“Hey. You forgot your food, and I think that’s my fault.”
James held up a hand. “Hold on.” He reached for one of the pairs of shorts on the porch, and we all followed suit. I didn’t miss the way her eyes dipped to our groins or the way she licked her lips, taking all of us in. Too bad she wasn’t here to bring us more than the food. I could eat her up. “It’s not your fault. I left without it.”
She cocked her hip out. Her pursed lips revealed a dimple on one side of her mouth. “I work at the bar. It’s kind of my job to make sure the customers leave with their food and drinks.”
“Thank you for bringing it to us. We were going to make pancakes.”
Romi smiled, melting the icicles surrounding my heart. “I love pancakes, but the burgers are better.”
Heath stepped forward and took the bag from her. Their gazes met, and something passed between them. “Why do you hide your omega status?” he asked. His hand curled into a fist at his side, and I assumed it was because he wanted to reach out and touch her as much as I did.
Still, we all refrained. We had scared her enough—or spooked her in the bar.
“I don’t hide it. It’s just private. It’s personal. I have enough to deal with without… I’m not ashamed of who I am. Don’t think that for a second, but everything that comes with it, well, in my experience, it’s a hassle I don’t have time for.”
“A hassle.” I repeated her words in my mind but as every head turned to look at me, I realized it wasn’t in my head at all.
“Yes. I know that for some, being an omega is the sun to their earth, every choice and step and breath hinging on their designation, but some of us don’t have the luxury.”
I walked over and stood right in front of her. “Being who you are isn’t a luxury, Romi. It’s who you are.”
“Well, who I am…there are bigger priorities.”
The omega shifted from one foot to the other while speaking. Shit. How didn’t I see it before? She was dead tired. Her feet must’ve been killing her.
“There’s a chair on the porch with a soft cushion and some pillows. Can you sit while we talk?” The words poured out of me as though she were already ours and I was tending to her after a hard day. It would be my pleasure to do so, but my wolf pushed me to care for her even if she never bonded with us.
“Oh. I don’t have a lot of time.” Her words contradicted her stare. She looked at the chair on the porch like it was her lifeline.
“Only for a few minutes. Please.” Heath’s voice dipped low, pushing a bit of his alpha power into his plea.
“All right. But then I need to go.”
We walked to the porch, and she sat down, letting out a moan as she sank into the cushions. She pulled one of the pillows to her chest and squeezed.
“What takes up your time, other than work?” James pressed.
“Oh. I have a son. He’s a handful. That’s putting it lightly.”
“So, you have a mate or a pack?” Heath asked.
My heart beat so hard, I was sure it would throw itself out of my chest and flop onto the ground, broken and shattered.
“I did. It was arranged once I emerged as an omega. We were… I was content.”
I noticed she didn’t say happy. An omega who was properly matched by scent or choice would’ve gushed over their pack or mates. Content wasn’t a word I would use being around Romi. More like overjoyed. Excited. Happy.
Trepidatious, if I was honest. I’d been burned by an omega before. It was prior to meeting Heath and James, but I carried the scar and always would. I didn’t trust easily.
But Romi? I was ready to hand my heart to her in a second.
“But not now?” I had to make sure.
“No. I’m unmated now. Everyone thinks I’m still a grieving widow.”
I intended to push more, get as much information I could, but her phone beeped, capturing her attention. “Oh.” Something on her screen made her smile but, when she replaced it in her pocket, her openness slammed shut. Her shoulders became rigid. Her features hardened again. “I have to get back to work. I’ve been gone too long.”
She practically leapt from the porch and before we could protest, she was in her car and drove away.
