I sidestepped Sam’s question, sipping on the coffee she had waiting for me.
“Ugh. Don’t call him cute. He is a barnacle, at best.”
“You’re calling that gorgeous beta with that delicious Scottish accent a barnacle?”
I rolled my eyes, watching as Torin ran his tongue along his teeth. Part of me debated telling her a lie, but I couldn’t. Samantha was like a bloodhound. Girl knew when I was fibbing before I even opened my mouth.
Two plates laden with roasted potatoes, eggs, and toast rested in front of us. I picked at the bowl of fresh fruit as Sam tossed her thick auburn braid aside. A wave of her strawberry and vanilla scent hit me.
Every time I thought about what kind of omega an alpha wanted, I thought of Sam. She was the quintessential version of an omega: beautiful, charming, and submissive.
When she wanted to be.
To alphas, at least.
Sam tended to say what she thought without thinking, but she usually knew when to zip it.
I was awkward and loud and made alphas uneasy. Which was fine with me. I didn’t want an alpha. Even if my omega disagreed. I didn’t want to end up like my mother. Bound to someone cruel.
“Sam,” I whispered, leaning closer. “If I tell you who he is, you can’t tell anyone.”
The lines around her mouth faded as she glared at my guard. Her tiny fingers curled around my forearm, squeezing gently. Gooseflesh skittered up my arm, and I relaxed slightly. Outside my mom, Sam was the only person I trusted.
“What’s wrong? Are you safe? Do you need me to beat the barnacle up and get you out of here?”
I snorted, and she glowered at me. Not only was my friend as cuddly as a bunny, but she was barely five feet tall. While I didn’t doubt she would come to my rescue, I imagined Torin would win.
My gaze darted to the dark corner where he was standing, the crinkles around his eyes giving away his amusement at our conversation.
So as we picked over our meal, I told Sam everything.Almosteverything. I left out the part about Kaelen being the head of the Irish mob. She would figure that part out on her own soon enough.
Like me, her curiosity would win out.
“Your dad did what?!” she hissed, drawing the attention of nearby tables.
“Shhh,” I whisper-shouted. “What part of ‘you can’t tell anyone’ included screaming in a packed restaurant?”
“This can’t be real,” she murmured, pulling me into a bone-crushing hug. “Are you all right?”
The tears I had been choking back for days fell, staining her sweater. Gentle hands rubbed over my arms as she whispered quiet, soothing sounds until I wiped away the tear tracks from myswollen, puffy eyes.
“Can you check on my mom for me?”
“The fucker won’t even let you visit your mother?” she said, tossing daggers at Torin, who looked abashed.
“I’m not sure,” I said.
We hadn’t talked about it. At the heart of it, I knew he was right. I wouldn’t be safe back home, and even going to visit my mom was a risk. Who knew how my dad would react? I could try to sneak in when I knew he wasn’t there, but leaving my mom alone would break my heart into a million pieces. It was easier this way, and Sam would take care of her.
“I’ll do anything for you, Willow. All you have to do is ask.”
“Thank you.”
The rest of lunch was a lighter affair. Sam told me about the alpha she spent her last heat with, and how dreadful he was. She was about to take a page out of my book and use toys, tiring of alphas. Yet that didn’t stop her from stealing glances at Torin and batting her eyelashes.
“Maybe I could be convinced to bring a handsome beta into my nest if he can see some toys like a teammate instead of an enemy.”
She winked in Torin’s direction. Pink tinted the tops of his cheeks as he looked away, focusing on the growing crowd in the restaurant.
