Chapter 4
Chapter
Four
Rylan
Roxie looked incredible tonight, and I was starting to question why I’d ever wanted to keep things platonic between us. I’d tried to cling to my defenses, but I swear they were falling from those first few days of texting and late-night calls.
Now that she was here, close enough to smell her scent… the last thing I wanted was to stay roommates.
My eyes slowly trailed over her in a way that was anything but platonic. Her dark jeans were the perfect fit, hugging her ass, the black lace top showcasing her perfect tits.
Dark, intricate tattoos wound up her arms with small bursts of red. Daggers, vines, dragons, it was like a dark fantasy scene brought to life.
I was never into the ‘soft and sweet’ types. My ex was a testament to that. But Roxie? She was different. She wasn’t just rough around the edges. Her black lipstick and perfect, curvy hips meant she would absolutely ruin me, and I would probably thank her for it.
“This place looks interesting,” she offered as I led her up the front steps.
‘Interesting’ wasn’t exactly the word I’d use to describe Mac’s Pub. ‘Grungy hole-in-the-wall’ definitely fit, though.
“Like I said, keep an open mind,” I reminded her, not giving too much away. I knew once she tasted Mac’s cooking, it would be over for her, just like it had been for me.
Rock music played just loud enough to drown out the other patrons but not make it impossible to hear each other. I led her to my usual table. It was a bit off the beaten path, and that was always better for me. I liked my privacy.
“Rylan, my boy!” Mac called out when he saw me. His voice cut through the place, sending every set of eyes right to us.
Mac was a beefy man in his sixties. He had a slight Irish lilt, but you could tell he’d been here long enough to lose most of his accent.
“And you brought me a new customer today,” he said with a big grin, arms spread wide.
“This is Roxie, my new roommate. How could I not bring her to the best food in town?”
“Oh? Roommate? Sure…” he said, giving me an over-the-top wink that had Roxie cracking up next to me.
Her laugh was incredible.
“For now,” Roxie countered, playing it up right back.
That had Mac cackling like an old witch.
“Remind me to stop coming here,” I grumbled.
Mac, the traitor that he was, only laughed harder. “You’d starve yourself to death if you didn’t eat here. You’ve been in every day since you moved to North Crossing. My pretty face is just a bonus.”
I couldn’t argue with that. I’d been to Mac’s more than I ate at home.
I came from a big family. It was hard to get used to eating alone after rowdy family dinners.
In some twisted way, Mac reminded me a bit of my family.
He was just as loud and boisterous, blunt in a way that made you feel like family.
“I’ll send Cara your way very soon,” he promised. “She’ll get y’all set up. But can I get you started with something from the kitchen?”
Roxie looked at me. “What do you recommend?”
“Everything,” I admitted, which made Mac beam his award-winning smile a little brighter.
“Mac, what are the chances you’ll surprise me?” Roxie questioned, looking up at him with a pleading look that would bring any alpha to his knees.
She was good.
“You got it. And what about you?” He cast his eyes at me, almost like a challenge.
“You know what? Surprise both of us.”
That was, apparently, the right answer. His booming laugh was back and he clapped his hands before heading to the back, calling back his confirmation over his shoulder.
“You got it, boss.”
Cara swept in a moment later, shaking her head. “I see good old Mac got to you first.”
“He always does.”
“He’s got a soft spot for omegas,” Cara said with a chuckle. “What can I get you to drink?”
“My usual lemonade,” I ordered.
She gave me an indulgent smile. “I already had you written down, I was talking to your pretty, little date.”
“Sweet tea for me,” Roxie ordered, her cheeks darkening.
Cara swept away, and Roxie’s gaze drifted over the place. I tried to see it from her perspective.
The walls were covered in various pieces of art. Irish flags, pictures of the countryside, and random decor that shouldn’t have made sense together but somehow worked. It was cluttered but cozy in a way that spoke to my omega heart.
“What do you think so far?” I asked when those icy blue eyes were back on me.
