Page 26 of Wild Omegas
I yank my gaze up to meet his, and a hard crease forms in his brow. “Everything’s fine.” But I say it far too quickly for anyone to believe.
For whatever reason, Luke lets it be.
We eat breakfast in easy conversation about what has to be done around the ranch today. Every now and then, the alphas look at me or my phone, but I keep my lips sealed.
They know I had to get a new number because I was being bothered, but not why.
They know I ran out to Wild Skies Ranch, but not why.
They know a lot of vague little details. But are they ready for the full dark story? Am I ready to tell it?
I catch Brooks’s gaze aimed at the coffee cup in my hands and the burn scars on those fingers. I let go of the mug and place my hand on my thighs under the table.
No. I’m not ready to tell these alphas I wanted off this mortal coil.
So I won’t. Not yet.
My phone vibrates again with a new message.You can’t run from me forever.
I power down the phone and toss it aside as I rise to clean up from breakfast. My pack refuses to let me clean the dishes alone, so I let them help. Which is just as well because my mind is a whir of thoughts and fear.
One day soon I need to tell Wild Skies Pack everything that’s happened. But not today.
CHAPTER 14
Carson
Even I can’t discounthow weird Josie was at breakfast. It’s clear she’s running from something in her past that’s far more present than she’d like it to be now. But part of me can’t also help but wonder if it’s agreeing to join our pack that she might be regretting, too. Or maybe that’s just my fear because now that she’s ours, I can’t imagine a world in which she’s anything but.
I head out for work early and spend the entire morning in the garden and walking the grounds. A few stones came lose on a pathway so I fix that and water the garden before heading back to the shed housing most of my equipment. The sun blazing down on me all morning is enough to chase away the memory of chilly rain soaking us all last night. The wild temperature swings are like nothing I’ve seen before, even in the city.
I hurry to the shed to finish up for the day. But instead of a quick trip to lock up, I find Josie sitting there looking out at the horses grazing in the distance. She’s sat on the steps that lead up to the raised shed with her arms wrapped around her knees.
My boots disturb enough ground when I walk that she must hear me coming. She turns and smiles up at me although it’s tight. “Hey.”
I sit down next to her and toss aside my work hat. “Hey. Everything okay with your friend?”
I can tell it’s not but there’s only so much any of us can do when she’s not willing to talk. She lets some things slip here and there, but it’s never enough for a full picture. Honestly, I’m surprised Brooks hasn’t dug into it yet with his connections. But I suppose, like Luke and I, he’d rather preserve her privacy.
Josie pulls in a deep breath that raises her shoulders. She nods. “Yeah, she just needed help sorting some things. I’ve got the right connections for it, so…” She trails off as she picks at a spot on her jean-covered knees.
I dip my head so our eye levels are closer to being even. “Is it anything I can help with?”
Josie looks back toward the horses in the distance. “Not really, no.”
I can tell she’s lying. I just don’t know about what or why other than she doesn’t trust me. Which is valid. We’ve not known each other for long. Trusting us with her body is one thing. Trusting us with her heart and her past…
Still. “Are you sure?”
Josie looks back to me. Her wild hazel eyes meet mine and it feels like someone’s stabbed straight into my heart. Her shoulders are tight and her eyes… They’re full of sadness and worry. “It’s not something you can help with Carson. At least, I’m not surehowyou could help. But thank you.”
I reach for her hand and am genuinely surprised when she lets me take it. “We’re all running from something, Josie. We’re a pack now. We can help each other.”
She tilts her head. “What is it you’re running from?”
If she needs a little honesty from me to open up, who am I to hold back? It’s not like my identity or bank account are a secret. It’s just not really come before now. “Okay, yeah. I’ll tell you.” I gently brush her hand with my thumb. “It’s nothing insidious. Iwas a CEO for a start-up that went public and stocks boomed. Sales were really good for a long time, and I became a billionaire a little too quickly.” I shake my head as memories of all those long nights flood my head. “Even though I as CEO, I was also doing a lot of the work hands-on. It got to be… too much. My health couldn’t take it, and I didn’t need the money anymore, so I left. I had to.”
“And you found Wild Skies Ranch after that?” she asks.
