Chapter 33
Leo
“Leo, my love, what are you doing here?”
I groaned as Bibi entered the greenhouse, a large basket hanging off the crook of her arm. I’d parked around the corner from my family’s house and practically crawled through the edge of the yard so they didn’t see me, but I should have known she would discover me. Nothing got by her.
“I’m just here to check on the peonies, Bibi.
” I’d been helping her in the greenhouse for years, but this was the first time I was growing flowers to sell on a larger scale.
For now, I sourced them from a small farm in Maple Glen, but I hoped that eventually the majority of the flowers in my shop would be home grown.
I crossed over to where she was standing and kissed her cheeks before reaching out and taking her basket out of habit, even though I was the one with the cane while she walked perfectly in her old age.
“What’s wrong?” She peered at me, her gaze too knowing.
“Nothing.”
She hummed and patted my cheek. “Help me pick my herbs, azizam, and then we will have tea.”
“I don’t have time for tea.”
Her narrowed eyes said it all: There is always time for tea.
I sighed and followed her around with the basket as she hummed the tune of a lullaby.
It brought me back to the sunny afternoons we spent together in Tehran, flipping through old horticulture and gardening books as she told me stories of her childhood when she helped her parents harvest roses to make rose water.
She finished picking her herbs and gestured for me to follow her to the house.
“Bibi, I’m not good company tonight,” I tried again.
She made a dismissive noise and that was that. She was the matriarch of our home, one of my favorite people in the entire world, and she would not be denied.
I opened the back door for her, gesturing for her to enter first. The scent of familiar spices—saffron, cumin, and cardamom—hung in the air.
“Leo, I didn’t know you were coming home tonight.” Maman beamed as she crossed the kitchen and pulled me into a tight hug.
“Did someone say Leo?” Baba’s voice boomed across the house, and moments later, he entered the kitchen. His face lit up and he squashed Maman and me between his large arms. “My son, your presence brings us great joy.”
I didn’t want to be around anyone this evening. Or rather, there was one person I wanted, but she didn’t want me back. But being surrounded by my parents put me more at ease. There was no doubt I belonged here.
We fell into an easy rhythm created over countless evenings of family dinners. I served Bibi tea, Maman made tahdig, and Baba handled the kebab. Occasionally, Maman and Baba exchanged concerned looks when they didn’t think I was looking, but they didn’t push me to talk.
We gathered at the table, but the warmth of the food and conversation couldn’t quite touch the ice-cold lump that was my heart.
Baba doted on Maman like usual, adding food to her plate without her asking and refilling her tea glass.
I’d grown up surrounded by so much love, but now I was left without anyone to give it to. And that hurt.
I withdrew into my head, half listening to my family’s conversations. Maman was working on a large rural maternal health grant, and Baba was planning a greenhouse expansion. Bibi was unusually quiet, but the mischief dancing in her eyes had me bracing.
I was trying to decide if my stomach would stretch enough for me to eat seconds when she spoke up.
“Azizam, next time you come for dinner, bring Lucy.”
“Yes, you must,” Maman added a little too quickly, growing my suspicion that they had previously discussed this. “She’s so lovely.”
“And talented,” Baba added with perfect timing, like this was a skit they were performing. “She emailed me progress photos of my suit, and I am definitely going to be the most handsome man at the award ceremony.”
“When you pick up the suit, you should invite her to dinner,” Bibi said.
They stared at me expectantly. Was I saying how much I loved my family? Because I take it back.
“We’re not really…” I trailed off because what was there to say? She chose someone else over me. An alpha.
“Not what?” Maman’s eyebrows knitted together.
I shoveled a huge bite of rice into my mouth to buy me some time. I didn’t want to lie to them, but I was embarrassed.
Everyone stared at me while I chewed. Slowly. Only the sound of the front door broke our staring contest, but the distraction was not welcome because there was only one person it would be.
Sure enough, my sister strode into the room wearing an embroidered pink headband I knew she’d gotten from Lucy.
