Page 11 of The Comfort of Pain (The Black Market Omega #1)

Tristan

It was well after midday when the rain finally stopped. Basil asked to stop to feed our omega, but she had fallen asleep not long after leaving the cave. Killian was right not to wake her, but my stomach won’t stop barking. I’d kill for a steak right now, but I’m willing to settle for a sandwich.

“It’s okay.” Killian rubs Beth’s back as she stirs. Good. Maybe now we can stop. I also need to piss.

“Where are we?” Beth lifts her head. Basil and I both slow down so we can see her face, but the thin tarp is hanging in the omega’s face, hiding her eyes. She’s got nice eyes. Big and brown, and filled with a pointed rage that makes my balls feel heavy.

I’ve heard many stories about omegas that were fiery or bratty, but most are known to be submissive and subservient. As much as I want a precious omega all our own, the thought of a mindless mate sounds boring. I like a challenge.

“Can I please walk?” Beth asks, resting her fists on Killian’s shoulders. It’s almost as if she’s trying to touch him as little as possible.

The pack alpha pulls the tarp off her head, but she keeps her eyes down, staring at the wet grass near Basil’s feet. “We’re still a few hours away,” Killian says. “We’ll have to slow down if you walk.”

Beth’s jaw tenses as she lets out a frustrated breath. “I have to use the bathroom.” She looks to one side, refusing to look at me or Basil.

Killian comes to a stop and Basil jumps into action. “Wait.” He unzips his backpack, digging all the way to the bottom. “I don’t want your socks to get wet.” He pulls out a familiar pair of black slip-on sandals. They’re Jeremy’s. I have no doubt that he forced Basil to pack them.

That sexy little beta thinks of everything.

“Careful,” Killian says as he places Beth on her feet. She’s very short. The top of her head comes to my chest. “After you.” He holds out his hand, motioning for Beth to walk in front of him. The grass curls up around the edges of her sandals as she walks, soaking the socks Jeremy made for her.

“Actually, K,” I stop the alpha before they get too far. “I can take her.” I rest my hand on the hilt of my buck knife. “I’ve gotta piss anyway.”

Beth’s eyes go wide, clearly not happy with the idea of me relieving myself anywhere near her. But if she really is a Northern omega, then she has to be used to so much worse.

“Okay,” Killian leans in and whispers, “But don’t scare her.” He glances down at my crotch. “The last thing I need is for her to see that fat cock, and run for the goddamn hills.” He winks and I snort.

“I’ll try not to scare her,” I promise, placing my hand on my heart, and Beth starts to walk off. Her knees shake as she moves, nervous energy practically bursting out of her. She must have to pee pretty bad.

I follow her, letting her walk a few feet in front of me. Even in big, heavy boots, my feet land silently along the forest floor. It’s one of the few useful skills I learned in military school. Everything else was shit. Learning how to mindlessly follow orders—which is fucking painful for an alpha—and how to make a bed with corners so tight you’d need a crowbar to get under the sheets.

Not exactly life skills.

“Can I ask you a question?” Beth glances back at me.

“Of course,” I say, eager to tell her whatever she wants to know.

Her dark eyes move up the full length of my body, drinking me in. It makes me want to stand a little taller. “How tall are you?”

I’m caught off guard by her question. ‘I’m not sure.” I give her a half-hearted shrug. “Two or three inches taller than Kill and Basil.” The omega’s eyes narrow, clearly not liking my answer. “Six-five?” I shrug. I’m pretty sure that’s accurate, but I was never obsessed with being the tallest alpha in the room—not like some guys—but I did strive to be the strongest. And at two hundred and sixty pounds, I have yet to find someone that can bench press more than me.

I think it’s my build that throws people off. My mother described me as brawny. Some might even say bulky. I don’t have lean, cut muscles like most alphas. I’m big, with a soft layer of fat hiding my abs, but my pecs more than make up for it.

“Six-five.” Beth looks me up and down once more, but this time she looks more worried than curious. “You are pretty big.” She turns walking off.

I follow her, trying to figure out what’s going on in that pretty head of hers. Is she turned on by how tall I am, hoping my dick measures up?

Worried about how big our babies might be?

Trying to figure out how hard it would be to kill me?

Honestly, all three options excite me.

