Cassia: The Alpha King's Outcast Omega

Before I know what's happening, someone has a hold of the back of my shirt and is hauling me back in through the window with a speed that leaves me even more dazed and confused. If such a thing was even possible.

Orion, I think. It has to be Orion.

"Cassia?"

I wrench my eyes open in surprise. Eyes that I have no memory of closing because it's not Orion who saved me at all. It's Lucian.

For several seconds all I can hear, all I can feel is the harsh pounding of my heart as I struggle to regain my sense of calm. His eyes are creased with concern as he keeps me steady on the windowsill, dressed in nothing but a pair of black briefs with his hair tousled like he just got out of bed.

I open my mouth to speak, only nothing comes out. Shock. This has to be shock.

Without saying another word, Lucian scoops me up in his arms and carries me across the room before carefully depositing me in bed and removing the duffel from my back. His face is completely without expression.

Although his silence makes me nervous, what has me on edge is what I'm witnessing going on deep inside him. I would feel calmer, more comfortable in his presence if I couldn't see his soul shifting from soothing turquoise blue to muddy yellows and oranges that speak of agitation, if not the edge of anger.

I swallow hard as I study him. Even though I don't believe he would hurt me, some inner sense tells me he's not the sort to strike out at anyone in anger. I'm wary because all my experiences with shifters have taught me to be.

He stalks away from me. I watch as he places the duffel on top of the dresser, but he doesn't immediately turn around. For a long time, all his attention seems to be on my bag, but I get the sense he's pissed. That I've pissed him off.

I wait for him to shout at me, or to threaten to get Orion, or to call me stupid, or any number of things, but he doesn't do any of that. He does the one thing I'm not expecting. I stay silent as I watch him close the window, lower the blinds, and close the curtains. Once he has them closed, he speaks. "Three days."

When he doesn't say anymore, I frown in confusion. "What?"

He turns. As soon as he does, I notice at once that his expression is less tense. He's done such a good job of controlling his emotions as well because the rapidly shifting colors of his soul are balancing out again.

Kieran could learn a lot from Lucian. My father too, because lord knows they could do with better control of themselves.

"Give me three days."

I still don't understand what Lucian means, and seeing my confusion, he returns to the bed and seats himself on the very edge.

A day ago, I dove off it to get away from him, but this time I merely freeze.

I start to pull back when he grasps my arms with warm hands. I'm not afraid because he's not holding me so tight that I couldn't break free if I wanted to. And something in his eyes, something in the pause before he speaks tells me all I'd need to do is say the word, and he'd let me go.

Only I don't. I wait to hear what he has to say.

I catch the brief flash of relief in his eyes before he nods. "No one here will hurt you or threaten you, or do anything that you don't want them to do. Not because I would stop them, but because no one in Winter Lake is like that."

I don't even try to hide my disbelief because a pack like that doesn't exist. My father hosted more than his fair share of alphas from all around the country, so if anyone would know, it would be me. It's not even just that.

Although I believe he won't hurt me, he's not the one I'm worried about. Lucian wouldn't be able to do a damn thing to stop the one person who has the power to do the most harm. Not unless he wanted to challenge Orion for leadership of the pack, and after seeing the size of Orion, I doubt Lucian would want to do that. I doubt Lucian would survive that. Right now, it seems he's been able to talk Orion into letting me stay, at least until my leg is healed.

After that? I'll be lucky if the door doesn't hit me on the way out.

That's if Orion doesn't learn what I am. But with an omega around to clue him in, that might just happen sooner rather than later.

"You don't believe me," Lucian says.

"No. I don't."

He studies me for so long it hits me that I've just called him a liar to his face. That's when my fear spikes because I'm in his home—in his bed—and no one knows where I am. He could do anything to me and no one would ever know.

To my utter surprise, he flashes me a smile revealing straight white teeth. "I guess I'll have my work cut out convincing you then."

What?

"I don't…" My voice trails off.

"Understand? Let me explain. Give me—give us—three days to prove we are no threat to you. You don't have to do anything but rest your leg, heal, eat, sleep, watch as much crappy daytime TV as you want, read any book you want. At the end of those three days, if you still want to leave, I will take you wherever you want to go."

"But the bus—"

"I will drive you to the biggest city and buy you a bus, train, or a plane ticket. Whatever you want."

I stare at him in shock, because this offer is beyond generous, and although I'm desperate to believe him since I'm not getting any hint he's lying to me, I can't. It would be too devastating to learn he is just telling me what I want to hear.

"Right," I say.

He leans close to me, close enough the warm caramel and sandalwood scent of him tickles my nose.

"Yes. And you know what I want in return?"

I struggle to keep my focus on his words with him so close. His eyelashes are longer than mine, and I have a moment of being jealous before it hits me that he just asked me a question.

Belatedly, I shake my head no. "For you to not do anything that will cause you to hurt yourself. That means no leaping from windows, no scaling the side of the house with sheets tied together, no…"

His voice trails off when I can't stop myself from smiling.

"What?" he murmurs.

"I think that only works on TV," I tell him.

His eyes dip to my mouth and I swallow, tensing at his sudden attention. He leans closer and my heart leaps at the thought he's going to kiss me. Because this is a big deal. No one has kissed me before.

Not the way I want him to.

At the last second, he halts. His eyes search my face, looking for something, only I don't know what that something is. If it's fear, he won't find it, because right now, the only thing I feel is anticipation sweeping through me.

"So, Cassia," Lucian says, his voice a low rumble of sound. "What do you say?"

"Three days and you'll let me go?" I repeat, wanting to be sure.

He doesn't speak for several seconds. "If that's what you want, yes."

If I want to? What does he mean by that? "Why would I want to stay?" I ask him, unable to take my eyes from his warm brown gaze.

The corners of his eyes crease as he smiles, then he lifts a hand from my arm and brushes a lock of hair from my face. I hold my breath when his fingers graze my skin.

"I don't know. Why would you?"

If he tried to kiss me, I'd let him. As if Lucian hears my thoughts, his eyes darken and I'm suddenly all too aware that although I'm in sweats, he's wearing nothing but a pair of briefs as we sit in his bed. I could reach out and touch his lean muscled chest. I want to.

"Cassia?" Lucian murmurs.

"Okay," I whisper. "Three days. I'll trust you for three days."

He nods. "Good."

I nod because I don't know what else to say.

"Now it's time to sleep. You need plenty of it to heal."

It's on the tip of my tongue to ask him to stay, even though I know how crazy that is. How wrong.

Because nothing has changed for me. I'm still mated to a guy who thinks I'm worthless. A mate whose baby I'm carrying. Even if I wanted something to happen between me and Lucian, it never will.

And I know I can never stay because even if something did happen, I'm not his mate. He belongs to some other shifter. Someone, not me.

I'll give him the three days he's asking of me, and then I need to leave. In the meantime, I can try to figure out how I'm going to survive on my own.

"Okay," I murmur, lying back down.

Lucian helps to tuck me in and then rises. Halfway to the door, he stops. "And Cassia?"

I turn a little so I can see him better. "Yeah?"

"For those three days, I want you to concentrate on getting better. No thinking about what comes next. Can you do that?"

How does he read me so well? It's like he's an omega, even though I know he isn't.

"I can try."

He smiles. "That's all I ask," he says before he leaves, closing the door behind him.

After turning the lamp off, I lay with my eyes open in the dark room, trying to figure out why a part of me is so insistent that it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if I stayed. No matter what I tell myself, I can't silence that small voice, and it follows me into dreams filled with an impossibly happy future with Lucian.

A future which can only exist in my dreams.