Free Omega by Charlene Hartnady

screwed,
he wouldn’t be able to let her go. If she didn’t, he’d be hurt. It would be
better if he took control, a clean easy break. As seamless as possible.
    “Just for the record, you’re going to have an amazing life. Your
company will take you back even though you’ve been AWOL for a couple of days.”
    She pulled in a breath and he could tell that she wanted to jump in.
    “Let me finish please,” he continued.
    She sucked in her bottom lip, clenching it between her teeth.
Something she did when she was trying to keep from talking. For the gazillienth
time since he’d woken up that night listening to her soft snoring, he wished he
could find out all of her quirks and everything else about her. Especially how
his name would sound on her lips when she came. How her blood would taste on
his lips during that precious moment… Oh hell…
    Not now. Not ever.
    He knocked the thought down before it could do more damage. “Now
that you know who…what you are, you’ll do better. Remember I told you that a demon
would be the best…partner for you.” For the Mother of Hades, he had to look
away because she held her breath in… expectancy? “…I was wrong. There are
humans out there that actually prefer demons. They may not know that demons
exist but they are drawn to what previous males in your life…” Cole paused,
trying to stop himself from growling as he spoke of the puny, stupid humans who
didn’t realize what a treasure they had in Katy, “They’re drawn to that
overwhelming, raw, baser side of demons.” He kept his eyes on the window
overlooking the manicured gardens. “You’ll find the right person…one that will
accept you…a human. A normal life. The whole nine yards and you can have it
all. You can even have children, as long as you never take the silver off and
take a human you’ll be able to conceive normally.”
    He could picture a little dark haired cherub with bright blue eyes,
just like her mommy. Couldn’t help but wish it was his future too. His hand
lifted, he wanted to touch her, to run the pad of his thumb down the side of
her cheek just one last time but he stopped himself.
    A clean easy break .
    No touching.
    Cole raked his fingers through his hair before jamming both hands
into his pockets.
    “Thank-you Cole. You saved me. Took off your ring…for me,” her eyes
were filling.
     Damn it, she was going to cry. He couldn’t handle that. If she did
he’d have to hug her which might lead to him confessing his love for her.
    Love.
    At least he was finally able to admit to himself that he loved her.
It wasn’t lust or pheromones or a fever muggled brain, he loved the woman
standing in front of him. So much so that he had to do the right thing by her
and let her go. Her lip quivered.
    “I’m no hero Katy. I’m a Chaser and all I was doing was my duty. I
would have done the same for anyone…” Liar. “I mostly did it to save
myself…” Liar.
    He knew he would never have taken the ring off for anything or
anyone else. Cole had lain there feeling his blood drain from his body feeling
himself weaken with each passing second and had known that if he stayed human,
he would die. He wasn’t afraid of death but Katy…Bain was going to rape and
then kill his beautiful Katy and he couldn’t let that happen. His wolf was half
mad with rage…still strong and so he’d slipped the ring from his finger.
    “I knew that I would die if I stayed human so I took the ring off.”
     Her face clouded and her sadness seemed to grow and then she looked
as if she had reached a decision. Standing more upright, she squared her
shoulders. Her lip stopped quivering and her eyes grew determined.
    Damn himself to hell but he couldn’t leave it like this, “but I’m
glad it worked out the way it did. I couldn’t let him…,” Cole shook his head
dispelling the memory. He let just the tip of his finger brush the side of her
arm before jamming his hand back into his pocket. “I just wish I’d