Page 14 of Talk About… Trouble

“My sob story is that something bad happened to me and it changed me completely,” I started to explain, trying to open up the best I could manage.

For some reason, this omega had me ready to bare my soul even though he hadn’t asked. I worried briefly about oversharing, but then I decided to bite the bullet. If anyone should know that my omega side was a mess, my roommates should.

“My omega is dormant,” I admitted. “Some really traumatic things went down with a pack… let’s just say they’re in prison now, and I’m free and trying to find a way to move on.”

“Oh my god, Wren,” he breathed out, looking genuinely upset for me. There was no pity there, just empathy, and I appreciated that more than he realized. All I wanted was for people to know me and not my trauma. It felt like everywhere I went someone was staring and I couldn’t shake the thought that they had heard and were either judging or pitying me.

I wanted neither.

As he reached for me, his scent wrapped around me. I wished it was stronger, more intense. That didn’t stop me from savoring it, though.

“I’m here. I’m moving on. Look, I’m even in a crowded place like this.” I gestured around us at the crowd that seemed to keep growing as the night went on.

“Damn straight you are,” he said with that teasing grin of his. “Good for you.”

“The doctor seems to think that I can bring her back out again if I find a way to relax and move on and all that. Hence the change in scenery and uprooting my life to start over.”

“We’ll find that omega side again,” he promised without missing a beat. The determined look on his face told me he had just made it his own personal challenge.

How long had it been since somebody was fighting in my corner?

Then I felt guilty because Avery was always on my side. But my betrayal, or rather, theirs, cut deep. I didn’t think we’d ever have that kind of relationship again.

Someday, I’d have to tell Grace and Devon everything. There was no way the truth wouldn’t make its way around this town eventually. I just worried that it would change their opinion of me.

Would this adorable omega think I was dangerous to have around? That I’d do the same to them?

I hadn’t realized I was chewing on my lip until Devon reached out and gently tugged it free. My battered lip ached sharply, and I gave him a sheepish smile. He didn’t call me on it, simply stopped me and moved right along like it was normal.

Why did it feel so simple with him?

“Do you dance, Wren?” he asked as he swept his honey blond hair out of his face. It looked so soft and thick that I wanted to run my hands through it.

The way he watched me meant I couldn’t say no.

“I used to,” I admitted. “In fact, I fucking loved dancing. Avery and I spent a lot of nights warding off any alphas approaching us and just dancing our hearts out. It was our way of letting go after long weeks or bad days.”

“Let me get this drink down when Grace finally makes her way back to us, then it’s on. We’re going to let go tonight.”

“Alright,” I said, finding myself smiling back at him. Something about the way he believed in me and backed me up just made me want to try.

After all, that was why I came here, wasn’t it?

“Now tell me something not trauma-related about you,” he demanded.

“I’m a vet tech,” I said, opting for my favorite thing about me. Working with animals gave me purpose and I missed it. “I could have gone on for veterinary school, but I really like the jobs I could take at this level. It gave me more hands-on. The caring route instead of the fixing route, you know?”

“I can respect that,” he said, nodding his head. “Although, the only thing you’re going to find out here are small town vets or a lot of farm animals. We’re in the country now.”

“Maybe I’ll find my new calling with them,” I said, considering what it might be like to work with a different crowdof animals.I might just have to get a pair of boots and give it a try.

“As long as you take a shower at work,” he joked, “then we don’t have to suffer when you come in smelling like a barnyard.”

A genuine laugh bubbled out of me. It felt so foreign but freeing. Joking with Devon was healing something within me. Our banter was such a small, silly thing. Probably trivial to most, but to me it meant a lot.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Grace reappeared at that moment, three drinks clutched in her hands, her face flushed from the crowd.

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