OMEGA: A New Adult Urban Fantasy (Mackenzie Grey Book 4)

by Karina Espinosa

  “Rise,” he bellowed. “What makes a man great, is nae his physical strength and abilities, it is his integrity and compassion for others,” he paused. “I have nae always been a great man. I have made mistakes, and I have fought with might instead of mind. There will be times when I revert to my old ways because no one is perfect, and I just like ye, make mistakes. As many of ye are aware, we are in the midst of a war. The Fae are trying to take control of our people, of our world, and we must nae let that happen.”

  Howls erupted into the night and the intensity gave me chills.

  “We can no longer fight with might. We have to be smarter, better than them. We must be united and fight as one.”

  The stomping of feet on soil vibrated throughout the woods and the bass boomed within my chest. The Lycans were ready. They were ready for war.

  “To do so, we will have to fight alongside allies, those who want to protect our world as well. Those who we may nae like, and those who may nae be Lycan. Today, I want, no I need yer loyalty. Nae for me, but for the heir and future of the Lycan—my daughter, Mackenzie Grey.”

  Alexander’s arm went around me and I froze. Did he just? He sure did. What the hell was happening?

  “Ye may nae agree, but she is our future. She hopes and dreams for a better world. I’ve seen it and I believe it. We have gone too long living in old ways. It is time we become great men and women. So as yer king, I ask that you take a knee, and pledge yer loyalty to yer future queen—the one who will lead us into battle against the Fae.”

  Alexander dropped to his knee and slammed his fist over his heart. Sebastian was next, then Jonah, then Cassidy. Slowly, everyone in the Northeastern Pack pledged their loyalty…to me.

  The only two who remained standing were Jackson and Charles Cadwell. I wasn’t surprised. Ranulf growled at them, but I lifted a hand to stop him.

  “I don’t need any of you on your knees,” I said. “I need you beside me, fighting for a better tomorrow. I won’t demand mandatory loyalty like Drusilla does with her people. I only ask that you do what is right. If we don’t fight as one, we might as well lose hope, and when we’ve lost hope, we’re dead.”

  In that moment, Jackson and Charles dropped to their knees and it was done.

  I was the heir they would follow to battle.

  28

  Because I was moon-bound, I couldn’t stay in wolf form during the day like the rest. It was getting less painful to shift, and I was lucky to have Bash and Jonah helping me every step of the way. I couldn’t forget about Cassidy either. He was my look out. Anytime Alexander or Ranulf was near, he’d let me know.

  On the second day, instead of going back to the estate, I wandered around the woods, barefoot. I embraced the soil between my toes, and inhaled the earth around me. In my underwear and camisole, I got lost in a labyrinth of my own thoughts and nature. I could feel him though. He was near and he was watching. His slate colored fur bristled when we made eye contact, and those sapphire eyes were so hard and intense, I couldn’t look away.

  Sebastian shifted into human form, and prowled toward me. I stood there, unmoving, just waiting for him to make the first move. Jonah had asked the right question, did I want to be unhappy? If I were to truly sacrifice myself so Amy could be human again, would I die not having lived my life to the fullest? Why was I torturing myself? I’ve wallowed in my own self-pity and loathing, finding excuse after excuse why I didn’t deserve him, why we wouldn’t work, but I never even gave us a chance.

  I loved Jonah, but the way I felt about Sebastian was different. I wasn’t sure I was in love with him, not yet at least, but he felt like a part of me. We weren’t perfect, far from it, but he was a kindred spirit. He understood me in ways no one else could. He challenged me and made me want to be a better wolf. We’d gotten off to a rocky start, but he adapted to my wants and needs, and I wanted to get to know this new him.

  “I thought you could use some company,” he said, standing before me in his birthday suit. It took all of my willpower to look him in the face.

  “You don’t have to, Bash. Go be with the others.”

  His blue eyes glowed and he shook his head. “We need to talk.”

  I blew out a breath. This was it. What happened now would set the tone for us forever and I couldn’t mess it up. Which meant I needed to keep the sarcasm at bay.

