Tae stops stirring. “What happened, Nash?”
“I didn’t go looking for her. She… ran into me.” I shrug. “I didn’t even realize it was her until she was about to leave and said her name.”
Tae’s brown eyes soften. “How was she?”
I wince, unable to keep the emotion from my face. Jagger’s shoulders slump, while the light in Tae’s eyes extinguishes, instantly picking up on my mood.
“Fuck!” Jagger’s emotions get the best of him as he kicks a chair. “This is all my fault.”
“We’re going to fix it,” Tae reminds him.
I’ve only been around Delilah for minutes, and already, she’s consuming my thoughts. I have no idea how he managed to get her through a heat then leave with no contact.
As furious as I am on her behalf, it’s killing me to see how badly this is tearing him up inside. Although I’m glad that he’s finally let his mask slip around us, it’s still hard as hell to see someone I care about suffering. Even if a tiny part of me thinks he deserves it.
“Did you feel it too?” Jagger asks me. “The connection?”
I clear my throat and nod curtly. I could elaborate, but I don’t. Saying how certain I am that she’s our pack’s omega will only make Jagger feel worse if she’s not willing to give us a chance.
“We have to find a way to speak to her,” Tae says. “I tried calling her, but it didn’t go through, so she must’ve blocked my number. All my texts are bouncing too.”
The hopelessness of the situation weighs heavily on my shoulders.
“I have an idea.” Jagger pulls a card out of his pocket with the initials ‘TVV’ on it. “Delilah’s housemate is the co-editor ofThe Valley Voice. If I let them interview me, maybe I can somehow talk to her? Ask her to pass on a message for us?”
“You mean the blonde chick who greeted us when we first arrived?” I scoff. Now I understand the frosty reception. “I’m sure you’re the last person she wants to hear from.”
“Her boyfriend seemed eager to chat.” Jagger shrugs. “It’d be a big story for a college paper.”
“It’s worth a try.” Tae nods enthusiastically. “But didn’t Val say not to do any interviews without her approval?”
“Screw Valerie,” I grumble.
Petty record label and agent’s rules don’t apply in this situation.
“I’ll set up a meeting.” Jagger is already typing on his phone. “It has to work. I already sent her tickets for my show this weekend like we talked about. Maybe she’ll come?”
I glower at him. “Tickets don’t make up for being walked out on after a heat.”
Tae shoots me a warning look as Jagger’s shoulder slump even more, like he’s disappearing into himself. I’m trying to keep my cool, but meeting her has made it so much more difficult.
I clutch my head, wishing I had hair I could tug on right now as frustration barrels through me. It’s not fair that his actions created negative consequences for all of us. My omega likely won’t give me a chance before I even get to know her.
Shit… Did I really just think of her as my omega?
“You’re right.” Jagger sighs. “Maybe sending her the tickets was stupid. I just wanted to show her that I was serious about wanting to talk.”
“It was a nice gesture,” Tae retorts as the rice cooker starts beeping. “A good start.”
“Delilah deserves more than a gesture.” Looking glum, Jagger slumps back into his chair, scribbling a harsh line through words in his notebook, so hard that it almost tears through the paper. “She deserves an apology and an explanation. A real one. But how can I do that when she won’t even speak to me?”
Talking it through isn’t going to change anything. I’m a man of action.
“I’m going to the workshop.” I ignore my rumbling stomach and the mouth-watering savory smell wafting from the pot.
“What about the stew?” Tae asks.
“Save me a bowl,” I reply over my shoulder. “I’ll eat later.”
