Then pain shuttered over his face.
“You don’t want me,” he said, his voice hoarse now.
“Telling me what I want is a bold move, delta,” I shot back automatically. My filter had vacated the moment I breathed in his scent.
He opened and closed his mouth as he fought for the words. Then he sat heavily on the chair. When Chorizo fought to get back to me, he didn’t fight it. Especially since the pup decided my bare stomach was a great place to take a nap.
“I feel like you should know something before we even consider this,” he said. His dark green eyes were locked on mine. I could see he had pain and regret about whatever happened in his past. The fact he was being open now was reassuring but I wanted to hear what he was so desperate to share.
“Okay, then tell me about it,” I said softly. My fingers gently brushed through the puppy’s warm fur as I waited for him to fight through the words.
“I was in a relationship early in my career. It was the kind of connection you find young and go all in with rose-colored glasses. We didn’t see our issues clearly until they were a barrier between us. We wanted different things and eventually, I couldn’t take not being heard,” he explained in a rush.
The pain in his voice made it clear this wasn’t an easy thing to share. Someone with a past like that could have easily thrown me aside, walked away and avoided me, but here he was pouring his heart out.
Maybe I should put my own safety net up and fall back on old feelings. This was the exact scenario I worried about.
Did he put his career first and find issues so he didn’t have to stay? Something told me that wasn’t true and I refused to hold anyone’s past against them. Not if they were actively trying to work through it.
“Thank you for telling me that,” I said, reaching over for his hand. He hesitated, then held his palm out for me to take.
We sat there in the quiet for a while, watching the team laugh and bond around us.
“If we do this I want to do it right,” Greer finally said.
“What do you mean?”
“I’d like to properly court you and communicate about what each of us needs,” he said. “This setting isn’t the best for it but I’d love to take you out to lunch and talk when we get back.
“That sounds perfect,” I said. Honestly, it was reassuring that he was taking his time here and letting me know what he needed as well. “Until then we can take it slow. My personal cell number was in the email Hayes sent out early on. Feel free to message me whenever.”
“I will,” he promised, giving me the hint of a smile. The first real one I’d ever witnessed on his handsome face. He ran a free hand through his auburn hair and stared down at the concrete.
“For the sake of full transparency, I should also warn you I have a pack that’s just forming. An omega and a delta… and possibly an alpha. It’s new.”
He froze, then let out a deep breath, taking a few more after for good measure. I let Greer process it, worry settling in my gut until he looked at me.
“Maybe having a pack was what we were missing. I’ve always liked the idea. Maybe after we talk I can meet them, too?”
This was the part where I should be telling him who my pack was but the guy looked like he needed a minute to process it before I did that.
“I have to go chat with the team. I’m under strict orders not to be a hermit. But I’d love to catch up later if you have time?”
“I’ll be around, just send me a text,” I said, relieved he wasn’t running away like he looked like he wanted to.
Before he could respond, someone yelled out across the pool, waking the puppy. He was moving before either of us could stop it.
“Chorizo. NO!” Greer’s voice echoed out. The pup had wiggled free and instead of listening, was running full tilt into the pool. He jumped from the edge and dove in, doing laps around the players already inside the pool.
It looked like he was having the best time of his life and the team was eating it up.
A small bubble of laughter escaped me and Greer joined in, both of us watching Chorizo shake his wet fur, making the guys chatting nearby scream in protest.
“I better go save them,” he said before disappearing.
My drink and snack were delivered a few moments later and I was content to divide my attention between Greer who was chasing his pup again and Rylan and Kota playing a round of volleyball at the far end of the giant pool, surrounded by the team.
Rylan had lost the tension from earlier and seemed to be having a good time. Greer wasn’t the only one with hangups in my pack, but at least everyone was trying to figure their demons out so we could make this work.
