Page 18 of Broken Ice
Beau’s body froze over. It was a shock, at first, the sudden cold of absence. He was always more sensitive right after his heats, hormones all over the place. His chest tightened with panic.
He wasalone.
It was stupid to feel as hurt as he did. Emilio didn’t owe him anything. Actually, he’d gone above and beyond. But Beau’s body wouldn’t listen to him, adrenaline pumping away, heart racing even as he found himself unable to move.
He took a deep, shuddering breath. Another.
The ice in his veins spread, numbing him.
Of course Emilio had left. Of course he had.
Beau dragged himself to the bathroom. He should really shower, but he couldn’t be bothered with everything that entailed. He drank some water from the sink and brushed his teeth instead.
He stopped short as he shuffled out, staring at the sad state of his nest. It was obvious why Emilio had left. What did Beau have to offer as an Omega? He couldn’t even—
Nope. Beau wasn’t doing that. It was just post-heat hormones.
“I am a strong, independent Omega,” he muttered.
He stumbled aimlessly for a while until he found his phone on the floor by the door for some reason. He plugged it into the charger and called his sister.
“Beau?”
“Am I unlovable?” Beau whispered.
“What? What happened?”
“I’m a bad Omega.”
“There’s no such thing as a bad Omega. What happened?” Cleo demanded.
“My stupid Alpha left me after my heat,” Beau mumbled. He picked the sheets up from the floor, dragging them to the bed and curled up under them.
“Wait—you spent a heat with an Alpha?”
“Unfortunately.”
Cleo’s voice heightened in pitch. “It was bad? Did they—”
“Urgh, no. It was fine. He was fine. He just fucked off without even saying goodbye when it ended, the absolute dick.”
“What an absolute dick.”
“I know!” Beau cried.
“A total loser.”
“Exactly.”
“You know how I know you’re lovable? BecauseIlove you.”
Because Beau’s body was a mess, he sniffled. “Yeah?”
“Mom would kick your ass if she heard you talking about yourself like that.”
“Because she loves me.”
“Exactly.”
