We’ve tried texting—they don’t send.
Calling—dead end.
And the worst part is, we have no fucking idea why.
We were only joking this morning about shit excuses we could make up to go see her, laughing over Sylvan’s sudden need for a haircut after years of having Kaiden do it, planning out jobs around her next convention when Syl mentioned it was in Paris…
Then this.
Rejection.
“Maybe it’s me,” Sylvan says, finally breaking the silence cloying the air. “It normally is. Maybe I did something—”
“No, Sylvan,” Kaiden cuts in, turning to him. “This isn’t on you. It isn’t on any of us.” His gaze sweeps aroundour office, over each of us. “We knew this could happen. She made it clear she didn’t want a pack. If anything, it’s my fault for even suggesting a heat arrangement—”
“Stop.” Val this time, but his gaze is fixed away from us. “Don’t try to take the blame for this, Kai.”
We fall back into silence, but our thoughts set the bond alight, humming with repressed emotions we’re not ready to voice.
“I just don’t get it,” I say, staring at my phone, dormant on the table. Willing it to ring. A message. Anything. “We’ve been talking every day, and she’s been opening up more. She even said she couldn’t wait to see us. Then, a few hours after she lands, she says that?” I shake my head. “It doesn’t add up.”
“Maybe reality hit,” Val murmurs, still staring out the window. “Maybe she thought it could work when we were miles away, but now it’s real... it’s too much.”
“I can’t accept that.” I grit my teeth, shake my head again. “No. There’s got to be something else.” I blow out my cheeks. “We should go to the salon, speak to her in person—”
“No. That’ll only make things worse.” Kaiden’s voice is loud, low, but it isn’t anger that rumbles his words. I fucking wish he were angry. “She’s asked for space. If we ignore that, we’re no better than any alpha who can’t accept no.”
“What the fuck do we do then?!” I snap, alpha surging out. “Because you can’t just tell me that’s it.”
“But it is.” Sylvan looks at me, his words flat. “Even if we don’t want it to be.”
I slump back, his quiet words hitting hard, because Sylvan always tells the truth, and it fucking stings.
My chest feels hollow. “We’re not even going to fight for her?”
“Luciano.” My brother looks at me. “You can’t fight for someone who doesn’t want us.”
Another shot to the chest.
I open my mouth, swallow, then grimace.
“Fuck!” I slam my fist down. Our phones shake. “Distract me, someone.” I hold my head in my hands. “Send me on a job somewhere, fucking anywhere. Tonight, right now, earliest one.”
There’s a pause, then Sylvan’s voice is beside me. “There’s a job for Jamieson in Germany. Flight’s in two hours. Security detail for a politician who—”
“Done.” I stand, chair sliding out behind me. “I’ll go pack. Send me the details.”
“Wait...” Val calls, but I’m already through the doors, pacing down the corridor. “Luciano.” I keep going. “Joder, tío… Espera!”
He grabs my arm. I turn, slamming my brother into the nearest wall.
“¿Qué coño quieres?” I snarl, getting in his face. “What,Val? You gonna tell me this is like all those times before?” I shake him by his shoulders. “That we don’t need an omega, that they’ll just get in the way? Better to lose her now than later? Huh?”
But there’s no grimace on his face. No stoic expression. Just a hard line between his brows.
He hasn’t even tried to fight back.
He isn’t even touching me anymore.
