Page 70 of Broken Omega

“I checked Goldcrest’s application process on my phone earlier, Donnie. I would never get approved, so they’d never me in. We’ll never get the chance to claim her. It’s not happening.”

He gives me a wounded look. He’s an eternal optimist, so he can’t stand it whenever I have to give him a reality check. I don’t like to burst his bubble, but this is one of those times where it needs to happen. Holding on to the hope that the stunning Omega from the academy is meant for us is only going to make it sting harder when we eventually find out she’s marrying a rich Alpha who’s approved to be at her side.

“Stranger things have happened,” he practically sings.

Jesus Christ. He’s not going to let this go.

“Forget about her, Donnie. That’s an order.”

He shrugs, and I can tell he’s rolling his eyes as he heads up the path to the house.

He does a little salute, just in case I didn’t notice he’s ignoring me. “Yes, Alpha.”

DONNIE

River’s in his room with the door closed by the time I get into the house. On a normal day, I’d leave him be, but I think all three of us can agree that what we experienced last night was the furthest thing from normal. I head right over to River’s room and knock on the door.

Frost steps into the hall behind me and lets out a sigh.

“He’s not going to let you in.”

“We’ll see about that,” I tell him, feeling extra determined to prove him wrong.

Michael Frost might think he knows all my tricks, but he doesn’t know I save a few of them especially for our Omega. River O’Reilly is a bit more complex than our Alpha, and he needs more delicate handling at times. Frost’s habit of cutting straight to the point can be too blunt for River.

That’s how I know our Alpha doesn’t know everything, and therefore can’t possibly know that Brooke isn’t really fated for us, or that she’s completely unattainable.

I also know that River’s confused about what happened, because he has a tendency to hide away when he doesn’t understand something. He doesn’t know to ask, because he was raised to never question ‘his betters’. His parents were abusive assholes. I’m glad they died in a fire his mom started with her cigarettes. He deserved better, and it might have taken him a few years to find it, but he has us now, and we’ll never treat him that way.

“I bet you’re still out here when I get finished with my shower.” Shaking his head, Frost disappears into the bathroom.

He’s in the habit of always hitting the shower after a shift. I usually go for a run before I hit the hay, and I shower when I wake up at night. River’s the only one with no set habits. Sometimes, he goes straight to bed. Sometimes he runs with me, or showers with Frost.

I wait until the sound of the water running starts up in the bathroom, before I clear my throat and call out, “River, I don’t feel like sleeping alone. Can I come in?”

He doesn’t immediately answer, and while it’s possible he’s already asleep, I seriously doubt it.

If I were trying to talk to Frost, I’d open the door and walk right in, basically demanding his time.

We can’t do that with our Omega. Past traumas have given him a few triggers that are impossible to get past. When he needs space, we give him space. That’s the rule.

“We don’t have to talk if you don’t want to,” I coerce.

I hear the bed creak, and a second later the door opens.

River’s standing in front of me in his boxer briefs and nothing else. His dark eyes meet mine with a hint of threat in their depths. “No talking.”

I nod slowly. I know he needs to feel things to process them properly.

He needs time to work through his thoughts on his own.

He doesn’t like to talk about his feelings.

All I can do is stay close to make sure he knows that meeting another fated mate doesn’t mean our relationships with each other will change. It only means there’s someone else out there who’s supposed to be with us. All of us.

He lets me inside, and I strip out of my clothing while he closes the door.

There’s a lock on the inside, but he’s never used it.

---