Page 13 of Claiming Their Omega

William’s jaw works. He must understand that there’s no way he’ll win in a fight against these four. Or any four Alphas, really, but especially not men like these. His only hope was to convince them I was making it all up or crazy, and now that attempt has failed.

“Fine,” he snarls. He gives me a cutting glare, one that sends a chill up my spine because it seems weighted with a promise of this isn’t over, then he walks away.

I exhale heavily. I had no idea I was holding my breath, but my lungs are burning.

“Grace?” Hendrix asks. His voice is soft.

I rub the back of my neck. I feel relieved, but also so embarrassed. I hate that anyone had to see what just happened, had to witness my total humiliation and the way that William just treated me. But at the same time, I’m glad that these Alphas are here. I don’t know that William would’ve backed down if they hadn’t stood up for me.

“I…” I swallow and try again. “We were just driving back from my parents’ house and his phone wouldn’t stop going off. I thought it was work.” I can feel tears filling my eyes, but I can’t quite stop them. “His boss is demanding. Or I thought he was. I’ve met the man, and he’s the kind of Alpha that makes other Alphas look bad, you know, so of course when William would talk about how he had to work late all the time, I believed him.”

As I talk, though, my mind whirls. Maybe William wasn’t staying late at work or fulfilling some stupid errand for his boss. Maybe he was sleeping with this woman all this time. Or any other number of women. I don’t know how many affairs he might’ve had.

“But when I looked at his phone it was this… this woman. Misty.” I shake my head, trying to maintain my composure, or what’s left of it. “I’m not the suspicious prying kind of person. I really only went into the phone because I wanted to give his boss a piece of my mind. He knows William’s on vacation with me. I was annoyed he kept bothering him and how selfish it was. And instead I saw this woman telling my boyfriend how much she wanted his—his—”

I can’t make myself say it, but I clearly don’t need to, judging by the thunderous looks on the faces of all four men. Even Jesse and Cade.

“You see why I was beating on the car,” Easton grumbles to the others, like they might be doubting his reasoning.

Hendrix takes a few steps toward me. “Grace, I know you must’ve liked the guy if you were dating him, but trust me, he wasn’t worth your time. He wasn’t worth shit, actually.”

I laugh wetly. “I’m sure he isn’t, I just don’t understand. I feel stupid.”

“Don’t. Men like that are good at what they do, they’re good at lying. He’s a scumbag, Grace. You’re not stupid for seeing the best in him.”

I wipe at my eyes. “And now you’re all being kind to me, it must be really bad.”

“Oh, don’t get your panties into a twist,” Jesse snaps. “We’d do this for any woman who was cheated on, trust me. Men who do that are all spineless slugs, every last one of them. It’s never the partner’s fault they were cheated on. It’s always something to do with the man, Grace. Not you. You were doing everything right.”

“It sure wasn’t anything to do with your looks,” Easton says, so quietly I’m not sure if he intends to say it out loud.

I flush. Jesse might be right and they’d do this for anyone, and I think that shows what kind of good men they are, helping anybody out that way, sticking up for a woman even if they don’t know her or even like her. But it does make me feel better.

“Thank you,” I tell them all earnestly. “I really mean that. I know you’d do it for anyone but it still means a lot.”

“Do you need anything?” Hendrix asks.

“To go back in time and not give William my number,” I joke, although there’s not much humor in it. “No, seriously, I’m just going to go back home.”

All my stuff is back at the hotel but I’m sure Mom and Dad still have some of my childhood clothes and things around. I can borrow something of Mom’s if I have to, we are roughly the same size, same petite figures.

“Could one of you give me a ride, actually?” I ask. “I wouldn’t mind walking during the day, it might actually be nice, help me blow off some steam but I don’t want to end this shitty evening by getting run over.”

“You just want to go home?” Hendrix puts his hands on his hips and shakes his head. “Nah, you need a drink after all of that. Let me buy you something. Let all of us buy you something.”

“I don’t remember offering up my wallet,” Jesse notes dryly.

“Mine’s up for grabs,” Easton says.

Cade shrugs as if to say, why not?

I grin, feeling lighter. “Well, if you all insist…”

“I’m not insisting,” Jesse protests. “But I agree with Hendrix you do deserve a damn stiff drink after that bullshit.”

Hendrix offers me his arm. “Come on, little lady, let’s get a move on,” he drawls, exaggerating his rough n’ ready voice to sound like a stereotypical cowboy.

I laugh and take his arm. “Such a gentleman.”

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