Omega in the Middle (Sugar Beach #5)
Chapter 1 Dalton
DALTON
“Hey, Cuz! Time to get up!” Jace’s voice yelled in my ear as the bed shook so badly I thought Florida was in the midst of an earthquake.
Did Florida have earthquakes? I wanted to burrow down inside the blankets and never see the light of day again.
Groaning, I attempted to burrow deeper into the cocoon of blankets, desperate to escape the unwelcome intrusion of the morning light filtering through the thin curtains.
Should have known better than to take refuge at Cousin Jace’s place.
The man was a menace to my peace of mind, a force of nature that swept away any semblance of tranquility in its path.
Dragging the blanket off my head, I turned to the source of the yelling in my ear.
Sure enough, Jace’s face hovered mere inches from mine, his mischievous grin stretching from ear to ear.
We weren’t those kinds of cousins, thank goodness, so I did the only thing I could—I threw myself back, knowing Jace was invading my space on purpose because he was being a dick.
Family was like that. I loved my cousin dearly, but I didn’t want to be that close to him, and more than likely, he didn’t either.
It was just his way of getting a rise out of me.
Not realizing how precariously close to the edge of the bed I was, it surprised me when that sudden move back sent me tumbling to the floor with a dull thud.
My legs remained tangled in the blankets that were still tucked tightly into the mattress, trapping me in a twisted cocoon.
The crack of my head hitting the hardwood floor reverberated through my skull, a sharp sting quickly blossoming at the point of impact.
The pain in my tailbone was a dull, throbbing ache as it absorbed the brunt of the fall.
“Jesus, Dalton. Stop waving your dick at my omega and get some clothes on.”
The crash had set me reeling, a wave of dizziness washing over me as I tried to shake the feeling of discombobulation from inside my head.
As my vision cleared, the sight of Dai, Jace’s omega, standing in the doorway with their two toddlers gawking at me, threw me for a loop.
The twins’ wide eyes and slack jaws made it clear they had never seen such a spectacle before.
Looking down, it took me a flustered minute to remember I was buck naked when I fell into bed last night, too emotionally drained to bother with pajamas.
A crimson flush crept up my neck as I tried in vain to pull the blanket over my lower half, but my legs were hopelessly tangled, leaving me exposed.
My gaze landed on the pillow that must have tumbled to the floor with me.
Snatching it up, I threw it over my groin.
Morning wood was no longer an issue thanks to the unexpected company crowding into my room.
What the hell? Jace’s antics I could understand—we had a long-standing mutual rivalry for bugging the shit out of each other.
But that didn’t mean I wanted to lie sprawled out on the floor with my junk hanging out for every omega in Sugar Beach to gawk at.
The sheer embarrassment burned hotter than the sun streaming through the window, searing my face an even deeper shade of red.
Not to mention, my pride took a massive hit because the morning wood I had been sporting thanks to the sexy dreams of worshiping my alpha’s body had disappeared faster than ice on a hot skillet, flopping around like a wet noodle.
Not something I wanted any omega to see, not even Dai, who was too good for the likes of my cousin Jace.
Then I remembered that my alpha wasn’t my alpha anymore.
A hollow ache settled in my chest as the memory resurfaced, sharp pangs of regret piercing my heart.
I had tried to put his needs first in our relationship and broke up with him, even though it shattered me into a million pieces.
Peyton was a great alpha, and he deserved better than a lowly beta like me.
He wanted a family, dreamed of having children of his own, and that was something I couldn’t give him.
The man was everything to me, and if his happiness meant sacrificing my own, I was willing to do that.
Even if it meant I’d be alone, destined to wake up cold and empty for the rest of my days.
Some lucky omega was going to make Peyton’s dreams come true, give him the family he had always wanted.
The thought of my alpha sent sharp pains lancing through my chest, each jagged spike twisting the knife deeper.
I missed him more than I could put into words.
I missed waking up in his strong arms, cocooned in his embrace.
Missed his presence surrounding me, missed how he cherished and protected me.
More than anything, I missed the feeling of safety I felt when his arms wrapped around me, holding me tight, whispering sweet words of adoration in my ear about how much he loved me.
The last three weeks without Peyton had been utterly miserable, each day blending into the next in a hazy blur of heartache.
Leaving West Virginia without telling him, without a proper goodbye, hadn’t been my best move—it was a cowardly act born of fear and self-loathing.
But I wished with every fiber of my being that I could go back and change my mind, tell Peyton I had made a horrible, unforgivable mistake.
He was it for me, the other half of my soul, and I had foolishly thrown it all away in a moment of noble idiocy.
He’d probably never be able to forgive me if I went crawling back to him now, tail tucked between my legs.
The thought caused a lump to form in my throat, my eyes stinging with unshed tears.
I threw my arm over my head, trying in vain to block out the harsh morning light that seemed determined to mock my inner turmoil.
A ragged sigh escaped my lips as that familiar sense of blackness swallowed me whole, an inky void of hopelessness and despair.
