“After a few years of working, we figured it was time to look for an omega to complete our pack.”
I swallowed hard, trying to push down the jealousy rising in me. I could have blamed it on my inner omega still being close to the surface after my strange mini-heat, but I knew I would have been just as jealous even if I wasn’t all hormonal.
Gray seemed to sense my train of thought and leaned in to kiss my cheek. “Back in those days, there wasn’t an Omega Center or anything like that. Our families helped us find omegas to court. We went on a few dates, and nothing clicked until we met her—Megan.”
My throat felt tight but I kept quiet, needing to hear the rest.
“She was a few years behind us in school, so we hadn’t known her, but things fell into place quickly. I didn’t have a lot of experience dating and was lovestruck right away.”
Gray paused his story to prepare French toast, slicing brioche and dipping it into an egg mixture. Who was this alpha who kept brioche in his kitchen?
“Was she your fated mate?” I asked, my voice catching. I would never be able to compete with that, especially since I wasn’t capable of having fated mates with my lack of scent and broken inner omega.
Gray’s eyes widened. “No, not at all.” He closed the space between us, pressing himself between my legs. “And I never felt for her an ounce of what I do for you.”
The tightness in my chest settled at his words.
“She was sweet and got along with all of us well. Or at least, that’s what I thought.” His hand flexed on the spatula he was holding. He flipped the French toast in the pan. “We courted her for two months, maybe three, and decided we would bond her. I was envisioning an entire future together with her and my friends. We started looking for houses and found an incredible pack house. ”
A horrible thought crossed my mind. “Did she die?” I blurted out. God, how could I ever compete with a dead first love? And then immediately after I had the thought, I hated myself for it. How could I be so selfish to begrudge a dead woman?
“No,” Gray said, his jaw hard. “We decided to get the house. When we sat down to discuss finances, I realized the other guys barely had anything saved. I’d been saving almost everything I made, so I made the down payment. We moved into the house and planned a bonding ceremony, but the night before, Megan came to my room. She told me she didn’t have any feelings for me and didn’t want to bond me. I was absolutely shocked. When I asked her why she hadn’t said anything before then, she said it was because she thought with time, she could develop feelings for me. I went to tell the guys, but they already knew. It quickly became clear they had kept me around because they wanted me to pay for shit. They decided to go forward with the bonding ceremony without me.”
“What?” I hissed.
“And they told me I needed to move out right away, since being there would make Megan uncomfortable.”
“But you bought the house,” I said indignantly.
Gray shrugged. “They didn’t care. I used most of my savings for the down payment, so I had nothing. I moved back in with my parents for a bit until I got my feet back under me. Losing my pack, my home, and the woman I thought I loved was too much for me. I felt like an idiot for ignoring the little red flags—theway she would sometimes pull away, how the rest of them would hang out while I was working. And it turned me into a cold, hard person.”
I held my arms out to him and his forehead furrowed in confusion, but he came closer and allowed me to wrap my arms around him.
“I’m sorry that happened to you.” My voice was muffled as I pressed my face to his chest.
“Thank you.” He cleared his throat and gently pulled away. “Now, let’s get you fed.”
He made me a massive plate of French toast, fruit, and roasted potatoes.
“How hungry do you think I am?” I asked, hopping down from the counter and pulling my plate over to one of the stools.
“From what I heard, you worked up quite an appetite.”
I shrugged my shoulders before digging into my French toast. “Clearly, I have better stamina than those three in there.”
He snorted as he sat down beside me and squeezed my leg. We sat in the quiet, eating our breakfast. I mulled over Gray’s story, feeling like I understood him better now. He’d experienced a huge betrayal, and whatever my uncles told him had made him think it was happening again. It still hurt that he’d assumed the worst in me so quickly.
“How do I know you won’t turn on me again?” I kept my eyes fixed on my plate.
Gray stroked his hand through my hair and I leaned into his touch. “I know it’s empty words to say I promise I won’t ever do that again, but Westin, it killed me to treat you the way I did. I was angry, but really I was angry with myself. And…” His breath caught and his words came out strained. “Even if you don’t forgive me, if you decide you don’t want me in your life, I’ll still protect you. I’m going to destroy whoever is after you and make sure you get the medical care you need.”
The thought of being separated from Gray made me panic. My chest felt tight and I reached out to grab his hand, holding it tight. “I’d like to try,” I whispered. I was terrified of opening myself up to further hurt and rejection, but the alternative—being without him—was far worse.
“I promise you won’t regret it, love,” he murmured.
Love.
The thought of letting myself love these men was too much. I needed to change the subject. I looked around, searching for something to say. Sunlight streamed into the kitchen, reflecting off all the stainless-steel surfaces.
