Page 43

My eyes were grey?

I stared up at Soren, sure he had to be lying.

Or colorblind.

Statistically, 8% of men were colorblind. That was a lot. And grey was really close to blue on the color spectrum.

Except he’d noticed a difference.

“I’m sorry,” he told me, sounding absolutely devastated by this turn of events. “I shouldn’t have bitten you. I should have worn a muzzle or something.”

Wait, what?

“I didn’t think an alpha could bond another alpha,” Soren rambled on, his hands shaking as he took my wrist. “There’s gotta be a way to undo this, right? I didn’t even ask if this is what you wanted. I’m so sorry, Frankie.”

My chest ached and I could feel tears prick my eyes. He just sounded so scared and guilty over something he thought he was responsible for.

I wanted to comfort him. I wanted to hold him tight and promise I wasn’t mad, but I couldn’t do that no matter how badly I wanted to.

Grabbing the sheet, I swung my legs over the side of the bed and got up. My legs tried to give out but Soren caught me before I could fall.

I pushed off of him and he let me go. Didn’t even try to fight to keep me by his side. It was stupid to be mad that he wasn’t trying to manhandle me, but this wasn’t a feeling I could control.

Thankfully, I had the strength to cross the room and stomp into the bathroom.

Sticky fluids between my legs told me we’d stopped using condoms at some point and Soren wasn’t the only one at fault for that.

I could have easily asked him for one or had them delivered from the store, but I didn’t even though I knew exactly what could happen if a certain alpha’s cum filled me up.

Granted, I didn’t think it would happen with Soren too, but I should have known better than to risk it when he made it so easy to rely on him.

I turned on the bathroom light and inspected my reflection in the mirror.

My eyes were definitely not blue anymore.

Fuck .

I clenched my hand into a fist instead of punching the mirror, digging my nails into my palm until I smelled blood.

The pain helped me focus.

It wasn’t like this was the first time this has happened. All I needed to do was detox from his pheromones and I’d go back to being an alpha.

Except there was always the chance that I wouldn’t this time.

Lucy didn’t need me anymore. River may be my fiancée but she didn’t need me either. Our engagement was a fucking sham – nothing more than a business deal.

“Should we go see a pheromone specialist?” Soren asked, hovering just outside the bathroom door like he wanted to give me some space but not too much. “They would know how to undo a bond, right?”

“This isn’t your fault.” I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to comb out the tangles.

“It has to be,” Soren insisted. “If it was your fault, my eyes would have changed color. That’s how it works, isn’t it? I don’t actually know. They don’t really go into it in the romance books.”

God, what was wrong with me?

I’d barged into his apartment and taken advantage of his rut when I knew he was younger than me and probably inexperienced. I hadn’t expected him to be that inexperienced, but still. I was the only one who’d been in their right mind.

There was no reason for Soren to blame himself, but I just couldn’t bring myself to reassure him no matter how badly I wanted to because I was furious .

I was so angry with myself for letting this happen, like I didn’t know any better.

Now I had to figure out how to get out of here without letting anyone know I wasn’t an alpha anymore.

I was an omega .

How Soren hadn’t figured it out yet, I had no idea. He was drenched in my pheromones and he still didn’t know.

But he’d figure it out eventually.

I caught his eye in the mirror, contemplating if I should kill him or not.

My heart squeezed so hard I gasped, grabbing my chest as I tried to bear the sudden, sharp pain that felt worse than a heart attack.

We didn’t have a bond, but there was something between us. Something strong enough that the thought of permanently cutting him out of my life hurt me just as badly as it had when Leo had disappeared, never to be seen again.

Soren’s eyes widened, but he didn’t try to touch me. He stalked off, muttering something I couldn’t hear which was honestly for the best.

The longer he was around me, the sooner he’d find out what had actually happened.

“You have a pack doctor, don’t you?” His deep voice suddenly demanded.

Who the fuck was he talking to?

