The Omega and The Arrogant Alpha (by Kylie) novel Chapter 341

I wake before the alarm because my mind never truly shut off, and for a few seconds I lie still, staring at the ceiling while the memory of that distant howl threads back through my chest like something unfinished. The bond is quiet but alert, not agitated, just aware, and I press my palm flat against my sternum as if I can feel the shape of my own resolve sitting there.

Beside me, Landon is already awake.

I can tell from the way his breathing shifts when I move, controlled and deliberate instead of deep and drifting, and when I turn my head slightly I find him staring at the far wall, jaw tight in a way that tells me he has been thinking for hours.

“You didn’t sleep,” I say softly.

“Not much,” he replies, and there is no defensiveness in it.

Neither of us apologizes.

I push the covers back and sit up, feet hitting the cool floor, and I let the temperature ground me before the day starts claiming pieces of me again. The shower runs warm but not scalding this time, steam rising in soft waves while I wash my hair and let the rhythm of it steady my thoughts. I move slowly, methodically, because if today is going to be a statement then it needs to come from control, not reaction.

When I step out, towel wrapped tight around me, I catch my reflection in the mirror and hold it for a second longer than usual.

They think I am a variable.

Fine.

Variables can still be calculated.

Downstairs the kitchen is quieter than usual, the early hour keeping most of the pack in their rooms, and I brew coffee while Landon leans against the counter, sleeves already rolled up, patrol logs stacked neatly beside him. The scent of it fills the space, dark and familiar, and for a moment it almost feels like an ordinary morning.

Almost.

“I want the review in the courtyard,” I say, pouring two mugs without looking at him.

He does not hesitate. “Public.”

“Yes.”

He studies me for a moment, and the bond shifts subtly, not questioning, just aligning.

“They’ll read that as confidence,” he says.

“That’s the point.”

We drink in silence after that, not strained, but purposeful, and when I finish I rinse my mug immediately, the small domestic motion grounding in a way that strategy is not.

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