Page 66 of A Nest of Maple & Mist

I swore I’d do anything to be worthy of her. Ty called me an adorable idiot, insisting I made everything awkward. A dry laugh tickled the back of my throat. I palmed my nape, easing the tension.

He wasn’t wrong.

When I first saw Ty, Jason was showing him the property. I stared like a teenage boy with a crush, tripping over a metal pail. That had only been the first of many embarrassing moments when Ty and I first started dating.

I spilled wine on his white dress shirt and made the stain worse when I tried to clean it. During our first kiss, I walked him back into the wall. Or at least, I thought it was a wall. Instead, I sent us both tumbling through an open door at the sugarhouse and rolling down a hill.

How a man like Ty put up with an alpha like me, I didn’t understand.

I was lucky to have him and our pack. Jason and Ty told me all the time I deserved them, even when I knew I didn’t. And I had no idea how to be worthy of Mia.

Ty said I just had to be myself.

The problem was, even all these years later, I still didn’t know who that was.

I’d been raised to believe I was better than everyone else. To know which of the seven forks I was supposed to use for each course and what Hemlock Whisky paired best with what meal. To wear fake smiles in public and talk about people behind their backs.

I had never been good at being that person.

Hawthorne Farms felt like home. It had from the moment I stepped foot on the property.

All I had figured out was that I liked manual labor—something my father turned his nose up at. I enjoyed the outdoors. Simple things pleased me—sitting by a campfire and staring at the stars, taking a nap on the lawn.

The things I had no longer mattered. Only the people around me did. And our pack needed Mia. Our mate.

So, I did the one thing for her that I knew I was good at.

Hard work.

In the weeks since she’d come back to Maple Falls, I’d spent every free minute at the shell of her home. I’d stripped the old, water-damaged shingles and replaced them with slate. I’d pulled out the warped wooden frames and installed new glass windows.

A yawn stretched my jaw. Ty had not been thrilled with how hard I was pushing myself. I didn’t like worrying him. But the only time my alpha relaxed was when I spent time working on the courting gift for our omega.

Jason had offered to help, but I needed to do this on my own.

My pack understood.

The sun dipped toward the horizon, and violet light spilled in through the half-moon window in the loft. I tipped my head back, letting it warm my face. I inhaled, grinning at the aroma of freshly cut wood.

Something syrupy blended with the scent of oak. A growl rose in my throat, my alpha snapping to attention. Something heavenly filled the entire house, the intoxicating fragrance demanding that I drop to my knees and worship it.

Sweet cream. Maple syrup. And a hint of sugared vanilla that made my mouth water. My fingers curled around a wooden beam, my nails biting into the oak. My entire body lurched, my heart hammering like a trapped bird.

Golden light illuminated Mia’s slight frame. She glowed like a goddess bathed in flames. My tongue swept along my lower lip. My alpha hissed, wanting to wrap our omega in my arms and claim her.

An oversized flannel hung across her shoulders. My lips quirked. I’d recognize that dust-covered monstrosity anywhere. No pang of jealousy came. Instead, a pleasant feeling gathered in my stomach.

I adored seeing my omega swaddled in our Apex’s shirt. She looked adorable—tiny and swallowed up by the material. Biting her lip, she shoved her hands into the pockets.

Curls billowed behind her as the wind picked up, a few strands sticking to her cheeks. Her scent changed, turning from sweet to bitter in seconds.

My hands trembled, about to vibrate out of my skin if they didn’t settle soon. I wanted to wrap her in my arms, but I didn’t move, my feet glued to the spot.

“Mia?”

Her name sounded like gravel in my throat.

Silence followed.