I poked my head out of the bathroom door to see Soren pacing while on the phone.

“Because!” he growled, the red in his eyes flashing. “She’s in pain which means she has to be rejecting the bond.”

My jaw dropped as I watched Soren freak out.

It was the most disheveled I’ve ever seen him. Even his rut hadn’t made him act like this. Soren was running his hand through his hair over and over, making the black strands stand up straight so I could see just how wild and frantic his eyes were.

“No, I didn’t bite her neck,” he snarled, looking furious which shocked me so much I forgot why I was even upset in the first place.

“Who are you talking to?” I had no idea who he’d call for something like this. The guy didn’t even have an emergency contact.

Soren wiped his hand over his face and turned his back on me. “No, she didn’t bite my neck either, but her eyes are grey , Leo.”

I’m sorry, what?

Dropping the sheet, I ran across the room and pounced on Soren’s back, reaching for the phone, but he held it just out of reach.

“That better not be who I think it is,” I warned as I tried to swipe the phone from him again.

“Frankie, please.” Soren flipped me over his shoulder and onto the bed, jumping back with his hands up before I could drag my nails across his face. “I don’t want you to be in pain.”

Who the fuck did he think he was? How could he possibly assume he knew what was best for me? What gave him the right?

I didn’t give a fuck that I was naked. I jumped up and dove for him.

Soren thought I was trying to get the phone again and left himself wide open.

My hands wrapped around his throat and I squeezed as hard as I could. “Who the fuck did you call?”

“He called me .”

I released Soren and turned around to see Leo of all fucking people standing in the bedroom doorway with his phone to his ear and that horrible little smirk on his face.

The sudden silence was so loud .

It was like being forcibly submerged underwater and the more I tried to reach the surface, the more it felt like I was being dragged deeper and deeper until I was suffocating.

How was Leo even here right now? How did Soren know him?

“There are those pretty grey eyes I keep dreaming about,” Leo murmured as he tossed his phone over his shoulder like it was a worthless piece of junk.

I flinched when the sound of the glass shattering tried to pierce through the waterlogged insulation suffocating me. I couldn’t breathe. Didn’t remember how to inhale or exhale. All I could do was stare at Leo as he slowly crossed the room, his red eyes glimmering with fierce possession.

There wasn’t a single drop of jealousy on his face and that hurt almost as much as the realization that somehow, these two knew each other.

Had they planned this?

Was this the result they’d wanted from the very beginning?

My breath caught when it occurred to me that this must be one of Leo’s games. He’d probably roped Soren into it, or maybe they already knew each other before Soren ever came to work for Genesis, but either way…my alpha designation has always kept me from being with Leo.

I held up a hand and took a step back. “Don’t,” I warned him.

Leo had me by the throat in the blink of an eye. “Don’t you dare blame this on me , Francesca.”

I grabbed his wrist and tried to get him off of me, but it was fucking useless. Even as an alpha I wasn’t strong enough to win this fight so as an omega I was fucking useless.

But Soren wasn’t.

He ripped Leo off of me and slammed him into the wall with a snarl. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“You’re such a clueless idiot,” Leo spat. “I thought you were some kind of genius and yet here you are, worried about all the wrong things.”

I had to get out of here. I had to leave before they could come to some kind of understanding.

The compound was probably the safest place I could go. My father knew how to deal with this. He’d call all his specialists and we’d figure it out, but I couldn’t be around either of them for another second or I’d kill them both.

I yanked open the drawers of the dresser closest to me and grabbed the first shirt and pants I found, pulling them on as I left the bedroom.

My clothes were in shreds and I reeked of Soren’s pheromones. Dried sweat and cum covered me, but none of that mattered.

Actually, it was pretty lucky I was covered in Soren’s scent. That would make it easier to go unnoticed. At least, for a while. Long enough for me to get back to the Lopez compound where I could hunker down and wait this out.

I paused when I reached the living room. The midday sun shone into the room, making the guns on the dining room table sparkle.

