Page 48 of Broken Ice
Beau snorted but returned to what Emilio had been saying. “I get that, though. My family is my pack even now, you know? But I think that once I meet someone and settle down with them…that’ll be my new home.”
Emilio nodded slowly, eyes intent. “Yeah,” he agreed softly.
Beau’s skin prickled as if he were being brushed with static electricity.
Out of the blue, he wondered what it would be like to have sex with Emilio without a trace of heat lingering. To just be able to reach across the table and thread their fingers together. To let that be a promise for later.
Beau fisted his hand, bones aching with yearning.
“Why didn’t your last relationships work out, then?” Beau asked, returning them to their original subject.
“We just weren’t compatible. I feel like you can tell for sure after that first heat or rut, right? I’m guessing you and the asshole broke up after that heat.”
Beau’s cheeks coloured. “I mean…maybe not right away.”
“But…couldn’t you tell?” Emilio asked, sounding genuinely confused.
“I guess I didn’t really know any better? Like. I’ve been surrounded by a lot of Alphas. I’ve never really had Omegafriends, so. I don’t know. I kind of thought the heat was my fault?”
“Beau.” Emilio leaned forwards as if he wanted to get rid of that delusion himself.
Beau waved his hands in front of himself. “No, I know, I know. I heard you the first time.”
“So if you didn’t break up because of the heat…was he an assholeoutsideof it?” Emilio pressed.
Beau didn’t usually open up about these things, but Emilio felt sosafe. “Honestly? Yeah. Noah wassomad after I told him everything.” He laughed.
Emilio was not similarly amused. “What’d he do? Your ex, I mean.”
“Oh, you know. Just…he was weird about my scent, honestly. Thought I was putting it on to attract Alphas and shit. But it’s hard to rein it in all the time! I would get these headaches, like…shit. Chill out, you know? He was nice in the beginning, he just kind of got fed up with me, and I was too stupid to notice.”
Emilio glowered. “Jesus, Beau.”
A tight, gross knot formed in his stomach. “I know. I shouldn’t have—”
“You?No—heshouldn’t have. Fuck that guy!”
Beau was taken aback by Emilio’s vehemence. “I mean…sure, definitely. I’m pretty sure Cleo made shirts with that exact slogan.”
Emilio huffed, amused but still visibly wound up.
“Chill, man. You’re nothing like him. Well, it’s kind of funny because before I came here, I did actually think you were that type of Alpha.”
Emilio gaped at him.
“Not anymore! Just, you know. With the whole covering your face thing, I thought you were telling me I was, like…making a spectacle of myself. And don’t apologise again—I get it now.”
Emilio was wincing, corners of his mouth pulled south. “As long as you know that’s not what I meant.”
“No, yeah. I do.”
Beau couldn’t have missed that Emilio was a million times the Alpha Alex had been.
That was the fucking problem.
***
One of the best things about living in Florida were the dog beaches.
