Chapter 9
Alric
Hunter and I press against the door, straining to hear any of their conversation.
My stomach’s in knots. I shouldn’t have demanded to know why she hadn’t responded to my calls.
My excitement at seeing her so unexpectedly was quickly overshadowed with the knowledge that she never wanted to see me again.
I’ll never get the smell of her distress out of my head, and the fact that I partly caused that atrocious scent will forever shame me.
She’s a sugar baby and had every right to walk out of my life, regardless of my apparently unrequited feelings towards her. I knew this was a temporary arrangement I paid for. Madi never owed me a damn thing.
It just felt real. Every touch, every kiss, every late-night laugh. The funds I send her are automatically set, so it was too easy to forget that I paid for access to her. I feel like a fucking idiot, like one of those jackasses who thinks strippers actually like them.
I need so much more out of our relationship.
Madeline doesn’t understand how well we would treat her—not as a sugar baby, but as a girlfriend. As a wife. As a bondmate.
When she broke up with me on Friday, I thought that could be the start of a negotiation.
I was prepared to compromise, assuming that I had a say in the matter, too, simply because I didn’t want it to end.
I’m not used to being dismissed, rejected.
It stung my ego that she didn’t want to be with me anymore, my anger fueled by the fact she had left without saying goodbye.
Blocked me. Left me alone in the middle of the street like a lovesick idiot.
And now she’s here, terrified and angry. I need to apologize. Profusely and generously.
Hunter and I jump away from the door when it opens, making me feel like a schoolboy who was caught doing something naughty.
Madeline walks out holding Zachary’s hand, and the air leaves my lungs.
I’ve never seen her so casual. Every time we’ve ever gone on dates, she was in stilettos and those little black dresses she knows I love, but here?
Madeline’s natural beauty shines in a loose floor-length dress.
Her wet hair has been pulled up into a knot on the top of her head and she wears no makeup.
I want to kiss her, trail my nose up her neck, and suck on the spot I know she loves. Redo her arrival to make her feel welcomed.
She looks between Hunter and I apprehensively, stepping closer to Zachary, wrapping her arm around his.
I want her to cling to me like that. She may have broken off what we had, but with this storm providing some blessed forced proximity to us, maybe I can convince her to give me another chance.
Show her that we’re everything she needs.
I’ve never been thankful for a storm in my life.
“Let’s all head to the living room and have a nice, long chat. I think we could all use a drink,” Zachary suggests.
“I’ll make some Sex on the Beach!” Hunter yells and runs to the kitchen as if he’s training for the Olympics. I raise my eyebrow and Zachary just shrugs with a smile.
We follow him into the sitting area. I’ve always found this room to be calming with its neutral colors, deep blue accents, and exquisite ocean views through its large windows.
The walls are made of exposed stone from the island, leading up to arched ceilings.
A lit fireplace adds an extra glow to the room.
My mother designed this home, but I’ve done a few upgrades over the years to add in some modern touches.
We all sit on three large leather couches the color of sand.
Zachary and Madeline sit across from me.
I keep trying to catch Madeline’s eyes, but she’s making a very dedicated effort to not let that happen.
I deserve that for acting so aggressively towards her when she arrived, but is she going to ignore me forever?
The thought makes me want to growl, but I know that will only make the situation worse.
The silence is awkward, but thankfully, Hunter arrives with some fruity cocktail I wasn’t even aware we had the ingredients for.
I take a small sip. It’s too sweet for my palate, but I’m ready for anything to calm my simmering emotions.
Hunter may have ruined this for me, before I even had a chance to try and fix what I had with Madeline.
“I wasn’t honest with any of you and I’m really sorry about that.
Especially you.” Hunter motions to Madeline.
“I should have never brought you here under any circumstance without giving you all the details about this trip, so you could make an informed choice. I acted beyond selfishly, not considering how you would feel or react.”
She doesn’t accept his apology. “This is a matter of my safety, Hunter. Yes, I know Zach and Alric, but what if I hadn’t?
What if I didn’t want to be near them? What if they weren’t the upstanding gentlemen you thought they were?
Do you understand how terrifying that would have been for me?
And unless there’s another boat here or a helicopter you can charter, I’m literally trapped here.
I agreed to a vacation with you and you alone. ”
He twists his hands together. “I’m so sorry. I fucked up. I was just so blinded by the possibility of you joining our pack.”
“You’re right about that.” Everyone looks at me. “You’re perfect for us. We need you as our omega, we’ve all been drawn to you since the start.”
“We would give you the best life an omega could ask for,” Zachary adds softly.
She rises from the couch, as does my hope that she will want to be part of this pack.
“Did any of your delusional asses stop to think that maybe I don’t want to be in a pack? That I don’t want to play nice little omega to three alphas who haven’t stopped for one fucking moment to consider what I want or need?”
Lightning flashes above us, as if the gods themselves are angry with our hubris.
Shit.
Like the selfish bastard I am, I hadn’t, and by the looks on my friends’ faces, they hadn’t either.
She’s right, we should have considered what she wanted.
I thought all omegas would eventually want a pack.
Why wouldn’t she? Three alphas absolutely devoted to her, endless travel, and all the money she could possibly want would be at her fingertips.
I hate that she is angry at me, at us. Shame curls in my chest. We really fucked this up.
“Look, I’ve had a lot of fun with you all this year, but that’s it, it’s what you paid for.
I never date clients for more than a year.
Alric.” My name on her lips has my heart skipping a beat, even if she glares at me.
“Friday night was a breakup. I clearly stated we were over, which is why you were blocked. In case you’ve all forgotten our first date, where I said I can end any agreement at any time, for any reason.
Only one of you even knows my real name.
I’m sure there’s an omega out there who would love to be yours, but I have no desire for a pack. ”
Something shifts in the air. A new scent swirls with the smell of rain and firewood.
The blooming scent of summer blackberries, sun-ripened on the vine, fresh jasmine, and mouth-watering vanilla. It hits me like a truck, altering the inside of my brain.
I knew there was a reason I could never get her out of my mind, that there was never enough time with her.
“Blackberries,” I whisper.
“Jasmine,” Hunter follows in a low tone.
“Vanilla,” Zach murmurs in his softest voice.
Madeline’s real scent.
I’ve never encountered anything so irresistible, so delicate, so perfect.
The scent I’ve waited my entire life to experience.
The atoms around me rearrange, until she’s the center of the universe.
Mine.