“I know all that.” He sighs. “My wolf has just been very irritable lately. He’s convinced we’ve been dreaming of our mate.”
I pull away enough to look him in the eyes. “Your fated?” I whisper, and Dimitri nods, unable to fight his smile. “That’s amazing, Dee. Are they a shifter?”
“I’m not sure yet, but I hope to find out.” He shakes his head, steps away, and pats me on the back. “But Papa’s right. You should try going on a date. You haven’t gone on a date since you met that human omega six years ago.”
I continue walking, trying to avoid this subject.
Dimitri studies me as we walk. “What is it about this particular omega that has you so twisted up inside? You mentioned that he didn’t smell like your mate, yet you’re acting like he is.”
Images of Hayden come to mind. His stunning smile. His smooth brown skin and all that pretty black hair on his head.My lion whines again. Honestly, since that night, I’ve wondered the same thing, over and over again. That scent. It reminded me of cookies and coffee. But there was a hint of something else. Something that didn’t quite fit.
“Just let me go on this vacation. Time to give my lion to mourn. They have a forest there where I can run in the snow, but it will be private, unlike here. I don’t want Papa and Dad asking a million questions. The little human might not have been our mate, but my lion is acting like he is.”
“That’s horrible, Thorne. I had no idea it was that serious.”
I nod. “Neither did I, not at first.” My fingers caress Flare’s fur in my pocket. That evening, when I woke up to find the little omega gone, my lion couldn’t handle it. He didn’t understand concepts like one-night stands. He just wanted to shift and run. To take to our fur and race through the forest until he calmed down. I checked out of the hotel early, not wanting to linger.
When my lion fell into a depression, we came back to the city multiple times searching for the omega. I told myself I wanted to return his keychain and give him a proper goodbye. But if I’m being honest with myself, I just miss him. I wanted to be near him, to take him on another date and see if our chemistry was just as strong as it was all those years ago.
I still do.
“It was just supposed to be one night. But when we woke up alone, I think my lion took it as rejection.” I frown. “Please don’t tell Papa or Dad. They already have so much going on. Let us use this vacation as our time to finally let go and try to heal. Then I can work on trying to find a mate.”
Dimitri nods. “Okay, Thorne. I promise I won’t tell them. But try to heal, please. It isn’t fair to you or your lion to wait for an omega you’ll never see again.”
His words slam into me. Biting my lip, I try to let the sharp pain distract me from the pain in my heart.
‘We’ll find him!’my lion roars. Secretly, I pray that he’s right.
Chapter six
Hayden
“Honey,” Mom says over the phone. “Are you really not going to be here for Christmas Eve?”
I roll my eyes, turning down the volume on my Bluetooth speakers in my car. “No, Mom. I already told you, I’m going to be on vacation through New Year’s.”
She gasps. Again. “Wait. You won’t be here on Christmas EveorChristmas?”
My mother is a lovely person, and I know for a fact she isn’t hard of hearing, but when she doesn’t get her way, she likes to pile on the guilt trip. I switch to talking in Tagalog, hoping my mother’s native language will help her understand just how much I need this vacation by myself.
“I’m going into heat soon, Mother. The last place I want to be is on some hot, humid island.”
She scoffs. “Hawaii is hardly that humid in December, Hayden. I need to see you. You need to be with your family during the holidays.”
“Mom, we just spent Thanksgiving together. Plus, you still have Joseph and Janelle. My brother and sister and our millions of cousins will keep you company du—”
“Honey, you’re my firstborn. I worry about you. You’re all alone. What about Mario? He’s—”
“Mother! Please don’t tell me you invited another random alpha on vacation with us.”
“He isn’t random; he’s my dentist. He’s very handsome and has a strong name.”
I chuckle silently.Yes, because a strong name matters in the grand scheme of things.
“I don’t know why I didn’t think of him before,” she continues. “You’re already in your thirties. Almost thirty-five, actually. You need to find a mate.”
“Don’t worry, Mother. I’m only thirty. I have a few more years before thirty-five is around the corner.” It’s been like this with her for years. And if I don’t find a mate by next Christmas, it will be the same thing. I just want to enjoy the holidays in peace and quiet.
