We stop for breakfast at a cute little cafe just beside the farm. Surprisingly, it's also Christmas-themed, all with fake snow and eggnogs.
Oliver orders a stack of pancakes, and I order scrambled eggs, pancakes, an omelette, bacon, and eggnog. He doesn’t even bat an eye at my order. Guess we’ve had enough meals together that he’s used to me shoveling food into my piehole. Either that, or he thinks I love breakfast food. Which I do.
“Did you grow up in the city?” Oliver asks between bites of his pancakes.
I look at the empty plates covering my side of the table as I eat my remaining pancakes. Maybe I should slow down? “Pretty much. My last foster family lives a little outside of the city.”
“You moved around a lot?” Oliver asks hesitantly.
But he doesn’t need to hesitate. I’m surprisingly alright with telling him everything. Well,almosteverything. “Not a lot, no. I was in a group home before getting placed with a family at ten. Then I moved in with Nick’s family, that’s the LAPD guy I told you about.”
“They must be really nice if you’re still in touch,” he says. He has stopped eating and is focusing on me like he’ll be quizzed about my life later.
I smile thinking about Nick and Mr. and Mrs. Harper. “They’re the best. They treated me just like Nick, or better, if you listen to him. They were so kind, warm, and open with their love. Like it was easy for them.”
Oliver’s eyes are still trained on me.
“It was so unexpected after my last foster home.” The words tumble out of my mouth before I can stop them.
Oliver tilts his head, his eyes questioning. The light blue isalmost liquid.
I’m going to overshare, aren’t I? “My last foster parents just couldn’t… accept me for who I was,” I say, trying to find the right words without giving too much away.
“Because you were gay?” he asks, narrowing his eyes.
Seeing him angry on my behalf makes me warm all over, so I nod.
I don't like talking about my time with my first foster parents.
When they realized what I was after my first transition at twelve, the Bureau found us and told them everything about werewolves. They basically threatened that they wouldn’t take it kindly if they ever revealed our secret.
That's how WRB functions. Threats, intimidation, and greasing the wheels. What other choice do they have? It isn't a human government-sanctioned organization.
My foster parents hated me after that. I saw it in their eyes. They’d have killed me if they could get away with it.
“I lived with them for two years, watching them wish I were dead, before my life was great again,” I try to maintain a casual tone, but my voice cracks a little.
Oliver places a hand on mine, stilling it. I didn’t even realize it was trembling. I focus on the heat of Oliver’s palms, his slow, steady breath, and the soothing blue of his eyes. My heart returns to normal, and I breathe out loud. My eyes are itching. I swallow the tears down.
“I’m so happy you found your people,” he says after I’m feeling a little more under control.
I look at his soft, dark curls, concerned gaze, and smallsmile. “Me too.”
Chapter Eight
Oliver
When we’re back on the road, I’m still thinking about what Matt told me. I look at this big man with muscles for miles, handling the wheel so confidently. Everything about him exudes control, calm, and trust. He’s kind, dependable, and so fucking beautiful.
I literally want to find that family and ask them how they could hurt him. How could they just…not love him? Watching him hum absentmindedly, a small smile on his face, I realize I’d do anything to make this man happy.
The thought scares me a bit, but I’m not surprised. I’ve always liked him. I just didn’t want to acknowledge it because it would hurt me. And I was right, wasn’t I? Matt Hale is going to break my heart.
I clear my throat, remembering something. “By the way, I tried to look up Dalton Smith on Facebook,” I say, filling the easy silence between us.
Matt’s eyebrow lifts right on cue. The guy can have anentire conversation just with eyebrows. “Did you find anything?” he asks, his eyes on the road.
“Nah, there were too many results. I narrowed it down to the city, still nothing. I gave in and even looked at TikTok and Instagram. It was pretty much a dead end.”
