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“Sam, if you don’t hurry up, you're going to be late for work,” Jay said, standing across the kitchen. He screwed a cap onto a travel mug, setting it next to Sam’s car keys.

Sam came charging in, her eyes narrowed on Jay.

Even angry, my sister still looked like a child in my eyes.

My sister looked happy. She had lost her baby weight pretty easily after having their daughter.

She still had a happiness to her, a glow that I knew wasn’t from the pregnancy but from how happy her marriage was.

“If you had let me sleep last night, I wouldn’t have struggled to get out of bed. And I wouldn’t be running behind in the first place.”

I cringed, pausing as I grabbed my coffee. Some topics I still didn’t want to hear. “I understand that I’m a visitor in your home, and you guys get to do what you want, but I’m not oblivious to what goes on.” I quickly add, looking at Sam. “I would rather not hear things.”

She rolled her eyes. “Get over it. Clearly, we had sex, Henrik.”

“I’m aware, but that doesn’t mean my mind needs to imagine it. I still see you as a little child.”

Sam smirked. “Keep it up, and I’ll give you details of every space we’ve done it on, including the chair you're sitting in.” Sam grabbed her keys and coffee off the counter, giving Jay a softer smile. Then, she turned on her heels and marched away.

I looked at Jay, who was holding back a laugh. He waved a hand. “Sorry.”

“You should have let her sleep. She’s a bear when she doesn’t get her rest.”

Jay snorted, shaking his head. “She was the one who jumped me.”

I shook my head. “Nope, no.. no.” I set my mug down and glared at him. “I will gladly get a hotel room if you two can’t keep your sexual habits together and private. I don’t need to know anything.”

Jay gave me a single nod. “Sorry.”

I took another sip of my coffee and looked down at my seat. “She was joking about this chair, right?”

Jay’s quiet was answer enough, so I got up. I pushed the chair in, wiping my hands onto my pants afterward. “You people are sick.”

He laughed. “Oh please, don’t act like you’ve never dated a woman and had her on every inch of your place.”

I scuffed. “This is different. This is my sister. This isn’t some chick I won’t see around.”

“And I didn’t choose her,” Jay added.

I knew that. They were forced together, and I had been worried.

Jay had always been a reserved person, and Sam…

well…Sam had dealt with so much growing up.

I know that I didn’t even know about half of it.

Sam always just handled whatever was thrown at her.

I wish I had handled more, that I had helped with more.

But they were happy now. I could see it on both of their faces. When I arrived yesterday and we all had dinner, I could see the happiness in their eyes. They were in love, and it showed.

Katie’s face flashed before my eyes, and I scowled. I could see the hurt look in her eyes from the other day and the way her hands tightened on her bag.

I wanted to forget about that, but I couldn’t. It kept popping back into my head, and I couldn’t seem to move past it. I felt terrible, and I could see that after rejecting Katie, she had been hurt.

But I had to. I didn’t have a choice, much like everything else in my life. I had to do what was best for my pack and everyone else before I could even think about my own needs. Rejecting her was the right thing, even if it hurt.

It was one thing to have a fling and enjoy myself, but all of those girls were aware that it couldn’t be anything more serious. Katie wasn’t that type of person. She was sweet and gentle. She was the type who looked at a guy and saw a future that went past animalistic sex.

Jay snapped his fingers at me. “Are you listening to a word that I’m saying?”

I quickly cleared my mind and took another sip of the coffee. “Were you blabbering about my sister still?”

Jay glared at me. “No, smartass, I was talking about the party. Which just proves that you weren’t listening.”

Shit. That’s right, the party. I almost forgot about it.

Jay was turning twenty-seven, and Sam was throwing him a huge party.

She’d invited all of us guys to join and a bunch of their pack.

She rented out the old barn just near the outskirts of Honeycomb Valley.

It was an enormous barn with a large open space.

A lot of people used it for graduations and weddings.

“What about the party?” I asked.

“I’m just making sure you're still bringing the cake like you said you would. Sam said I should remind you because you might have forgotten.”

I frowned. I had forgotten about that. Well, I hadn’t forgotten. I was heading to the bakery when I ran into Katie. She had taken the thought away, and I forgot to order it. If Sam finds out, she will never let me hear the end of it.