What the fuck was this? Why were there so many weapons? And was that a sniper rifle?

I reached for the machete first. It had dried blood on the edge of the blade. Blood that smelled like Soren.

“Frankie!”

Speak of the asshole and he shall appear.

“You can’t leave yet,” Soren tried to tell me. “I asked him to call your pack doctor to take a look at you. Could you wait a little bit until they get here?”

I wrapped my hand around the machete handle, feeling furious all over again. “How exactly do you know Leo?”

His hesitation only made me angrier.

I whipped around and pointed the tip of the blade to his throat. “You have three seconds to explain.”

“I’d believe her if I were you,” Leo muttered.

He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest as he watched us, tapping his bicep once, twice, and three times.

“She stabbed me just the other day.” Somehow Leo sounded like he was bragging. “But I heal pretty quickly. I’m not sure you’d survive, cupcake.”

Cupcake?

No. I shook my head hard enough to reset my brain. I didn’t have the time to care about their weird pet names for each other.

“Soren. Explain .”

He winced and then ran his hand through his hair.

I still couldn’t read him all that well, but I was starting to figure him out and he only ever ran his hand through his hair when he felt nervous or unsure.

“I didn’t know who he was until a few days ago,” Soren explained. “He came here the day we went to inspect the crime scene.”

Sliding my gaze from Soren to Leo, I waited for him to tell me why .

Leo shrugged, not looking the least bit apologetic. “You like him. So…he needed to understand that he can’t treat you like some passing fling.”

“Why are you always sticking your nose in my business?” I threw the machete back onto the table and ran both hands through my hair.

I was two seconds away from ripping all the hair out of my head, but doing that wouldn’t help me understand what the fuck was going on right now.

“I didn’t expect him to go into rut,” Leo grumbled. “Or for you to help him through it.”

“Oh really?” I glared at him. “Then why are you so fucking smug about this?”

His red eyes flashed me a warning. “Because this time, it wasn’t my fault.”

I wanted to scream.

Of course he would look at it that way. I was a fucking idiot to believe Leo would ever think anything normal .

“She needs to see a doctor,” Soren reminded him. “Whatever else is going on can wait.”

“I don’t need to see a doctor.” I stomped into the kitchen, looking for my keys and jacket. “It would actually be better if I don’t see anyone.”

Soren was suddenly standing between me and the front door, looking absolutely frantic. “It’s my fault that you’re in pain right now and I don’t want you to keep hurting. No matter how crazy I got, I shouldn’t have tried to mark you and I’ll apologize a million times for it, but please— please see a doctor.”

“This isn’t your fault so you don’t have to apologize.” No, this was my fault, as usual.

I scooped my keys and gun up from the counter where they sat next to the soup he never ate.

Where the fuck was my jacket?

I turned around and Leo was dangling my jacket from one hand and spinning the shark keychain around and around with the other.

“You’re really going to leave without explaining anything?” Leo chuckled and shook his head. “That’s so cruel, Francesca, but I expect nothing less of you.”

Soren hesitated but he didn’t demand any answers. He just watched me like he was terrified I was going to jump out the window or something.

Honestly, I was tempted.

The last thing I wanted to do was figure out why Leo was so keen on getting me to open up to Soren or why he’d felt the need to reach out to him in the first place. I also didn’t want to see the look on Soren’s face when he found out what I was.

Because Leo was right.

I really did like Soren. A lot. Enough to help him through his rut even knowing the risks. He made me feel comfortable in my own skin and the way he looked at me…

My eyes were burning again but I forced myself to hold Leo’s gaze, knowing Soren would freak out if he saw I was this close to crying.

What was I supposed to do if Soren found it disgusting that I wasn’t a real alpha? What if he hated that I was an omega now?

I wasn’t a real omega either. I was nothing.

A genetic mistake who couldn’t settle on a designation because I didn’t know who I was.

I didn't even know who I wanted to be.

