Page 21 of My Omega's Dream

Will he accept me? I have no fucking clue, but for the first time in a long time I feel brave enough to show myself fully. I still don’t know why I feel like this about Avery after knowing him for such a short time, but I have a feeling if anyone will see the whole me and accept me, it’ll be him.

I take a steadying breath. “I’m not really a drifter by choice.”

Avery pulls away just enough so he can meet my eyes. His eyes are soft with concern. “What do you mean?”

“I used to be part of a pack, just like you. Though I guess my pack was more like Ellie’s pack than yours,” I say with a dark chuckle. “They found out I wasn’t like the rest of them and they kicked me out. They have superstitions about people like me and they didn’t want my ‘dark aura’ around them. They thought having me around would bring about nightmares or something.” I shake my head. “To keep the pack happy, my parents sent meaway and as long as I stay away, they put money into an account for me. It’s how I can just keep moving.”

“Oh, Frost,” Avery whispers, his voice mirroring the pain I feel in my chest. He wraps his arm around my middle, gently squeezing.

“Yeah,” I say, looking up into the sky and trying to ignore the warmth gathering behind my eyes. I won’t cry! I won’t, damnit!

“What are you?” Avery asks after a long pause. “Why did they think you’d bring about nightmares?”

This is it. This is the moment of truth. I’m going to bare my heart and Avery has the power to caress it or stab it.

“I’m a dreamwalker, Avery. I don’t dream myself, only experience the dreams of those around me.”

The confession is soft, barely above a whisper. I brace myself for rejection but instead, I feel soft lips press against my cheek. I suck in a sharp breath, turning my head to stare at Avery with wide eyes.

“It’s okay. I don’t understand what that means exactly but I can tell that’s something you’ve held on to for far too long. It’s okay, Frost.”

I let out a breath and it shakes through me. Avery’s eyes are locked on my face, watching me. There isn’t an ounce of hate in those eyes. Something breaks within my chest and I’m overwhelmed with his acceptance.

“I can walk into other people’s dreams,” I say slowly, needing him to fully understand. “I experience it with them. Sometimes I can walk from dream to dream. Other nights I find someone’s dream I enjoy and sit at the edges of it. Other times I--” I clear my throat and look away. “Sometimes I make myself known even if the person doesn’t believe I’m real.”

Avery startles, his eyes widening. He stares at me for a long moment, letting the words truly sink in. He opens his mouth to speak but then his lips snap shut. He shakes his head.

My insides are flipping wildly, nausea rising up until acid burns the back of my throat. I don’t think I’ll be able to handle him rejecting me. I think this might actually break me in a way I’ll find impossible to recover from. Whatever sort of relationship this was building towards between us will shatter with just a few words.

I turn my head away from Avery and start to get up but his arms tighten, keeping me in place.

“Please don’t go. I just need a moment to wrap my head around all of this.”

I do my best to swallow around the lump in my throat. “Are you upset?”

“No,” he says right away. The quickness of his answer leaves me frozen with disbelief. He’s not upset with me. He’s not angry. I try not to let myself hope but despite the fact that I want to hold myself back, I find myself hoping nonetheless. Hope curls around my heart, holding it gently.

“Are you--” I can’t find the right words to ask. Eventually I settle for, “okay?”

“I think so? I’m trying to wrap my brain around the fact that it was you. You’re the thing I’ve convinced myself I created with my own imagination. The alpha of my dreams. Oh gods,” he gasps out, looking at me with wide eyes. “That’s so embarrassing! I told you, to your face, that you were the alpha of my dreams!”

Ah, here it comes. Now that it’s settling into his brain, he’s getting ready to throw me away.

“You saw how much I wanted you. I danced with you. I held your hand! I even chased you through the woods! Gods, you must think so poorly of me.”

“Wait, what?” I readjust us so we can properly look at each other. “I don’t think less of you, Avery. I think you’re amazing. But surely,youthink poorly of me for not telling you!”

“What? Why would you have told me sooner? It’s obviously something you think I’ll reject you for and you were waiting for the right time. I can’t fault you for that!”

We stare at each other, like two wolves circling and sniffing each other to see the other’s intentions. It seems we’ve come to a standstill.

“So,” I say slowly, “I’m not upset with you. You’re not upset with me. We’re,” I pause, “okay?”

Avery nods his head. “We’re good. We’re better than good, I think,” he says, giving me a small smile. “I still don’t really understand everything and I’d love to hear more about it. But that can wait until tomorrow.”

“You still want to spend more time with me?”

“Obviously,” he says, his cheeks flaming. “Youarethe man of my dreams after all.”

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