Double fuck. Sam will kill me if I don't show up with a cake. I might as well go home if I showed up empty-handed.

I put on a hurt look. “Of course, I’m bringing the cake. I already made the order. She needs to think higher of me.”

Jay nodded. “Good. I would hate not to have cake on my birthday.”

“Which I should probably go and grab,” I said, straightening my shoulders. I hoped that they would have something for sale. Anything at this point. A bakery should have cakes to buy on display.

Jay waved a hand. “Alright. Katie said she wanted you to meet us there at three.”

I grabbed my car keys and headed for the front. “I know the way there. It’s almost like I lived here before.”

“You’re a smartass, you know that, Henrik?”

“Where do you think I learned it?” I yelled over my shoulder as I slipped outside.

I drove across town and headed straight to the bakery. I parked my car and glanced towards the little cafe next to the bakery. The same door that I ran into Katie at.

A shiver ran down my spine. In another world, I would have happily accepted her asking me out; I might have even asked her out.

But that wasn’t the world I lived in. I didn’t get to decide who my wife would be.

How could I start a relationship with someone knowing that at any moment, Katie was going to get a match for me with someone else?

I did the right thing, turning her down.

And maybe I was a little harsh, but I had to make it hurt.

If I walked the line, she would keep asking.

It was better to let her lick her wounds and pull herself back together rather than continue making little wounds over a long period of time that seemed to never heal.

I did the right thing, even if it doesn’t feel like it.

I shook the thought off and headed for the bakery. It smelt like sweets, and a young woman stood at the front. She gave me a soft smile. “Morning, Henrik.”

The joy of being an Alpha is that everyone knows who you are. Everyone knew who your family was. The downside was that they didn’t know who you truly were.

I plastered a smile on. “Morning. I made a mistake, and I’m hoping that you can fix it.”

She raised an eyebrow at me. “Oh?”

“I was supposed to order a cake a few days ago for a birthday today.”

She smirked and leaned onto the counter. “You mean Jay’s birthday? The birthday that the entire pack is talking about?”

My shoulders sank. “Yes….the very one.”

The gal chuckled. “You really did make a mistake. If you show up empty-handed, I have a feeling your sister will have words with you.”

“I’m aware, which is why I’m hoping you will save me from her wrath.”

She looked to the back and tapped her fingers on the counter. “When is the party?”

“At three.”

She seemed to count the numbers out with her fingers and tilted her head from side to side. “Would be cutting it a little close.” She looked back at me. “I guess I could make a cake, but it will cost you.”

“That’s fine. I’ll pay whatever you want.”

“Chocolate cake, three layers enough?”

I nodded. I glanced down, reading her name tag. “Yes, thank you, Jill. You have no idea how much this means to me.”

“I can drop it off, since I will be there. Do you want to write on it?”

I nodded. “Yes, Happy Birthday.”

After making my payment and tipping Jill for the help, I headed out to do a few other things that I needed to do before Jay’s party.

***

A little before three when I arrived at the party.

A ton of people were already there, including all the other Alpha’s.

They stood next to Jay near the front. Everyone looked dressed for the occasion, and as I walked up, Frank was the first to notice me.

He raised an eyebrow at me. “I thought you were bringing the cake?”

Everyone turned to look at me after that remark, and I glared at him. “It’s being delivered.”

“Fancy,” Aaron said, his smirk growing. “Or did you forget?”

“I didn’t forget,” I snapped. I didn’t need my sister to catch wind of those words and come barking at me.

“Where is your gift?” Maddox asked, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

“I didn’t get one.”

“What?” Jay’s eyebrows went up. “I’m your best friend, and you didn’t bring me a gift?”

“Best friend?” Aaron turned to Jay. “What the hell?”

“Yeah, are we chopped liver?” Frank added.

Jones smirked.

“I didn’t bring a gift because you're married to my sister and sleeping with her. I think that's enough of a gift.”

The guys started to laugh when Sam walked over. My sister looked tired after a long day at work, but I could see the sparkle in her eyes when she looked at Jay. She loved him deeply. She wrapped her arms around Jay’s and tugged him to her.

“What are you all doing?” Sam asked, looking at each of the guys before she dropped her eyes on me. She raised an eyebrow at my empty hands. “And where is the cake?”