Tears gathered at the corners of my eyes, blurring my vision, and it was utterly humiliating to lie there, buck naked and vulnerable, as I wallowed in the bowels of misery.
The salty tracks burned my flushed cheeks, a reminder of my own damned weakness.
It was my fault I was in this sorry state.
Trying to be the bigger, better man had backfired spectacularly, leaving me more lost and alone than ever before.
Now, I had to live with the consequences of my actions whether I liked it or not, the gaping void in my heart a constant, gnawing ache.
I hated giving him up with every breath I took.
Peyton had saved me when I was at my lowest, pulling me back from the brink of despair with his unwavering love and support.
It was torturous having to sever such a huge part of myself, like ripping off a limb without anesthesia.
Being a good person, making that noble sacrifice, sucked more than dog breath.
I hated it. I hated my empty life without my alpha by my side, and I wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep and pretend I was still in Peyton’s arms where I belonged.
“Dalton. I need you to get up, man. You’ve been hiding out here for three weeks, wallowing in self-pity. It’s about time you got out of bed and helped around here.” Jace’s gruff voice cut through my melancholy thoughts, the words laced with a mixture of exasperation and concern.
Swiping at the dampness on my cheeks, I slowly disentangled myself from the twisted blankets and pushed myself into a seated position.
The room spun lazily for a moment before righting itself.
“I’m sorry for being such a mooch, Jace.
It just…it hurts so much.” My voice cracked with raw emotion as I spoke the understatement of the century.
The pain was all-consuming, a constant, smothering ache that made it difficult to breathe.
“Yeah, well, if you’re going to be a damn fool about the best thing that ever happened to you, then you deserve the pain.” There was no sympathy in Jace’s tone, only blunt honesty. “Peyton would take you back in a heartbeat if you gave him a chance.”
I shook my head vehemently, my chest constricting at the mere thought. “He’s better off looking for an omega to start a family with. That’s what he wants, what he deserves.”
“Did he actually say that, or is that just some stupid idea you cooked up in that thick skull of yours?” Jace arched a skeptical brow at me.
His lips curved into that infuriating, shit-eating grin that meant he knew something I didn’t.
I hated that smug look—it always preceded trouble of the highest order.
“Because if that’s the case, then maybe you aren’t as big an idiot as you’re making yourself out to be, Cuz. ”
I gave Jace my best “what the fuck” look, my brow furrowing in a mixture of confusion and irritation.
It didn’t faze my cousin in the slightest—that maddening grin only seemed to stretch wider across his face, crinkling the corners of his eyes in a way that made my fingers itch to wipe it off.
He was clearly enjoying this far too much, reveling in my misery like a kid in a candy store.
I hated that look. It always meant he was cooking up some hare-brained scheme that would inevitably lead to trouble.
And I definitely wasn’t in the right frame of mind to deal with any more turmoil.
“Well, I don’t have time to talk about your love life right now.
My dishwasher called in sick again, and I don’t have a backup.
Dai doesn’t have time with the twins wreaking havoc.
It’s Brewster’s day off, so I can’t cook and wash dishes at the same time.
” He let out an exaggerated sigh, shaking his head.
“The diner’s too slammed this early for me to handle it all myself.
It’s almost Christmas, so mornings are a madhouse as everyone rushes around trying to grab a quick bite before their last-minute holiday shopping. ”
A pang of guilt twisted in my gut at the reminder of how much I was imposing on my cousin’s hospitality. Jace owned the most popular diner in the heart of Sugar Beach, and this was his busiest time of year. The last thing he needed was a mopey houseguest lounging around and adding to his workload.
Mustering what little energy I could find, I forced myself to my feet, wincing at the protesting aches and pains that seemed to reverberate through every bone and muscle.
“I’m up. I’ll be down in a minute to help.
Just… give me a chance to grab a shower and get some clothes on.
” I gestured vaguely at my naked form, grimacing at the stale odor wafting up—a potent blend of sweat, sadness, and regret.
Jace’s nose wrinkled again as a look of mock disgust spread across his features.
“Yeah, a shower sure would help. You reek, Cuz. Like, a lot.” He let out a bark of laughter, clearly enjoying my humiliation far too much.
“I practically fell over from the stench when I tried to wake your sorry ass up.”
I did the only thing I could do in that moment—I snatched up the pillow from the floor and hurled it at him with every ounce of strength I could muster.
Of course, the asshole ducked at the last second, his reflexes still remarkably sharp despite his rapidly approaching middle age.
The pillow sailed harmlessly past, striking the wall with a dull thud before dropping to the floor in a crumpled heap.
“I don’t smell that bad,” I shouted after him as he left, my comeback coming too late as I heard the squeak of the front door and the muffled sounds of Dai corralling the rambunctious twins. “Believe me, it could have been a hell of a lot worse!”
My voice echoed hollowly in the empty room, the words ringing with more bravado than I actually felt. Heaving a weary sigh, I shuffled towards the bathroom.