  “About?” I had to make sure we were on the same page.

  “Us.”

  I nodded. “I know you think I have something going on with Cassidy, but I don’t. Never have.”

  “I know, Mackenzie. He told me.”

  That made me angry. “So you believe him and not me?”

  “That came out wrong,” he sighed. “I knew before I spoke with Cassidy—the first time you told me—I listened to your heart.”

  “Why did you fight me? Why say all of those cruel things?” He had thrown my relationship with Roman in my face, making me seem like some floozie who got around.

  “I have no excuses. I reacted out of anger. I-I don’t even know what to say, I’ve never done this before….”

  I laughed. “You’ve never apologized?”

  He shook his head.

  “Well, damn,” I chuckled. “Look, Bash, we’re complicated as hell. We have a lot to work out and it won’t all be fixed today.”

  He diverted his eyes. “There is something you should know, Mackenzie.”

  My stomach dropped. “Oh god, Bash. If you tell me Vivian has risen from the dead and your banging her, I swear I’ll strangle you.”

  “What? No!” He scoffed. “God, Mackenzie, I haven’t been with anyone, but you in over a year.”

  That made my eyebrows jump. He hadn’t found someone to warm his bed since Scotland? Was I a horrible person to consider this the best news ever? Like I wanted this to be breaking news on CNN.

  “Of course my blue balls would make you smile,” he grunted and I hadn’t realized I’d been grinning from ear to ear.

  “What is it I need to know?”

  He swallowed a few times. “We uh…we’re bound to each other.”

  “Excuse me?”

  He scratched the back of his head. “When we…consummated last year in Scotland, our wolves, they, well…you know, they—”

  I waved him off. “Wait a second, because you’re not making any sense. Do you mean we’ve mated?”

  “Huh? No, that’s not what I’m saying. The mating ritual is like the human version of marriage. What we are is something different, something that doesn’t happen often. It’s called Anam Aonachd.”

  “Which means?” I tried to hurry this conversation along. My hands were getting clammy, and my tummy quivered with anticipation. I didn’t know how much longer I could go without diverting my eyes to Sebastian’s lower region. He needed to at least put on some boxers if I was going to make it through this conversation.

  “There isn’t a translation in English, but the closest I could find is that it’s similar to soulmates.”

  My jaw dropped and I couldn’t help myself. I looked down.

  I knew we were kindred spirits, but soulmates? Was he for real?

  “That sounds like some Disney shit. Are you sure?”

  “Positive. I had my suspicions when you left for Los Angeles, but this is such a rare occurrence that I brushed it off. There was an emptiness in me, an ache I couldn’t understand. I tried everything to fill it, but nothing worked,” he frowned. “When we were in Scotland, I started searching Lycan lore to verify. I hadn’t noticed at first, but when we slept together, everything fell into place. I thought we were having mind-blowing sex, but I was sensing you much clearer than I had before. Not just by smell, but my body can feel you. It’s like electricity on my skin whenever you’re near. When you had run off to Lucian’s cottage in Sheunta village, I didn’t need to follow your scent, my body gravitated toward you. It knew.”

  Similar to how I gravitated to him whenever I found myself in Brooklyn, across the street from the warehouse. A l
ot of things were starting to make sense.

  “Mind-blowing sex, eh?” I grinned and wiggled my brows.

  “This is serious, Mackenzie.”

  I cleared my throat and nodded. “Okay, so what does that mean? We have to be together?”

  “No. Anam Aonachd is rare, but not all soulmates form a romantic relationship. Some are just the best of friends.”

  “How rare is it?”

  “From the research I’ve done, your great-great-great grandfather, King Conall MacCoinnich, the one who had been with Drusilla, he was the last one to have an Anam Aonachd.”

  Of course I’d be the one to catch this…I don’t even know what. Soulmates? Fuck, I barely believed in falling in love. I was way out of my league with this one. I’d been willing to give us a try and see what happens, but this? It felt like I was signing a marriage license.