“It’s being delivered. Don’t worry.”

Her eyes flicked past me, and she smiled. I turned, spotting Jill walking towards us with the cake. “See,” I waved a hand. “I told you I ordered the cake.”

Jill gave me a smile, and I knew the secret was safe between us.

The party was in full swing within half an hour.

The space was packed with people and I was ready to go home.

It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy myself because I did.

I knew almost everyone here since I lived in this town for so many years before they offered up the town I live in now.

But it was different. It seemed everyone was growing up, everyone was doing something different, and I was stuck being the Alpha.

I loved my job, but sometimes I wished I had more. I saw our friends having beautiful marriages, and some having children. People were getting promoted and switching fields. I at least had Jay, who was the same as I was. And then he was married and having a baby.

I took another deep drink of my beer and glanced around the room.

My eyes froze when they spotted Katie standing in the corner.

She looked uncomfortable, her fingers clutching a small glass tightly to herself.

She was wearing a deep blue dress that went from her neck all the way down to her ankles.

It was different from everyone else who was wearing short dresses and their breasts half out. Katie dressed to cover herself up.

I wanted to ask her how she was. I ached to fix the words I’d thrown at her.

Katie was sweet, and I didn’t want to be the reason she was hurt.

But if I had apologized, it wouldn’t have fixed the damage that was done.

It wouldn’t change the future. I was destined for another, and she didn’t deserve the heartbreak.

It was better to appear a jackass rather than to string her along.

“Are you listening?” Tuck, a friend, raised an eyebrow at me.

“Sorry,” I quickly apologized, pulling my eyes away from Katie, stuffing that urge down as far as I could. “I thought I saw someone.”

Jay snorted, and Tuck glared at me, not impressed. “I didn’t know I meant so little to you now, Henrik. What, you get a big boy job, and suddenly, I’m not good enough for you?”

I knew Tuck was teasing, but the words still landed. Some days, I felt I had left everyone behind. I missed the old days when my biggest worries were training to be an Alpha.

Jay patted my shoulder. “He’s joking.”

“I know that,” I said, giving Tuck a smile. Tuck had been a good friend of ours growing up. He was funny and charming. Married a beautiful woman who had given him four wonderful children. He had the life Jay and I wanted. I envied him.

“My wife is waving me over,” Tuck patted my shoulder. “It was great seeing you, Henrik. You should come down, and we should all go out for dinner.” He turned to Jay. “Happy Birthday man.”

Tuck slipped away, and Jay raised an eyebrow at me. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

I snorted. “I’m just hungry. Why don’t you go mingle like your wife is? I’m pretty sure she’s talked to more people than you have.”

Jay glanced at her across the room. She was talking with a group of girls. All of them were gushing over their daughter, Savanna. It surprised me how much she’d placed herself into a pack she wanted to leave so badly. I was proud of how much my sister had grown, how far she’d come.

“I’m going to grab food.”

I moved past Jay and headed over to the food. I froze when I spotted Katie standing near the other table, grabbing herself a cookie. Her eyes dropped on me, and she looked away. I swallowed, knowing I couldn’t just ignore her.

“Evening, Katie,” I said as I stopped next to her. She gave me a head nod, looking at the table.

I searched for more words, knowing I needed to be able to have a conversation with her. We would have to talk in the future. We had to get past this awkward part if we ever wanted to be able to talk again.

I opened my mouth to say something when someone stopped next to Katie. It was a large man, and he scanned her. “Didn’t know the scientists were invited to this.”

He laughed at his own joke, and I watched as Katie chewed on her cheek.

I ground my teeth together and growled at the man. His eyes quickly looked at me. His eyes widened slightly.

I stuffed my hands into my pockets. “I didn’t realize my sister invited assholes, yet here you are.”

The man sputtered for words, apologizing and turning, hurrying off. I looked back at Katie, but she turned to me. She glared with her hands in tight fists as she snapped. “What the hell was that for?”

I blinked, surprised. “What do you mean? I was standing up for you.”

She rolled her eyes, shaking her head. “I do not need you to stand up for me. I don’t need you to do anything for me.”

She turned and marched away. I stood frozen, watching her leave.