Page 5 of Generation Omega: Claimed
Jameson reads the disdain in my gaze and predictably rolls his eyes. “So, you didn’t miss me? I’mhurt…so, sohurt. All my delicate feelings are getting weepy.Darn.” Then he quits playing his performative games and levels a baleful stare at me. “Seriously, I didn’t choose this freak show—it chose me. So, I guess we’re all going to have to just deal.”
Kazimir responds before I do. “I didn’tchooseyou, and I don’t have tojust dealwith anything. I can not only chuck you into the ocean but also compel you to guzzle salt water until youdrown. I don’t give a fuck who you are orwere, because now, you’re either an alpha dedicated to your omega or a bloated corpse about to be weighted and on your way to your fancy new home on the sea floor.”
Jameson struggles against his captor, and Kazimir delivers another potent command, forcing our infamously annoying alpha into submission. It should be me declaring my leadership, but I’m not like Kazimir when it comes to Jameson Farraway. Hell, I’m not like Kazimir when it comes to control either. He’s still holding the line that I already stumbled over and face-planted just beyond.
What surprises me is how Kazimir looks to me, offering me the chance to take charge. He’s the only one who could actually challenge me for power—with the possible exception of thekiltedbrick shithouse with Tillie—but he’s holding back. I know why, the gift the legacy gave us to make this unconventional partnership work. Itisa partnership, as strange as that is. He’s my second in this battle for pack cohesion, as invested in our success as I am—as only bonded alphas could be.
I release a breath and take the baton Kazimir offers. “We don’t have time to establish how this pack is going to run, but we will after we’ve taken care of our omega. Are we in agreement that Tillie’s welfare is our priority?”
Thatcher nods, but he’s almost entirely owned by his alpha and just wants to get to the rut before his dick explodes. Kaz’s expression is impassive, but he gives a tight nod.
“If you’ll get the fuck off me, I’d be happy to fuck that pretty, little…” Jameson doesn’t finish before Kazimir unleashes on him, pummeling one of the most photographed faces in the world without any hesitation.
I stop the assassin’s fist before it lands a fourth time and feel his seething fury at being restrained. I release him, and he seizes Jameson’s face in a punishing grip.
“Disrespect her again and die, you piece of shit,” Kazimir growls. “I don’t know how to make this clear to such a vapid waste of space, but yourdaddyisn’t here to protect you.” He lets those words linger for a moment before adding what might be more significant. “Your daddy’sSecret Servicedetail isn’t here to protect you either. You left the safe harbor of your old life and now, you’re accountable to us and no one else. When you need boundaries that no one ever gave you, they’ll come from me. I’ll be providing the education others neglected in how the world works.” He slams Jameson’s head onto the deck. “Tell me you understand, and call meAlpha.”
That last part carried the bark, and Jameson’s outrage builds as he attempts to evade Kazimir’s command. But he can’t, and his involuntary surrender is displayed in the submissive closing of his eyes, before he says, “I understand,Alpha.”
Our killer is not finished, and I’m not getting in his way. “Do I need to make you crawl to the nest? Maybe eat out of a bowl on the floor like the dog you are? Do I need to show you that you’re nothing but my little bitch until I decide otherwise? I’ll do all that and more, but make no mistake, you’re trapped with us forever. No one—not even the President of the United States—can free you now. Your position in the pack will be based entirely on how you treat your omega and my beta. Any slight toward them, and I’ll make every minute of your remaining hours the exact hellscape you deserve. Are we clear?”
“Yes, Alpha.” That came quickly and without Jameson’s consent.
Kazimir stands and, when Jameson moves to follow, the assassin shouts, “Stay down and listen to the first alpha.”
Kazimir’s deranged smile is proof of his amusement, but it’s not just about bullying the president’s unruly son. The unmistakably hopeful spark in his dark eyes remains a mystery until my foggy mind finally deciphers it. Jameson MatthieuFarraway is theonlychild of the President of the United States, and he’s also the only remaining link to the beloved wife the president tragically lost. The petulant delinquent lying on the deck is the one person the most powerful man in the world would do anything to protect. And he’s completely dependent on us for survival—completely dependent on the survival of the omega. Fucking brilliant.
Couldn’t agree more.The legacy’s a bit smug but also profoundly reassured, not just by Jameson’s arrival but by Kazimir, the stalwart warrior who’s proving his worth every second.
Kazimir gestures to me, like it’s time for me to do somethingleaderly.
So, I pull out the classics, crossing my arms over my chest. “Welcome to Rut Club, gentlemen. The first rule of Rut Club is you willnotbite our omega. The second rule of Rut Club is you willNOTbite our omega.” I deliver that with a bark that even impresses the killer. “The third rule of Rut Club is you better rock our omega’s world or you’ll be replaced by someone who will.”
Before I release the hounds straining at their leashes, I add, “Ethan is in charge of the nest, and Kazimir will back him up. You make one move to harm Ethan, and Kazimir won’t have the chance to end you. AM I CLEAR?!”
“Yes, Alpha,” Thatcher blurts, while Jameson is only a moment behind him, sounding a cross between surly and simpering.
The assassin displays his power by simply grinning at me. If I ever fall, Kazimir will grasp control—that is a comfort I never believed I would feel, but here we are.
“All right, packmates, let’s do this.”
CHAPTER 3
KAZIMIR
Before anyone moves toward the nest, I command the professor and thePrince of Americato tie the boat.
After they obey, I turn to Gideon and speak in a low, murderous tone. “You do realize that if you threaten Ethan again,we’regoing to have a problem. I can slaughter the lot of you while you’re rut drunk and take Ethan and the omega for myself.”
With festering revulsion, I find myself considering what Ethan would want me to say to keep this communication diplomatic and productive. “I’ll try not to…” Look at me now, a man of the people. “… but one insult, let alone physical violence against him, and I won’t have a choice whether to act or how severe the results.”
Gideon sets his hand on my shoulder, and I wonder what I’ve done to be perceived as approachable, touchable, nonmalignant. Ethan is turning out to be a terrible influence on me and my well-crafted reputation.
“I understand completely. You do what you need to do to keep them safe. Just remember, killing us will destroy her, which will destroy him.” Gideon shakes his head like he can’t believe what he’s about to say. “Everything rests on your control—thecontrol of the man who wanted us all dead.” With absolute sincerity, he adds, “For what it’s worth, I’m glad you showed up in that alley.”
My shock is obvious, and all my perfectly honed vengeful or condescending retorts dissipate before they can be unleashed. I’m ruined. Next, I’ll be seeking group hugs and posing with fluffy kittens for an endearing calendar shoot, probably given a benign month like April or May. I’m becomingspringrather than a scorching August in a dry, cracked desert. Ruined.
“I mean it.” Gideon’s earnestness is distasteful. “You can hate the omega legacy for what it did in ensnaring you, but the strategic value can’t be denied.” His expression sours as he tilts his head toward the two asshats bickering about how best to tie a knot. Primal cavemen tying knots, the world’s first game show—maybe second, after saber-toothed cat hunts with obnoxious relations as prey, the original hunger games. “It’s the same with them. As painful as it is to admit, we need Thatcher and theFirst Son.”
