Page 1 of Omega on Fire
PROLOGUE
CHARLOTTE
You know what I hate? Titty sweat. Between the heat, humidity, and friction, I’m dying to just remove my boobs at this point. Only for a moment. It should be allowed when you haul around big-ass double Ds for a living. I’m not a small woman. I mean, I could argue that my thighs aren’t faring well either, or the leggings I decided to wear today. Right now, I’m the uncomfortable mess who made the brilliant decision to walk home tonight instead of taking the Uber that was offered.
Past me thought, Yeah, Charlotte, get your steps in, girl.Well, past me can kiss my sweaty ass at this point. The sooner I get home and into a cold shower, the better. Nothing like good old Southern heat to make you regret stepping outside. Houston in thesummer is like being trapped underneath a swampy armpit while gasping for breath.
A brief movement catches my attention from the corner of my eye, and my pulse stutters for half a second before I realize it’s just my own damn shadow stretching under the flickering streetlamp. My laugh is short, forced. Get a grip, Char.
“Char! Are you listening? Your timing is the worst, girl. Was it really wise to be walking alone right now?” Brookes calls out from my phone, the phone I’m holding a few inches away from my ear. You know, ear sweat and all that.
He’s right, though. I really shouldn’t be walking alone right now, but I refuse to rearrange my life just because people recognize me on the street. Okay, so maybe I have a few enemies out there as well, but I couldn’t do what I do if a few threats sent me running to hide away in my closet. One: running and I don’t get along. Two: did I mention running? Because, nah.
Still, something unsettles me. Maybe it’s the weight of Brookes’ concern or the eerie stillness of the street, but I glance over my shoulder just to be sure. Empty sidewalks. An SUV parked neatly at the curb. Didn’t I see that exact same one outside the Have Faith Foundation headquarters earlier? I quicken my steps.
“I’m not far, Brookie. Self-care means opting to put one foot in front of the other and getting the heart pumping. I don’t regret turning down a nice, air-conditioned ride. Not at all.” I pant, making him laugh.
The sound of his laughter makes me eager to see his face. Brookes and I have been roommates for over five years now. Like me, he’s an Omega, but unlike me he was born into a family who threw him out at the age of fifteen when he didn’t present as an Alpha—or at the very least, something ‘useful’ like a Beta. No, male Omegas are useless, according to his parents. Pieces of shit, the lot of them.
Your designation shouldn’t determine your worth. But trying to get the world to see and understand that is like trying to shove a square peg inside a triangle. You can try, but it’s pointless. Well, I’m going to keep trying, damn it. I might be the poster child for insanity, but I refuse to stop speaking out for the rights of Omegas like Brookes. Like me. I didn’t choose this advocacy life—the advocacy life chose me.
“I’m just worried, boo. We may live in an Omega-safe city, but every time I turn on the news there’s another missing Omega on the screen. As much as I enjoy seeing that gorgeous face of yours on television, I don’t want to see it with a ‘missing’ stamp overit. It won’t be a good look, and it would kill me, Charlotte.”
I smile, rolling my eyes. “You’re so dramatic.” But I don’t laugh this time. The uneasy feeling hasn’t gone away. In fact, it’s worse now, crawling up the back of my neck like a warning.
A prickle of awareness sends another glance over my shoulder, and this time, my stomach clenches. The SUV that was parked too neatly, the one I barely registered a few minutes ago? The headlights are on now, idling. Waiting. Damn it.
I swallow hard and pick up my pace.
“I’m not being dramatic, Charlotte Matthews. Just get home. I’ll feel better once I’ve laid eyes on you. I’ve missed your face. I hate traveling for shoots.” I can envision him pouting. “I’ll order from your favorite Korean restaurant, and we can fill ourselves to bursting with Bibimbap and fried chicken. A man cannot survive on green juices alone,” Brookes says eagerly.
My eyes are on the SUV as I practically jog past it. The windows are tinted, making it impossible to see who’s inside. Cars continue to pass by frequently, giving me a semblance of security if I keep my eyes forward.
“One foot in front of the other, Charlotte,” Imutter to myself, before turning my attention back to my phone.
“Korean sounds amazing, Brookie. But order when I get in,” I say offhandedly. I don’t want to alarm him but maybe I should take my safety more seriously. “Ah, I need you to keep me company for these last few blocks.”
Honestly, I’ve seen the reports. We’ve had several Omegas at the foundation expressing their worry about traffickers drugging Omegas before taking them. It’s quick, efficient. No screaming. No fighting. They vanish without a trace.
Before I can hear Brookes reply, hands grip me from behind, yanking me off my feet so violently my breath leaves me in a strangled gasp. My phone clatters to the pavement, Brookes' voice still coming through as I twist and kick wildly.
“Stop fighting, bitch,” a voice hisses in my ear, “or I’ll shut you up with my dick down your throat.” He laughs, and the threat makes my stomach churn.
A sharp slap cracks across my cheek, disorienting me. My cry is muffled as a gloved hand clamps over my mouth, my vision swimming.
“Don’t damage the goods, dumbass. You weren’t supposed to hit her,” another voice snaps.
Terror claws up my throat as I see a white van.My struggles renew with desperate strength. Teeth sinking into flesh, my captor howls in pain, but my victory is short-lived as something sharp pricks my neck. A sting. A rush of cold spreading under my skin.
“She’s a fighter,” someone mutters as my limbs go numb.
My world tilts, darkness closing in. My mind screams at my body to move, to fight, but I can’t. The last thing I see is my phone, screen cracked, Brookes’ name flashing.
“Brookes,” I whisper but it’s already too late. Darkness takes me.
CHAPTER 1
TRIGGER
