Page 75 of Stolen Omega

That’s probably because Zane has never marked me as his, despite insisting I’d be his pack brother and Omega way back when we were too young to really know what that meant. He felt like found family back then, but that was before the third member of our future pack was abducted.

Losing Zoey hit us both pretty hard, but he was older, and it did something to his Alpha sense of protectiveness to lose her without a trace like that. Searching for her seemed normal for the first couple of years.

After that, we should have been ready to let go.

It hurt, but I was ready. He wasn’t.

It became an obsession for him instead, taking over his every thought.

He’s as lost to me as she is now, and she’s probably actually dead.

It makes my heart hurt to think of either of them.

Hence the new circle of friends. As fun as it was to be the heartbroken nerd at the back of the class, at least now I have people I can hang out with on the weekends instead of rotting away in bed, making my mom worry about my mental state.

Now tonight is going to be my first ever prom night, and all I can think about is how this night was supposed to look, versus how it’s going to.

I’ll be a stag tag-along with my coupled-up, cool crowd friends, and there’s zero chance anything sexy might happen at the end of the night. I mean, besides something inevitably weird with Cameron if I make the mistake of ending up alone with him.

I should probably actively avoid that scenario.

Even if he deserves better than that bitch he’s dating. He might be a bit full of fake-Alpha energy, but he’s also way too hot for her frosty ass.

Yeah, there’s no way I can go there. I should probably stop drinking this nasty-ass vodka before it gives me ideas.

Stashing the bottle back behind my futon, I manage not to look like I was up to no good when my mom pulls her usual barge-in-without-knocking move.

She gives me a suspicious looking over. “You’re not dressed like you’re going to prom.”

“Cherise has my tux,” I admit. “I’m heading over there in a bit.”

“Hmm,” Mom murmurs. “You’re sure this Cherise person isn’t your girlfriend?”

I don’t catch the snort that blurts out of me in time, and my mom raises her eyebrows.

“Sorry,” I tell her. “Cherise is just a friend. A very rich, judgemental friend. That’s why I don’t bring her over. She already knows we’re not loaded, but she certainly doesn’t need to see it.”

“You know …” Mom starts, ready to get up on her high horse about her choice to raise me as a single woman working as a D.A. for shit wages and long hours so she can help the people who really need it instead of making a fortune working for rich assholes.

“I know, Mom,” I say softly. “I know. They’re her words. Not mine. You know how those rich assholes are.”

“Hmm,” she murmurs. “How’s Zane these days? You haven’t had him over in a while.”

I shrug. “I have no idea.”

“Shame. I liked having another Alpha around.”

“Me too,” I admit.

“Maybe you should give him a call.”

“I don’t think—”

“It’s a big night for you, Dale. He’ll want to hear about it,” she reminds me, as if nothing has changed between Zane and I in the last few years.

“Yeah, sure. I’ll call him.”

“Good.” She kisses me on the cheek. “Have a wonderful night with your rich asshole friends, sweetheart. There’s pasta in the fridge for dinner. I’ll see you in the morning.”

---