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Or at least I had always thought that.
Despite the strength that she showed just by being here and starting over, it didn’t hide the sadness in her emerald eyes. Betrayal was one of those things that could sneak under your skin and stay there, haunting you from the inside out, reminding you that you weren’t good enough at least once before.
Which had my mind immediately going to Alexander. He was an omega that I thought hung the moon at one point in our lives. What he did do was fuck another alpha in my bed.
Of course, I got the waterworks and misplaced anger.
“I didn’t know you’d be home early,” were the words he chose to say to me. Not an apology but deflecting the blame to me. Like I’d asked for him to get caught, to fuck around on me.
I stood there like an idiot, a present in one hand and flowers in the other. Spoiling him had always made me happy and when I got off early he was the first thing I thought of.
Yet, that was what my omega thought of me.
I packed my things that day while he cried behind me, telling me how sorry he was. A pack wasn’t something you built upon lies and betrayal. The pain I felt then was dull now, but the thought of him still hurt.
We could have built a pack of our own. It was something we both wanted but hadn’t found. And he threw that chance away without a second thought.
With Ellie, it felt natural. We chatted and joked around as we drove through the town but there was a small part of me wondering if it was an act.
I couldn’t hold my past against her, she didn’t deserve that. But sometimes, my head and my heart were at war.
She wasn’t the first omega to catch my attention, but she was the first to demand it. Not by her actions but by merely existing.
How was I going to resist her?
Especially when we’d be close enough her scent would taunt me every single time we worked together.
“There it is!” Her excitement had me focusing on the town again.
It was busy downtown today, but it always was in Lockwood. The town had roads but it was designed so that most homes were within walking distance of the town center. There was rarely street parking and the only ones who used the few spots we had were those who truly needed to get around easier.
I pulled next to the small candy store and parked. Nerves bubbled up in my stomach and my palms started to get sweaty. For some reason, I was worried about her reaction, what she would think when she saw the whole building. The thought of her backing out of this deal because of the state of the shop had me ready to start spouting reassurances.
At least we had Micah’s enthusiasm on our side. As soon as she climbed out of the car, he grabbed her hand and dragged her to the front door. He didn’t hesitate to open it and I was surprised it was unlocked. Then again, this was Lockwood, not exactly the most dangerous town in America.
“This place is one of those buildings they talk about having good bones,” I said as I joined them. “It’s all brick and the previous owners had updated it piece by piece with the intention of selling. The market wasn’t exactly ideal and they couldn’t sell the investment they’d made, eventually losing it when the market crashed.
“You can’t beat this kind of solid architecture,” Micah said. “Sturdy is a good jumping point.”
“You sure can’t,” Ellie said as she stared around at the large, open room. “I actually kind of love the raw-brick walls. And it’s bigger than I thought in here. If we do it right, we could entice someone to buy it. A restaurant, tea room, oh my god can you imagine?” A bit of her brother was coming out and I couldn’t help but watch as she hyped him up along with her.
“We already have a bookstore, but maybe a small studio,” Micah offered. “There could be a waiting room in front and large mirrored room in the back.”
She frowned at that and he laughed.
“You hate the idea of covering the brick, don’t you?”
She agreed. “Yes. There’s just something so beautiful about exposed brick and industrial vibes if it’s done right.”
“Come on, we’ve only seen two rooms,” Micah said, pointing at the other four doors. The first was a public bathroom. The second a small staff hallway with some offices that needed work. The third was the stairwell leading to the upstairs apartment. She stopped halfway there to glance outside through the large, hazy windows.
“You know, I wasn’t really expecting this place to have a yard,” she said as she opened the fourth door and stepped out back. “Is this part of the property or is it divided with the other buildings?”
Having her gaze on me had my mind slowing down for a minute before I forced myself to stop acting like a lovesick fool.
“A portion of it, yes, but it’s also a large field. The town was tossing around the idea of building a park out here or using it for some sort of event space, but it’s never been unanimously voted on.”
“With whatever we do have, it might not hurt to build it up a bit for an employee hangout. The break rooms I’d always had in the city were windowless, tight spaces that made you feel claustrophobic. Between the strange mix of lunch smells, pheromones, and chatting, it was nearly impossible to eat in peace.”
