Page 18 of The Omega Exchange: Omnibus

I laugh. "Dang, my younger sister and I are Irish twins. There's only eleven months between us."

My heart pangs the same way it does anytime I think of Cassie. Being so close in age, we were thicker than thieves. She was my best friend, even when I moved to New York City we talked daily. It hurt losing the possibility of a pack, but losing that close bond with my sister hurt even worse. I've tried to do everything in my power to keep up our friendship, but it's not the same, and I worry it won't ever be.

"Shit," Luke says, laughing. "Your mom's the omega, right? Her heats came back that fast after giving birth?"

I nod. "My oldest sister also has two kids who are less than a year apart."

"The women in your family are fertile as hell." He laughs, turning in to the parking lot for the lodge.

I swear a pang shivers through my ovaries at the sound of that word slipping from his lips.

My shoulders hunch. I'm going to have to come clean with someone soon, but I've done my best to tune out the worry and stress that comes every time I think of what might happen.

They could kick me out right before my heat. I have no clue what I'll do if that happens.

Omegas who try to ride out a heat without alphas experience pain on a level that's difficult to comprehend. I've only experienced the breakthrough pain that comes when you start a new packet of suppressants. Without those to help, though?

I could get mindless and hazy and start begging any alpha. Am I really going to risk that?

You have literally no other choice.

I originally planned to try to discuss it with my pack. To test the waters and see if they might be open to some arrangement or even wait and see if we clicked. Only, they're not here. Now I'll have to tell the owners about the slight flaw in their carefully crafted system.

"This parking lot is notoriously slippery," Luke says as he unbuckles his seat-belt. "Let me come around and help you out." The thick twang of that country accent vibrates around the truck. He climbs out and walks around the vehicle.

The door opens, and cold air whooshes inside. I untangle myself from the seat belt and turn to Luke. His strong hands meet my waist lifting me from the truck. My boots hit the pavement, and I mumble a quick, "Thanks."

"Not a problem," Luke says, gently pulling off my glasses. "I'm guessing this is a regular thing?"

"Every time I step outside during winter."

"Don't worry. I've got you, pretty girl," he says, pushing them back up my nose. His hands are tender as he makes sure they're wrapped around my ears. All air seems to evaporate from my lungs as he smirks down at me. My heart feels like it could race right out of my chest.

I spin around to grab my jacket. The issue becomes evident immediately. I'm nowhere near tall enough to reach it now that I'm on the ground.

Luke's huge frame cocoons my back as he stretches around me, easily grabbing it off the seat without needing to climb back inside.

"You've got freakishly long arms," I grumble.

"I told you, Evie," Luke says against the shell of my ear. His warm breath fans over my neck as his pelvis brushes my ass. "I've got you."

"That was only easy because you're a giant," I say, glancing at him over my shoulder. His dimples pop as his face breaks out in a wide smile.

"I'm a big guy," he says with a laugh. "It comes in handy sometimes."

Is he flirting with me? Or just an extremely flirty person by nature?I'm so ill-prepared to deal with a guy like Lukas Hall that it's not even funny.

"Aww, darlin', you're shivering," he says, wrapping an arm around my back. "Let's get you inside."

I know better, I really do, but I sink into Luke's warm frame and pretend for a minute that I'm someone else. A person without a huge secret hanging over their head.

Chapter Eight

Murphy

Murdering your employee would be frowned upon, right? I'm fairly certain if I planned it properly, I could make it look like an accident. Luke likes to snowboard. Terrible things happen on the trail. I could find a bear, they're all over these woods. It would be relatively easy to make sure it got rid of most of the evidence for me.

I scratch my jaw. Maybe I could buy one? No, that's way more complicated and would leave a paper trail. I could get some steaks and lure one, and the evidence would be minimal. Except it’s winter and the bears are hibernating.