The night was comfortably warm, with a slight breeze that smelled like the ocean. Rowan stood at the balcony railing and gazed out into the bright and majestic Floating District. I watched him in silence for a moment, then found the brevity to settle beside him.
“Everything okay?” I held a glass out to him.
“Yeah.” He glanced down at me. “I just needed some air. Everything is so fancy and…”
He didn’t finish that sentence. Instead, he accepted the champagne that I had to offer. “I’m out of my element. Not like you. You and Halo really thrive in this environment.”
“My father was old money. I was born into it.”
“I didn’t know you were wealthy.”
I chuckled dryly, then took a drink of my champagne. “I was disinherited.”
He looked like he wanted to say something, but couldn’t decide on the words, so I forged ahead.
“My mother never wanted an omega. Other than Charisma, I was the first omega in my family in a long time. Bianca, my mother, insisted on me marrying a beta, having the picket fencelife. But, I found Halo, and we scent matched, and…” I shrugged. “I don’t know which part of it my mother hated more. That Halo was a woman, or that I was going to be part of a pack. Either way, it clashed with her expectations of me.”
“What about your father?”
“Daddy died before I met my pack. I think he would have come around eventually. But, Bianca…” I shook my head and took a breath. Then, it all just spilled out of me.
“I tried to reason with her by actually getting married to the Heller Pack. And they were good enough to go along with the farce. I thought a wedding would have been a reasonable compromise. But on the day of the wedding, Bianca and I had a huge blow up, and she stormed out of my life.” I pictured my mother walking out of the bridal suite. I could still hear the thunderous bang of the door as she slammed it behind her. It was the last time I ever saw her in person. I drained my glass of champagne and set it aside. Reflexively, I began fiddling with the braided wedding band around my finger. The chain it hung from had to be cut when I was in emergency. “I haven’t spoken to her since.”
“She didn’t come to see you in the hospital?” Rowan asked.
“No.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. You didn’t do anything wrong.” I faced the cityscape beyond, and squeezed my eyes shut. There were so many times over the last two years that I was just a girl who wanted her mother, but I knew better than to linger on those feelings.
“The Skye Evercrest who walked down that aisle was a version of me that was trying to please people. To behave in ways expected of me and that made people happy. In the end, it didn’t even matter to her. But, after the honeymoon phase wore off, we realized that it didn’t matter to us either, and we werecomfortable living as a more typical pack. So, we decided to move here for a fresh start.”
I lifted my chin and looked at Rowan with clarity, and presence of mind, focused on the here and now. “I’m not that person anymore. And I’m through with trying to please people who, ultimately, don’t think my efforts and compromises matter.”
Rowan draped his arm over my shoulders and pulled me to him. I leaned into his warmth, his fine suit soft against my cheek.
“I just wish it all hadn’t come at such a cost,” I whispered.
Chapter 33
ROWAN
Afterthenightwounddown, I said my goodbyes to Skye, Halo and Charisma, grabbed a few appetizers for the road, and called a car to take me back to my apartment. The driver pulled up to my building, let me out, and drove away while I just stood there in the parking lot.
I didn’t want to go inside.
I couldn’tmakemyself go inside.
Instead, I just kept standing there, wavering slightly thanks to the champagne, and dreaded stepping foot in that big, dark, empty apartment.
It wasn’t until the familiar silhouette of my best friend peeked out from the bedroom window that I managed to shake myselfout of it. High up on my floor, Tracker stared down at me with a tilted head, one ear perked with curiosity, or maybe worry.
I entered the complex and took the elevator to my floor. Unlocking and entering my apartment, Tracker came to greet me with a panting smile and a wagging tail.
“You stayed up for me, buddy?” I scratched his neck. “Did you get any sleep?”
The apartment still felt cold and wide. Not quite hostile but maybe unwelcoming. In an effort to get comfortable, I showered off the party funk, staying under the spray until it ran cool. I dressed, then, moving on auto-pilot, I grabbed my laptop, and earphones, and shoved them into my bag. Then, I fetched Tracker’s travel bowls, the half-full bag of dog kibble, and his leash and harness.
