The last thing I wanted to do was go, but at this point, it was clear there was nothing left to say. She wouldn’t take any offer, not from me, and not from anyone else here. Though she was here in body, she was definitely not here in spirit.
I guessed… I guessed that meant I should go, leave her to her own devices, whatever they were.
Though it was oddly painful to do so, I stood slowly. “I suppose I’ll leave you alone for now. Let you sit here by yourself and stew in whatever self-inflicted misery you brought with you. It was fun chatting, though.”
I walked away from her. It wasn’t easy to act like nothing at all was wrong, like I wasn’t hurting deep inside. Fuck. I’d rather get shot, rather get a knife in my gut, than feel this… this thing, whatever it was. It was like my soul itself was ripping in half. It was the hardest thing I’d ever had to do, walking away from that table.
From the omega.
Still, even though I knew I should give her space, I had to pick a table close by. Luckily the omega and her sponsor weren’t currently occupied by another pack of alphas, so I was able to slide into the seat without having to push anyone off. Even with how badly I hurt inside, I wasn’t quite willing to put more distance between us.
How pathetic was that?
As I talked to the new omega and her sponsor, got to know them, as I introduced myself, I couldn’t help it. I kept glancing over at the Dryers girl. It seemed she was trying her hardest not to watch me, but every so often our eyes met.
Twenty feet between us, and yet…
My wandering mind was greeted by the omega at the other table itching the side of her head with her middle finger.
That’s when I knew: that omega was perfect for me. She was perfect for me and she didn’t even know it. She didn’t care to know me. None of the other omegas here were worth my time, as nice as they might’ve been.
I wasn’t a fan of nice, but I was a fan of that blue-and-black-haired girl.
“Uh, hello? Earth to Rourke,” Warren’s voice brings me back to the present. He stands and studies me like I’m the body-double to his friend. “Are you in there? Damn. If she was that amazing, why the hell didn’t you put an offer in on her? That’s what you were all there for.”
“Not her,” I say. “She wasn’t. I don’t know why she was there, but… she made it clear she didn’t want any alphas to write her an offer, so I didn’t.”
Yeah, I didn’t write her an offer, and I’ve been losing sleep and my mind ever since. I don’t know her first name, and I can’tget that girl out of my head. She’s there now, and she refuses to vacate the spot she’s taken up in my brain.
“So? If she wanted to ignore it, then she could’ve just ignored the offer. At least then she’d know how to get in touch with you if she wanted to.” Warren sighs. “You’re… you’re like inconsolable. I’ve never seen you like this before.”
“I know.” I can’t stop the dejection from mingling with the words. In truth, I haven’t felt like myself since the night at the Omega Garden. It was like that night, meeting her, everything changed.
But at the same time, nothing at all changed, and that’s what I’m struggling with.
“Maybe you need a vacation,” Warren says. “Have you ever taken one?”
“No.”
“Take some time off, man. Go have some fun and get your mind off that omega—or, track her down and see if you can talk to her again.”
I know what my friend would do. He’d do the latter. Sitting back and staying calm and collected was never Warren’s style. It’s why we got along so well; we both have a tendency to go all in when we’re passionate about something.
“No,” I say eventually. “The last thing I need is some time off.”
He groans. “You sound like Pax did before he got with Raeka and the Chases. Maybe your mom’s right and you need a mate to release some steam.”
When he says the word mate, the only person I can think of is that Dryers girl, the omega with blue and black hair and amber eyes that radiate a coldness that must mask something deep down.
Warren can tell I’m about to argue with him, but right then my phone goes off and I answer it the moment I see who’scalling: Darius Alabaster, not only Warren’s older brother, but the one who’s following in their father’s footsteps to eventually lead the company.
“Darius,” I say. “What is it?”
“Come downtown,” he tells me. “I might have a job for you.” It’s all he says before he ends the call. His words were an order, one I could not refuse.
Hey, a job right now might be exactly what I need.
Warren waits only a few seconds before he asks, “Well? What was it?”