“Maybe here?” Beth slows as she reaches a cluster of bushes. She rises up on her tiptoes to see what’s on the other side. Her oversized sweatpants hug her perky ass, letting me see both perfect globes. She really has the sweetest little body. It was agony not to feel every inch of her last night, but I like my partners to be conscious when I take advantage of them.

“Mind waiting over there? I’d like some privacy.” Beth gives me a very sweet smile, and alarm bells ring.

Omegas like to run.

That’s what my brother said when I called and told him we were getting a mate. He joined a pack last year that got their own omega from a local academy. He lives in the city so I can’t visit, but apparently she likes to keep the whole pack on their toes.

“I’ll wait right here,” I say, crossing my arms.

Beth looks me up and down, not moving a muscle. She’s so cute in her oversized T-shirt and giant sweatpants. They both swallow her up, making her look so damn tiny. But it’s her pointed nipples pushing through the thin fabric of her shirt that demands all my attention. They look long and hard. Begging to be sucked.

“Don’t you have to go, too?” Beth asks, bunching up the front of her shirt.

“I’ll go when you’re done,” I say, but I’ll probably wait until after I return her to Killian. The thought of her running is stuck in my head. There’s no way I’ll be able to relax long enough to piss.

“Okay.” Beth’s exaggerated smile returns, but I see it fall right before she turns away from me. It’s a bit manipulative. And I fucking love it. This omega won’t be boring in the least.

I keep a respectable distance, watching as Beth ducks behind the bushes. There is some rustling of leaves, then everything goes quiet. Too quiet.

“It’s kind of hard to do this with you right there listening.” Her voice cuts through the silence. “Can you sing or something?”

“Sing?” I make a face. She definitely doesn’t want me to sing. “I don’t do that.”

“Okay,” she says. “Talk about your home or Jeremy. Whatever. Just make some noise.”

I inhale deeply, trying to think what the hell to say. “Jeremy joined our pack about four years ago,” I blurt out the first thing that jumps into my head.

“Yeah?” Her voice rises, making me think she wants me to speak louder too.

“Kill and I met back when we were kids,” I match her volume. “We met Basil about ten years back. But it wasn’t until we met Jeremy that we decided to get an omega.” I pause, not sure if she has any questions or wants to hear something different. I’m sure she would rather hear about how we all fell in love, or some romantic moment, but I’m not good with that flowery bullshit.

That’s Basil’s department. He always knows how to make Jeremy swoon.

“Beth?” I pause, listening to the slight rustle of leaves. But it’s not the sound of someone relieving themselves. It’s someone with tiny feet and big-ass sandals, trying to move through the brush.

Frustrated, I march straight toward the bushes, ready to chase down the little spitfire. “Omega!” I grab a handful of branches and pull them back, ripping one whole bush out of the ground. Clumps of dirt erupt, flinging all over my face and chest.

“What the hell?” Beth growls when our eyes meet. She’s still squatting, holding a handful of leaves in one hand, and her bunched-up shirt in the other.

“I…uh…” My mouth hangs open, not sure what to do. “I didn’t mean to—” I cut myself off, then I try to set the bush back where I got it. It sits awkwardly on the cracked earth, refusing to stay upright.

“Go away,” Beth demands in a harsh whisper, clearly very embarrassed to have been caught in such a vulnerable position. “Get out!” She drops the leaves, pushing at my hips.

Desperate to escape, I turn, and march to the other side of a great big pine, waiting for her to finish. I have to apologize. I know that. But I’m not really sure how. Do I just blurt it out? Try to explain myself? Or do I pretend it never happened?

Honestly, that’s what I want to do.

And hopefully, she does too.

“Hey!” Killian yells out in the distance. I push away from the tree, standing a little taller when our eyes meet. “Everything okay?”

“Yup,” I say simply. Thankfully, he doesn’t hear anything off in my clipped tone. I always sound like this. “Beth?” I turn back to the torn-up bushes, trying not to look. “Are you done?”

She doesn’t answer, and I honestly can’t blame her. I saw more than she wanted me to. Her slight body hunkered down, with her knees drawn up under her chin. Thank goodness she didn’t have her pants down or she would have really been embarrassed.

My whole body locks up as realization slams into me— she had her pants on.

What the fuck was she doing?

I take a step toward the bush, trying to see through the thick leaves. “Beth?”

But she doesn’t answer. Silence dances around me, nothing but the cold air and distant sound of Basil and Killian chatting.

