Chapter Four
When I woke up, Steve wasn’t in the bed. Back home, he’d sometimes go for a run to clear his head after an argument. I hoped that was what he’d done this morning. Maybe he’d realized how out of line he’d been last night. He must have known he fucked up saying he sometimes wondered what else was out there.
Hearing him say that had been devastating to hear. It had shredded what little trust I had left. It made me question my decision to get back together with him. Would we both be happier apart? I’d miss him, but after the last few months and all he’d put me through, a part of me might find splitting up a relief.
Feeling demoralized, I showered, dressed, and then left the cabin to join the others for breakfast. Rex and the gang were at the table, but Steve wasn’t there. I looked around the dining room just to be sure he wasn’t somewhere else in the dining area, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Confused, I went back outside to see if I could see Steve anywhere on the property. Rex came outside and stood on the porch beside me. I turned to him, shielding my eyes from the morning sun. “Have you seen Steve this morning?” I felt embarrassed to admit I had no idea where he was .
“Nope,” he said softly. “He wasn’t in your cabin when you woke up?”
“No,” I murmured.
“Hmm,” Rex looked uneasy.
“What?” Why did he looks so worried?
Rex rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, I can’t find Tony either.”
My stomach churned as I held his gaze. “What do you mean you can’t find Tony?”
“He’s not on the premises, and he’s not answering his cell.” Rex met my gaze. “Also, not sure if you’ve noticed, but your car is missing.”
Shock rocked me. “What?” I glanced over quickly to where I’d parked my car days before. “What the hell?” I moved down the stairs and hurried to where my car had been. All that remained was a spot of oil on the dirt. I didn’t want to overreact, but I was definitely beginning to really worry. “What is going on?”
Rex grimaced. “I’m not sure.”
My heart raced as I stared at the oil stain. “Maybe Steve just gave Tony a ride into town. Maybe they’ll both be back in just a bit.” I was trying not to freak out, but after my conversation with Steve last night, that was nearly impossible.
“Sure.” His tone was doubtful. “Although, Tony could have just taken one of the ranch vehicles if he needed to go into town. He’s also supposed to tell me or Mrs. Rodwell if he’s going to leave the ranch property. ”
I felt sick as his words sank in. “So, you’re sure they’re together?”
“I don’t know that for certain, no. I’m simply saying they both seem to be missing, along with your car.”
“Why would they take my car?” I blinked at him in bewilderment. “From what you’re saying, they could have taken a ranch vehicle.”
“Don’t know.” A muscle worked in Rex’s cheek. “Maybe Steve has a perfectly innocent explanation. Why don’t you try calling him?”
I winced inwardly at the pity I saw in Rex’s eyes. Hand shaking, I tugged my cell out of my back pocket. My fingers trembled as I dialed Steve’s number.
It went straight to voicemail.
I hung up and muttered, “I got his voicemail.”
“Okay, well that doesn’t mean anything.” Rex’s voice was strained. “He might just be out of range of the cell towers.”
“You really believe that?” I asked softly.
Rex grimaced. “I don’t know what to think, if I’m honest. The only thing I know for sure is they’re both missing and so is your car.”
My stomach was in knots as I held his gaze.
Rex cleared his throat. “I know that Steve wanted to cut the trip short. Did you two by any chance argue about that?”
My face warmed. “We had a little… disagreement last night. ”
“Is that right?”
I stared down the empty dirt road that led to the main highway. “But, it’s not like we haven’t had plenty of fights in the past.”
“Is he the sort who drives off in a huff?”
I grimaced. “If he does that he doesn’t usually take my car.”
“Right,” Rex murmured. “But his car isn’t here.” He hesitated. “Does he generally come back when he’s cooled off?”
I nodded. “Usually.”
“Okay, well, then he’ll probably come back ready to talk, right?”
“What if he doesn’t come back?” The morning sun was warm on my shoulders, but I felt chilled to the bone. Anger bubbled up inside of me as my fear and doubt grew. Would Steve actually abandon me here? Was he that callous?