I held back a groan. All I’d wanted was to spend the evening alone, wallowing in my depression, but now I found myself caught in an Azad-woman ambush.
Damn my family for having healthy communication skills.
Parisa greeted everyone with hugs and kisses before sitting down beside me.
“Who sent out the bat signal?” I asked under my breath.
She snorted as she picked up the glass of tea Baba poured for her. “Bibi was the first to text. Maman’s text came twenty minutes later.”
Yep. Classic.
“But when Baba texted, that was when I knew something was going on.”
My eyes widened. Baba did not text, which meant my attempt to hide my dark mood from my family had failed miserably.
“I’m surprised your alphas aren’t here. Don’t they break out into hives if they’re more than three feet away from you?” I was being an asshole, trying to goad her into changing the subject, but she didn’t fall for it.
“They’re worried about you, too, Le-Lo.” She traced her finger along her glass, her scent turning acidic.
Aww, fuck. I couldn’t stand seeing my little sister sad, especially when she pulled out my childhood nickname.
My full name was Alireza, but Parisa’s baby babbling had transformed it to Le-Lo, and once we moved to the U.S.
, I’d claimed the nickname Leo. It was an easier name for my classmates to pronounce, but it also just felt more like me.
Besides, my sappy side loved the reminder of a chubby toddler Parisa chasing her Le-Lo around.
I wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “I’ll be okay, Ri-Ri.” Her lips tugged up at her own childhood nickname.
“But what happened? Is it Lucy?”
The rest of the table had fallen suspiciously silent. I sighed, but it wasn’t like anything I shared would stay secret.
“We went on a date after the last town meeting.”
Maman’s eyes brightened and Parisa let out a little squeak.
“But it’s not going to work out.” I took a sip of tea as if it would keep my words from scraping the insides of my throat. “An alpha came into my shop yesterday to buy Lucy flowers.”
“Who?” Parisa asked.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Last week, Lucy and I were supposed to have our first date and she stood me up. Turns out, she was in Boston with this alpha.”
“She stood you up?” Maman’s lips turned down in a fierce frown. “I thought she was better than that. At least you know now. Don’t waste your time on inconsiderate people who don’t appreciate you.”
“She’s not inconsiderate.” I grimaced at the bite in my tone and forced myself to loosen my jaw. “She made a mistake and she apologized. But she didn’t tell me about this guy, and obviously something is going on between them.”
Maman’s scowl persisted, but Parisa looked confused.
“Okay…and? If she apologized for standing you up, I don’t understand the issue. It sounds like she’s building a pack.”
The fire of my righteous indignation spluttered and then extinguished.
I had been so caught up in my self-pity and insecurities, I’d forgotten one of the most basic facts about omegas.
Of fucking course Lucy needed a pack. I’d discarded my hope of being part of a pack so thoroughly after college it hadn’t even dawned on me that Lucy would consider having me as part of her pack alongside the handsome alpha.
King. I’d been drawn to him from the moment he entered my store.
When he’d talked about Lucy, I hadn’t just felt rejected by her—I’d been jealous that I couldn’t have him, too.
Instead of asking Lucy about any of this, I’d thrown a pathetic fit and stood her up for her craft night when she’d told me she wanted me there.
My hand shook as I pulled out my phone. I’d put it on Do Not Disturb so I could sulk without interruptions. Looking at the bright screen now only made me feel worse. Lucy had texted me two hours ago.
I had let her down.
“You really think so?” I asked softly.
“Yeah, Leo. She needs a pack and she would be lucky to have you. Any omega would.”
I swallowed hard. “Probably not anymore. I was supposed to go to an event she’s hosting tonight.”
“What are you doing here still?” Bibi asked, tossing her hands in the air.
Maman hopped up from the table. “Bring her food.”
“Yes, good idea.” Baba jogged after her to the kitchen.
My brow furrowed. They’d met Lucy for all of a few minutes and were already this obsessed? Actually, yeah. That tracked. She had that effect on everyone.
Moments later, I was being pushed out the door, multiple glass containers of food in my hands and my family’s shouts of encouragement following me to the car.