“I like it here,” she said, her hands running over her tattooed arms. I didn’t even think before I shrugged out of my jacket and got up, walking around to drape it over her shoulders.
She gave me a curious look but said a quiet thanks as I sat back down.
I knew I was confusing her but I couldn’t figure out how to explain my complicated feelings.
This was exactly why I’d closed myself off all those years ago.
“I’m kind of glad you took me here. I’m not really the fancy type. Unless I have to be for my job.”
“Tell me more about The Gathering Place. I’ve obviously heard of it but I want your perspective."
The smile she gave me was genuine, lighting up her face until her light blue eyes were almost sparkling under the light.
“It’s my own way of rebelling against impossible standards. A lot of lifestyle magazines, especially the ones targeted at omegas, are full of this message that we need to be these pristine, perfect, obedient people. Frankly, that’s never been me. I’ve never quite fit the mold.”
“Probably not the exact same situation, but I get what you mean. Everyone treats male omegas like a novelty. Like we’re a trophy of some kind. The amount of asshole alphas who proposition me…”
I gave a shudder, and the look on her face told me she understood completely.
“I swear, the audacity of some alphas,” she huffed. “I was doing an interview one time with a design company, and the alpha who owned it said if I gave them a good rating, he would reward me with his knot. Like it was some precious gift to omega-kind.”
“What the fuck?” Anger flared in a possessive wave that had me choking back harsh words as she continued.
“Yeah. I ended up leaving him out of the article. The funny thing is, I would’ve given him a good review.
Which I’m petty enough to have told him.
I sent what I’d planned to publish and said due to misconduct that I wasn’t going to include it and suggested in the future he treat omegas with respect. ”
“Fucking alphas. Why can’t we just find the right kind of men? Ones who simply worship us but don’t try to erase us?”
Our conversation filtered off as Cara came back with our drinks, sliding them across the table with a promise that Mac would be by with our food before too long.
“So, how is your dear, sweet boss?” Roxie asked with a grin, knowing damn well she was about to start a full rant. She took a sip of her tea and waited, raising one dark eyebrow.
“Oh, dear, sweet, Karen?” I questioned in mock innocence. The woman was truly the devil in disguise.
Roxie snorted out a laugh. We both knew that wasn’t really Eliza’s name, but she was quite possibly one of the worst human beings I’d ever worked for. She was a petty, angry at the world beta who had some kind of vendetta against all omega-kind.
“The same heinous bitch as always,” I admitted. “She spent an hour at our after-hours meeting the other day, berating me on being too flirty with the clients. I guess basic charm is now flirting?”
“Was the client even upset?” she asked as she took another sip of her tea, watching me with those eyes that had me wanting to spill all of my secrets.
“No. It’s not just me, either. Linda got called out for not folding towels the proper way and Diane was berated for being five minutes late when she was running a company errand. She’s a witch on a power trip.”
“There’s just not enough positions in North Crossing. I’d have to take something entry level or out of my field.”
“Something will pop up,” she said with confidence. “I’ll keep my eye out for anything.”
Then Mac was there, his arms loaded down with plates.
With a flourish, he dropped a plate full of thick slices of fresh bread, still steaming. Then three small bowls of butter.
“The first one is leeks and herbs, a recipe that came from my ma. The second is strawberry rhubarb, and the third is plain, in case you’re not the adventurous sort.”
Oh, that was absolutely a challenge.
“That sounds incredible,” Roxie said, not even waiting for him to finish before she was slathering butter onto a slice.
She tried the leek one first, and the groan she let out was positively sinful.
My omega perked up immediately, torn between happiness at seeing our omega enjoying herself and pure jealousy. I wanted to get territorial, to rip her away from Mac and make sure he didn’t get to hear those sounds coming from her.
Mac just looked pleased with himself, happy someone was enjoying his food.
I was officially being a psycho. This was definitely not ‘roommate’ territory.
Mac seemed to notice, throwing me a reassuring wink. “Good idea bringing her to Mac’s for your first date.”
