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Our scent match.
I should have claimed her. I should have done everything in my power to make her mine, to protect her. And now someone else wants her. I’m not an idiot. I know just how many fuckers think she’s beautiful. But this is the first time I’ve witnessed active pursuit of what should be mine. I fucking hate it. My fingers tightening around the tumbler of whiskey, I glare at the TV, which is playing some dumb movie I can’t remember the name of.
This right here, this nearly uncontrollable urge to claim her, is exactly why Quinn can never be pack. Quinn’s very existence threatens the safety net I’ve built around us. Our dads took care of us after Mom died, sure, but they weren’t there that night.
I paid for Austin’s culinary school after our dads refused.
I’m fighting to make sure Dylan stays on track.
Admitting what Quinn is would ruin the peace we’ve found. I don’t know how our parents might react, but I’m not willing to risk them shunning us, hurting my brothers in the process, for the sake of claiming my omega.
We’ve already had one parent taken away. We can’t lose our dads.
The back door shuts, and I drink the rest of my whiskey, turning off the stupid movie. Deafening silence pricks across my skin. My gaze strays toward the hall that leads to the back patio.
It’s late.
And dark.
She shouldn’t be out there alone.
I shouldn’t care.
I shouldn’t slam my glass on the table.
I shouldn’t go after her.
But I do. Ignoring all reason, I storm after the bane of my existence, desperate to get my eyes on her and confirm that she’s okay. If I can’t claim her, I’ll do whatever I can to protect her, even if it kills me to stand by and watch sadness seep deeper and deeper into her eyes.
The night is warm, and with the light from the patio casting a glow across the sand, I catch the small footprints leading to the water. Hair on the back of my neck prickling, I stick to the shadows as I follow her path. I tuck myself on the back side of the shed, scanning the beach.
A harsh wave crashes into the sand, slipping up and erasing the last vestiges of her footsteps. Where is she? My heart kicksinto a gallop. I take a step toward the water, thinking maybe she’s drowning, but then she materializes, bursting through the surface, water spraying around her.
I suck in a breath as another wave smashes into her, but she resurfaces again, watching the next one undulating toward her. She watches the ocean, as if mesmerized, and I observe her, letting myself feel the full brunt of my longing. The only thing I’ve ever wanted more than making this omega mine is finding a way to bring my mom back. The pain of realizing I’ll never fulfill either of those wishes slices through me.
But it’s better this way. It has to be. There are too many unknowns. What if we mate with Quinn, then everyone is disgusted because we’re related by marriage? What if Quinn doesn’t want us? She’s hidden her scent for this long. She’s got her own baggage when it comes to scent matches. What if I tell my brothers, and she still rejects us?
No. I can’t risk letting them get hurt.
“What are you doing?”
My heart jumps, and I glare at Dylan, who managed to sneak up on me. “What the fuck?”
“What the fuck me?” He gestures to me and then to the water. “What the fuck you? Why are you watching her like some sort of perv?”
“I’m not a fucking perv.”
Another wave slams into her, and Dylan doesn’t respond until her head pops up again. “Sure seems like it, or are you just jealous that Quinn knows how to enjoy herself?” He kicks off his shoes.
“What are you doing?” I ask as he takes a step toward the water.
He grabs the edge of his shirt and rips it over his head. “Letting go.” Glancing back at me, he balls up the material and tosses it at my face. “Maybe you should come too.”
“I’m not getting in the water, and neither should you,” I snap.
Sighing, Dylan shucks off his pants. “For as tough as you are, I still don’t understand what you’re afraid of.”
“I’m not afraid.” But I can’t control the ocean, and even though Dylan is a good swimmer, people die in the water every day.
