Buying His Omega: MF Omegaverse SF Romance (Galactic Alphas)
Page 7
Her father blinked, seeming to absorb the information for a moment. “I don’t know what made her find that hint of kindness, but I’m grateful for it.”
Unconvinced it was kindness and not just a stroke of luck, combined with the perceptiveness of Mother Risa in realizing Omalla wasn’t motherly toward her helpless child, she didn’t agree or disagree. “What happened to her?” asked Daisy as she prepared herself to hear the worst. She expected her father to confess to having killed Omalla, and though she couldn’t entirely blame him if he had, it was still a frightening prospect.
He shrugged. “I don’t really know all the details. After I caught up with her and realized she no longer had you, I was done with her. I provided nothing else for her. I severed the marriage within weeks, and it only took that long because of legalities.
“I have no idea what happened to her in the interim, but five years ago, I was called by some ineffectual official on a backwater planet at the ass-end of the galaxy. She’d gotten into a bar fight and was stabbed seventeen times. Obviously, she didn’t survive. They expected me to claim her body and bury her, but I told them to dump her in the nearest pauper’s grave.”
He winced slightly. “I apologize for being so blunt, daughter, but I couldn’t care less what happened to her or her remains. If you wish to track her down, I probably have the information somewhere in my records. Likely, she’s still buried on that planet.”
Ryder’s arms tightly around her as he pulled her closer for comfort when Daisy shivered. She shook her head. “I don’t care to find her.” Knowing what had happened to her mother provided plenty of closure, especially the more she considered just how Omalla had wronged her and Lucien.
It was clear her father loved her and had her entire life. He was the warm, soothing presence she remembered, and he had stayed with her though she’d only been three the last time she saw him. Her mother had taken her away from him, denying her the life she should’ve had while breaking her father’s heart, leaving him in anguish to never know exactly what had happened to his child. Hatred filled her, and she was glad her father had turned his back on any responsibility to the woman. She deserved to molder in an unmarked grave on some remote planet.
“You’re here now, and we have to focus on the present, not the past.” His heavy expression gradually faded to a grin. “You must stay. There’s plenty of room, and I’d be happy to have both of you. I’d like to get to know your young man.”
Daisy stiffened slightly, looking at Ryder. After a moment, he nodded. She turned back to her father with a smile. “We’d be pleased to stay.”
“In that case, I’ll have Sharinda show you to a room. Dinner will be served in a couple of hours, so that gives you time to rest and recover from your journey. I look forward to hearing about your life and getting to know you again.” Lucien reached out to grasp her fingers in a tight grip.
Daisy squeezed back with just as much fervor. “I’m excited as well, Papa.” Perhaps it should’ve been too soon, but as she said the word, it felt completely right. Whatever had been missing felt like it was starting to fill in, and she was riding high on a tide of jubilation as she followed his housekeeper up the stairs a short time later with Ryder right behind her.
Once they were in their new quarters, she turned to face her lover. “It’s amazing. I was afraid it was going to be horrible, but this is the best thing that could happen.”
Ryder smiled, but he seemed concerned. He turned away from her as he nodded. “Yes, it’s wonderful.”
With a frown, she moved closer, putting her hand on his shoulder and getting him to turn back to her. “Why don’t I believe you?”
He flashed a ghost of a smile. “I guess I’m just worried I’ll be superfluous. You’ve found where you belong, and I could never imagine staying on one planet forever. You’re my Omega, but I’m afraid I’ve just lost you.”
She couldn’t help it. Daisy giggled. His expression tightened, so she did her best to stifle the initial reaction of amusement. Instead, she cupped his face in her hands and stretched on her tiptoes, brushing her mouth against his. “You haven’t lost me. We’ll stay for a while, but I want to go too. I want to see all the things I’ve missed, being protected as I was on Paladin. We still want the same things, and I love you. I don’t want you to leave without me. I feel like we were meant to find each other, and nothing’s going to pull us apart now. I want to get to know my father and stay for a while, but that doesn’t mean we have to live here.”
He looked relieved, and then he pulled her into his arms. “I feel like I’m being a selfish Alpha. I should be able to set aside the reluctance to stay in one place if that’s what you want. If this is what you decide you need, I’ll find a way to make it work.”
“I appreciate that, but I think we should have a partnership. Neither of us should be sacrificing too much to make the other happy. We should find options that make us both happy.” She leaned forward, kissing him again, this time drawing it into a long, slow embrace that left them both breathless when they parted several minutes later. “There’s a whole world waiting for us to explore together. Don’t lose faith in us now.”
After a moment, Ryder nodded, and he looked far more confident. “I suppose it was just an instant of doubt anyway. Our relationship is so new and still forming, and you don’t need me now.”
She scowled at him as she pressed her fingers to his lips. “Watch what you say before you make me angry. I still need you. You’re my Alpha, and I’m your Omega. I suspect you’re the ideal for me and vice versa. No matter what else happens, or what we find or go through, we’re still going to have this bond between us. It will be ever-deepening. Don’t you agree?”
He nodded emphatically. “Yes, and I hate that I’m revealing any misgivings. I don’t doubt the strength of our bond and the love we’re forming. I guess I’m just scared to lose you.”
“Perhaps you aren’t supposed to be afraid, since you’re an Alpha, but I like seeing this side of you. I don’t enjoy your fear, but I like knowing there’s vulnerability in you. It makes me love you even more.” She brushed her mouth against his cheek. “I have a feeling I’ll love you even more tomorrow.” She kissed him on the other cheek. “And even more next year.” She brushed her lips against his. “And beyond the bounds of imagining in the years to come.”
“I’m sure you’re right.” His mouth took possession of hers then, and there was no gentle brushing or quickly darting away. This was a serious, intense kiss full of promises and passion, and she had no interest in breaking it.
When it naturally led to the two of them sprawling on the bed, sharing their passion and love in a more physical way, Daisy felt only reassured and complete as they joined. Her future seemed unexpectedly brighter than she’d ever imagined, and she looked forward to seeing what each day brought with her Alpha beside her.
Did you miss the first book in the Galactic Alphas series? “Alpha’s Omega” is available at Amazon.
“Claiming His Omega,” Azaria and Quinn’s story, is coming soon.
About Juno
Juno Wells grew up on Florida’s Space Coast, watching the shuttles take off from Cape Canaveral. When she hit college, her childhood fantasies about space travel turned highly romantic. Now her mind reels with space adventures of fantastic alien lords in distant galaxies, and the Earth women they love.
Wells’ stories explore the complex, sensual relationships between inhabitants of different star systems. There are always happy endings just as there is always a new world to explore.
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