The Lycan King's Outcast Omega (by Cara Anderson) novel Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Sage

My heart hammers against my ribs as Alaric’s powerful presence fills the pantry doorway. The familiar scent of pine and winter wind wraps around me, but there is something else there too–a dangerous edge that makes the air crackle with tension.

Eris’s perfectly painted lips curve into an innocent smile. “Alaric, I was just explaining to your… guest… that we have strict protocols about food distribution in the pack.”

“Is that what you call cornering a traumatized wolf in a confined space?” Alaric’s voice is deceptively soft, but I can feel the fury radiating from hi

in waves. His steel–gray eyes have shifted to molten amber, fixed on Eris with predatory focus.

“I didn’t-” Eris begins, but Alaric cuts her off with a low growl that makes us both flinch.

“Get out.” The words carry the full weight of an Alpha command. Eris’s face contorts in rage for a split second before she masks it, ducking her head in a show of submission before slinking past him.

As soon as she’s gone, Alaric’s entire demeanor changes. He approaches me slowly, hands raised in a non- threatening gesture. “Sweetling?”

The gentle concern in his voice breaks something in me. I hadn’t realized I’d pressed myself into the corner, arms wrapped protectively around my middle. My breath comes in short, sharp gasps.

“I wasn’t stealing,” I whisper, hating how small my voice sounds. “Iris said… we were getting snacks for movie night. I swear I wasn’t-”

“Sage.” Alaric closes the distance between us, his large frame blocking out the rest of the world. “Look at me.”

I force myself to meet his gaze, finding his eyes have softened back to steel–gray. The scar along his face catches the light as he crouches down to my level.

“This is your home now,” he says firmly. “Your pack. You don’t need permission to eat.”

Something warm and unfamiliar blooms in my chest at his words. Home. Pack. They’re dangerous words to believe in.

“But Eris said—”

“Eris doesn’t make the rules here.” His jaw tightens. “And she’s about to learn exactly what happens when someone threatens what’s mine.”

My breath catches at the possessive note in his voice. “Yours?”

Before he can answer, Iris appears in the doorway, her face flushed with anger. “Alaric, I just passed Eris in the hall looking like she swallowed a lemon. What did she” She stops short, taking in the scene. “Oh, that bitch. I’m going to kill her.”

“Iris,” Alaric warns, though his lips twitch slightly.

“Don’t ‘Iris‘ me, brother.” She storms into the pantry, grabbing snacks with violent enthusiasm. “I invited Sage for movies. This is absolutely unacceptable, Either you handle Eris, or I will, and trust me, you won’t like my

methods.”

The tension in the air dissipates as I find myself fighting back a smile. Iris’s righteous indignation on my behalf

Chapter 18

+25 BONUS

feels like a warm blanket around my shoulders.

Alaric straightens, his hand brushing my arm in a touch so light I might have imagined it. “Oh, I’ll handle it.” His voice holds a promise that sends shivers down my spine. “But first-” He reaches past her to grab a bag of chocolate–covered almonds from the shelf, pressing them into her hands. “Movie night awaits. Though I think perhaps we should make it a group activity.”

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