  “Breathe, Mackenzie. Your emotions are written all over your face. I’m not asking for a commitment,” he said. “I sensed you when you’d come by the warehouse. You would stand out there for hours listening to us. When you came to see me the other night, it was impossible for me to turn you away. You could come to me every night, and I would put myself through that torture if it meant being near you. I just thought you should know where I stand.”

  Sebastian was going to take whatever crumbs I threw his way and I felt like such an idiot. It was now or never.

  “Fuck it,” I grumbled before wrapping my arms around his neck and bringing his lips to mine. My insides exploded like fireworks on the fourth of July, and my wolf awoke. My eyes turned silver as a growl rumbled in my throat.

  Sebastian lifted me up and pressed me against the nearest tree. I could feel him harden between my thighs as he pinned my wrists above me. The edges of bark scraped my back as he grinded himself on me, but it didn’t matter. All I could feel was heat and yearning as my eyes rolled to the back of my head and I moaned—not caring who might hear us in the vast opening of Cadwell Estate.

  His lips traveled from my mouth to my neck and breasts, suckling them over my thin camisole. His calloused hands slid down my arms as he made his way lower, nibbling and biting his way down, kneading my nipples and sending electricity to every nerve ending in my body. Bash worked his way back up, lifting my camisole off at the same time, his face gliding up until they were between my breasts. I couldn’t take it. I needed more.

  “Bash, please,” I groaned, my toes curling with want.

  “Patience is a virtue, Mackenzie,” his voice vibrated against my chest.

  I exhaled a trembling breath as he softly bit my nipple and sucked the sting away. He teased me until my fingers were wrapped in his midnight hair and I screamed his name.

  Sebastian dropped to his knees, sliding my underwear down as he placed soft kisses down my thighs and legs. My hands wrapped around the tree, barley holding myself up. Once I was free of clothing, he hooked one of my legs over his shoulder and those sapphire eyes peered up at me with longing. With a desire so hot, it burned.

  “There’s no going back, Mackenzie Grey,” his breath tickled my nether region. “I want you. All of you. Tell me you’ll have me. I don’t think I could stand another year away after this.”

  I never thought he was even capable of begging. The time for games was over. It’s now or never—I couldn’t string him along anymore. Nothing stood in our way. I didn’t understand what Sebastian and I had, but I was ready to find out.

  “Yes,” I whispered and it was all he needed. He buried his face between my thighs, his tongue gliding over the edges of my lips and darting inside. He pinned me against the tree as one of my hands held on, and the other gripped his head, pulling him closer. My greedy body arched, lifting my hips for more. Every coherent thought had been thrown out, I couldn’t think about anything but the orgasm that was building. As if he knew, Sebastian slid a finger, then two inside—after two pumps—I lost it. I screamed to the heavens above as I thrashed against him, his tongue still stroking and his fingers still working. He kept going, sucking as I moaned his name over and over again. Dizzy from sensory overload, I jerked as he pulled out. He licked his lips and grinned as he watched the spasms of my body slow down.

  In one swift movement, he was on his feet and laying me on the ground. With the sound of leaves crinkling, and the soft, warm soil beneath me, I spread my legs as he nestled himself between them. His blues eyes glowed and I couldn’t help but touch his face. He was beautiful. Utter perfection. I traced every inch of him, memorizing it. I wanted to remember this moment. Remember every second, every touch, every emotion. This was our beginning and I didn’t want to forget.

  My hand reached for his erection, guiding him toward me.

  “I won’t fight this anymore, Bash. It’s you and me.”

  He grinned. “It’s you and me.”

  He pushed inside of me and we became one—like he was a piece of me that had been missing. With controlled strokes, he moved in and out, his muscles flexing with each movement. We moved with a practiced rhythm, each thrust bringing us closer to climax. I tightened and he moved faster, his breathing growing heavy, and his lips crashing onto mine. His tongue slipped inside and I held on to him. The only noise were our groans and the slap of skin echoing into the forest as we teetered on the edge.

