Page 129 of Claiming the Pack's Omega

I see how wide Reyna’s eyes are in the corner of my eye. Her jaw is slack as her gaze darts between me and the touchscreendisplay on the center console, showcasing the name of the contact I’m calling.

Mother.

Yeah right, when has she ever acted like my mom? The only motherly thing she did was birth me, and even then, she always complained how much more difficult my birth was compared to Maximus’s.

Normally, I’d just apologize and get it over with so we could move on. But even with the shame and embarrassment that seems to be wrapping itself around my throat, there’s the added flush of… anger?

Sure, I’ve been angry about things for so long, but I’ve been resigned to them staying the way they’ve always been for longer. Expecting more from my family always seems to leave me reeling, wondering what the hell I was doing wrong for them to treat me like shit.

Maybe there’s something about the fire I’ve seen in Reyna, despite the things life has put her through that inspires me to fan the flames of my own anger too.

“I didn’t know speaking about the reality of our childhood was something I had to apologize for,” I grit out slowly.

There’s a shocked silence at the end of the line.

Blissful silence.

It’s quickly shattered, nothing more than a fleeting illusion of peace. No way one single comment would change their need to dominate the conversation.

“Killian! You know how hard your brother has tried to move on from his past," she snaps. “How dare you not be supportive of his journey!”

“Yeah,” Maximus adds, the smugness in his tone so obvious it’s practically dripping from my surround sound speakers. “How dare you, bro, not cool.”

My nostrils flare as Reyna’s petrichor scent quickly grows thick in the enclosed space of the car. It’s electric. Like lightning just struck the air around us.

But not the spark that comes with when she’s turned on.

No, this is because she’s angry.

Fucking pissed.

It lights a fire in my own veins. My fingertips buzz like I was just electrified. My racing heart feels like it’s going to beat out of my chest.

Reyna is angryforme.

Reyna is angry forme.

This heady sort of power pulses through my veins.

“Why did you call me again, Mother?” I ask, my tone sharper than I’ve ever let it be with them because of decades of conditioning.

She sputters on the other end of the line, the sound bringing a grin to Reyna’s face that has me staring at her in awe.

Reyna sees me looking at her and her grin turns a little more self-conscious, but she gives me a silent nod before hesitantly reaching over the center console and giving my shoulder a squeeze.

“I—I was calling because even if you’re off playing politics, we still expect you to show up at home, do you understand? What work could possibly be important enough for you to abandon your family?” My mother says, her voice wobbling with what I know to be fake emotion. Or at the very least, manipulative emotion.

Of course, when this call ends, Maximus will be right there to console our mother, reassuring her that she’s perfect and that I’m the one who’s fucked up.

“What, do you have some omega bitch?” My brother snorts. “Of course that’d take up all your time, chasing after omegas is hard work when you’re, well,you.”

“Shut the fuck up,” I snarl.

“Language! Killian, I raised you better than this!" my mother snaps, all hints of any tears immediately disappearing.

“Woahhh, looks like someone’s a little sensitive they can’t get any omega pussy,” Maximus snickers.

Fuck him. Fuck him. Fuck him.