Page 5 of Wild Omegas (Wild Skies Ranch Omegaverse #1)

Josie

ONE WEEK LATER

It’s been a week since arriving at Wild Skies Ranch and my ankle is finally starting to heal.

Despite initially fighting it, I do rest. Mostly because every time I try to do anything that involves leaving the main house on foot, a member of Wild Skies Pack magically appears as if they have cameras on me at all times.

Do they?

I make a note to check while I flip through more paperwork like I’ve been doing all week.

Bills, supply orders, plans for a store on an open parcel of land near the main house.

It’s all foreign and familiar at the same time.

With my bakery, I could look at this same type of paperwork and not blink, but my eyes lose focus with the complicated necessities of running a ranch.

Luckily, the ranch is doing okay . But it could definitely use a financial uplift to stay afloat.

Grandma and Grandpa still have final say, but I can see now how instrumental Wild Skies Pack has been in keeping this place running.

I’m grateful to them for that because of what Wild Skies Ranch means to my grandparents.

But it makes me all the more nervous every day, especially when the unknown caller phone calls begin.

Just one on day three of being at Wild Skies Ranch. Nothing suspicious. Could be a telemarketer.

Three on day five.

I’ve had seven just this morning and even now my phone rings again. I watch the call without intending to answer because that is no telemarketer.

So much for “not much cell service” on the ranch.

It’s Damien. It has to be. Can he pinpoint my phone if I don’t answer, or is it futile to ignore it? It’s not even the same number that calls so it’s not like I can block them. And if I do block the calls, he’ll know I’ve reacted at all.

I stare at the phone until the call dies down, so focused on what’s happening there that I don’t notice a male figure appear in the living room until he’s already walking toward me. The sudden vision of a man coming my way sends me rocketing to my feet.

“Stop!” I shout, recognizing Luke a second later.

“Sorry.” Luke throws up his hands to show he’s harmless but I already know he is. They all are. They all just want to help and go about their jobs, and all I’ve done is barge in and injure myself so they have to dote on me to some degree.

All I’ve done is make their lives harder, and then put those lives in danger on top of it, and they don’t even know.

I need to get them out of here. Or myself. But I have nowhere else to go. Surely they all have somewhere .

“Josie?” Concern wrinkles Luke’s brow now. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah.” My heartbeat thuds loudly in my ears. Did my brain really think Luke was Damien for even the smallest amount of time? I’m suddenly gasping for air.

Panic. This is panic.

I close my eyes and force a deep breath, then another.

Luke takes a single step closer. “You don’t look okay.”

I shake my head. He can’t be near this. None of them can be.

“Everything’s fine, you just scared me. I didn’t hear you come inside.

” I point to the stack of paperwork. “Another long day sorting orders and planning and zoning permits. Do you know anything about the store my grandparents wanted to open?”

I’m hopeful Luke will take the bait, but he doesn’t. “No. Are you sure you’re okay?” It’s then I notice he still has his work gloves on. He’s on a break and here I am wasting his time by worrying him.

I take another deep breath and force a smile I hope appears genuine. “Yes, I’m okay. I promise.”

My phone rings again. Another unknown caller appears on the caller-ID in my peripheral vision. I lock my jaw.

Luke’s brown-eyed gaze spots my phone ringing. “You can pick that up if you need to.”

I wave him off. “No need. Telemarketers have been calling all day. My number must have hit a list somehow. Or all wrong numbers.”

Worry clouds his eyes but he inclines his head. “Better to ignore them then for sure. I was thinking, maybe tomorrow you could come help me at the horse barn? Get to know the animals? Seems like your ankle is better.”

Thank god. A change in the conversation, one that I’m happy to entertain as I have developed a severe case of cabin fever that’s only stoked further by feeling cornered by thoughts of Damien.

It’s been hard to sleep thinking he could show up here and I can’t even run away because of this damn ankle.

But I can now. I think. I guess tomorrow will be a good test of that. “I’d love to. I want to get out there and do some actual work around the ranch, not stare at paperwork all day.”

Luke beams that warm smile that reminds me of a whisky sunrise.

Whisky, just like his scent that I’m now far too aware of as it fills the living room.

Each of these alphas have such strong scents that I feel they’re marking me without them actually claiming me.

Even when they’re not in the main house with me, their scents linger stronger every day.

Cedar. Campfire smoke. Whisky and leather.

Attractive, almost as much as they are.

I swallow hard. I cannot even entertain the idea of being with them. In fact, I need them to never entertain it either. I need all of us to ignore the fact that I’m an omega and they are alphas and that my heat will eventually come and?—

My phone rings again. The sound of the vibrating device sends a cold shiver down my spine.

“Sounds like a plan,” Luke says in a tone that tells me he, too, is back to focusing on my phone.

I grab my phone and power it off. “Where’s the nearest phone store? I don’t care which carrier.”

Luke thinks for a second. “Fairwater Falls has one, I’m sure. If not there’s another town about an hour away. Larger. They’ll definitely have a store. I can take you out there first thing tomorrow if you want? They’re not open on Sundays.”

Of course. Nothing around here is open on Sunday. It’s an old-school and very small town, and I kind of love it even though it’ll take a bit of adjusting to. I make a mental note to keep all grocery shopping to a weeknight, which I would never do back in the city. Too many people in too big a rush.

“I’d love that, thank you.” I’ll keep the phone powered down until then. It feels like a safe plan.

Luke raises his eyebrows. “Really?”

I don’t understand why he’s surprised. “Yes, really. Why?”

He grins a little and shakes his head. “Just surprised you’re accepting help.”

My eyes narrow on him. “You sound like Brooks.”

“Well, we are packmates.” Luke starts to head for the door. He must accurately sense this is his cue to leave. “I like this new leaf you’re turning, Josie. Only took a week of us caring for you.”

I want to throw something at him, but instead of a pillow, I send a sickly-sweet smile. “I told you all not to get used to it. I don’t need help or caring for. I’m out here doing my best, same as all of you.”

“Never would assume the contrary.” Luke meets my gaze with a twinkle in his eyes. He’s amused by my stubborn insistence. It makes me more incensed.

I press my tongue against my teeth. “Good.” I hate that I’m more than a little turned on by the way he’s not rankled in the slightest by my behavior. But I suppose a man who works with stubborn horses all day can handle a stubborn wild omega, too.

“Good,” Luke says. “Looking forward to our trip tomorrow.”

I have to admit, so am I. Even if the reason for it isn’t so cheery.

I am also grateful that Luke offered to take me. The idea of leaving the ranch alone knowing Damien is blowing up my phone is… terrifying.

I want the alphas gone and disinterested in me in order to protect them. But I might need them to protect me.

I know I can’t have both.