Leo’s jaw clenched when he saw the tears in my eyes, but he didn’t try to comfort me. He knew me well enough to know the last thing I wanted was to be held by him even if none of this was his fault.

I still blamed him.

He was always meddling in my affairs. Trying to push and prod me into making a decision all while constantly reminding me that he was right here, waiting for me to accept him.

I hated him for that. Hated how I knew without a doubt that he’d still be here waiting even if Soren walked away. It didn’t matter to him that I’d blame him for that too because he knew I’d never force him to leave the pack.

His role in my life didn’t matter to him as long as he got to stay by my side.

It made me want to strangle him and Leo smiled slightly like he could read my mind.

“Decide Frankie.” Leo tossed me my jacket, but kept the shark. “Decide if you trust him enough to tell him the truth. If you don’t, then go ahead and go. But if you leave, I’ll take it he can’t be trusted. Which means I can’t let him live.”

My heart squeezed again and I doubled over with the pain, knowing I was well and truly fucked.

Why did that asshole always have to be right?

I tried to catch my breath, heaving in air while Soren demanded to know what was going on. They sniped at each other and I almost laughed when Soren called Leo a nutjob, but it hurt so much I couldn’t stand it.

Technically, I was lucky he was even giving me a choice. Leo was actually being very generous right now.

He was giving me an opportunity.

If I didn’t trust Soren, he would take care of the problem so I didn’t have to. If I did, he’d be right here with me if things didn’t go over well.

Then he’d take care of the problem so I wouldn’t have to.

Everything he did was for me and I didn’t think I could pretend he wasn’t anymore.

My act was falling apart and now I had to figure out what I was going to do about it.

“She’s in pain ,” Soren insisted. “Why aren’t you calling the damn doctor?”

“Because it’s not what you think it is.” I tossed my jacket on the table and dropped down into one of the chairs.

Soren was across the room and kneeling in front of me before I could finish my sentence. “Frankie, I don’t understand what’s happening and I hate to admit it, but I don’t know how to deal with it.”

He was so fucking pretty I couldn’t stand it.

I took Soren’s face in my hands and pressed my forehead against his. “You can’t form a permanent bond through the scent glands on someone’s wrist.”

His red eye was blazing and the sun caught his brown one, gilding it in gold.

Soren searched my eyes, clearly not understanding. “But your eyes…”

“Are grey.” I sighed and released him. “Why would someone’s eyes be grey, Soren?”

He didn’t answer me right away, but I could see the wheels in his head turning. “I don’t understand.”

“Like I said, he’s a clueless idiot,” Leo muttered.

I felt him come up behind me, ready to do whatever he had to when I finally got the ovaries I needed to spell it out.

Here went nothing I guess.

“Omegas have grey eyes,” I reminded Soren. “Unbonded omegas.”

Why I trusted him enough to explain this, I don’t know. I really shouldn’t considering his relationship with Leo, but it wasn’t a rational feeling. It was bone deep. My gut was telling me he could be trusted with this.

But I had no idea how he’d react when it finally clicked.

“Omegas do have grey eyes,” Soren looked from me to Leo and then back again. “But you’re an alpha.”

“No, Soren. I’m not.” I hated that I couldn’t read him at all. “I’m actually a delta.”

His eyes widened, but he didn’t seem as freaked out as I’d expected.

“I was an alpha when I walked in here,” I tried to explain. “And then, I helped you through your rut.”

He sat back on his heels, clearly trying to process.

I braced myself and decided to rip off the Band-Aid.

“It seems like being exposed to such high doses of your pheromones for a prolonged period of time triggered a response in my genetics.”

Leo leaned over me and offered Soren the shark keychain still dangling from his finger. “And thanks to you, she’s now an omega.”

Soren ran his hand through his hair with this dazed look on his face and the only thing he had to say was, “ Fuck .”

My sentiments exactly.

Don’t Miss Frankie’s Story Part 2