  I didn’t care. Let the whole world hear us. He was mine.

  The full moon had been a daze. Sex and shifting, rinse and repeat. We couldn’t get enough—like we had to make up for time lost. Eventually we moved into the manor since it was empty for more privacy. I wasn’t the exhibitionist type, but I was no longer in control. A hunger awakened inside of me that begged for more.

  After the third full moon, we awoke in the middle of a clearing deep in the woods, tangled in one another.

  “Your hair is full of leaves,” he mumbled against my back. His arm wrapped around my middle, with his hand holding on to my breast.

  “Just what every girl wants to hear first thing in the morning,” I snorted as I turned to face him. “I know I have a bird’s nest on top of my head, Bash. No need to remind me.”

  He grinned before leaning forward and kissing me, sensually. His rough hand sliding over my neck and into my hair. I lifted my leg over his hip and I could feel his tip at my entrance, just one thrust away from going inside of me, when we heard footsteps nearby.

  “I guess this will have to wait for later,” he smirked and slapped my ass.

  “Hey!” I playfully pushed him away and went to stand. “So…what now?”

  “Now,” he pulled some leaves out of my hair and away from my face. “We go back to the estate, say bye to everyone, and head to the city.”

  I frowned. “Seriously?”

  He chuckled. “And then I go home with you and we repeat the last few days,” he leaned down to kiss me.

  “Amy is in my apartment,” I said. “And we also have the Fae to worry about.”

  “Right. I guess it’s time we get to work.”

  After a shower, I packed my bags and went downstairs to dump it in one of the cars headed back to the city. I was getting a lot of lingering looks from both Lycans and Lunas.

  “What’s with all the looks? I got something on my face?” I asked Cassidy as I tossed my bag in his car.

  He snorted. “No, but you were pretty vocal.”

  “Huh?”

  Cas shook his head. “Kenz, you weren’t very quiet this weekend, if you catch my drift.”

  My face reddened. “Shit. You think Alexander heard?”

  “You could have been in Florida and he’d hear you. Sorry, Kenz,” he shrugged and shut the trunk. “Maybe get him some ear plugs for Father’s Day?”

  “Very funny,” I deadpanned. “You got jokes, Chang!” I kicked his behind. He reached for me, and we started a playful game of it.

  Once he had me in a headlock, I tapped out.

  “Well someone’s in a good mood. I don’t think I’ve seen you so…happy since I met you,” Cas laughed. “And to think, all it to
ok you was to get laid. I told you since day one. Either shift or get some. Glad you chose the latter.”

  “Oh shut up,” I chuckled, but he was right. Something did change. I felt lighter.

  He pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked his messages. “Alright, I’ll stop messing with you. Let’s get back to the city. I already got a few missed calls from Briggs.”

  “Something happen?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know, but we’re about to find out.”

  29

  Dead water nymphs were found floating along the Hudson River.

  It took a lot of manpower to erase the minds of all the humans that had witnessed the massacre. It had happened during the full moon, so we only had photographs and the bodies in the morgue to go by. This was a hard blow to the unit as they didn’t find out until it was too late. We were still steps behind the Fae without a break in sight.

  “A curfew has been initiated,” Briggs announced. “No supernatural is to roam the streets past dark. Any one caught will be taken into holding for their own good.”

  The murmurs trailed through the squad room as Briggs continued his decree.

  “Can he do this?” I whispered to Cassidy and Michaels. Finn was still in the morgue collecting souls.

  “I guess he can,” Cas shrugged. “I don’t completely disagree with him either. These are dangerous times, Kenz. No one is safe.”

  “No one except the Fae,” I snorted. “We need to find out where they’re hiding.”

  “We tried a locator spell, but it didn’t work,” Michaels said.

  I bit my lip. “I think I have an idea. Meet at my place in twenty?”

  They both nodded.

  We went our separate ways to avoid any suspicion. On the way home I texted Bash.