Rex looked uneasy. “You don’t think he will?”
“I don’t know. I don’t understand him right now. I… I don’t understand what he’s thinking taking my car. Who does that? Who steals another person’s car and leaves them stranded hundreds of miles from home? It would serve him right if I called the cops and had him arrested.”
Rex winced. “Probably don’t want to get the cops involved.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that. If he stole my car he deserves what he gets. ”
“Look,” Rex said quietly, “if he actually did leave you here, where would he go?”
“I’m not sure.” I wrinkled my brow. “Home, I guess.”
“Do you two live together?”
I let out a shaky breath. “Yeah.” As a sign of commitment, I’d allowed Steve to move back into my apartment. I must have been out of my mind to give him my trust again. I pulled my cell out and tried calling Steve again. It once more went to voicemail. “If he was just thinking stuff over, wouldn’t he answer his phone? He has to know I’m confused right now, and wondering what the hell is going on.”
Rex let out a harsh breath. “I’m sorry, Tanner. I’m sorry he’s putting you through this.”
I met his sympathetic gaze and embarrassment rolled through me. I felt foolish and gullible for believing anything Steve had ever said to me. I didn’t want to be pitied. I didn’t want to be pathetic. But I’d done this to myself by trusting Steve. “You don’t really think he’s coming back, do you?”
Rex dropped his gaze. “I don’t know.”
“But your gut says he won’t?”
“Tanner, I… I don’t know Steve.” He continued to avoid my gaze.
“Okay, but you know Tony. Do you think Tony is coming back? ”
Rex finally lifted his troubled gaze to mine. “Honestly, no.”
“No?”
His voice was gruff as he said, “Tony was struggling to fit in. Mrs. Rodwell hired him as a favor to a friend, but he wasn’t a good fit from the start. I think this is Tony’s way of quitting. He didn’t have the guts to do it to my face. He won’t be back.”
“He’d just leave his job like that?”
“I believe he would, yes.” He sighed. “I didn’t mention this before, but I overheard Tony and Steve talking yesterday evening near the fire.”
“You did?” Rex’s tone made me uneasy.
His expression was apologetic. “I didn’t think much of it, to be honest. I thought they were both just letting off steam.”
“What did they say?”
“Well, from what I could gather, they were both unhappy with ranch life.”
My gut churned. “You think they were making a plan to leave together?”
“I didn’t hear anything like that.” His cheek twitched. “It’s still possible Steve just gave Tony a ride into town. He might come back even if Tony doesn’t.”
I appreciated he was trying to comfort me, but his body language was stiff, and I knew instinctively he didn’t think Steve would return any more than Tony would. “You don’t really believe that,” I said flatly.
He shrugged. “It’s possible .”
“Jesus, this is humiliating,” I mumbled, giving a wary glance toward the main house. Any minute now, everyone would come out and start asking questions. I couldn’t face the idea of all the pitying glances that would come my way when they discovered what Steve had done. “I… I need to get out of here. Can you call me a cab or something?”
Rex grimaced. “We’re too far from the city of Livingston, no taxis come out this far. The closest town to us is Red Mine, but it’s so small, I’m afraid there’s no real need for taxis.”
“Can you drive me into Red Mine? Or maybe one of your guys could?” I shot another uneasy look toward the main house. “I really don’t want to talk to anyone right now.”
He hesitated, but then nodded. “Sure. Let’s do that. We can see if Steve and Tony are there.”
“Thank you, Rex,” I mumbled. “I hate to put you out, but I can’t stay here right now.”
“It’s okay.” His voice was gentle. “I get it. Follow me.” He turned and headed toward an old red Ford pickup parked a few feet away.
I followed, feeling like a zombie. I was in shock and trying to think of any good reason why Steve might have taken my car. But I came up short every time. The way he’d snuck off was very telling. If his trip into town had been innocent, he’d have talked to me before leaving. At the very least he’d have left me a note.
