“I know first meetings aren’t exactly the time for confessions, but I’ve been in love with my best friend for a long time. And I saw you scent-match him, and panicked.”
Whatever I thought he was going to say to reassure me, it was definitely not that.
“What?” I started, then waved it off. “No, I don’t need you to repeat, but why didn’t you just tell him? Does he not feel the same?”
He let out a sigh and joined me, leaning against the railing and looking off, though probably not seeing any more than I was.
“Sometimes it feels like he does. Like he’s the only one that really knows me, and he sees me for more than my faults. And then he just stops himself. At one point, I’d even convinced myself that we were scent-matches. His scent is something I could drown in, but I’ve never seen him react to mine.”
“Maybe he’s not sure that you feel the same way,” I mused. “Sometimes, alphas can be a bit slow to see the obvious.”
I didn’t know what bizarre world I’d landed in that I was giving relationship advice to a scent-match. One I had no idea how he felt about us matching.
“I’m just not sure how to handle this now,” he admitted. “If I tell him and things get weird, then what? Am I supposed to stay in this pack and be heartbroken for the rest of my life?”
“Just for the record, if you guys are meant to be together, you’re meant to be together. I would never stand in the way of that.”
“It’s been so long. I’m not sure I can even say anything at this point.”
“Of course, you can,” I said, not letting him give up that easily. “Look. I don’t even know you outside of your scent. You can tell me to shove my advice wherever it goes, but that man did not look like an asshole to me. He looks like a man that has been hurt that his brother stayed away for so long, but not mean. I don’t think he’d ever make it weird for you.”
I turned, my hip resting against the icy railing and arms crossing to keep warm as I stared at him. Something was telling me to not let this moment pass without putting my own stake in it.
Clearly, I had to. They were too much of a mess to see the bigger picture, and I was done being complacent when it came to my love life. I’d let my exes barrel into my life with their pretty words, convincing me that I should give them a chance.
With these men, I felt something different. Something I wanted to explore no matter what.
At the end of this trip, I wanted no regrets. I’d promised myself I was going to live life my way. This was me doing that.
“Whatever you have with Jack is different than what you would have with me. I’m not asking you to come up with a solution right this second, but I’d love to give this a chance. If you want to.”
“I really would like that,” he admitted, his voice shaking slightly. His eyes were wide and open, imploring me to believe him.
North was a gentle beta, the kind that wasn’t outspoken. I had a feeling he also lacked confidence. Years of being in the shadows, not letting yourself feel what you feel, would do that.
That was something we were absolutely going to have to fix.
But first, I had to talk to Cole, and maybe even Jack, and figure out what the hell was going to happen now.
Cole
Jack and I tore through the building, looking for our omega. I checked out front but didn’t see her, and rushed back inside, worried that she might get lost within these halls.
Hell, it’s been so long that I probably would, too.
Jack was walking behind me, a little too close in my opinion. After the third turn, I stopped walking and turned around, glaring at my brother.
“She’s your scent-match? Really?” he blurted out before I could even call him out. “How dare you act like this is a problem. You sent your omega running because she thinks you hate her now or something.”
“No, she doesn’t.” I rolled my eyes. “Aspen is way too smart for that. She just needed time to process after you both ambushed her. Plus, I wasn’t the one looking like I hated the idea. She knows I’m in.”
“Don’t act like North had any part of that. And she handled me just fine,” Jack said evenly. There was that cocky edge I remembered so well.
It didn’t happen often, but Jack was pissed, and once again, I was the source of that anger. Something that also happened more than I cared to admit.
He’d been angry when I left. We had been inseparable for so long, both of us united and taking care of our mom when our dads were busy with business, both of us promising that we’d prioritize our family… and yet, I’d left.
Jack had to handle this alone. And I didn’t even have the courtesy to call and catch up other than a few holidays here and there. Fuck, I was an asshole.
