Ryan sat up, and we both turned to see Crow and a black-haired woman about his same age arguing near the gate. She was making animated gestures, while Crow seemed to shrink in on himself.
I nudged Ryan, intent on breaking up the argument, but she stormed off before he could move.
Crow stared after her for several seconds, then turned—our gazes locking for half a second. Then he headed through the back door and disappeared into the house.
“What was that about?” Ryan asked.
“I don’t know…”
Was it better to go after him, or give him space?
“Where are all the kids?” somebody shouted. “It’s time to break open this piñata!”
I sighed. Crow was a grown man, and if he wanted to talk to somebody, he could approach a person he trusted on his own.
Chapter 5
~November~
Exhaustion curled through me as I trudged through the side gate towards my stairs, but I stopped as flickering flames and the scent of smoke caught my attention.
I wanted nothing more than to flop onto my futon and pass out. I’d had a busy double shift when the night manager had called in sick and was facing another the next day.
However, I knew who was sitting at the fire—he’d been out there several times over the past few weeks—and it was time I did something about it. So I walked through the back door instead, grabbed a couple of beers from the fridge, and carried them to where Crow sat at the fire pit.
He looked up at me, uncertainty in his gaze as I held out a beer, but he accepted it after a moment. I took a seat on the bench beside him and took a long pull from my bottle, waiting for him to speak.
Crow dangled his beer bottle between his fingers, eyes intent on the fire.
It was the kind of silence where not a word was said, but we both understood the implied conversation. I was there to listen, but he didn’t necessarily want to talk. However, I wasn’t planning on going anywhere until he told me what was wrong.
Easily two or three long minutes of silence passed before he sighed, took a drink from his bottle, and spoke.
“That was my twin sister at the party, Raven.”
I nodded, refusing to interrupt him.
He blew out a long breath, leaned back, and stared at the sky. “We’ve come so far, but part of me wonders if she might have gotten stuck in our old ways, while I’m continuing to move forward.”
There was pain in his voice, and, without thinking, I scooted a couple inches closer and pulled him against my side—giving him the same safe space that I would have given Ryan.
Crow melted against me, and it made me wonder just how much weight he was carrying that a simple gesture could give him that much relief.
“May I ask you a question?” he asked after another minute of silence.
“Sure.”
“Wh-what’s your preference?”
“Hmm?”
“Men? Women? Alpha? Omega?”
I blinked, wondering where he was going with that, but I decided to humor him. “Men. Women are nice to look at, but never did anything for me. As to alpha or omega… My mama wants me to settle with an omega, have a family, the whole thing. But I just want a man who loves me, and who I love back. Sure, I’d like kids, but it isn’t necessary.”
“Have… have you ever been with another alpha—taken a knot?”
I chuckled. “A few times. Though it’s been a while. I haven’t dated seriously in years.”