I climbed into the truck, and Rex started the engine. He made a U-turn, and we were momentarily engulfed in a cloud of dust. He gunned the motor and we took off down the road, just as Joe and Martha came out of the main house. I watched them shrink in the side mirror until the ranch was out of sight.
Red Mine was definitely a small town, just as Rex had said, but it had more shops and restaurants than I’d expected. Some of the storefronts had weathered facades, including a general store and an old-fashioned diner named Momma’s Home Cooking. But mingled in among the older buildings were more modern eating establishments and clothing stores. The sidewalks were wide and pristine, with quaint hanging flower baskets adding splashes of color.
Rex texted Mrs. Rodwell so she’d know where he was, and then we slowly drove through the streets, searching for any sign of my car. We spent about forty minutes checking alleys and parking lots of various businesses. Red Mine had a small bus station, but there was no sign of my car in the lot out back.
I felt sick as I forced myself to say, “We should check the motel parking lots too.”
Rex winced. “You sure? ”
“I’m sure,” I rasped. “Steve hasn’t always been… faithful. If him and Tony are at a motel together, I’d rather know that now.”
He grunted, his face painted with disgust. Without a word Rex proceeded to drive to the two motels in town. My heart raced as we visited each one, and when we didn’t find my car parked at either of them, I wasn’t sure if I should be glad he wasn’t holed up in a local motel room with Tony, or pissed off that he’d truly ditched me.
“He really just left me here, didn’t he?” I said hoarsely.
“It’s starting to look that way,” Rex grated as he parked in front of a rustic-looking building that housed The Whistling Pine Bar and Grill. A neon sign boasted of Ice-cold beer and hot chicken wings. Rex shut off the truck, and glanced over. “I could use a drink. How about you?”
I took a quick peek at my watch. “But, it’s not even noon yet.”
“And your point is?”
I met his gaze, face hot and feeling foolish. “I can’t believe he’d just abandon me like this. What kind of alpha does that to their omega?”
Rex reached over and squeezed my shoulder. “I’m really sorry, Tanner.”
He was being so nice, it almost made it worse. “What do I do now? Do I take a bus back to Billings? Do I hire a fucking car? Do I hitch a ride with someone? I can’t believe I’m in this position. I can’t believe Steve would put me in this position.”
He shifted toward me. “You know, you don’t have to leave. You could stay the week and think over your options. The trip is already paid for.”
I winced. “God, I can’t go back there. I’m too embarrassed.”
“You have nothing to be embarrassed about.” His gaze was sincere. “You did nothing wrong. Steve is the one who should feel embarrassed. He’s a dishonorable jerk. Besides, you wouldn’t have to tell anyone the truth. You could just say Steve got pulled away for work or something.”
“Even so,” I said in hushed voice. “It’s all couples. It would be so awkward to stay.”
“Why? The group likes you. They weren’t as thrilled with Steve because he was standoffish, but you fit in great.”
I smiled weakly. “I appreciate the compliment, but I’d feel weird as the only single person in the group.”
“Nobody would think twice about that.”
I stared at my hands. “I worry it might make me feel even more alone and pathetic.”
He studied me. “I suppose you’re mighty hurt right now.”
I sighed. “Yeah. Although, I feel more stupid than anything.”
“You don’t need to feel stupid for trusting your alpha. You’re supposed to be able to trust him.” He stared out the windshield, his expression difficult to read.
I lifted one shoulder. “That may be true, but I still feel gullible.”
“That’s too bad.” He scowled. “If you can’t trust your alpha, who can you trust?”
“Not sure I’ll ever trust again, if I’m honest,” I muttered. I was angry with Steve, but it was hard to turn off my feelings for him instantly. We’d known each other so long, losing his friendship was as painful as losing his love. The memories of our youth together had always been so dear to me, but now they were simply agonizing.
“I understand why you’d feel that way.” Rex’s gaze was empathetic. “But going down that road would hurt you more than him. Nobody should live their life alone.”
“Alone seems safer.”
“And sadder.”
I grimaced and rubbed my face roughly. I dropped my hands to my lap, feeling lost. “I don’t know what to do, Rex,” I said softly. “I really don’t think I can face anyone at the ranch right now.”
