Page 19 of The Omega's Surprise Baby
I raised my eyes to search his face. That was what he chose to focus on? “If you'd seen the video, you'd know the man isn't exactly attractive.” His hair was graying, he had a beer paunch and his sweat stank.
“So why did you do it?” Shane took a swig of his beer. I still couldn't tell what he was thinking. He wasn't insulting me yet, so I took that as a good sign. “Did you think it would help your career?”
“He said some things that made it pretty clear I wouldn'thavea career if I didn't. Because what use is it to have a pretty omega under contract when you can't fuck them, right?” I tried to laugh it off. He'd claimed that I was teasing him and provoking him when I'd done no such thing. At least not that I was aware of. Somehow though, I'd become the kind of omega alphas couldn't control themselves around. My aunt and uncle had always warned me that might happen if I didn't do what they said, and now here I was, an omega with a sex tape of himself on the internet.
Maybe I should have listened to them after all.
Shane didn't seem to see things that way, though. “He forced you?” he asked, his mouth agape. “And there's a video of that on the internet?” He was getting upset now.
On my behalf?
Or because he couldn't believe he'd offered shelter to an omega with that kind of reputation? I couldn't let my guard down yet. He was still a small-town alpha, after all.
“He didn't force me,” I said, knowing that I had to own my mistakes. “I always had a choice.”
“Yeah, but it wasn't a very good one, was it?” Shane stood, raising his voice. He wasangry.I knew by the way his face drew into tight lines and by the way his alpha scent became stronger, as if he wanted to intimidate an invisible opponent. I took a step back, feeling overpowered. Did he know what he was doing? Probably not. To another alpha, his scent might have been imposing or threatening. But I stood before him as an omega and to me, it was damn attractive. To me, he smelled of pine wood and a little bit of motor oil and underneath it all I picked up on his natural musk, which was damn near intoxicating.
I held my breath a moment. This wasn't the time or the place for me to be getting aroused. “Watch where you're throwing your pheromones,” I told Shane.
He raised an eyebrow at me, confused, but then a look of understanding crossed his features. “I'm sorry.” He rubbed his face. “I wish your bastard of a producer was here so I could punch him.” His chest heaved as he took a deep breath, trying to calm down.
I gave him a smile, but didn't dare come closer. His alpha scent was still strong in the air. But… it wasn’t me he was mad at. “Thank you.”
“What are you thanking me for?”
“For being angry at the alpha rather than the omega.” So many people took the alpha's side, no questions asked.
He shook his head. “I have a lot of respect for omegas. Hell, every alpha worth the title should. How are we supposed to love our mates when we see them as lesser beings? It doesn't work that way. My mate was never less than me. He was everything.” And just like that, his anger broke. His scent receded. It seemed like the thought of his mate was enough to calm him.
He still loves him.
“You're a good man,” I said, suddenly feeling insanely jealous of a dead omega.
Don't be an idiot, Kade. End this now.
I took a step toward the front door. “In any case, I only wanted to let you know what happened before you heard from anyone else. I should go back upstairs now.” Because even though his scent had dissipated, my heart was still beating way too fast. If I stayed here any longer, I might do something stupid. Like give him a kiss goodnight.
“Thank you for telling me. Are you sure you don't want to finish your beer?”
I glanced at the beer in my hand. I'd forgotten all about it. “Uh... I guess you can have it if you want it?”
“I'll put it in the fridge.” He reached out to take it from me and his fingers brushed the back of my hand. A shiver went through me at the light touch, reminding me of the way he'd taken my arm at the parking lot as if it was his sole duty to protect me.
It wasn't fair. How was I supposed to keep my heart in check around him when he treated me like that? When it had been so long since anyone thought I was worth protecting.
Shane took the beer and I shook the thought off.
“Have a good night,” he said.
“You too.” I turned to leave, but he stopped me for just another moment.
“Kade?”
“Yeah?”
“Just in case you were wondering, I won't watch it.”
I froze with my fingers on the door handle. “I know you won't.” With anyone else, I wouldn't have been so sure. With Shane, I had no doubt. That’s what made it so hard to turn the handle and step inside the house instead of staying out on the porch with him. But I managed it. It wasn't easy, but I managed it.
