Page 2 of Run Wild Omega

He growls low in his throat. His hand tangles in my hair, tugging just enough to make my scalp tingle, and replaces his thumb with his tongue. He kisses me again, possessive and claiming.

Then, before I can catch my breath or regain my footing, he pulls away, slipping out the door of the dark closet and leaving me alone in the shadows.

A shiver runs down my spine. I lean back against the shelves, pulse racing. I love him so much. I know I can be pushy, but his career would be in trouble if anyone knew. The university has strict policies.

I can’t let anyone know. I would never ruin him.

I take a deep breath, smoothing down my skirt and checking my reflection in the dark glass of the cabinet door. I look flushed. Satisfied. I adjust my clothes, preparing to walk out with confidence, but as I reach for the handle, a loud, blaring noise pierces the quiet.

My eyes snap open.

The room isn’t a supply closet. It’s my bedroom. The ceiling is recognizable, morning light filtering through the curtains. I reach out blindly, smacking my hand against the nightstand until I find my phone and switch off the alarm.

Silence returns, heavy and suffocating.

I wipe at the tears tracking down my cheeks, the remnants of the dream clinging to me like smoke. My head throbs with a dull ache, a reminder of all the hard seltzers Mara and I downed last night at the Bluejay. We drank too much, laughed too loud, trying to drown out the nerves and the excitement.

I turn my head to the other side of the room. Mara is curled into a tight ball on her bed, the blankets pulled up to her chin. Her hair is a mess, sticking up in every direction.

I sit up, the room spinning slightly, and swing my legs over the edge of the mattress. I walk over to her bed and gently shake her shoulder.

“Mara,” I whisper. “Wake up.”

She groans, burying her face deeper into the pillow. “My head’s killing me.”

“It’s your wedding day.” A smile breaks across my face despite the hangover.

Mara freezes. Then she slowly turns over, blinking her eyes open. She looks at me, then at the ring on her finger—the diamond is massive, catching the morning light. She stares at it for a long second, as if remembering it belongs there.

“It’s really today,” she whispers.

“It is.” I bounce on the balls of my feet. “Come on. We need to get to the house. Mom and Dad are probably already panicking. We have dresses to get into and makeup to sit through.”

Mara pushes herself up, wincing. “I’m getting married. To three men.”

“You are.” I pull her into a hug. She laughs, the sound rusty and tired, but full of joy.

We spend the next few minutes splashing water on our faces and brushing our teeth, trying to look like human beings again. The apartment above the café is small, but it’s been ours.

Mara spends most of her time at the Lodge with her fiancés now, but last night we decided a bachelorette sleepover was in order. We barely stumbled up the steps around two in the morning, clinging to each other and giggling.

“Ready?” I ask, holding open the door.

“Ready.” She takes a deep breath.

We climb down the narrow staircase. The scent of coffee and baking pastry drifts up to meet us. It smells like home.

When we reach the bottom, the kitchen is already occupied. Leo stands by the stove, flipping something in a pan, while Gray leans against the counter with a mug in his hand.

“Hey.” I walk over to the coffee pot. I need caffeine if I’m going to survive today.

Mara doesn’t hesitate. She walks right over to Leo first, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face in his back. He turns, grinning that wide, bright grin of his, and kisses her soundly. Then she moves to Gray, who sets his mug down to pull her into a hug, pressing a kiss to her temple.

Just then, the door to the café opens. The bell chimes, and Daniel walks in.

His eyes soften the second he sees Mara. “Hey.”

He walks straight to her. He doesn’t care about coffee or pastries. He cups her face and kisses her, long and deep, making me look away to give them a moment of privacy.