He nodded, his face tense. “How about we get you drunk, and worry about what you need to do later?”
“How is getting drunk going to help anything?” I wasn’t opposed to drinking, but I worried I might get emotional if I got drunk. I wasn’t sure I wanted Rex seeing me like that.
“Maybe it won’t help, but I doubt it will do any harm.” He gave a weak smile. “Might numb the pain a little.”
I swallowed hard, tempted to give in. “I’m feeling pretty raw. I don’t want to embarrass myself in front of you.”
“We’ve all been hurt, Tanner. I’m not one to judge a person for having feelings.”
“There’s being hurt, and then there’s being abandoned by your alpha.”
“Doesn’t make much difference what the circumstances are when your heart’s been stomped on.” He exhaled and opened his door. “Come on. I’ll buy the first few rounds.”
I hesitated, but then got out of the truck and followed Rex into the building. Inside, it was dark, with pine tables and chairs, and sawdust on the floor. A jukebox blared country tunes in the corner, and I followed Rex to a booth in the back of the room.
I slid into the red vinyl booth, still in shock at what was happening. Rex went up to the bar, and after a few minutes returned with two pints and two shots. He sat across from me, his expression serious.
“I thought the shot of whiskey could get us jump started,” he said, picking up his shot glass. I followed suit and we clinked glasses. “To finding answers,” he said huskily, then he threw his shot back.
I did the same, wincing as the whiskey burned my throat on the way down. I coughed a few times, and then leaned my elbows on the table, feeling dejected. My chest ached so painfully, it was hard to breathe. I literally couldn’t believe what was happening. Steve had abandoned me without a word and run off with Tony. I’d known Tony was trouble the minute I saw Steve talking to him, but I hadn’t seen this coming.
“So much for Tony not crossing any lines,” I said bitterly.
Rex’s jaw tensed. “I’m sorry. I don’t even know what to say. If Tony truly did run off with Steve—”
“If? I think it’s pretty clear at this point that has to be what happened.”
“I’ll admit it looks that way, but maybe Steve just dropped Tony off at the bus station. I can go back there and ask if Tony bought a ticket?”
I squinted at him. “You seriously think that’s what happened?”
He bit his bottom lip. “No.”
“Me neither.” Pain jolted through me and I grabbed my pint and chugged. Once I’d downed half of it, I wiped my mouth and met Rex’s gaze. “Steve would have called me by now if this was nothing. ”
He sighed. “Probably.” He tapped his finger against his glass and then said, “From some of the things you’ve said, I got the feeling you two were broken up before the trip, but reconciled?”
“Yes. We’d been back together for about a month before we came here.” My stomach felt warm from the whiskey, but the cold ache in my chest remained. I closed my eyes, painful memories shifting through me. I remembered so clearly the day Steve had come crawling back, asking for a second chance. I’d been afraid to try again, but he’d talked me into it. He’d seemed sincerely repentant, and I’d given in like a sap. “I knew I shouldn’t have given him another chance.”
“It’s hard to turn people you love away,” he said quietly.
I met his gaze. “Do you speak from experience?”
His cheek twitched. “I’ve given a few omegas more chances than they deserved on occasion. We all want to find true love, right?”
My laugh was curt. “Yeah, and that pipe dream makes us do stupid shit.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Lots of people end up happy together.”
I leaned back against the booth, holding his gaze. “Lots might be an exaggeration. I think a few people get lucky. ”
“I don’t think it’s always luck.” He rubbed his jaw.
“No?” His comment intrigued me. “What do you think it is then? Fate?”
“Sure. Why not?”
“Why not?” I smirked. “How about because fairy tales aren’t real?”
“Judging by that remark,” he said, “I take it you don’t believe in fated mates?”
“Not really.”
He cocked his head. “Even though there are numerous documented stories about it happening?”
“As you say, they’re just stories.”
He looked like he wanted to say something else, but instead he took a sip off his beer.