Inching a little closer to the bushes, I move to rest my hand on the hilt of my buck knife, but it’s not there. I look down at my belt, shocked to find that my blade is missing.

“Shit,” I snarl, then race toward the omega. I grab the ripped-up bush and fling it away.

She’s gone.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” I grit out, before scenting the air. Her sweet, sugary scent pulls me into the forest. I follow it, making my way to a sharp hill. I look up, wondering how far she could have made it.

Cutting around a mighty oak, I glance one way, then the other, but before I can decide which way to go, something bites into my right bicep. I jerk then spin. Beth is frozen in place, staring up at me. Her eyes are huge, watching me as if waiting for something to happen.

“You scared the shit out of me.” I grab her by the upper arms, pulling her to me, but I’m careful not to hold her too tight. I saw her last night in the stream. The poor girl is covered in bruises and I refuse to add to them.

Beth’s mouth opens then closes. She looks terrified. Maybe even stunned.

“What’s wrong?” I lean down, waiting for her to speak, but she just looks at my upper arm. I follow her gaze, then release her.

My buck knife is sticking out of my bicep. Only about an inch of the blade is stuck in me, but it’s still bleeding pretty good.

“Really?” I cut the omega a very disappointed look, before pulling the knife out of my arm. Her lips part, watching in shock as I wipe the blood off on my pant leg. “That’s not very nice.” I wag the blade at her, before pushing back into my sheath. “We don’t stab people.” I turn, leading her back to Killian. Thankfully, she follows like a good girl.

“Doesn't it hurt?” Beth looks at me as if struggling to understand how I’m still alive.

“It’s barely a scratch,” I say, looking down at the wound. A small trickle of blood drips from the cut, making my already soiled shirt even dirtier. “Why did you stab me?” I ask.

Beth immediately drops her gaze to her feet, shaking her head. “You scared me,” she says simply.

“I scared you so bad, you had to steal my knife, lie in wait, then stab me the second you had the jump on me?” I look down at the omega, waiting for her to explain herself. But she doesn’t say a word. And I won’t force her. I get it.

She was clearly abused by her last pack and has lived like a savage out here for god knows how long. It’s ridiculous to think she could trust three strangers who just popped into her life yesterday.

“I’ll give you this one,” I say, and she snaps her head up, looking at me with those big curious eyes. “But the next time you stab me, I won’t be letting it go so easy.”

Her face pales and her shoulders curl inward. I suddenly realize she probably took my words as a threat of violence, and not a gentle warning that she’d be getting a lecture.

“Beth.” I reach for her wrist, wanting to explain myself, but she crosses her arms before I can touch her.

“I just want to go home,” she says softly, still staring at her feet. “My mother needs me.”

“Then tell us where you live,” I say a little too loudly. “Give me a nearby village name or a road. Anything.”

“I don’t know any of that.” She whines high in her throat, frustrated. “I wasn’t allowed to leave the damn yard,” she finally says, defeat clear in her soft voice.

“But you are from here?” I angle my head down, trying to see her eyes. She peeks up at me, her long brown hair framing her face. “You grew up in the woods?”

She nods. “I’ve never been this far from home before.” Her gaze drifts over the grass, then past the trees. She stares into the distance, clearly longing for someone that’s out there. “I was trying to run away.”

“I get it,” I finally say. “The desire for freedom is hard to ignore. Even when faced with very real danger.” I reach for her hand, and she uncrosses her arms, letting me touch her. “But it’s so dangerous out here. Please don’t run away from us again.” I stroke over the back of her knuckles, trying to soothe her. “Killian and Basil are good guys. And Jeremy is the best person I’ve ever met. I think you could be really happy if you gave us a chance.”

Basil’s bright voice catches in the wind, followed by Killian’s deep laugh.

“I can’t force you to stay,” I say. “But you have no supplies, no direction, and no real shoes.” I glance at her muddy sandals. “Do you really want to wander the woods all alone?”

There’s a flash of something intense in Beth’s eyes, but it quickly dims and she hangs her head. “I guess not,” she says to her feet.

Relief washes over me as I wrap my hand around her wrist. She feels so teeny in my grasp, my fingers overlapping one another. We walk slowly, making our way back to the rest of our pack.

I’m so glad she didn’t insist on running. Because I couldn’t have let her go.

While Killian is willing to meet with her family to ask for her hand, I want to murder the whole lot of them for losing something so precious in the first place.