I don’t need anyone. Even if I want them.
Pushing away from the wall, I quickly stride down the hall and head for the exit. The need to suddenly be away has me opting for my own two legs, leaving my mom’s car in the lot. I head for town. It isn’t like I have anywhere else to go. If I go home, my father might be there, glowering and complaining about what a useless omega I am.
Maybe he’s right. Maybe I am useless. Maybe that’s why it’s so easy for people to discard me for the next best thing. Not that I would blame Lakelyn if she picks Dean, I pushed her into that one. I could probably add matchmaker to my resume. First Lilah, then sorta Willow, now Lakelyn. Difference being, I didn’tlikethe first two. Sure they were friends, but it didn’t go deeper than that.
Squaring my shoulders, I lift my chin.I’m a bad bitch.The unspoken words ring hollow in my head, but I keep my head up, my mask in place.
The country road gives way to the main street and I head for the coffee shop. What can I say? I’m a glutton. And what’s more gluttonous than returning to the place where I can have both a Peanut Butter Chia and relive the moment the universe shifted with only a kiss.
I don’t notice the alpha slipping out of the empty shop next to the coffee shop until it’s too late. My shoulder collides with his, and I stumble back, my heart skipping a beat.
“Watch it,” I mutter, more to myself than to whoever it is. But then I look up—and there’s Mason.
I duck my head, hoping to avoid the alpha’s attention, but Mason steps right into my path before I can escape. Of course he does.
“Look at you, running into people and then trying to sulk away. Not exactly the behavior I’d expect from the legendary Chad fromOmega in Paradise,” Mason says, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “What’s got you looking so down? Can’t find anyone else to use?”
I roll my eyes. Of course he knows I was on that show. Because what else can the world throw at me?
“Oh, you got me,Alpha. I’m devastated no one’s falling at my feet. It’s tragic, really.” I throw up my hands in mock defeat, not giving him the satisfaction of a real reaction. I shrug, keeping my voice flat. “Not in the mood, Alpha.”
He blinks, probably expecting a different response. He frowns and steps a little closer, eyes narrowing. “Not in the mood?”
Mason pauses, like he doesn’t quite know what to do with that. I can feel his eyes on me, and I know he’s waiting for me to snap back, to be the Chad he’s expecting. But I don’t have it in me today.
“What’s going on with you?” His tone shifts slightly, the sarcasm melting into something more curious, almost suspicious. “You don’t seem to be yourself.”
I snort, raising an eyebrow. He watches me on TV and suddenly thinks he can analyze my behavior? “You don’t know me,Alpha. Trust me, I’m just peachy.”
He stares at me unblinking, his jaw clenching with annoyance. That’s funny. He’s annoyed I’m calling him out. I’m really not in the mood to spar with him. What’s the point?
Like he can’t help himself, he says, “Don’t tell me Lakelyn already got bored, and now you’ve got no one left to toy with.”
That stings, more than I want to admit. I flinch before I can stop myself, the comment hitting too close to home. Mason’s smug expression falters for a second, but I’m quick to recover, plastering on a smile that doesn’t quite reach my eyes.
“Wow, you really went for it, huh?” I shake my head, chuckling darkly. “Maybe she did.”
Mason’s brow furrows, his cocky smile slipping away as he steps closer again, studying me like I’m some kind of puzzle. “Wait… are you serious?”
I rub the back of my neck, trying to keep it together. But I fail and the words just spill out between us. “Look, Mason, I don’t know what you want from me, alright? I pushed Lakelyn toward Dean. Because I self-destruct like that. So yeah, maybe I’m not in the mood to trade insults with you.”
There’s a flicker of something in Mason’s eyes—something I don’t quite recognize. It’s like concern, but deeper, and for a second, he obviously doesn’t seem to know what to do with it. He glances away, and when he looks back, he’s dropped the act completely.
“Dean?”
A dry, unamused laugh bubbles up, and I shake my head. “Yeah. She’s traded up for an alpha. You must be proud.”
Mason's eyebrows knit together, confusion flashing across his face. “Proud?” he echoes, like he can’t quite believe what he’s hearing. “What the hell are you talking about?”
I shrug, my mouth twisting into a bitter smile. “You know…she’s moved on. From me, at least. Found someone better. I guess that’s what omegas like me are for, right? We’re just a stepping stone until something…more comes along.”
Mason’s frown deepens, and his posture stiffens. He stares at me, searching my face like he’s trying to figure out if I’m serious. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
I laugh again, but it’s still dry and humorless, the sound almost foreign to my own ears. “Come on, man. You know exactly what it means. Omegas aren’t…we’re not alphas. We’re not the ones people actually want, we’re just…weak and useless. Good until they find something better.”
Mason’s face hardens for a moment, his jaw clenching. Then, without warning, he takes a step toward me, closing the space between us. I’m not sure what to expect—anger, maybe—but instead, there’s something softer in his eyes, something I don’t quite recognize.
“That’s bullshit, Chad,” he says quietly, voice low but firm. “And you know it.”