“Are you secretly a romantic, Rex?” I asked softly.
He flicked his gaze to mine. “What if I am?”
“It’s surprising coming from someone like you.”
“Someone like me?” He lifted his brows. “What does that mean?”
“I don’t know.” I gave a slight smile. “You’re a rugged cowboy type. I’d think romance and love were the furthest thing from your mind.”
“That’s silly. Everyone wants love.”
“I don’t,” I rasped. “Not anymore.”
His gaze was assessing. “You’re hurt right now. Makes sense you’d feel that way. ”
I finished my beer, considering his words. “I can’t imagine ever trusting an alpha again.”
“I get it. If Steve truly did abandon you and run off with Tony, I absolutely understand why you’d never want to put your faith in anyone again. From the things you’ve said, you’ve known Steve since you were teens. That’s the kind of betrayal that hits deep.”
My eyes stung. “Damn straight. If someone I’ve known half my life could do this to me, why would I ever trust anyone again?”
Rex sighed and signaled to the bartender for more drinks. Then he leaned forward on his elbows. His gaze was intense, and it was impossible to look away. “Not everyone is worthy of our trust, Tanner. Just because you love someone or have known them a long time, that doesn’t mean they’re a good person or even a good fit for us.”
I blinked at him, unsure of how to respond.
He didn’t seem to need an answer because he continued. “It’s like I told you the other night, I never could see you and Steve as a good fit. Not as friends, and certainly not as a mated pairing.”
Heat rose from my neck to my face. “What would you know about that?”
“I have eyes. You weren’t in sync. He’d zig and you’d zag, frankly, it was painful to watch. You were trying so hard to keep him happy, and in the end, how did he repay you? By running off with another omega?” He shook his head, looking almost angry. “You deserved so much better than him.”
I scowled. “What I don’t need is a lecture. I’m feeling shitty enough, Rex.”
He winced, appearing a bit guilty. “I’m sorry. I’m not trying to lecture you. That wasn’t my intention.”
“Then why are you telling me what a fool I’ve been to put my trust in Steve?”
He grunted. “I’m not saying things right. My point is simply that you’re a quality omega, Tanner, and you deserve a quality alpha. Someone who will stick by you no matter what. Someone who works hard to make you happy, instead of you having to jump through hoops just so they don’t cheat on you.”
“Steve made me happy.” More so in the past than recently. It was true things had been tense between us lately. I’d been on edge constantly worried he’d stray again, and he’d seemed annoyed that I couldn’t seem to relax and trust him.
Rex huffed. “The two people I saw the last few days weren’t happy. Neither of you were.”
“We were working through some things, yeah. But ultimately, I wanted to be with Steve and I thought he wanted to be with me.” I gave Rex a frustrated look. “You keep acting like you’re an expert on relationships. Are you even in one?”
He opened his mouth to respond, but the bartender arrived at the table with our drinks.
The bartender was a handsome brown-haired omega, around my age, with green eyes. “Can I get you two anything else?”
Rex smiled. “Not at the moment, Vance. Thanks for bringing the drinks to the table.”
“No worries.” He gave Rex a warm smile, and he touched his shoulder. “We’re not that busy yet, and I like spoiling you.” Vance turned his gaze to me, and it wasn’t lost on me the smile he gave me wasn’t nearly as warm. In fact, it bordered on unfriendly. “Are you a guest at the dude ranch?”
If I wasn’t going back to the ranch, did I qualify as a guest? I ignored the question and held out my hand, “I’m Tanner.”
He took my hand. “Welcome to Red Mine.”
“You don’t usually work the early afternoon shift,” Rex said.
“Nah, Josie called in sick.” He gave Rex another warm smile. “ You don’t usually come in drinking during the day.”
Rex grimaced. “Not often, no.”
“Does Mrs. Rodwell know you’re in town getting sloshed with one of the guests?” His tone was teasing, and he once more touched Rex’s shoulder .
Rex laughed. “I don’t plan on getting sloshed. I’m driving. Tanner, however, can drink as much as he needs to.”
