Page 22 of Omega's Reluctant Mate
I walked over and sank onto his couch. Tiny scrambled up beside me, thinking he was a lap dog.
“There’s not much I can do.” I ran a hand through my hair. “He admitted that he never intended to talk to me at all.”
Cody took a seat on the side not occupied by an oversized dog. “You could walk away.”
I shook my head. The thought of abandoning my alpha made me hurt inside, not when he’d made the first move towards fixing things. “No. I can’t do that.”
“What do you want to do?”
I squeezed my eyes shut. Nate was my alpha, at least according to fate. The rejection hurt, but something within still wanted to be with him.
“I want my alpha,” I whispered. “I want to know why he ran.”
Cody was silent for several seconds, then blew out a long breath. “Ok. I’ve still got some under-nose strips. They’re individually wrapped. I think I’m out of the scent-absorbing pads though, and I tossed the deodorant.”
I chewed on my lower lip. “I think the strips are all I need.”
“Are you sure? Wes said that he could barely hold back, even with all the scent blockers I wore.”
“My scent doesn’t affect him.”
“What do you mean?”
“I was right next to him, and I was hard as a rock. But his pants weren’t even pretending to tent.”
“Are you sure?”
“I got several good looks. Nothing, not even a twitch.”
“And you’re positive that he’s your alpha?”
“Yeah…” I scratched behind Tiny’s ears, smiling as he angled for more. “He seems pretty confident that I’m his omega too. He said that he’s been scared of meeting me for years, which given that I was a stranger until yesterday, it was clear he meant his mate.”
Cody was silent, and I could tell that he was remembering his own reasons for running.
I hugged him. He was doing better with therapy, but his kind of terror was always on his mind.
“It’s not that,” I whispered. “Wes reacted to you. I think that Nate’s lack of reaction has something to do with it. Ok?”
Cody nodded, then took a deep breath. He pushed up his glasses. “David invited us down for lunch if you’re interested.”
My stomach rumbled, and I realized it had been nearly a full day since I’d eaten last. “That sounds amazing.”
Cody smiled. “I’m glad I already confirmed for you then.”
I hugged him. “Thank you.”
“I’m here for you, just like you were there for me. That’s what friends are for.”
Chapter 10 - Nate
Isat on the patio, staring out at the ocean.
Papa had been the first to scold me, already having heard from Zaya that I’d disappeared the morning after meeting my fated mate. He’d threatened to cut me off until I went back to Harris Cove, but settled when I informed him that I already had. Of course the reprieve was short-lived, as he immediately started chastising me for running at all, including that moment I first saw Corey.
The easiest part of the conversation had ended up being what I was most dreading: informing him that I would be out longer than expected. I’d wanted him to tell me that there would be a need for me to return on time, giving me a reason to leave. Instead he’d insisted that I stay until I worked things out with Corey, whatever that looked like.
Zaya had returned home sometime after lunch, and after yelling at me for running away he’d hugged me and said he was glad that I’d returned.
