Page 16 of Omega's Reluctant Mate
You’re an asshole!
I sighed and typed my response.This is for the best.
His reply came almost immediately.Coward, running to God-knows-where rather than just talking to him.
God-knows-where was an apt statement. My flight plan was to Hilton Head, to stay in one of the family’s vacation homes for a day or two. But I knew either Zaya or Papa would bring Corey to me if I stayed there, so I was trying to decide between getting a private room at a resort in the Caribbean or if I needed to go to Fiji or Bali.
Either way, my unwanted vacation had just been extended. If I was back in the office in two weeks, then Papa would have Corey in my office the next day.
I needed to be gone long enough for everything to settle down.
I turned my phone off as the car drove onto the tarmac. I wasn’t in the mood to talk to anybody else.
I spotted the family plane, stairs already down and waiting. The pilot and a flight attendant stood beside it, ready to whisk me away.
A stone began to form in the pit of my stomach. I felt nothing for Corey, but all my instincts still insisted that he was my mate.
The sedan stopped beside the plane, and the driver opened the door for me. I stepped out and stared at my escape as he unloaded my bags and passed them off to the flight crew.
This was for the best… wasn’t it? I couldn’t be the alpha that Corey expected, and he deserved a man who could treat him right from the start.
My bags disappeared onto the plane, but it was as if my feet had taken root in the asphalt. I couldn’t move.
It was only a few steps. The plane was right there, and I would be away from the nightmare.
“Fate picked him for a reason. Do you really think you’d have a mate who wouldn’t appreciate who you are as a person?”
Cadence’s words echoed in my head, and a tiny voice of doubt edged in.
Would my fated mate be able to accept that he’d have to leave expectations behind, and that we might never be able to bond if my feelings didn’t develop?
Was it crueller to leave, or to lead him to possibly false hope?
“I think that’s his decision.”Papa’s admonition came to mind.
I took a deep breath as the pilot and flight crew looked on, then turned to the driver.
“Take me back to Harris Cove.”
Chapter 7 - Corey
Everything hurt, and not in a good way. I’d always expected to be sore the day after meeting my fated mate, but I’d assumed it would be due to taking a knot repeatedly the night before.
I groaned as I thought about knots, and my cock threatened to perk up again. Somehow the need was even more intense the next day.
The desire to stay in bed and wallow in my misery was intense, but it was a Tuesday, and that meant there was work to do. Besides, what would it accomplish? It wouldn’t bring back my alpha, and would likely cause even more pain.
No. The best decision was to get up and go to work. The dogs would be able to distract me and comfort my wounded soul.
I sat up and reached for my phone, but a stone formed in the pit of my stomach when I saw a text from Zaya.
Nate was gone when I woke up,it read.Reginald said that he headed to the airport. I’m so sorry.
It was a punch to the gut. As if running wasn’t bad enough. Now he had to go and leave town entirely.
I wiped away the tears that had started to form. Crying wouldn’t solve anything. My fated mate had rejected me, and I’d have to figure out how to move on.
I trudged to the bathroom and turned the shower as hot as I’d be able to stand it. The heat would soothe my aching muscles, and maybe ease the craving for warmth that had taken over.