“Needs to?” Vance murmured, looking at me. My face warmed, but I said nothing. “Not enjoying your stay at the dude ranch?” Vance frowned.
I cleared my throat. “No, the ranch is great. I uh—”
“He just has some personal things going on right now, and I thought a drink might help him relax,” Rex interjected.
My face warmed at Vance’s curious look.
“Ahhh, I see.” Vance smiled politely. “Anyway, just let me know if you need anything else.” He wandered away to help another customer at the bar.
I said gruffly, “If you don’t mind, Rex, I’d rather everyone in town didn’t know about what’s happening with me.”
He looked sheepish. “I didn’t actually tell him anything.”
“No, but you told him more than I’d have liked. I don’t like looking pathetic. I don’t need strangers feeling sorry for me.”
“Sorry.” He reached across the table and touched my hand that rested near my pint. “I was trying to circumvent him asking any more questions. Vance can be pretty nosy. ”
I held his apologetic gaze as my skin tingled where he’d touched me. Even in the midst of my pain, it was hard to ignore how attractive I found Rex. I jumped when my cell suddenly rang. I tugged my phone out of my back pocket, and my mouth went dry. “It’s him. It’s… Steve.”
Rex grimaced. “Well, you should probably answer it.”
“Yeah.” I accepted the call, heart racing, and rasped, “Where are you? Where’s my car, Steve?”
There was a thick silence, then Steve said gruffly, “I’m almost to Billings. I’ll drop your car off at your apartment.”
My stomach churned. “So you actually did leave me behind.”
“Look, Tanner—”
“Am I supposed to walk home?” I interrupted.
“Rent a car, I’ll pay for it,” he mumbled over the line.
“What the hell is going on, Steve?” I hated that my voice broke on his name, but I couldn’t help it. I was in so much pain. “Why’d you just leave like that?” I was aware of Rex’s intent gaze. I should have gone outside to take the call, but my legs were too weak to get up and leave the bar.
“Come on, man, you know why. We’ve both been miserable. It’s just that neither one of us wanted to be the one to end things.” Steve’s voice was hushed .
I gripped my phone. “Maybe things were rough, but I wasn’t ready to just give up on us yet.”
After an uneasy silence, he said, “You always were stronger than me, T.”
His use of my nickname sent a stabbing pain through my heart. “You said you loved me. You said you wanted to be with me. Was that all just lies?”
“No. I do love you, but we just aren’t happy. Can you really see us together the way we’ve been? I feel like we want different things, T. You want to settle down, and I don’t think I’m ready for that.”
“You said you were.”
He exhaled. “Well, I didn’t want to lose you.”
“So you lied?”
“I just didn’t want to lose you, so I said what I had to say,” he muttered.
“But now it’s fine to lose me?” I felt sick to my stomach. “Why’d you just sneak off? Why didn’t you talk to me about what you were feeling?”
“Talk to you?” He sounded incredulous. “I tried. You weren’t listening. You were too busy flirting with that cowboy.”
“Bullshit.”
“No it’s not. You weren’t giving me the attention I need. I tried talking to you over and over. I told you I was miserable at that damn ranch, but you ignored me. You didn’t care because you were having fun getting all that attention from Rex.”
“That is complete bullshit,” I growled. “You were my focus. I was trying my darndest to make you happy.”
“That’s just not true. If you’d been trying to make me happy, you would have left with me yesterday. You made me do this, T. You forced my hand.”
Anger rolled through me. “You’re full of it. I didn’t make you do shit, Steve. You’re weak and you took the easy way out.”
“No. I… I had no choice. You didn’t care what I needed.”
I gritted my teeth. “Is Tony giving you what you need ?”
He let out a harsh breath. “This is about us, Tanner.”
“Yeah, only you ran off with another omega, so now it’s about more than just us.” The more we talked the more it became clear we were finished. Done. He wasn’t coming back and I didn’t want him even if he did. He’d betrayed me for the last time, and hard as it was to say goodbye, I had to do it for my sanity.
