Deacon stood with a genuine grin as he introduced who could only be the living incarnation of Aphrodite to Rosemary. The Omega had long golden red hair and sparkling eyes that matched my bestie’s dress. She was dressed in a black cocktail dress that clung to her every luscious curve. She was nearly as tall as Deacon in her heels, and her smile was as comfortable as his.
His hand rested on the small of her back, and they all laughed as he said something else.
An Alpha touched an unclaimed Omega. There was no hesitation on his part. No protest from her or anyone else.
That meant they were compatible.
My world spun, going black at the edges. I caught myself before I fell back, and then nearly fell forward down the stairs. I scrambled back and clawed my way to stand and stumbled to the rear stairs.
It shouldn’t matter. We couldn’t be together anyway. Hadn’t I already made up my mind that I wouldn’t make his life miserable by being a reason his family might disown him? And I didn’t want to lose my best friend.
How I made it down the stairs without falling, I didn’t know. My life had spiraled out of control. I didn’t know how to stop the feeling of having lost my spookily ever after. He wasn’t meant for me. He was never meant for me.
I didn’t glance at the cooks as I flew out of the back door and ran through my neighbor’s yard into my own. It was time for dinner, but I couldn’t face anyone at the moment. I bolted up the ladder into the tree house, and the trap door barely slammed shut by the time I threw myself into my reading corner and burst into tears.
Sobs wracked my body. I could barely breathe.
Deacon had found his Omega, and it wasn’t me. I hugged the ghost of what could have been and cried until I was numb.
CHAPTER TEN – Deacon
The dinner couldn’t have gone better. I’d been fuming when my mom yanked me into the house and thrust me in front of her chosen Omega. She introduced us, so overly sweet about it that I fought not to roll my eyes. The woman’s parents stood to the side as if holding their breaths.
I already knew this Omega though. This past summer, I had gone to my friend John’s summer house where we had met Octavia Kent. She had slipped out from her family’s house to come to a party, and the second John had touched her, they were lost to one another. She’d went into heat and he’d claimed her. Or, at least, that’s what he said. Yet here she was being introduced to me as an unclaimed Omega.
Octavia and I were not compatible. She didn’t have a sparkling gleam of mischief in her smile or a supple mouth that could make me hard just looking at it. Yet it made our families happy to see us getting along. Whatever was going on with her and John, I didn’t know, but there was a lot of tension between her and her parents, and I could sympathize.
I’d gotten Octavia’s number, not for myself, but so I could send it to John. Not once all evening did either of us mention the summer or my friend, but she gave me a single slow nod when she typed her number into my cell. Whatever was going on, I hoped the two of them worked it out.
Mom was in a tremendously good mood after our guests left. She went with Edward to pick up Kat from her ballet practice leaving Rosemary and I to relax for a moment alone in the house. I shared with her the story about Octavia and John, and she was blown away.
“Holy crap. The things that Omegas have to put up with. It’s ridiculous.” Rosemary kicked off her heels and sat veryunladylike on the couch. “I feel so bad for Octavia if she loves John. He’s the one that’s a physical therapist for kids, right?” At my nod, she sighed. “He’s super sweet, but I bet he isn’t from the right family or some bullshit like that in the eyes of her family. I swear Omegas are kept locked up and paraded around like prized breeding dogs. I’m so glad I’m a Beta.”
“You really think they’d lock her up?” Some families could be strict, but since I knew so few Omegas, I couldn’t guess.
“I wouldn’t doubt it. Milla has told me how strict many of the families are of her classmates. Thank God her parents are wonderful people. Not that she gets out to meet any Alphas stuck inside working and helping her mom every day. Poor girl.” She took out her phone and started to tap in a text. “Speaking of which, I’m going over to help her with packing up stuff to mail out.”
Carmilla was in no way a poor girl. I was an incredibly lucky Alpha. I didn’t want her to meet anyone else. She was all mine. Though I had yet to come up with a plan to make that happen. “I can come over and help. That way it’s done faster. We can hang out like old times.”
“You just want to steal more of her mom’s cookies.” Rosemary stuck her tongue out at me.
“To be fair, everyone wants more of those cookies.”
We both laughed, and she frowned at her phone. “Aw. Milla doesn’t feel very well. Maybe the day was too long for her at the farm. We’ll have to steal cookies another time.”
Every warning bell rang in my head at the same time. Carmilla didn’t feel well? No. Not even the worst flu kept her down. One Halloween she had her tonsils removed, but she still was out there that night dressed in costume and going door to door with a sign that said ‘trick or treat.’
I stood and headed for the door. “I’m going to go for a walk and maybe tinker in the garage for a while.”
“Okay.” Rosemary yawned and stretched. “I’m going to take a long, hot bath, and catch up on sleep. If you text John and give him Octavia’s number, let me know how things work out. I love a good romance story.”
Throwing on my jacket and boots, I then sent John a quick text. If I was him and Octavia was Carmilla, I’d want my buddy to send me her number right away. Nothing would keep me from her.
There was no doubt in my mind where I would find Carmilla. Something had been off at the farm, but we’d gotten thoroughly distracted in the maze and didn’t get a chance to talk. I exited our backyard and headed into the Rookwoods’. I smirked to see a dim light up in the tree house.
My dick was getting hard remembering the other night in the tree. I silently told myself we’d talk first before we let ourselves be distracted by anything else. But fuck, just the thought of her screaming my name as she came…
I climbed up the ladder and knocked on the door. Even before I heard anything, I pushed up, but the door didn’t budge.