Chapter 11
JUNE
Sunlight pours through the windows like the universe is mocking me with its cheerfulness.
I blink awake slowly, wrapped in the softest blanket I’ve ever felt, surrounded by approximately forty-seven pink cushions and one very judgmental body pillow I’m currently snuggling. The room and house are quiet. And the space beside me on the bed is empty.
Carter is gone. And so is my pain.
But I remember him staying, the weight of his arm around my waist, the steady rhythm of his breathing against my neck, the way his scent wrapped around me. I recall the pain fading whenever he touched me and returning like a knife whenever he pulled away.
It was the safest I’ve felt in a long time.
I sit up slowly, testing my body. The ache is barely there, a low simmer deep within me, but it’s manageable now. Nothing like the stabbing agony of last night. Maybe sleep helped. Or maybe the suppressants I didn’t take this morning could have made everything worse.
I stare at my bag across the room, where my pill bottle is tucked into the side pocket. Every morning for seven years, I’ve taken those little white tablets without question. Swallowed them down with water and went about my day, pretending to be something I’m not.
But last night changed things.
Last night, an Alpha’s touch eased pain that nothing else could. My body responded to Carter in ways that Betas simply don’t.
Face it, June. You know what this means.
I force myself to think it through.
If I take the suppressants, I can keep pretending.
Keep the walls up, with everyone, including myself, convinced that I’m just a boring Beta with no designation drama.
But the pills might be what’s making me sick.
The cramping, the fever, the feeling like my insides are trying to claw their way out—what if years of suppressing my Omega have finally caught up with me?
My stomach twists. If I don’t take them, my scent will grow stronger around Alphas. The guys will notice. Questions will start. And I’ll have to face the truth I’ve been running from since I was eighteen years old.
That I’m an Omega who was told she’d never be enough.
My parents meant well. I know they did. When the doctors diagnosed me as dormant—unlikely to ever experience heats or form proper bonds—my mom and dad did what they felt was best for me so I didn’t suffer judgment.
And I believed them because the alternative was admitting that I was broken. Defective. An Omega who couldn’t do the one thing Omegas were supposed to do.
So I took the pills, buried my designation, and built an identity around being unremarkable.
But these three men don’t look at me like I’m unremarkable. They look at me like I’m everything.
And that terrifies me more than any pain ever could.
I let out a long exhale and make a decision. No suppressants today. If the pain comes back around the guys, I’ll know for certain what’s causing it. And if it doesn’t…
Well. I’ll figure that out when I get there.
First priority is keeping some distance. I need space to let my body settle without Alpha influence. Space to think without drowning in their scents and their smiles and the way they make me feel like I’m standing in sunlight after years of shade.
I grab my phone and pull up a new group chat, adding Carter’s and Kai’s numbers from when they gave them to me at the carnival.
June: Just heading into town for a bit. I’m sure you three can behave while I’m gone.
The response is almost immediate.
Carter: You feeling okay this morning?
Kai: She’s ALIVE! Was worried we’d have to send in a search party. Or a rescue kiss.
June: Interesting!
I smirk to myself.
Kai: It’s like a rescue breath but better. More tongue.
Carter: Please ignore him. He hasn’t had coffee yet.
Kai: I’ve had THREE. This is me at peak performance.
June: Terrifying.
Kai: You’re welcome.
Carter: Seriously, though, how are you feeling? You had us worried last night.
I stare at the screen, warmth spreading through my chest despite my best efforts to stay detached.
June: Better. Just need some fresh air and normal human interaction.
Kai: We’re not normal?
June: You literally had a body pillow made of yourself.
Kai: And you snuggled pillow-me?
Carter: That’s called “concerning.”
Kai: You’re just jealous that Flat Carter doesn’t exist.
Carter: I have never been less jealous of anything in my life.
June: You two are hilarious. I’ll see you later.
Kai: Miss you already, doll.
Carter: Drive safe.
I set the phone down, smiling despite myself, and head for the shower.
The hot water feels incredible, washing away the remnants of last night’s fever, clearing my head. I stand under the spray longer than necessary, trying not to think about the fact that I’m in the guys’ house, using their bathroom, existing in their space.
When I finally emerge, I dig through my bag for something to wear. My hand lands on a dress I packed almost as an afterthought, red with short sleeves, buttons down the front, inching halfway down my thighs, and a belt at the waist. It’s pretty without being too formal.
