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“That it is.” I nodded once, then looked down at my hands and lowered my voice. “I’ve been lucky not to lose anyone on one of my crews.”
“Still hard when it’s someone from another crew.”
“Yes.” I didn’t know what else to say.
“Michael quit after that, but you didn’t.”
I didn’t hear any judgment in her statement. Curiosity, maybe.
“He did what was right for him, and I supported his decision. For me, like I said, it’s my career. I’ve juggled fieldwork and schoolwork for so long, I can’t imagine doing anything else.”
She was quiet, and I thought again about how much time we all spent away from home. It wasn’t ideal for bringing an omega into the pack, for giving her the attention she deserved.
“Does your family worry about you?”
There was something about the tone of her question. Wassheworried about me? I couldn’t help smiling.
“My mom worries about everyone. My brother is in the military, so she probably worries about him the most. And I have a younger sister who’s an omega. She matched with a pack last year, but before that, Mom stressed about her being by herself.”
Tracy went rigid, and I cursed myself for letting my mouth run. Omegas in my family were put on a pedestal, but that wasn’t what Tracy wanted. I needed to remember that.
In the silence, I rubbed my hands together to warm them. She surprised me by reaching out andtaking them. Her hands were small compared to mine, but callused and strong.
“Your hands are freezing.” She didn’t meet my eyes as she briskly ran her own warmer hands against mine. “Yeah, my parents worry about me too,” she said quietly.
My shoulders relaxed a little when hers did. I didn’t want any topics to be off-limits, but I also didn’t like seeing her uncomfortable. I didn’t want her to retreat.
“Siblings?”
She shook her head. “Only child. My parents are betas. When my designation became obvious… Well, it was a little rough on all of us.”
I wanted to know more, but she didn’t say anything else, and I knew not to push. Instead, I cupped her hands, stroking the smooth skin on the back. She shivered slightly, even though my hands were warm now.
Ben’s voice made both of us jump. “Come and get it!”
He and Michael were both nudging me along the bond. They knew something had gone a little wrong. I didn’t appreciate their concern.
Tracy stood with me, our hands still wrapped together. I smiled down at her.
“Let’s eat.”
10
MICHAEL
What the fuck did Griff say to her?
He didn’t talk a lot, but when he did, he was often painfully blunt.
Even from the kitchen, I could sense the tension between them. A little burst of his anxiety had rattled me through the bond. But they did walk in holding hands. That was something.
I gave them a tight smile.
“Bacon and fried eggs. I’m a little too tired to be creative this morning.”
Tracy’s eyes went wide, and her grin was genuine. “It smells delicious.”
She meant it, but I could do a hell of a lot better. I made up my mind to cook something special for dinner. It didn’t matter if I was limited to a couple of gas burners and whatever food we managed to keep cold. I’d improvise.
