Page 51 of In Deep

“Aye, it’s the way it should be.”

They are only words but the way he says them, so assured and confident, I can’t help believing them.

It’s still late spring and though the days are lengthening, the sky is dark and, above our heads, the first smattering of stars begin to pepper the sky.

“I never get bored with looking at them,” I mutter.

He tips his head back. “The stars?”

“Uh huh.”

He lifts our conjoined hands and traces his forefingers over the cluster of stars tattooed on the underside of my wrist. “You like stars.”

“Yes, always have, ever since I was little. I used to make my parents leave the bedroom curtains open so that I could gaze up at them. I’d build my own spaceships from cardboard boxes and have my sisters help crew my ship out into space.” I laugh.

“It’s what you still want to do?”

“Well,” I say, “I’m not deluded. They’d never pick an omega to be an astronaut.” Too weak, too hormonal. “And anyway, I’m not sure being trapped in a spaceship is as glamorous as it is. But I’d like to study the stars. Learn more about what’s out there.”

I lean my head against his shoulder as we walk into town, immersed in his scent and happy.

The restaurant is a small family-run Italian with chequered tablecloths and candles in old wine bottles. The place is nearly empty and Zane waits for us at a table tucked into a back corner.

“Hey, sugar,” he says, drawing back my chair.

“Are you going to let me order for myself tonight?” I ask, picking up a menu and running my eye down the list.

He shrugs. “The lasagna here is really good.”

I hate to admit it, but that sounds good, and when the waiter comes to take our order, Zane chuckles when I choose it.

I listen to them discuss training, about Seb’s suggestion for a new workout plan. And I can’t help thinking about the alpha again. They’ve told me everything with him is fine, yet since that day on the river, they’ve made no attempt to introduce me to the pack again. If anything, it seems they’ve been keeping me away. In the end, I can’t help but blurt out what’s bothering me.

“Are you going to explain what’s going on with Seb?”

“He’s very anal about making sure our plan is working,” Zane says.

“No, I mean about why he was so rude that day at the river. About why you’ve been keeping me away from him.”

Duncan’s forkful of spaghetti pauses in the air, and then he lowers it to his plate. “We told you, he can be a bit of a grumpy git.”

I shake my head. “No, it was more than that. Does he have a problem with me?”

Zane reaches across the table and covers my hand with his. “What? No, of course not. Why would he?”

“Come on,” I say. “I’m not stupid. The man would hardly look at me.”

“It’s complicated.”

I put down my own fork and swing my gaze from one alpha to the other. My stomach swims with unease. I thought they’d be quick to put my mind at peace like they always do. Now it seems as if they’re hiding something. “That doesn’t sound reassuring.”

“Seb takes his time warming up to people. Especially omegas. He’s had his heart broken,” Duncan says quietly.

“Oh.” I look down at my plate, moving the sheets of pasta around with my fork.

“It’s something he should tell you about,” Zane goes on.

I peer up at him and his face is serious and concerned, as if he’s considering his pack mate.