When I didn’t speak, he asked, “You still there?”
“Yeah.”
“I still love and care about you, Tanner— ”
“Save it,” I grated. “I don’t want to hear it. Your actions tell me all I need to know about how much you love and care about me. My car better be parked at my apartment when I get back, or I’m calling the cops. And make sure all of your shit is out of my place. You have till the end of the week.”
“You’re not coming home?”
“No.”
“You’re staying at the ranch?” His voice was harsh.
“Yeah, I think I might.” I met Rex’s enigmatic gaze. “The vacation is paid for. Why waste the money? This gives you time to get all of your stuff without us having to run into each other.”
“Let me guess.” His voice was ripe with jealousy. “Cowboy Rex is going to soothe your broken heart? Did he talk you into staying?”
I gripped my phone, hoping Rex couldn’t hear anything Steve was saying. “It’s none of your business how I get through this. You left. End of story.”
“You can be so cold sometimes, Tanner.”
I bit my cheek so hard, I tasted blood. “How can you dare say that to me after you abandoned me without any warning? I took you back. You begged me to give you another chance, and like a fool I did it. And you repaid me by running off with another omega and leaving me stranded . But I’m cold? ”
He fell silent.
“You have nothing to say?” I demanded.
He didn’t speak, he simply let out a shaky breath.
I cleared my throat. “Anyway, I’m going to hang up now.” I had no idea how to eloquently end the conversation. What did you say to someone you’d known for half your life, but didn’t plan on seeing ever again? How did you casually say your final goodbye to the alpha you’d thought you’d spend the rest of your life with?
“I’m sorry, Tanner,” he said softly.
My heart hurt and my eyes blurred with tears at the pain and sadness in his voice. In that moment, I believed he did love me, but it didn’t matter. He didn’t have what it took to be loyal. He didn’t have the qualities needed to be a good alpha. It didn’t matter that we loved each other or how long we’d known each other—we didn’t make each other happy.
We seemed to do the opposite.
“Bye, Steve,” I said gruffly and hung up.
I sat in silence, staring at my phone for a few moments. Rex didn’t speak, but when I finally looked up, his expression was pained, as if he was hurting for me. “Well, that’s that,” I mumbled.
He shook his head. “I’m sorry.”
I shrugged, trying to hide how devastated I felt, but my bottom lip trembled .
He clenched his jaw and said, “What do you want to do, Tanner? You want me to drive you to Livingston where you can catch a bus to Billings?”
I just stared at him, numb and broken.
“Hell, I’ll drive you all the way to Billings, if you want. I’d love to tell Steve and Tony what I think of them.”
I thought about us confronting the other two men and my skin crawled. “No, I don’t want to go anywhere near either of them right now. I’m not ready to face them. I’d be tempted to murder them.”
He nodded. “Okay.”
I picked up my second shot and I threw it back. I choked a little as the bitter liquid dribbled down my throat, but didn’t care. I needed something to make me forget. Steve’s betrayal was impossible to fathom. Of all the shitty things he’d ever done, this was by far the worst.
“I know it doesn’t feel like it right now, Tanner, but it’s going to be okay.” Rex’s voice was reassuring.
I touched the bite on my throat distractedly. “I don’t understand why he put either of us through any of this. If he just wanted to be free why did he give me his bite? Why did he come back?”
“You’re probably a hard omega to let go of.” Rex’s gaze glittered. “I’d bet a million bucks he’ll regret this decision. ”
I didn’t respond, instead staring at the table top.
“He’ll probably come crawling back, Tanner. What are you going to do if he does?”
“He’d better not dare ,” I growled, grabbing my beer.
“You’re angry now, but in time, you’ll start missing him and that rage will fade. You need to think about what you’ll do and say when he comes back.”
“If it’s all the same to you, Rex, I don’t want to think at all right now.” I took a gulp of my beer, trying to ignore the pain in my chest.
“Fair enough.” He gave a melancholy smile and picked up his beer. “Do what you need to do, Tanner. I’ll get you back to the ranch safe.”