Chapter 18 - Craig #3
A long breath. “We thought it wouldn’t happen again.
And at first, we thought the next alpha was different.
He seemed sweet and attentive. But as time went on, the excuses started.
Job stress made it a bad time to discuss mating and kids.
They needed to put more money aside. He wasn’t ready. It would happen eventually.”
A low growl bubbled up from my throat.
She chuckled. “I hear ya.” She shook her head. “I think they call it sunk cost fallacy. Randy had spent so much time—nearly three years—with the alpha, that he hoped it would get better rather than walk away.”
“Did he leave?”
She nodded. “His best friend, Kerry, finally convinced him that it was time to get out.”
“Was that better for him?”
She stood and started pacing—clenching and unclenching her fists. “At first. Then… only a few months later… there was a mating announcement in the paper. He’d spent years stringing Randy along, then immediately mated the next man.”
The growl was back. How dare another alpha treat my omega that way?
She focused on me, and I got myself under control.
She shook her head. “It broke him. I don’t think he cared about that alpha by then, but it had become a pattern. He was a placeholder—somebody to keep an alpha’s dick warm until a…” she growled, “better… omega came along.
She walked back over and sat on the boulder again, then let out a long sigh before resuming.
“It took a long time after that before he tried dating again, but his cynicism had deepened. The dates became less and less frequent, then stopped altogether. It’s been more than a decade since I’ve heard about him being around an alpha at all. ”
Her reaction to seeing me suddenly made sense. I chuckled.
“What’s so funny?” she snapped.
Another chuckle escaped before I managed to rein it in. “I was thinking about how fast you went into protective mode. I understand now.”
She stared at me, then chuckled herself. “I’ll admit, I assumed the worst.”
“May I ask a question?”
“Sure.”
“I know my cooking is good, but I doubt that’s what made you want to talk to me—especially about Randy’s background. Why did you decide to tell me?”
She let out a long breath. “Like I said, Randy likes you. But you’re right, too. This hurts him to talk about.”
She looked up at the sky. “I love my brother. I want to see him happy. Something inside says he might find that with you. But you’re facing a minefield of emotions that you didn’t know were there.
Telling you about his past doesn’t give you a map, but it might help you figure out what signs to look for. ”
I nodded. “Thank you.”
She turned to me. “He probably guessed that this was what I wanted to talk to you about. But if he brings it up himself, you had better act as if it’s the first time you’ve heard about it.”
I shook my head. “I won’t lie to him. But I will listen to every word and hold him through the pain.”
She studied me for several seconds, then nodded. “I don’t know if I’m entirely happy with that answer, but I’ll respect it.”
She pushed off from the boulder and brushed the dirt from her jeans. “Now… I expect you to be on time this afternoon.”
I blinked. “For what?”
“For Yazzy’s gender reveal.”
“I wasn’t invited.”
She glared at me. “I just invited you.”
I thought about it for a few seconds, then shook my head. “Sorry, but it’s not up to you.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I’m not allowed to invite people to my own house? Or is it that you don’t want to be seen with him?”
“It’s not that. I won’t go unless Randy wants me there.”
Her gaze softened, but was still guarded. “Explain.”
A sad smile crossed my face. “If it was up to me, the whole world would know that he’d allowed me to court him.
But his opinion matters, too. We talked, and he wanted to take things slow.
He was ok with me telling my friends and coworkers—who’d known I was interested in him.
However, he wanted to be quiet about it on his end. ”
I scrubbed a hand down my face. “Showing up with me at his side at a family party is a big deal. It’s throwing him into the deep end without knowing if he’s ready to swim.”
“Besides,” I added, “it’s not just you. Isn’t this party for your mate and your new baby? Is that really the time for my introduction? We both know that me just being there will pull the focus from them. So… I’ll go, but only if Randy wants it.”
Her gaze lingered on me for what felt like an eternity before she released a long breath and nodded. “You’re right. But you know the kids will talk.”
I shrugged. “Kids will be kids. Hell, maybe they’ll help everybody warm up to the fact that Randy’s with somebody again.”
She fell silent again, then nodded. “Maybe I can talk Randy into a family dinner or something. Fewer people, low-key.”
“That’s probably closer to what he’s ready for.”
She chuckled. “I came out here expecting to tell you about Randy’s past and lay down the law. But you’re pushing back in unexpected ways.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
She shook her head. “Part of me expected a fight. Not the physical kind, but…”
“The alpha ego kind?” I asked after a few seconds.
“Yeah.”
I let out a chuckle. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m in full protective mode. I view Randy as my omega and will keep him safe. But that includes his emotions. Right now, the best way I can do that is listen to your side as his family, and honor the things he and I have already talked about.”
She cocked her head to one side. “And breakfast?”
I shrugged. “Sometimes the best thing we can do is back down. It wouldn’t have helped anybody for us to keep growling at each other like cavemen. Protecting him meant finding a way to reduce the stress.”
She nodded. “I see your point.”
I stood and followed her back down to Randy’s cabin—where he had the kids making cards to welcome the new baby.
The look he gave me told me he knew what his sister had wanted to talk to me about.
Jessie and the kids left a short while later.
I cuddled Randy until it was time for him to go to the party—alone.
It stung as we each drove away. While we’d already planned dinner after, part of me had hoped that he was ready
However, with the added context that Jessie had provided, I understood how much deeper his pain ran.
It didn’t matter. He was my omega, and I would support him.