Then he was putting more plates in front of us. Chicken piccata, a hearty salad with peppers, pepperoni, and cheese, and finally a platter of pasta still bubbling from the oven with golden cheese melted on top. It felt like he was trying to feed alphas, not two omegas.
“If you make it through all this, I’ve got dessert tonight, too,” he promised.
“Oh, I’m absolutely going to have dessert. I’m an omega. There’s always room for dessert,” Roxie said with pure confidence.
I loved that she embraced her omega side. Unfortunately, the world wasn’t always kind to us omegas and you didn’t see it often enough. Every designation had their issues.
Alphas were at the top, generally excused of their outbursts and asshole ways because of what they were.
Betas were overlooked.
Omegas were either seen as a nuisance or as someone fragile and not as a person.
Then there were the deltas. Between their ruts, dens, and possessive, chaotic nature, there were a lot of people who didn’t trust them.
I wasn’t among them.
Until a delta broke my heart.
Now I had trust issues for days and enough hurt to keep my defensive walls strong.
I wasn’t na?ve enough to think I had no part of why my ex left. He wanted us to be out and proud. It wasn’t that easy for me.
Coming out to my family was a huge challenge. My granddad and father were never afraid to make shitty comments while I was growing up and I already had a pretty good idea of what to expect.
Every time they saw me they’d ask if I was “one of those omegas.” I knew the moment I told them I found a male alpha, I’d be written off completely.
Roxie’s hand found mine as the conversation shifted to family. I didn’t bother to hold back, giving her the condensed version of my ex and why he left.
She didn’t offer false reassurance, just silent support that I appreciated more than she could ever realize.
It was an old wound, but I swear it felt brand new every time I thought about it.
“My ex wanted me to come out… so I did. Then he was gone the next day. My family cut me off and I had no one else,” I concluded. Years ago, I couldn’t have told that story out loud. Now, I barely flinched. I wasn’t sure what that said about me.
“I’m so sorry, Rylan,” she said quietly.
I waved it off, refusing to give any more of my heart to the matter.
“It’s in the past,” I said, as if it was no big deal.
As if my heart wasn’t constantly breaking.
I’d become so guarded and jaded since then. But Roxie had me opening up without even trying. She was perfect in so many ways, and I found that I didn’t want to hold back with her despite what I’d said.
Her expression softened as if she could see the change in me.
Mac stopped by to check on us before hurrying away, leaving us to sample the buffet he’d left. We ate in silence for a bit, just the occasional comment on how good it was.
Until I finally had to address the elephant in the room to move past this bullshit barrier I’d put between us where it didn’t belong.
“We’re scent-matched,” I said, looking over at her.
She nodded, tilting her head to the side as if waiting for me to say the words she wanted to hear.
“Which means we likely share an alpha and a pack. It’s complicated with the fact that my ex was also my scent-match.”
“If he was, then how could he just walk away,” she said, looking hurt on my behalf. How could I even explain the complicated mess my former relationship was?
It wasn’t accusatory. She was trying to understand, and I wish I had a better explanation for her.
“I have a feeling there’s a pack out there for us. One that won’t leave when things get complicated. One we find worth the risk.”
My cheeks warmed with shame.
As much as I wanted to blame him for his part in leaving without a word and breaking my heart the way he did, we’d had so many conversations before then about how he wanted to love me out loud. That he wasn’t the secretive type.
I just thought that he understood my family and what I was up against. That it would take me time. That I’d be worth the wait.
It hurt so much to realize I wasn’t enough to make him stay and fight for us.
“Hey,” she said gently.
The fact that she could read me so easily already should probably have scared me. But Roxie was different.
And this time, I didn’t want to fuck it up. I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life alone and heartbroken. I wanted to accept my scent-match for what it was.
Mine.
She knew my regrets and secret shame, and she wasn’t running away from it.
In fact, she was smiling over at me like it was all going to be okay. That whatever happens, would happen, and we’d face it together.
I wanted to believe she’d be the one to finally stay.