Page 112 of Pack Owned
She looks up at me, and there’s something like wonder in her eyes—a contrast to the defiance I’m used to seeing. Tugging on her hand, I pull her into my embrace. “Whatever happens, Kayla, I will fight for you, for us.”
A knot of doubt binds my guts, though. The paperwork for Kayla’s registration is a tangled fucking mess. If it were as simple as hiring some hotshot lawyer to handle the red tape, every Alpha with a bad intention would’ve snatched up an Omega by now. But the bastards at Nexus, they know how to play their game—twisting the rules into a labyrinth no sane man can navigate without their guiding, controlling hand.
Some Alphas get through ‘cause they’ve got the cash and the clout. Not us. We played our cards close, but we lied to Nexus officials. That’s a gamble that could cost us everything—cost us Kayla. And even with a goddamn lawyer, there are loopholes only Nexus knows how to exploit. I’ve seen those Nexus fucks intimidate and bribe their way to get what they want, crushing anyone who pisses them off under their heel.
Fuck. I don’t need to unload this heavy shit on Kayla—not when she’s still recovering, nestled against me like she belongs here.
“Get some rest, Kayla,” I say, rubbing her back. “We’ll check with Dane and Ryker about Charlie later.”
She nods, her body relaxing further into mine. Her trust is a fragile thing—a treasure in this fucked-up world. I’ll protect it with everything I am.
I just hope, for once, fate is on our side. I want to be that guy, roaring from the rooftops that Kayla is ours. To flaunt her in the sun, see her dressed up at a Cosplay, her eyes sparkling with mischief and joy. I want the ocean breeze to tangle in her hair as she laughs, and to taste the sugar on her lips atop a Ferris wheel while the world fades away.
For that, I’d wage war against Nexus and all its might. Because she’s not just an Omega; she’s Kayla—our fated mate, our defiant dream in a world that’s tried to break her.
Kayla’s breathing is even and soft. My chest tightens with a fierce protectiveness—she’s ours.
My mind races—strategizing, planning for every conceivable threat—just like when I’m playing a video game. But this time, I’m playing for our future.
No matter what Nexus throws at us, we’ll face it together.
I kiss her forehead and I hold onto the one truth—Kayla, our Omega, our everything.
Dane
Jagged sunlight slices through the drapes, prying my eyes open. Groaning, I shift in the tangled blankets, my neck stiff from sleeping on a pile of pillows that smell like Kayla—vanilla and jasmine, the scent of last night’s sex marathon still thick in the air.
“Shit,” I mutter to myself, roughly wiping sleep from my eyes. The distant rumble of morning traffic tells me it’s not as early as it feels.
It’s been days since her heat began, and our window to secure her safety with every sunrise narrows.
I reach for my phone on the makeshift nightstand—a stack of leather-bound books about wars I’ve seen firsthand. The screen flashes a low battery warning at me, casting a pale blue light across my face.
“Come on,” I urge it, frantically thumbing my way to the messages. There’s one from Charlie, time-stamped from hours ago. I blink, making sure I’m reading his words right.
All clear. Registration complete.
“Fuck yes!” I whoop.
“Jesus, Dane,” comes a groggy,disgruntled groan from somewhere beneath a mound of pillows. I don’t need to see Ryker’s face to know he’s scowling.
“Sorry, man,” I chuckle, even as the weight lifts off my chest, making it easier to breathe. “But you’ll want to hear this.”
“I swear if this is a new damn recipe,” Liam warns, “I’ll roast you in the oven myself.”
But Kayla, with her sex-tousled hair, gives me a sleepy yet dazzling smile.
“Got some good news...you’re ours, Kayla. Officially. Charlie got the registration to go through.”
Her mouth hangs open, then she shakes her head like she can’t believe it. “Are you sure?”
“Yup. Went through a few hours ago.” Though a Nexus official still needed to sign off on it for certification, it meant that we no longer had to keep her hidden.
Liam pulls Kayla up with him, then hugs her, twirling her around. Her laughter fills the library. “You’re ours, Kayla, Just like I told you from the beginning. From when I first saw you, I knew you were our Omega.”
When he puts her down, he presses a passionate kiss to her lips, then Ryker steps in, claiming her mouth with his own. Not wanting to be left out, I tug her away from Ryker by her elbow and capture her luscious lips in a long, deep kiss. Inhaling her heavenly scent, I savor her taste.
All of me aches to lay her down and make slow, sweet love to her. But I know she’s got to be starving and weak from so little sleep and only eating what we could make her.
