rush of excitement went through me at those words, reaching my dick. But, of course, my beta nature couldn’t just let that slide.

"Such an alpha thing to say," I replied, unable to stop myself from lacing it with a hint of cynicism.

Something flickered across Sariel’s face.

"That might be true. But I’m not an alpha."

I stared at him for a moment. Was he joking?

"I’m pretty sure you are. I have eyes."

The corner of his mouth lifted slightly.

"Eyes can be deceiving. Genes, however, can’t."

I studied him carefully.

"You were honest with me, Winter, so I owe you the same. If anything is going to happen between us, I should tell you."

I remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

He sighed and glanced past the crowd, as if looking for something far away.

"You know that Jacob is my sire, right?"

"Yeah, but most people believe someone else was your father, that Jacob just adopted you."

"They do. But the truth is, I’m Jacob’s biological son. And my dad’s." A flicker of bitterness crossed his face. "A lot of people assume my dad just… fooled around with someone and that Jacob accepted the child. Or that they adopted me and Vren. But I’m their child. A DNA test confirmed it. My Fa is a rare type of omega. There’s even a scientific term for it: gamma. He can both conceive and impregnate others. Gammas always present as omegas."

---