I stepped out of the car, bag in hand, and climbed the front steps. My pulse was thundering in my ears, but I couldn’t stop smiling. This was it. Us. The start of the life we’d planned. I rang the doorbell, my heart racing so fast it felt like it might explode.
This was it.
But Chuck wasn’t the one who opened the door.
An omega answered. And he looked very surprised to see me.
Immediately, my gut twisted. My eyes landed on the fresh bite marks on his neck, and for a second, I thought I had the wrong house—or maybe I was dreaming. Right now, I was praying it was both... or either.
This couldn’t be right.
Then Chuck’s scent hit me like a punch to the gut. It was all over him—this omega standing in the doorway ofourfuture.That’s when I knew. Knew with every sinking, horrible part of me.
My voice wobbled. “I—uh, I think I have the wrong?—”
Before I could finish, I saw him.
Chuck.
Standing behind the omega. His eyes went wide when he saw me, but it wasn’t the kind of surprise you’d hope for, likeOh my god, Mylo, I missed you so much.Nope. It was guilt. Pure, unmistakable fucking guilt.
I took a step back, everything around me spinning. The omega, the bite, the way Chuck looked at me—it all hit me like a damn tidal wave, and suddenly I couldn’t breathe. My chest tightened, and I just couldn’t seem to figure out how to breathe...
Shit! Fuck! I couldn’t be here.
My brain was screaming:Run, get out of here now!
Chuck was mated...he was mate to someone else.He wasn’t mine anymore.
Was he ever really mine?
I wanted to scream, to demand an explanation, but my throat felt squeezed shut. I couldn’t even get the words out. Instead, I turned and walked away. Fast. Before Chuck or his omega could say anything. I didn’t need to hear whatever excuse Chuck was about to give me. I fucking knew enough.
Stability.That’s what I’d told myself I wanted. That’s what Chuck was supposed to be. But now I realized I’d been lying to myself the whole fucking time. Chuck wasn’t my future—he was just an illusion. Yet another cruel joke from the universe to me.
As I walked down the street, it felt like the world was collapsing all around me, like the weight of everything was finally coming down. I had no idea what I was going to do now. Everything I’d worked for, all the plans, all the dreams—it was over. Done. Just like that.
And I had nowhere to go.
Why didn’t anyone ever want me? Why was I never good enough?
I was so screwed! Fuck, how had I let this happen? How had I let my life become this?
My brain kept screaming:This can’t be real. This can’t be real.Over and over again. But no matter how many times I pinched myself, I didn’t wake up.
What do I do now?I felt like I was drowning in the weight of it all, and the only thing I could think was:Why wasn’t I good enough for Chuck? Why wasn’t I ever good enough for anyone to want to keep me?
I shouldn’t have been surprised—my parents had dumped me in front of a firehouse. If they didn’t want me, why would anyone else?
My eyes burned with tears, but I fought them back. I couldn’t cry. Not here. Not now. Not where he—they—could see me.
Does it fucking matter if they can?
CHAPTER TWO
HOLDEN
The fire crackled softly,sending flickers of light dancing across the log walls. The lounge wasn’t packed, but it had a good number of people for this time of day, and I knew it would only get louder as it got later. West and I had managed to grab a spot near the window, where I could watch the last bit of daylight disappear behind the Blue Ridge Mountains. My laptop was open to the quarterly numbers, but all I wanted was to close it and get out of here.