I pull it on, add my cowboy boots, and check my reflection in the mirror. The color brings out the warmth in my skin, and the belt accentuates my waist in a way that makes me feel… good. Feminine. Like myself, whoever that is anymore.
I grab my keys and head downstairs, moving quickly through the quiet house. The guys are probably out training for the rodeo, and I should be able to slip away without any awkward—
I stop dead at the back window.
The view overlooks the horse corral, where a wild bronco is bucking like its life depends on it. And on that bronco’s back, one hand gripping the rope, the other thrown up for balance, is Kai.
Shirtless.
Even from this distance, I can see the muscles in his back flexing with each violent movement. The tribal tattoo sleeve rippling as he adjusts his grip. The way his body moves with the horse, wild, fearless, completely in control even as the animal does everything possible to throw him.
Seth and Carter are perched on the wooden fence, looking ready to jump in if needed, shouting encouragement I can’t hear through the glass.
Seth is wearing a dark T-shirt that stretches across his shoulders, his cowboy hat pulled low.
Carter is laughing at something, golden hair fluttering in the breeze.
They look like a photograph, like something out of a fantasy.
And I need to leave before my body decides to betray me again.
I force myself to turn away from the window and walk out the front door. Every step feels like fighting against a current that wants to drag me back to them.
But I can’t let myself get swept away when they’re leaving in a few weeks. Not when I have a life here, a business, a home (water-damaged as it currently is), friends who depend on me. I’ve built something in this town. Something that’s mine.
Scent match or not, some things just aren’t meant to be.
I’m halfway to town when my phone rings through the car speakers. Mom.
I hit accept with a sigh. “Hey, Mom.”
“June, darling! I was just thinking about you.” Her voice is warm, familiar, with that slight Texas drawl she picked up after moving to Dallas years ago. “How are you? How’s the house? Did you get that leak fixed?”
“Working on it. I’m staying with some… friends while the repairs happen.”
“As long as you’re okay.”
“I am.”
“Darling, you know your father and I worry about you. All alone in that little town, so far from family…”
“I’m not alone. I have friends here. A community.”
“But no partner. No one to take care of you.”
“I can take care of myself.”
“Of course you can.” Her voice softens. “You’ve always been so independent.
So determined. But, sweetheart, you can’t stay in that town forever.
You proved you can run a business beautifully, but maybe it’s time to think about joining us in Dallas.
There are so many lovely Beta men here we could introduce you to. You wouldn’t have to be alone anymore.”
I grip the steering wheel tighter. “I’m fine, Mom.”
“You always say that.”
“Because it’s always true.”
A long pause.
“Darling, I need to tell you something.” Her tone shifts—heavier, more serious. “Your father… well, you know he let you take over the business because you insisted. Because you were so passionate about it. But he always planned to sell eventually.”
My stomach drops.
“The business, sweetheart.”
“Mom, that’s my business. I’ve been running it for four years.”
“Your father owns the building, darling. And the company name. Legally, it’s still his.”
She’s right. I know she’s right. When I took over, Dad kept everything in his name because I was young and unproven and he wanted to protect me if things went wrong. I was supposed to buy him out eventually, but the right moment never seemed to come, and now—
“I’ll buy it from him,” I say quickly. “I’ll figure it out. Take out a loan, whatever I need to do.”
“June, my sweet girl…” Mom’s voice cracks slightly. “He can get much more from investors than he could ever ask you for. And we need the money. Your father invested in something that… well, it didn’t work out. We’re in a difficult position.”
My heart sinks. “How difficult?”
“Enough that we need to sell or we lose our home here.”
I pull over to the side of the road because I can’t drive and process this at the same time. My hands are shaking.
“What about the money I send you every month? The percentage from the sales?”
Mom is quiet at first. “Your father invested that too. It’s… it’s gone, darling. I’m so sorry.”
The betrayal sits heavily on my chest. Years of working, building, sending money to them, thinking I was helping, and he just… gambled it away on some investment scheme.
“So what happens now?” My voice sounds hollow.
“He is going to find buyers for it.” She takes a shaky breath. “Think about moving to Dallas, sweetheart. We miss you so much. You could start over here. Fresh beginning.”
“I’m not moving to Dallas, Mom.”