Page 8 of Omega Scarred

Fallon grins, nudging me with his elbow. "Okay, maybe not. But you know what I mean."

I do. And I also know that Rafe's not going to be happy about this. But if there's a chance that Jade could be the missing piece, the person who finally helps us take down the Enclave and free all the omegas, then it's worth the risk.

Even if it means going against Rafe.

Even if it means Fallon seduces her instead...and pisses our boss, and our oldest friend, the hell off.

They always make up in the end.

I finish my drink, standing up from my bar stool. "I'm gonna head to bed. You out too?"

Fallon shakes his head. "Nah...gonna stick around here for a little bit, have a couple more beers. See where the night takes me."

I'm nervous that place might just be Jade Winslow's bed--and I'm confident Rafe will beat the hell out of him if he smells a certain omega's scent on our beta companion--but I just grunt in response.

That's Fallon's problem.

And my friend usually has a way of getting the job done.

5

Jade

Onlatenights,Ilike to stand on the top deck of the Raft and look out at the sea.

I rarely look in the other direction--back toward Solstice Bay, where so many bad things have happened. I like to look out and away...into the night.

Most of the time I'm visited by just a few people, but there's not really anyone out here tonight. I'm always afraid I'm going to run into Rafe, so I keep my senses honed for any passing alphas, and Ialwaysgo straight to bed if I scent them. I hate it when that happens, though--because I can almost never sleep.

It's hard to sleep surrounded by all these people...surrounded by powerful alphas.

The suppressants work okay--they stop me from losing my mind to my heat, at least. But I don't think I can live like this forever. I want to know what it's like to be with a pack. I want to find the men I'm meant to be with forever.

Someone sneaks up on me before I can even scent the person coming, and I glance over my shoulder to find Fallon walking up beside me. He's so quiet that it's like he isn't moving at all--a ghost on deck. His hair is ruffled, five o'clock shadow on his jaw, but he's lost his jacket at some point in the day, leaving him in only a black t-shirt and jeans.

I can't deny that I find him attractive, and the idea of being with a beta rather than an alpha appeals to me. I spent my whole life thinking I would be given to a pack of alphas and used however they saw fit, but betas can't knot their mates like alphas do...and they don't have the same hormones that permanently claim an omega.

Fallon would be a good choice.

I sense that he's a good person. Maybe it's just that he's not Rafe, maybe it's that he played a role in saving my life. But there's something else...something primal.

"Didn't expect to find you out here," he says, coming to stand next to me. He nudges me lightly with his elbow, and I hope he can't hear my pounding heart.

"Twice in one day," I say, calling him out. "Weird coincidence."

He glances at me from the corner of his eye. "You accusing me of something?"

I shrug. "You're Rafe's left hand. His spymaster, right? I figure you always know where everyone is on this ship."

Fallon chuckles. "You give me too much credit. I don't have eyes everywhere, you know."

I nod, knowing it's true. But I also know that Fallon has a way of sneaking around unnoticed, a skill that would come in handy if I ever needed to avoid Rafe.

We stand there in silence, looking out at the sea. The moon casts a soft glow on the water, making it look like a vast silver blanket.

"Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to just sail away," I say, my voice barely above a whisper.

Fallon turns to me, his eyes curious. "Where would you go?"

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