Omega's Truth - Nora Phoenix Page 0,1

“My ancestors bred Arabian horses, according to my grandmother. They were what people now call horse whisperers, legendary seminomads who bred and raced horses through the desert. I started riding horses when I was young, maybe six or so, and I turned out to be a natural. But I didn’t like to ride western, and I hated both dressage and jumping… I just wanted to race, go fast, preferably bareback.”

Lucan couldn’t resist. It was too easy. “I prefer riding bareback as well.”

Maz grinned a slow, sexy grin. “I know you do, habibi…and you excel at it.”

Lucan laughed. He loved that Maz could see the humor of cheesy puns like that. “But all kidding aside, when’s the last time you rode?”

“A couple of years ago? I’m just saying that if we end up having to travel between the two packs by horse, I’m not gonna complain.”

“But you’d be open to joining?”

“Yes. I totally understand you need some distance from your family, and I think it may be good for us. A fresh start. Now that I’ve publicly ‘claimed’ you at the pack meeting yesterday…”

He air quoted “claimed” because he wasn’t talking about alpha claiming, obviously, but about the way he’d made clear Lucan and he were together. Lucan rolled his eyes. “God, that was so awkward, the way Lev was working up the courage to ask me for… Hell, I don’t even know for what, but something sexual, I suppose.”

“Sivney and Naran set him straight, so I don’t think you have anything to worry about there. But I’m ready to make our relationship public if you are.”

Lucan nodded immediately. “I am. It’s not like I feel the need to post an ad in the paper—if papers even exist anymore, considering the situation in the city—but I’d feel comfortable about at least being open about us being together.”

Maz hesitated, then asked, “But what about Sando? Are you ready to leave him behind?”

Lucan breathed out slowly. “We won’t be that far away, and it’s not like he won’t know where to find us if he ever does want to see us.”

He couldn’t help the bitterness that seeped into his voice. How had things gone so horribly wrong? He hadn’t expected Sando to instantly fall into his arms, but to go back to how they’d been, like nothing had happened, felt like a slap in his face after all that they’d shared.

“I asked Enar, and he said he’d check in with Palani about Sando and his father,” Maz said.

“I don’t know if anything will come from that. Palani seems distracted at the moment. Overworked.”

“Yeah, he’s overextended.” Maz frowned. “I hope it’s just that. He didn’t look too good the last time I saw him. Maybe he’s coming down with something. Wouldn’t be surprising, what with how hard he works.”

“Yeah, I heard rumors he’s dropping a lot of balls lately, forgetting things. Today he walked into a meeting Enar had with Sando and his father, and I don’t even think Palani realized Sando’s office was empty.”

“What was the meeting about?”

“Palani used to meet with Sando every two weeks or so to check in with him, but that stopped when his father returned. Enar set it up to see where they were with their research so he could report back to Palani. I think he wanted to save Palani some time, but Palani joined them anyway. He seemed unaware Sando wasn’t working from the clinic anymore, so I’m not counting on him following up on what you told him about Sando and his father…”

Maz clicked his tongue. “In that case, we may need to check ourselves if Sando is okay.”

“He looked okay when he rushed past me yesterday…barely sparing me a glance.”

“I haven’t seen him since the refugees showed up and he offered to help, and that was two weeks ago. I don’t like it that no one is actually keeping an eye on him.”

“Do we know how he’s doing with his other…issues? His health issues? Has he seen you or Enar for that again?”

“Not as far as I know, and I’m sure Enar would’ve told me.”

“I’m still wondering what caused that…”

Maz hesitated as if he wanted to say something but wasn’t sure he should.

Lucan frowned. “Maz?”

“It doesn’t help to speculate,” Maz said softly.

“Maybe it does, if we’re both thinking the same thing.” Lucan had barely allowed that horrible thought in that had popped up in his head more than once. Every time, he’d suppressed it immediately because it would mean Professor Melloni was far, far