Chapter Three
Gatlin
“Dude, it’s your night off.” Hendrix leaned back in the leather desk chair in the office. He was a good team member, but he could be a little lax on the rules. “Why are you here on your night off?”
“I came in to check my email. It wouldn’t work on my phone.”
Hendrix didn’t believe my lie but I didn’t care.
The truth was, coming into work was better than loafing around my apartment, wishing for someone I might not ever have.
Things would be different if I’d marked Shaw, but I hadn’t.
Another regret. If I had marked him, my wolf would be drawn to his location.
I’d gone to his city several times over the months following our tryst but never found him.
“Well, I’ll go take my lunch, then.”
I was already on edge, but something about his tone tipped me off. “To the employee break room and then back on post. We don’t mingle with the guests while on the schedule.” Our jobs came with a complimentary membership, but we were only to indulge while off schedule.
“I know. It was only one time, Gatlin.”
I nodded. Maybe I was being too hard on him.
But we had rules here, and the reason this club was so popular and stayed in business was because of all of us following those rules.
While Hendrix went on his break, I decided to take a walk around and check things out.
The club expanded over the last few months in more ways than one.
There were almost a dozen owners now, and they all had omegas and families.
We had also expanded the property of the club.
We had more rooms. More experiences. More fantasy play.
I walked through the building and then to the bridge to one of the other buildings.
There were monitors in each room, but we couldn’t catch everything.
A few hours later, I went to the bar to have a drink but at the last second decided not to.
Indulging made me think of that night with my omega, and the last thing I needed was more reminders.
I needed to get to the grocery store and make myself a good meal.
Read a book. Get my mind off all the what-ifs.
It was late at night when I left and the only place open was a mom-and-pop convenience store. I shopped around for a while, deciding on breakfast for dinner. Pancakes could solve just about any situation.
Maybe they would help with mine.
On my way out, with two bags in each hand, I glanced across the street as I made my way home. The street was lit by the ambient light from the stores, and the buzzing street lights above. But even with the little bit of light, I could’ve sworn I saw Shaw across the street.
“Shaw!” I called out. My voice was drowned out by cars on the street and horns and all the noises that marked a city as busy.
I nearly abandoned my groceries and made a run for it, but the person, my person, turned a corner and my heart sank.
Bags still in my hands, I darted across the street, not even close to a crosswalk, and played my own game of Frogger, trying to get close to him.
What if Fate had decided to give me a second chance? I wasn’t going to waste it.
I took a left at the same corner where Shaw had, or who I thought Shaw was had, but on the other side of the building, I found nothing.
No one that resembled my omega.
Not a sign of him at all. My wolf crossed into my consciousness, sniffing the air, trying desperately to get a trail, but there was nothing in the air but human smells, food, exhaust.
I dropped the bags and caught myself, bracing my hand on the rough brick wall before my knees gave out.
It had to be Shaw. My wolf howled, knowing we had been so close and yet miles away.
Was he in the city?
Or had my wishes and regrets finally turned into delusions of my omega walking down the streets?
It took me thirty minutes to tear myself away from the spot and go home. Had I stayed one more second, he might exit one of the stores. Walk out and realize I was there waiting for him, that I’d been waiting on him and wanting him all along.
Man, I had to shake myself out of this. I had to stop pining for someone who wasn’t here.
Stopping wasn’t that easy.
I made my way home, looking over my shoulder and inspecting everyone who passed me by. By the time I cooked, I no longer had an appetite but forced myself to eat. It took everything in me not to go back to that spot where I’d seen Shaw and wait for him to pass again.
I was bordering on madness. I’d heard of mating madness before but never thought it could happen to me. I thought I’d meet my mate and we’d live happily ever after. The rest was just details. It turned out that those details were the most important of all.
If only I’d stayed in the room instead of going for breakfast. Maybe if I was there, he would’ve stayed. Maybe something scared him. Perhaps we’d moved too fast.
Going for that cup of coffee and bagels plagued my life ever since. We were all one decision away from altering our lives and our fate. And getting my omega breakfast was clearly one of those decisions.