“Yes, but it doesn’t matter. At least not right now. He’s in no place for that and I’m not, either.”
“Fair,” Silva said. “It’s not like you won’t see each other. You can ease into something if you want. Or not. It’s always your choice.”
I took a long drink of the concoction Silva slid over. It was stronger than ever tonight, and I winced, then drank a little more. It went down easier with each sip.
“I had a feeling I’d find you here,” Briar called out as she joined us.
She gave me a look before sliding into the seat on my other side. Silva didn’t even ask before making her a drink. At this point, she knew us all well enough that she didn’t even have to ask what our poison was before whipping it up.
Conversation turned a little lighter as we took in the crowd tonight. In the early days this would have blown our minds.
A lot of things had definitely changed around Widow’s Peak in the last several years. We were thriving, our businesses growing, our community expanding, yet it still had that core we always wanted it to have. Safety and security were at the center of it all.
By the time I had my second drink, my shoulders had relaxed significantly.
“Come on, let’s dance,” Briar said, not even waiting for me to answer before downing her drink and pulling me out onto the dance floor.
We didn’t have to worry about alphas harassing us like we would elsewhere. It was nice to simply exist and enjoy a night out.
Not that there weren’t alphas around at all. Widow’s Peak had its share, but they were vetted and Syrus took his job seriously. We weren’t afraid to kick anyone to the curb that deserved it.
The music pulsed around us as Briar and I danced. I was warm and settled, my worries seeming a million miles away now as I gave in to the buzz coursing through me.
“Looks like you’ve got some interested parties,” Briar teased, pointing behind me.
I turned around to see a group of betas watching us. They were cute enough, but the thought of being with anyone made my stomach turn.
They weren’t Nikolai.
Or Leon.
I knew I shouldn’t be holding a torch for the alpha I was too scared to look up.
There were so many times I’d nearly begged Lark to help me. I knew she’d find the answers I needed without hesitation.
That was the problem.
Nikolai was the one part of my past I could never let go of. Yet, that age-old fear continued to haunt me.
What if he had moved on?
What if he’d found someone else?
I couldn’t fault him for that, nor would I break up his happy life. Unlike my mother, I had integrity. She would have fought the other omega just like she’d fight me. Though, back then I didn’t know how to fight back.
Her aversion to her designation was probably half the issues I had finding a hook-up. She used it like currency and I want it to mean something.
“Come on, don’t you want to have a little fun tonight?” Briar asked.
I glanced one more time at the group of betas. They were handsome, not one of them intimidating, and yet I still turned away.
“Nope,” I finally said, closing my eyes and giving into the music.
Briar, being Briar, didn’t push. She simply gave one last comment before doing the same.
“A little stress relief could be good for you.”
And just like that, the subject was dropped.
