The Lycan King's Outcast Omega (by Cara Anderson) novel Chapter 19

Chapter 19

“Stop looking like you’re planning an escape route,” Iris calls out, throwing a pillow at me. I catch it reflexively, hugging it to my chest.

Alaric’s warm chuckle sends a shiver down my spine. He’s standing closer than I realized, close enough that I can feel the heat radiating from his body. “My sister has always been particular about movie night arrangements.” “Someone has to be,” Iris retorts. “Otherwise, this one-” she points accusingly at her brother, “-would just sit rigid as a statue through the whole thing.”

I sneak a glance at Alaric, tryi

to picture the powerful Lycan King sitting stiffly through a romantic comedy. The mental image makes me bite back a smile, which doesn’t go unnoticed.

“Already making fun of me, sweetling?” His voice is low, meant just for me, and the playful note in it makes my heart stutter. When I look up at him, his steel–gray eyes are dancing with amusement, the severe line of his scar softened by his expression.

“I would never,” I manage to whisper back, surprised by my own daring. His responding grin is worth it. “Perfect!” Iris announces, surveying her handiwork.

She’s transformed the sectional into something resembling a den, with blankets and pillows arranged in a way that looks cozy but maintains clear sight lines to all entrances–a detail I suspect is for my benefit. “Now, seating arrangements.‘

Before anyone can move, she plops herself down in the corner section. “I’ll take this end, since Garrett will be joining us after his patrol.” She fixes us with an innocent look that doesn’t fool me for a second. “Sage, why don’t you sit here?” She pats the space next to her, which would put me directly beside the spot where Alaric would have to sit.

I hesitate, but Alaric’s hand settles gently on my lower back, guiding me forward. The touch sends warmth spreading through my entire body, and I have to concentrate on not stumbling over my own feet.

As I sink into the impossibly soft cushions, Alaric sits beside me, his large frame making me acutely aware of how small this section of the couch suddenly feels. He stretches his arm along the back of the sofa, not quite touching me but close enough that I can feel the phantom pressure of it.

“What are we watching?” he asks, and I swear he shifts slightly closer.

Iris holds up a remote with a triumphant grin. “Pride and Prejudice.”

“The one with the hand flex?” I blurt out before I can stop myself. Both siblings turn to look at me with such identical expressions of surprise that I feel my cheeks heat up. “I… um, I found a copy in the Blackthorn library once. I used to sneak reads when no one was around.”

Alaric’s expression softens into something that makes my heart ache. “The hand flex, hmm?” he murmurs, and I watch in fascination as his own hand flexes where it rests on the back of the couch, fingers stretching out before curling back in. The gesture seems unconscious, but it sends a jolt of awareness through my entire body. “You’ll fit right in,” Iris declares, pressing play before snuggling into her corner with a knowing smirk.

As the movie starts and the lights dim automatically, I’m hyperaware of every tiny movement Alaric makes beside me. When I shiver slightly from nerves or the room’s temperature, I’m not sure which–he reaches for one of the blankets without comment, draping it over me with gentle care. His fingers brush against my shoulder in the process, and I have to bite my lip to keep from gasping at the contact.

Chapter 19

+25 BONUS

I should be terrified, sitting here between the Lycan King and his sister. Instead, I feel something dangerously close to peace settling over me. Even my wolf, usually so quiet and distant, seems to purr with contentment.

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