Page 20 of A Nest of Maple & Mist

My parents didn’t.

In my delirium, I waited for him. Covered in their blood, and still in shock, I checked my phone every thirty seconds until the battery died, praying Shane would respond to my sobbing voicemails.

He didn’t.

News of the accident spread, and by morning, all of Maple Falls knew.

At the funeral, a small part of me expected to see him there. But he never showed.

Jason had been there, though.

A tall, silent shadow stood near the back of the cemetery with his parents and siblings. I remembered holding his gaze the entire time I gave the eulogy. The pastor said I didn’t have to, knowing it’d be difficult.

But I was the last of our family left. My parents deserved kind words said about them. I wouldn’t let them down.

The only thing that got me through that moment without breaking down was Jason’s crystal blue eyes holding mine.

I lifted my head, staring at the bed covered in plush blankets and soft sheets. Somehow, my feet remembered how to move, and I crawled on top of the mattress, burrowing beneath all the downy material until I passed out, still in my clothes.

I refused to leave the suite the next day. Thankfully, the guys didn’t try to force their company on me. Ty came by in the morning, knocking quietly at the door and letting me know breakfast and my coffee were on a tray outside when I was ready.

After I heard his footsteps retreat, I cracked the door open, my stomach growling when the scent of chocolate scones hit my nose.

Other than that, I hadn’t left the bed the rest of the day.

My phone vibrated on the end table. I debated ignoring it, not ready to talk to Jason, Ty, and certainly not Shane. It dinged again. My curiosity got the better of me.

The name “Maple Queen” flashed on the screen, and my shoulders fell from the pinched position by my ears.

“Miss Mia! Please tell me you’re coming tonight? Hazel says we really need a third to make the campaign more entertaining.”

Oh.

In all the chaos of last night, I’d forgotten about Fern’s invitation to join her and a couple of other omegas for game night.

Immediately, I jumped out of bed. While I wasn’t feeling exactly social, I needed to get out of this place. It was like fate was testing me, and it drove my omega mad.

In the bathroom, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I looked like a mess. I hastily fluffed out my curls, putting on enough makeup to hide the dark circles under my eyes.

I tossed on an oversized sweater, grabbing my keys.

The floorboards squeaked under my feet as I tried to creep out of the house. I felt like a teenager sneaking out to meet a boy her parents didn’t approve of.

Light spilled from the kitchen as I landed on the main floor. I stood rooted to the spot, watching a man so different from the one I once knew move about the space.

The Shane Hemlock I knew always wore those stiff Merino wool sweaters his mother insisted on. If it wasn’t that, then it was those custom, tailored suits whenever he had to attend high-end events for his father’s business.

He always looked like a prince trapped in a glass box.

But the man standing in the kitchen defied everything about the boy I’d grown up with. Mud caked his scuffed work boots, his Carhartt worn at the knees. His jaw was sharper, his copper hair cropped and rugged.

Sap and sweat stuck to his nape.

He looked deliciously disheveled after a long day of work.

It made my stomach flip in a way that had nothing to do with hunger.

I bolted out the front door before my omega made me do something I’d regret. I hated how attractive I found him. Hated that annoying little flutter in my chest when I saw him. Hated how my omega practically panted for him.