Page 22 of Omega Scarred

I frown. "What are you suggesting?"

He swallows. "A synthetic mark. I could get you one from a friend, then I could get you off the Raft...and out of Solstice Bay. If that's what you want."

I blink a couple times, then meet his eyes again. He won't look at me. That doesn't seem like a good sign. "You're coming with me, right?" I ask. "It isn't safe for you here."

"Of course," he says. "I'll go anywhere with you, Jade."

I feel a wave of relief wash over me.

"But," he continues, "I'm not an alpha, doll. It'll be harder to keep you safe from them."

"You're enough for me," I tell him. "I'll get the tattoo and we can...we can leave together, if that's what you think is best."

He still looks torn. I can't tell why, and I'm not in the right mind to ask.

"Good," he says. "That's...good."

We stay silent for a long time. His thumb traces lazy circles on my palm; my chest rises and falls with the steady rhythm of my breath. The sun peeks through the blinds, and I shudder at the idea that we might get caught.

"Fallon, are they going to come looking for us?" I ask quietly. "It's morning."

"Nah," he says. "Me and Rafe got in a fight last night; he'll leave me to stew for a few days, then he'll come looking to apologize. And at that point...well, at that point, we'll be gone."

"We will?" I ask, surprised. "You would just leave like that?"

Fallon shrugs. "What can I say?" he says. "You're something special."

13

Rafe

I'vealwaystrustedFallonwith my life. Ever since he showed up in Solstice Bay, with a scar over his eyebrow and a bad attitude, I've known this was a guy who would have my back in a fight.

But what if the fight is with me?

I don't feel good about what happened between us--how I lost my cool over Jade, how I beat the living shit out of him. I know Hawk is judging me for it the next day, silent as usual but...I don't know, with more of a judgy look to him.

I scowl at my friend. "You think I'm going crazy, don't you?"

Hawk shrugs. "You've gotta work shit out the way you do it."

"What the hell does that mean?"

He glances over at me. "That I ain't one to judge."

I take in a deep breath, trying to calm the anger that's been boiling inside me for days. "I just don't understand why Fallon had to go and touch her. I thought he was my friend."

Hawk gives me a measured look. "Maybe he didn't see it as a betrayal."

I snort. "Seriously? He's too smart for that."

Hawk shrugs again. "I don't know, man. All I know is that you need to figure out where this anger is coming from."

I nod, feeling a sense of resignation settle over me. Hawk is right. I need to work on my shit before it consumes me whole.

I need to figure outJadebefore she destroys me.

"How am I supposed to stop how I feel?" I mutter. "I don't...this girl has me in a fucking chokehold. I've never experienced anything like it."

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