Page 21 of Omega's Refuge

But the sad truth was, I didn’t trust Steve.

When you loved someone, you weren’t supposed to “wonder what else was out there.” That wasn’tlove. When you loved someone, you were supposed to cherish them. Hold on to them and never let go. You weren’t supposed toenvision a future without them in it. That wasn’t love. It certainly wasn’t the sort of love I wanted.

However, I wasn’t able to verbalize any of those thoughts because of the giant lump in my throat.Tomorrow, when I felt less emotional, I’d try and talk to him again and figure out where we should go from here. Tonight wasn’t the time for that.

So, I pushed all the hurt and pain down and I forced myself to drift off to sleep in the arms of my imperfect alpha.

Chapter Four

When I woke up, Steve wasn’t in the bed. Back home, he’d sometimes go for a run to clear his head after an argument. I hoped that was what he’d done this morning. Maybe he’d realized how out of line he’d been last night. He must have known he fucked up saying he sometimes wondered what else was out there.

Hearing him say that had been devastating to hear. It had shredded what little trust I had left. It made me question my decision to get back together with him. Would we both be happier apart? I’d miss him, but after the last few months and all he’d put me through, a part of me might find splitting up a relief.

Feeling demoralized, I showered, dressed, and then left the cabin to join the others for breakfast. Rex and the gang were at the table, but Steve wasn’t there. I looked around the dining room just to be sure he wasn’t somewhere else in the dining area, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Confused, I went back outside to see if I could see Steve anywhere on the property. Rex came outside and stood on the porch beside me. I turned to him, shielding my eyes from the morning sun. “Have you seen Steve this morning?”I felt embarrassed to admit I had no idea where he was.

“Nope,” he said softly. “He wasn’t in your cabin when you woke up?”

“No,” I murmured.

“Hmm,” Rex looked uneasy.

“What?” Why did he looks so worried?

Rex rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, I can’t find Tony either.”

My stomach churned as I held his gaze. “What do you mean you can’t find Tony?”

“He’s not on the premises, and he’s not answering his cell.” Rex met my gaze. “Also, not sure if you’ve noticed, but your car is missing.”

Shock rocked me. “What?” I glanced over quickly to where I’d parked my car days before. “What the hell?” I moved down the stairs and hurried to where my car had been. All that remained was a spot of oil on the dirt. I didn’t want to overreact, but I was definitely beginning to really worry. “What is going on?”

Rex grimaced. “I’m not sure.”

My heart raced as I stared at the oil stain. “Maybe Steve just gave Tony a ride into town. Maybe they’ll both be back in just a bit.” I was trying not to freak out, but after my conversation with Steve last night, that was nearly impossible.

“Sure.” His tone was doubtful. “Although, Tony could have just taken one of the ranch vehicles if he needed to go into town. He’s also supposed to tell me or Mrs. Rodwell if he’s going to leave the ranch property.”

I felt sick as his words sank in. “So, you’re sure they’re together?”

“I don’t know that for certain, no. I’m simply saying they both seem to be missing, along with your car.”

“Why would they take my car?” I blinked at him in bewilderment. “From what you’re saying, they could have taken a ranch vehicle.”

“Don’t know.” A muscle worked in Rex’s cheek. “Maybe Steve has a perfectly innocent explanation. Why don’t you try calling him?”

I winced inwardly at the pity I saw in Rex’s eyes. Hand shaking, I tugged my cell out of my back pocket. My fingers trembled as I dialed Steve’s number.

It went straight to voicemail.

I hung up and muttered, “I got his voicemail.”

“Okay, well that doesn’t mean anything.” Rex’s voice was strained. “He might just be out of range of the cell towers.”

“You really believe that?” I asked softly.

Rex grimaced. “I don’t know what to think, if I’m honest. The only thing I know for sure is they’re both missing and so is your car.”

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