The Lycan King's Outcast Omega (by Cara Anderson) novel Chapter 78

“Sage

“Did you laugh about it? Poor broken Sage, too wolfless to understand mate bonds? Too damaged to recognize what everyone else probably saw?”

“Never.” The force of his denial would knock me back if I wasn’t so angry. “I would never-”

“Then why?” My voice breaks. “Why keep it from me? Why maintain distance when you knew what we were to each other?”

His face shows dawning horror as he realizes how his silence appears to me now. But he doesn’t offer an explanation.

“Did Iris know?” I ask suddenly, the thought hitting me square in the chest. “Garrett?”

His silence is answer enough.

“Who else?” My voice shakes. “Who else knew what I couldn’t feel? Who else watched me struggle to understand these feelings while knowing exactly what they meant?”

“Only them,” he says quietly. “I needed… I needed someone to talk to about it.”

“Like Cassius needed someone to talk to before rejecting me?” The words make him flinch. “Did you even think about how it would feel, having another mate keep the bond secret until it suited him to reveal it?”

“That’s not-”

“Not what? Not the same?” Bitter laughter escapes me. “You’re right. It’s worse. Because you knew what he did to me. You knew how it felt to have a mate bond hidden from me, used against me. And you did it anyway.‘

“He loves us,” Aura whines, feeling my pain. “I can sense it in the bond.”

“Love isn’t enough,” I tell her. “Not without trust.”

“I was trying to protect you,” he says. “To give you time to heal, to choose for yourself without feeling obligated

“Like Cassius said he was protecting pack interests? Like he chose when and how to reveal our bond?” The parallel makes him pale. “You took away my choice, Alaric. Just like he did.”

“Sage, please ”

“All those times I asked you what I was to you and you told me it was ‘complicated.‘ Complicated how, Alaric? Were you embarrassed to be mated to a wolfless omega just like he was? You were considering rejecting me, weren’t you?”

“No!” The force of his denial makes the room shake, his eyes bleeding amber. “Never. I would never reject you. I’ve wanted to claim you since the moment I met you.”

“Then why-”

1/2

Chapter 78

+25 BONUS

“Because I wanted you to choose me!” His voice breaks. “Not the mate bond, not duty, not obligation. I wanted you to love me for me, like I love you for you – wolf or no wolf. And because I know you deserve better.

“You’re so pure, sweet, and loving. I’m gruff and surly at the best of times. Not to mention my responsibility to an entire kingdom that can’t be ignored no matter how much I might want to at times.

“You deserve to be doted on, adored, and loved by someone who knows how to show you what you mean to them. I wasn’t sure I could give you that. I’m still not. But I’m a selfish man, Sage. Wanting you has never been a problem and I finally decided to take what I want.”

The words hit me like physical blows, each one leaving their impact deep in my soul. But I can’t let them sway me. Not now. I’m too hurt and the wounds are too fresh.

“And Iris? Garrett? Were they laughing at me too? Poor stupid Sage, can’t even tell she’s found her mate?”

“They wanted me to tell you,” he admits quietly. “Especially after… after we became intimate. Iris said I was being an idiot.”

“She’s right,” Aura growls in my mind. “But he meant to protect us.”

Verify captcha to read the contentVerify