Page 35 of One Wild Omega

He glared at Fitz’s hand before barely taking it. Heat soaked into his cold palm before he yanked his hand away as if he’d just been burned. Fitz’s scowl deepened, if that was possible.

Does he remember me?Tanner glanced at Raimy, to see if his friend recognized the alpha. From the look on Raimy’s face, he didn’t.

He faced Fitz again and saw the alpha only had eyes for Bellamy.

His heart lodged in his throat, and he struggled to breathe. Fitz looked down at Bellamy, a smile on his lips as Bellamy said something to him and Raimy. Tanner couldn’t hear it. Not a word.

The volume of the music inside cranked up a little, and the lights lowered. Fitz whispered into Bellamy’s ear, the two of them super close.Too close. Tanner swallowed the bile rising up his throat again, trying to ignore the jealousy swimming in his veins.

“Hey, we’re going to go listen to the band,” Bellamy cried over the music. He waved to Tanner and Raimy. “Have fun tonight, guys!”

Tanner watched them head inside to the dance floor and be swallowed up by the crowd. He wanted to cry. He should’ve wanted to scream. He should’ve wanted to rip Bellamy apart for being too close to his alpha. He should’ve wanted to punch Fitz for even thinking about another omega.

But he only felt numb all over. He had to actively remind himself to breathe in-breathe out for a few minutes.

Tanner felt a tug on his arm.

“Are you listening to me, McCreary?”

He tilted his head Raimy’s way, frowning. “What?”

Raimy turned to him. “I saidBellamy was right. Thatwasone fine-looking alpha. I wouldn’t kick him out of my bed.”

“When did he say that?”

Raimy rolled his eyes. “As usual, your head is in the clouds, thinking about the next painting or sculpture.” He clicked his fingers. “Tonight you’re here. With me. Remember?”

Tanner eyed Raimy, the truth on the tip of his tongue. “Did he… did he look familiar to you?”

Raimy glanced the way the pair had just left. He shrugged and shook his head. “No. Should he?”

It was a passing glance three years ago. Of course Raimy doesn’t recognize him.Tanner opened his mouth to say something, but thought better of it. He could already see Raimy marching onto the dance floor and hell… who knows what Raimy would do. He’d already taken a major dislike to Bellamy for no good reason. The truth could fuel a massive meltdown between his friends.

And he’d have to face Fitz by the end of it.

As if the alpha would acknowledge they were mates. He doubted Fitz Walker would believe a word out of his mouth.I can’t face him. Not now. Not after being rejected a second time.“No,” Tanner said quickly. “He must just have one of those faces.”

Tanner wasn’t in the mood for fireworks, which was the antithesis of who he was. He hated that he now felt meek and lost when in the man’s presence. He’d spent his life trying to stand out and be noticed… and here he was cowering and wanting to hide.

“You know… I don’t know if I’m in the party mood tonight. Maybe we grab a pizza and a six-pack and go back to my place and watch some old movies.”

Raimy’s eyes widened. “Seriously? Ifinallyget a night out and you wanna go home?”

Tanner sighed. He’d owed Raimy a night out, but he was barely holding on inside. “Fine… but let’s go somewhere else. This place is lame.”

Raimy perked up. “Really?”

“Really,” Tanner replied.

“Well, there’s a new nightclub near the old wall. Outer Limits. But… it’s crawling with alphas. Might not be your scene.”

Tanner glanced back at the dancefloor one last time. “Fuck it. Let’s go.”

Chapter Eight

Still in the past…

Early the next morning, Tanner rolled over—his body aching. He extracted himself from the beta who was hogging his bed and headed for the bathroom to relieve himself. Tanner cringed with every step. His ass was sore from the pounding he’d gotten the night before, so he stretched his back and tried to relieve some of the discomfort. Last night, he’d wanted it to hurt. Wanted to feel something,anything, because the numbness wouldn’t wear off. He’d begged for it rough—and rough he’d gotten in spades.

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