Page 55 of Omega's Refuge

He placed a metal grill over the fire, wedging it against the rocks that surrounded the pit. Then he placed a cast iron skillet over the campfire. “We’ll let this pan heat up real nice, then toss everything in. It’s not a sophisticated meal, but it hits the spot.”

“I’m sure it’s delicious.”

He unrolled an acrylic cutting board and placed it on a flat rock. Then, he handed me a sharp knife, gloves, and some of the veggies and sausages. “Let’s cut these first, then the steak,” he said, showing me the size he wanted. Once I got an idea of what he wanted, I took over.

The breeze rustled through the pines overhead as I happily chopped the veggies and sausage. While I worked, Rex gathered more wood, then joined me with an extra knife. I enjoyed working side by side with him, although he was much faster than I was. When it came time to cut up the steak, my pace slowed even more. The cut of meat was thick, and harder for me to deal with. Plus, the smell of the red meat was getting to me and making me feel nauseous. I’d never had any problem before handling red meat. I wasn’t sure why it was suddenly bothering me.

“Sorry. My knife skills suck,” I muttered, embarrassed by how much I was struggling. I was determined not to puke, but it was a struggle. Every slice of my knife into the warm, sinewy meat had my stomach tumbling.

He frowned. “You don’t have anything to be sorry about.”

“I’m holding you back.”

“From what? Eating five minutes earlier? We’re not in a race, Tanner, nor are we on a schedule.” He laughed. “Who cares if you don’t chop meat fast?”

I grimaced. “I guess I’m used to Steve ragging on me. He hated how clumsy and slow I was in the kitchen. He always said a blind man with no hands would be more help.”

Rex stopped what he was doing. “He said that to you?”

“He was just kidding, but I… I really am inept in the kitchen.” I grimaced. “Most omegas are better at the domestic stuff. Steve wasn’t trying to be mean, he was just pointing out the obvious.”

“It sounds mean to me.” He frowned.

“He didn’t mean anything by it. That was just Steve.”

“Well, I’m not Steve,” he rumbled, his expression annoyed. “And I don’t believe in mocking people who are trying their best.”

I winced. “I’m making him sound bad.”

Rex once more stopped what he was doing, and his jaw was tight. “Why are you defending him?”

Surprised at how irritated he sounded, I grimaced. “I don’t know. I guess because he’s not here to defend himself?”

He gave a curt laugh. “No, he isn’t. And we both know why.”

I stiffened, heat touching my face.

He seemed to realize he’d gone too far. He let out a harsh breath, looking embarrassed. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for.”

“It’s fine,” I mumbled.

“No, I didn’t mean to jump down your throat.” He sighed. “I guess it irks me that you still care about him, after what he did to you.”

I hesitated. “Of course I still care about him. What kind of person would I be if I could just stop caring about someone I loved for years? If I could just turn those feelings off in a few days? Wouldn’t that make me pretty shallow?”

“Yes.” He looked sheepish.

“I shouldn’t have brought him up.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “It’s just, you were being so patient with me, and it got me thinking about how he used to make fun of me all the time. But I should have kept that to myself.”

He set his knife down and he moved closer. “No, Tanner. I’m being stupid. You didn’t do anything wrong. I was just… jealous.”

“Were you?” I asked in surprise.

“Yeah.” He sighed. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay.” I sort of liked that he felt possessive of me, even though it was dumb to care about that sort of thing. Jealousy didn’t really mean anything. Alphas couldn’t help being territorial. Hell, Steve had run off with another omega, and yet he’d still been jealous of me and Rex.

He slipped his arms around me, lowering his head to give me a gentle kiss. Once the kiss ended, he said quietly, “I’m selfish. I guess I want all your attention.”

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