Page 5 of Omega Scarred

...and I'm the thief. The assassin.

The one who's going straight to hell for the sake of saving the world.

I'll get this done, ethics be damned.

I round the corner to the clinic, my hands in my pockets, and I pause when I see that Jade is already at the window to the med bay's pharmacy. I curse and go to turn around--but she sees me, her brow furrowing.

We went on a mission together a few months ago, and I was part of the crew that got her free from the ACB, so she definitely knows me. But I've tried to stay away, primarily because Rafe is my best friend and he can be...well, territorial as fuck. I act like I didn't see her, but Jade walks quickly toward me, flagging me down with her soft voice.

"Fallon?"

I groan under my breath, stopping in my tracks before plastering on a smile and turning toward her.

"Can I help you?" I say, like she's a complete stranger.

She's not. We both know it. Fuck me, why can't I keep my cool? She's just an omega, and as a beta, I don't have the same drive to please her as Rafe does.

...but she's got this way about her.

If I'm being honest with myself, I would have been all over her ages ago if Rafe hadn't already staked his claim. I would love to lay her out and kiss her until she's flushed pink all over...but she's as good as packed up with Rafe hounding her the way he is.

That doesn't stop me from acting like a goddamn fool when she talks to me.

"I haven't seen you around," she says.

Because I've been avoiding you like the plague.

"I didn't ever get a chance to um...to thank you," she says. "For saving my life. I would have been doomed if it weren't for you and Rafe and Fallon--and Olivia's pack, of course."

"It was no problem," I tell her. "Just doing my job."

She smiles softly, and something hot simmers in my chest. Fuck, I'm a mess. And the way she looks right now, so damn innocent and soft, I can't believe I was about to swap out her suppressants.

No...I can't fucking do that.

But maybe...

"Where are you off to?" she asks, her big, brown eyes staring up at me.

"Just out for a walk," I lie. "How about you?"

"I've got kitchen duty," she says. "Is it...is it okay if I walk with you?"

She's so friendly; I don't know what the hell Rafe has done wrong, but her behavior with me seems like a night and day difference.

"Sure," I say, perhaps a little too eagerly. "I could use the company."

We start walking, side by side, and I try not to think about the fact that Rafe would skin me alive if he saw us together. But the way Jade is looking at me, like I'm not just some beta but a real person worth getting to know...it's intoxicating.

"So what do you do around here?" she asks, her voice light and curious.

"Intelligence," I say. "I gather information, assess risks, and make sure our team is as prepared as possible for whatever comes our way."

"That sounds...really important," she says, giving me a small smile. "I don't think I could do something like that. I don't like to lie or keep secrets."

I chuckle. "I don't think anyone really likes it. But it's necessary sometimes."

We keep walking, and I'm hyperaware of the fact that we're alone. It's a dangerous game I'm playing here, letting myself be alone with her--I know Rafe would skin me alive if he saw us like this--but I can't help myself. There's something about her that draws me in, like a moth to a flame.

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