Chapter 8 Beau #2
Well. Except maybe that.
Her brother. It’s been almost six months since I’ve seen him. We’ve all been on the road, and Caleb is often on location with Horses of Hope. But Charlie is right. Even if he wasn’t his best friend, the town is small. The courtesy of talking to him is the minimum we should do.
But fuck if I’m asking for permission. That lies in Willa’s hands only. She’s the one who chooses. Not her brother, not anyone else. Her.
“We’ll deal with Caleb when the time comes,” I say firmly. “Right now, we need to focus on Willa.”
Charlie nods slowly, but I can see the conflict in his eyes. Loyalty to his best friend warring with what his Alpha wants.
“There’s more,” Jake says quietly, staring into his coffee. “She doesn’t trust easily. And she’s got reason not to.”
“What do you mean?” I lean forward, my Alpha immediately alert to any threat to our Omega.
“When we were together before—when I fucked it all up—she told me some things. About growing up on the circuit. About men who thought her designation meant they could…” He trails off, jaw clenching. “Let’s just say she’s learned the hard way that Alphas can’t always be trusted.”
The protective rage that surges through me is immediate and visceral. “Who?”
“I don’t know specifics. She didn’t give names. But I got the impression it wasn’t just one incident.” Jake looks up, and there’s guilt written all over his face. “And then I proved her right by walking away when she needed me most.”
“You were a kid,” Charlie says, and there’s no judgment in his voice. Just understanding.
“So was she.”
“You're right, though, Caleb and Willa didn’t have an easy go of it with their father or the pack they grew up in.”
We sit in silence for a moment, each of us processing what this means. We’re not just courting an Omega. We’re trying to win the trust of a woman who’s been hurt, who’s learned to protect herself by keeping everyone at arm’s length.
“Then we prove we’re different,” I say finally. “We show her that we’re not going anywhere. That we can be trusted. That we’re worthy of her.”
“And if she doesn’t want us?” Charlie asks.
“Then we respect that.” The words taste like ash, but I mean them. “We don’t corner her. We don’t pressure her. We give her space to choose.”
My Alpha howls in protest, but I shut him down. This isn’t about what we want. It’s about what’s best for her.
“There’s one more thing,” I add, remembering the arena yesterday. “I got the feeling she’s dealing with something. Someone. I saw her and Felton yesterday. I couldn’t tell what was being said, but I sure as fuck know it wasn’t professional.”
“Mark Felton?” Charlie says immediately, his expression darkening. “I fucking hate that guy. He was always sniffing around her when we were kids.” He stops talking, getting a faraway look on his face that quickly morphs into anger. I can only assume that whatever he’s thinking isn’t good.
“The circuit director?” Jake sits up straighter. “What did he do?”
A growl rumbles out of him. And it’s a hell of a lot more intense than I ever thought the kid had in him.
“If he’s touched her—” Jake starts, his voice going dangerous.
“We don’t know that,” Charlie interrupts, but the implication hangs heavy in the air. “It’s good we can keep an eye on him. Regardless of whether or not she wants us, I have no problem telling that asshat where to shove it. I don’t have to play nice.”
My Alpha is snarling now, wanting to protect her from anyone who thinks they can hurt her.
“She’s ours to protect, whether she knows it yet or not.”
“Agreed,” Charlie says.
“Agreed,” Jake echoes.
I look at my pack, my brothers, and feel the bond between us strengthen. This is right. This is what we’re meant to do. Not just for us, but for her.
“Alright then,” I say, unable to keep the grin off my face despite the serious turn the conversation has taken. “Let’s make a plan to win an Omega. And we prove we’re worth taking a chance on,” I finish.
We spend the next hour planning. How to approach her. What to say. How to navigate the minefield of APbrA regulations and small-town gossip, and the fact that her brother is Charlie’s best friend.
It’s complicated. It’s messy. It’s probably going to blow up in our faces.
But my Alpha settles, content for the first time in years.
Home, he purrs. She’ll make this home.
And damn if I don’t agree with him.
“Well, until we can do anything about any of that,” I say, pulling myself back to the present. I throw them each a biscuit and grab the butter. “I have to be at the arena like… now.”
“Me too,” Jake says around a mouthful of biscuit.
“So are we all in?” I need to ask, just to make sure. This is too important to assume.
“I would have brought it up if you hadn’t,” Charlie says with a grin.
Jake just nods, but I can feel the determination through the bond. The shame and sadness are still there, but they’re overshadowed now by purpose. By hope.
“Alright then.” I stand, grabbing my hat from the counter. “Let’s go win ourselves an Omega.”
I can’t stop the smile that spreads across my face. Today, I’m going to ride for a championship.
But more importantly, I’m going to start fighting for her.
And I don’t plan on losing.