Page 98 of Their Lethal Pet

“Omegas are not weak either,” Orcus replies, drawing my attention to his full mouth. “Omegas are strong.They’re able to handle an Alpha’s strength and then bring him to his knees. Omegas have all the power in my world. That’s why we’re lost without them.”

“But… but I’m obsessed withscentsand yourpurrand…” I shake my head. “I don’t understand it, Orcus. I don’t understand what’s happening to me.” I get the whole Omega-soul-coming-out part. It’s what that actually entails that has me feeling so lost.

I try to explain that last part to Orcus aloud, but I feel like I’m just rambling.

Because I’m not me.

I’m not?—

“You were building a nest,” he says, interrupting my thoughts. “A nest is a safe place for an Omega to mate with her Alpha. Or, in your case, your mates. Because I suspect that whatever you and Reaper did earlier triggered a need inside you. And you reacted to that need by starting your nest.”

I blink at him. “A nest.”

“Yes.” His lips curl a little. “Think of it like a safe haven, one you control and own. You decide who enters it. How they enter. Where they lie. It’s your space for you to direct as you desire.”

My nose crinkles. “I don’t know what to say to that.”

He lifts a shoulder. “You don’t have to say anything at all. I’m just trying to help you understand the instinct. You were building a nest with your mates’ scents because your inner Omega feels safe with us.”

I picture the beautiful mountain afternoon again and note how secure and warm and happy it makes me feel.

That’s what their scents represent, I realize.Harmony. Utopia. A place of contentment.

“As for my purr, you like it because Alphas purr fortheir mates. It’s a sound I will only ever make for you. And Flame actually purrs, too. But his is a little different. However, the same principle applies.” Orcus lowers his palm from my cheek, his irises a hypnotic swirl of red and black.

I study his eyes and his sharp cheekbones. This close, he doesn’t seem so big. Which is strange because he’s actually huge. However, there’s a softness to him that lessens his intimidating size.

“I can growl, too,” he adds, showcasing the ability by adding a slight rumble to his words. “Growls excite Omegas and inspire a mating lust.” He utters that part without the added sound effect. “It causes the Omega to produce… slick.”

I’m staring at his mouth again while he speaks, a part of me wishing he would growl again. Because I rather liked that sound. “What’s slick?” I ask, paying attention despite being somewhat distracted by his beautiful lips.

“The lubricant between your thighs.”

My gaze jumps back up to his. “Wh-what?”

“Growls make you wet,” he clarifies. Not that I needed it. My question was rhetorical, primarily because I didn’t expect him to saythat. “Verywet.”

I shiver. “O-oh.”

Amusement flirts with his eyes as he studies me. “A lot of your Omega instincts revolve around mating, Alina. That’s what Alphas and Omegas do. But there’s nothing weak about it. Your body is built to take my brute strength. And my heart was created to love you for eternity.”

His palm finds my cheek again, his stare suddenly very intense.

So intense that I can barely breathe.

Because he’s looking at me like I’m his world. His everything.

“You’re my life now, Alina,” he breathes. “My forever. And that, my sweet Omega, makes you the strongest one of us all.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

ALINA

Orcus’s explanationsstay with me over the next few days, his voice in my head helping me to better understand my foreign instincts.

Unfortunately, though, understanding them doesn’t make them go away.

No.