Page 15 of Omega and the Beast

Adonis

Another day at the castle. Adonis slept deeper than usual through the morning, waking around noon.

He was dimly aware of Callista waking up mid-morning and slipping from the bed, pressing a kiss against his forehead before she left.

He grumbled, but let her go. She would want to see her father again, not lay in bed with him all morning.

It wasn’t her fault he ran as a Beast all night.

When he truly awakened later, the first thing he wanted to do was hunt her down. Not in a violent way, exactly, but he didn’t like her not being by his side. Didn’t like not knowing where she was.

Thankfully, Mirkon was in the great hall and knew where she was. After catching the deer last night, Adonis wasn’t hungry yet, ignoring the tables of food in favor of finding his mate.

Callista.

Not his mate .

He needed to stop thinking of her like that.

Just because he wanted her didn’t mean she was his mate. He would not bite her without her agreement — no matter what his instincts told him to do. He would not trap her here the way he was trapped.

Heading out to the orchards, Adonis waved at those he passed without stopping to talk.

Deirdre smirked at him when she saw how quickly he was moving, but she didn’t get in his way.

He mock-scowled back at her, but didn’t slow.

He knew his infatuation with Callista was a source of amusement to the others here, but he didn’t care.

The bright sunshine shone down on the castle, illuminating the blossoming orchard. With Betas moving around in and out of the shade, putting down fertilizer and pulling weeds, he could almost pretend everything was normal. That everyone had chosen to be there and was happily at work.

Picking up a bag of fertilizer by the entrance, Adonis hefted it over his shoulder, wrinkling his nose at the smell.

It wasn’t terrible, but it was strong when he was carrying it right next to his head.

Striding into the orchard, it didn’t take him long to find Callista.

Everyone who saw him pointed him in her direction.

There she was, standing under the apple trees with her father. Those trees wouldn’t bloom for another month or so. As he approached, her father said something to her, and she turned around, her expression brightening as soon as she saw him.

“You’re up!” Unlike the Betas, she came hurrying up to greet him, and Adonis dropped the bag of fertilizer to the ground.

He wasn’t sure what her intention had been, but his would not be denied.

Catching her by the waist, he pulled her in for a thorough kiss.

When he let her go, she was blushing hotly.

“I’m up. How are you?” The question was loaded with extra meaning, considering their activities that morning.

Her blush deepened, but she tilted her chin up, as if physically rising above the embarrassment the question had obviously caused.

“I’m fine, of course.”

Her tone was a little challenging, tempting him to draw her back into his arms and see if he could kiss her into submission, but not with her father hovering just a few feet back, listening.

“Morning, Broderick,” he said easily.

Broderick tilted his head back, squinting slightly at the sun coming through the trees. “More like afternoon, I think.”

“Just about,” Adonis admitted.

“They told me you were an early riser,” Broderick remarked, his lips twitching.

“I am, usually.” He’d awakened later today because he hadn’t gone to sleep the moment he’d returned last night, and he had a feeling Broderick knew the reason, but it wasn’t something any of them wanted to talk about.

They got to work, Adonis helping them in the orchard.

Other Betas came and went to say hello and introduce themselves to Callista throughout the day, and it pleased him that she already knew several by name.

Deirdre made her rounds, offering cool water to those sweating with labor, and herbed bread stuffed with scraps of meat and vegetables from last night’s dinner to quiet their empty bellies until dinner.

It was like a moment out of time, a waking dream of the life he might have had without the curse .

If not for Father Conal, none of the others would have been trapped there, but it was not impossible that some would have come to work at the castle by their own choice.

Even those who lived happily in their own villages would have come to the castle on festival days, and during times of poor harvest. He might not have the same close feeling for all of them that these cruel circumstances had forced upon them, but he would still have met them, and all their friends and neighbors.

He would have met Callista long before now.

He tried not to think about the reality too much and just enjoy this moment for what it was: today, he was a normal Alpha, spending an afternoon with his Omega, surrounded by Betas who were laughing, flirting, talking… living, and living happily, regardless of the circumstances.

At last, sweaty but satisfied with a good day’s work, feeling better than he could ever remember, Adonis slung his arm around Callista’s shoulders as they made their way back into the castle.

They would wash and come back to eat dinner…

then the sun would fall, and the dream of an ordinary life would be over, but he was determined to pretend otherwise for as long as he could.

“So? What do you think?” he asked her as they walked inside side by side, just behind her father. It was no idle question. He awaited her answer eagerly, wanting to hear that she felt she could be happy here.

“It’s beautiful,” she answered immediately, assuaging some of his worries. “Everyone has been so welcoming, and it’s clear they’ve all worked together to turn this into a real community.”

Broderick fell back into step beside them once they were through the door, shooting his daughter a fond look, which only crimped a little at the sight of Adonis’ arm around her.

“Now that you’re here, I think I could be happy here,” Broderick said.

He reached out to take her hand and give it a squeeze before dropping it again.

Adonis couldn’t help wondering if the male would be even happier if Adonis wasn’t there, but he didn’t say anything.

It was always going to be a difficult situation for Broderick because of Callista’s nature.

“I wish we could reunite the other families,” Callista murmured, softly enough that Adonis wasn’t sure she realized she’d spoken aloud the wish that was practically engraved on his heart. Though everyone made the best of the situation, they all had someone they missed.

“One day,” he promised her, as he had promised himself every day since the curse befell him, ignoring that leaden weight in his heart that reminded him he had no idea how to keep his word.

They set such matters aside as they joined the others inside the castle walls. He was sure everyone had such thoughts, but voicing them made it too easy to wallow in them. Instead, they went to clean up and returned to the great hall to eat with everyone else.

As much as Adonis wished the evening would never end, he could feel the sun sinking in the sky, and the urges he kept pushed down during the day beginning to rise. Clearing his throat, he got to his feet. Sympathy showed in every expression, but he didn’t get the chance to take his leave.

“Adonis! Alpha!” The doors to the great hall burst open, a young Beta guard named Lionel running through them, his face pale. “A large group is coming through the woods toward the palace! We can see the torches through the trees! We think Father Conal is leading them here!”

Father Conal?

Leading them here ?

Why would he…

As if everyone in the room had the same thought at once, they all turned to look at Callista.

“Me?” Her eyes widened with horror. “Why would he come here for me?” Even as she said the words, something flickered in her expression, as if a thought had just occurred to her.

Adonis didn’t have time to ask.

“I’m going to kill him,” he growled, turning to storm out the door. “I’m ending this once and for all.”

This was his chance. Father Conal had never come into the woods before. Adonis didn’t care how many Betas he’d gathered to bring with him, Adonis was going to take him down if it was the last thing he did.

“Adonis!” Callista rushed after him, her hand seizing his. “You can’t go out there. You’re going to change soon.”

“Which will make it easier to kill him.”

“Or to get killed!”

Coming to a halt, Adonis turned to face her. Behind her, everyone else was spilling out of the doors as well, their expressions hard.

“Why is he coming after you? Did he know you’re an Omega?”

“No. At least I don’t think so.” She took a deep breath. “He came to me before I left, saying he would take me as his mate if my father didn’t return, but —”

“I’m definitely killing him.” Adonis didn’t wait for the rest of her sentence as white-hot rage consumed him, fueling the aggression of his rising Beast. Father Conal wanted his mate?

Adonis would die before he let that filth touch one hair on her head.