Page 30 of Wicked Truths

Hawk

My day is a disaster.

Now that I think about it, most days lately have been.

Anxiety pulses through my system as I shove through the front door to the penthouse. I hate being away from Oakley. My system demands I keep her safe, and the last few weeks, I’ve been away more than I’d like.

I feel like a PSA fordo not under any circumstances get married to your high school sweetheart. That one decision has dictated a whole lot of years of my life. I learned my lessons the hard way.

My savior complex bit me in the asshardwith that debacle. Even all these years later, I’m still paying for my mistakes.

I was young, naive, and extremely self-righteous.

I didn’t listen to anyone’s advice.

Growing up in a lower middle-class family, I knew I’d have to find a career and provide for myself, the same as my brothers did. My girlfriend wanted out of small-town Kentucky just as badly as I did. She knew how to play on my impulses to love and protect her. I wasn’t leaving her behind no matter what anyone had to say about it.

We got married as soon as she turned eighteen. I probably should have picked up on the clues when she made it clear she’d never be interested in a permanent claiming bite. I assumed she was apprehensive about it considering she’s not an omega.

The fact she left me before our second anniversary while I was in the middle of a deployment doesn’t bother me anymore. For years that shit ate away at me, but I’ve let it go.

I’ve spent more than a few thousand dollars tracking her ass down over the last few years. She never bothered filing for a divorce or even giving me a fucking forwarding address so I could serve her with papers. She did send me a lovely Dear John letter letting me know life as a military wife wasn’t for her.

Unfortunately, I waited and waited for the paperwork to come to dissolve our ramshackle marriage, but it never did. I spent time about ten years ago doing my best to track her down, but then I deployed again, and life got in the way.

Sure, I thought about it from time to time, but I also knew there wasn’t much I could do. I wasn’t making mad cash to the point I could spend all my disposable income on searching for her, especially not after my dad got sick.

I helped out my family because my brothers both had kids to support.

Fuck.

I’m mentally justifying shit when I need to find Oakley and sit down to have a serious conversation with her. She’s pulled away the last few weeks, and it’s driving me fucking insane.

It didn’t feel right to let anything develop between us.

Not past friendship anyway.

I needed to get my life together before we took any further steps. I’m finally fucking free and clear, but I’m real damn nervous I let it ride for too long.

I’ve been unnaturally drawn to Oakley since her father hired me. My dad is an alpha and my mom’s a beta. It’s unusual for an alpha to end up with anyone who isn’t an omega, but I couldn’t give a fuck less about any of that.

My ex is a beta, and yeah, it definitely made me question if I was falling into some type of old pattern, but there’s just something about Oakley that made it impossible to keep my distance.

I caught on that Oakley is really an omega during the clusterfuck show when Love went into labor during a goddamn riot.

It blew my mind to realize her designation, but it also made a lot of things make more sense. She’s still using the scent blockers and suppressants, but ever since that day, it’s like I can always smell her.

It’s hard to believe I hadn’t picked up on the signs before.

I search the entire apartment before ending up at Oakley’s door. I knock lightly, but it pushes open. I don’t hesitate to head inside.

She’s not here.

B Team didn’t inform me that she was out.

I’m furious as I pull out my phone, angry texting everyone currently on duty.

I stumble a few steps toward the end of her bed and take a seat on the edge. The entire room is filled with Oakley’s sweet scent, but it’s the picture that pops up on my screen that takes my breath away.

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