Page 13 of Omega's Reluctant Mate
I connected my phone to the car’s bluetooth as soon as I got in and started the engine.
“Call Theo,” I said as I pulled out of the shelter parking lot.
“Hey, where are you?” he asked as he answered on the third ring.
“My volunteer shift ran late,” I explained. “I’m going to pop home to change shirts, then I’ll be right over.”
“Running late, got it.”
I laughed. “Yeah. I’ll be there soon.”
I was glad that my apartment was between the shelter and Billionaire Row. It meant that it wouldn’t be a huge detour. Better was that none of the puppies had peed on me. I would be able to change clothes rather than have to shower and delay even further.
I pulled into the apartment parking lot, and was relieved when I spotted a space close to my unit. I snagged it and jogged inside, trying to decide what to wear. A quick glance at my closet and I decided on a light blue button-up.
I shucked the t-shirt I’d been wearing, and strode to the bathroom. I refreshed my deodorant, went back to the bedroom, and pulled on the new shirt. A spritz of cologne, then I rushed back to my car, glad that Zaya tended to keep things casual.
It was as if fate was on my side as I drove, not hitting a single red light—a rarity on my visits to Billionaire Row.
I pulled into Zaya’s driveway in record time after leaving the shelter, and was relieved by Reginald’s constant vigilance as he opened the door before I could ring.
“Thanks Reg,” I said as he opened the door for me.
“Of course Mr. Eaves,” he replied with a chuckle.
“How many times do I need to tell you?” I teased. “Call me Corey.”
“Force of habit.”
I shook my head with a smile as he led me to where everybody else had assembled.
“Mr. Corey Eaves,” announced Reginald.
“Sorry I’m late,” I started, looking around and trying to find the new face. “A last minute litter came in and…”
I spotted the one person I didn’t know, Zaya’s brother, and it was as if all the air was sucked from the room.
Right there, only a few yards from me, was my fated mate. The one person the universe had deemed perfect for me, the man I was supposed to spend the rest of my life with.
He was almost as model-gorgeous as Zaya, with eyes blue enough I could tell their color across the room, and dirty blond hair. He was fit without being overly muscled, and I could already imagine being wrapped in his arms.
Everything in me demanded that I rush to him. Maybe we’d stay and be social for a few hours, then we’d have to decide where to go to consummate our mating. I could already imagine the feel of him inside me.
As quickly as I’d recognized him as my fated mate, I saw that something was wrong. Panic spread across my alpha’s face, and he bolted. He ran to a dark hallway that led to a staircase, and was out of sight.
I couldn’t breathe. One look, that was all it had taken for my alpha to reject me. I sank to my knees, eyes locked on the spot where he’d disappeared.
Chaos erupted around me, but I couldn’t move.
“Corey,” Cody said from my side. “Was that…?”
Tears streamed down my face. I couldn’t help it. “He ran…”
“Fuck,” Zaya spat, then he rushed into and out of my field of vision as he bolted after his brother.
“Let’s get him a chair,” Alan said.
“Come on,” David murmured, bending over as best he could in front of me. “Zaya’s gone to find him.”
