Page 19 of Lion's Crossing

I considered calling my parents to let them know I was back, but I didn’t want to tell them I’d spent my entire time away getting fucked by a lion shifter who hadn’t bothered to claim me or even asked me to be his mate. Plus, they didn’t need to know I even went into heat, or they’d parade me around town, hoping some young alpha would sniff me out and take pity on me. My parents would figure out I’d returned soon enough. They knew my itinerary and would have heard the train come into town.

I also contemplated texting Linc to tell him I’d arrived home. Yet, what did I say?Home now, thanks again.OrJust letting you know I’m back in Shifter Crossing.It all sounded stupid in my head. Besides, would he even care? I was out of his life now and I doubted I’d ever see him back in this town. When he’d been here the last time, no one had even mentioned spotting him around.

I closed the messaging app and tossed my phone to the side of my bed. Sure, I’d had a fling with a former pop star, butI could never mention it to anyone. Especially anyone here in Shifter Crossing, where his family lived. I had to move on and forget all about him.

Chapter Twenty

Linc

Burying myself in work seemed the only answer to get over Knox leaving and never contacting me again. I thought he’d at least let me know when he’d arrived back home. I didn’t even warrant a quick text to say so after providing him a place to stay, helping him through his heat, and making sure he made it on time to catch his train back to Shifter Crossing. Had I misread everything about our time together? Sure, I would have loved for the omegas of my past to leave without a single shred of evidence that we’d been together, but Knox was different. At least, that was what my lion believed.

A month had passed by quickly since that week with him. I thought working on the album for ONE would help me forget him, yet every time the wordsomega,fated, orlovecame up in any of the songs, a deep ache formed in my chest. I pushed through it all while cultivating each track, and with most of the initial recording finished, the group was off doing photoshoots and learning choreography for their eventual performances, leaving me more time in my thoughts. Not where I wanted to be. I tried to listen to the demos for my own album again, but they only made the anguish grow.

Maybe I should have texted him that night. Just to be sure. It wouldn’t have been that hard and would have put my mind at ease. But I’d been too stubborn, and now it was too late. What would I say to him?

I’d asked my parents how the town was, hoping in a roundabout way that they’d tell me if something had happened to Knox since I last saw him. Yet, they’d told me the town was as boring as ever, which they liked.

I didn’t want to come right out and ask them about Knox, knowing they would start on me about finding an omega and settling down. Not a speech I wanted to hear again. I’d heard it enough when I’d been there helping my father after his surgery.

My lion seemed content for the first time with the idea of settling down. Yet the only omega I’d even consider devoting my life to had left me without a word.

Wait, was I really ready to commit to Knox? I ran my palm over my face, sure I wasn’t thinking clearly. Maybe I needed more sleep.

I grabbed my phone to unmute it and noticed a message waiting for me. For a brief moment, I hoped it was from Knox. Then I noticed the sender: my sister. Worry clenched my gut. Had something happened to our parents?

I called her right away without listening to the message.

“Hello?” she answered.

“Kayla, is everything okay?” If I had to, I was ready to drive to Shifter Crossing immediately.

She chuckled then sighed. “You didn’t listen to my message, did you?”

I swallowed down my shame. “No. I wanted to talk to you anyway.”

“Oh? What about?” She sounded like she didn’t believe me.

Maybe it wasn’t the truth, but since I had her on the phone, I decided to ease my mind. But not right away. “Tell me why you called first.”

“I was just wondering if you’re going to be here for the holidays this year. You weren’t sure when you left, and I thought you might have a better idea if you are coming home now.”

“I…uh, I still don’t know yet.” Though, going back to my hometown would be a good excuse to see Knox again. “But probably. At least for a couple days.”

“Okay, well try and figure it out for sure so I can plan what day we’re going to have our big dinner. And especially if you’re bringing someone home with you.”

“Kayla.” She was as bad as my parents, though none of them knew the only omega I wanted saw them more than me.

“Just sayin’.” I heard the allusion in her voice. “Anyway, what did you want?”

I swallowed the lump of pride and nervousness trying to keep me from talking. “I…I saw an omega here in Saramto not too long ago. I’m pretty sure he’s from our hometown. I think his name is Knox?”

“Knox? Oh, yeah, I know him.” An awkward silence passed between us before she spoke again. “What do you mean when you say you saw him in Saramto?”

I didn’t know how much to tell Kayla, but I couldn’t lie, either. “We rode the train to Saramto together. The day it got stuck on the tracks.”

“Oh, yeah, the one still mentioned on the news. A lot of the passengers are suing for compensation. You never did. I don’t think Knox did either.” She tapped her fingers on something hard, and I didn’t know if she was at work or at home. “Why are you asking about him all of the sudden anyway?”

“He just popped into my mind, and I thought I’d ask about him, what he’s up to.”

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