His question catches me off-guard, and I look at him, finally lowering my sunglasses. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I just… you’d rather reach out to me and see if you can stay in my family’s cabin for a while instead of just talking to her about what you found. You’d rather run away than face it.”
“Easy for you to say,” I shoot back. “You’re an alpha. You’re used to confronting your problems head-on and probably getting your way most of the time. It’s not like that for omegas. We live in a different world. I bet if I confronted her about it the day I found it, I’d already be moved in with some pack by now.”
The look he gives me tells me he doesn’t quite believe me, but that’s fine. Like I said, he never met my aunt and he’s an alpha. There are some things alphas will never understand.
“I’m alone,” I whisper. “I’ve been alone for years. I’m doing what I think is right. If I can get my parents’ fortune, I’ll never have to find a pack if I don’t want to. I’ll have more than enough money to take care of myself, hire bodyguards if I need them. I’ll be able to do whatever I want.”
After a moment, he quietly says, “I can see how that would be appealing to someone who’s never had that kind of freedom before.” He has both hands on the wheel, and both hands seem to tighten on said wheel before he adds, “But, you know, not all packs are evil. Not all alphas would take the money and keep it for themselves.”
“I know.” And I do know. I’m just not willing to take the chance that I’ll end up with a pack like that, not when my aunt is in charge of me. “Why don’t we change the subject, huh? Tell me what you’ve been up to.”
I don’t really care, if I’m honest, but I’d listen to him drone on and on if it means I don’t have to keep talking about myselfor my situation. Whatever warmth was between us, whatever friendship we used to have years ago… it’s gone. He might be willing to do this for me, he might be the only alpha I can semi-trust, but he’s not my friend.
I need to remember that.
Chapter Three – Asher
Jess is… not quite like how I remember her. She’s quieter, colder. I don’t know if it’s because of her circumstances or if it’s because of me. It could very well be because of me. I know I was a jerk, but peer pressure is a crazy thing. When you’re young, you want to fit in, go with the crowd, be one with the group… even if that means hurting someone you’re close to.
I can’t explain it. Not adequately. As the years went on, it got easier. I stopped thinking about her so much. I figured she was happy—maybe not right away. Who could be happy after they lost their parents and had to endure countless hospital visits and physical therapy and all that? But, you know, eventually. Eventually happy with where she ended up.
I definitely never thought I’d hear from her again, but when I saw a message request from a strange new profile, when I read that message… it was like something changed in me. I was thrown back in time. I was forced to remember what I did, or rather what I didn’t do, and how it’s the biggest regret of my life.
So, yeah, even though I figured it would be awkward and weird as hell, I agreed to help her out. It was the least I could do after everything. And, I had to assume, if she was reaching out to me, she didn’t have anyone else in her life to ask.
And now I know why.
She’s definitely an omega. She’s small. Even sitting next to me in the car, I’m reminded of that fact. I might not be able to smell her thanks to whatever cream she put on, but she’s got all the other telltale omega traits. The height, the curvy but slim frame, and those big, beautiful eyes.
She still wears that baseball cap on her head, but I’m pretty sure I see some strands of blue peeking out from underneath it.Maybe she dyed her hair. Blue is definitely an interesting choice if so.
She got the topic of conversation off herself a while ago, asking about me. I’m not stupid. I know she just doesn’t want to talk about herself, but I play along. I tell her what I’ve been up to: going to college, getting a degree in business so I can eventually take over the family company—something which my brother has always made clear he doesn’t give a crap about.
My brother is… well, Mason is rough around the edges. He’s a loner, in spite of our parents’ effort to make him a team player. Sometimes I wonder if we’re even related, but then I remind myself of how I treated Jess after the accident, and I know somewhere in me is an asshole that could rival my brother’s.
Of course, my brother’s inner asshole would win, given the fact he’s an über. They always have advantages when it comes to things like that.
“Any potential packs?” That question comes out of her once we cross state lines. Eventually we’ll have to swing by a store so she can grab a few of the things she wasn’t able to bring, but I figure we’ll wait until we get closer to the cabin to do that.
At first, her question doesn’t register in my head. It takes a minute or so for it to finally dawn on me, what she’s asking.
“Um, no” is my lame as hell answer. And as lame as it is, it’s true. As much as I wish it wasn’t, it is, and there’s nothing I can do about it.
I’m not in any pack. I’d been asked a few times growing up to join packs, but… I never said yes. I always said no, denying my friends. Most of the time, alphas will have their packs created by the time they turn eighteen. I guess I take after my brother that way.
Not something to be proud of.
The expression she wears tells me she’s surprised I’m not in any pack, so I feel the need to explain myself: “It’s never feltright, I guess. I’ve never felt close enough to anyone to want to be in a pack with them.” I guess I feel the same way about packs as she does about matching with alphas.
Jess’s lips pucker as she says, “That’s not what I thought you’d say, although it makes sense. I don’t think a pack would let you help another omega alone. Your parents aren’t on your ass to settle down?”
I shrug. “I mean, sure, mom’s mentioned it every now and then, but my dads… they don’t push me. They were all older when they found my mom, so maybe they think I still have time.”
“You do,” she mutters with a slight pouty frown. “You alphas have all the time in the world. It’s us omegas who are on a time crunch.”
Hmm. I guess she’s not wrong. Typically omegas are forced to find their packs before their first heat at twenty-one. They say it’s super painful for omegas if they don’t have any alphas nearby to relieve the pain of their heat with… a knot.
