Page 17

Emmie

I’m still shook up when I reach my biology class. And I’m so lost in thought I almost bump into him—Romeo—standing outside the classroom door. His arm is draped possessively around Cerise’s shoulders, her long blonde hair cascading down her back as she laughs at something he’s said.

He sees me the moment I see him, and something flashes in his eyes before his expression hardens.

“Masters.” He steps away from Cerise, blocking my path. “We need to talk.”

Cerise’s perfectly sculpted eyebrows rise as she looks between us. “Romeo, leave her alone.”

He doesn’t listen. His hand shoots out, gripping my arm. Not painfully, but firmly enough that I can’t pull away without making a scene. “Stay away from me at school. And stay away from Eli.”

Cerise grins and turns to her friend, suitably happy.

The mention of Eli’s name sends a chill through me. Before I can respond, Romeo turns back to Cerise. She turns and gives me a sickly sweet smile when he wraps his arm around her waist and leads her into the classroom. She’s so fucking stupid that she doesn’t understand it’s him that follows me.

I follow a moment later, choosing a seat in the front row instead of the middle. I need to be as far from Romeo as possible.

Throughout the lecture, I feel his eyes boring into the back of my skull, but I refuse to turn around. I’m not taking in the lesson as I wonder why Romeo cares if I talk to Eli or not.

When the bell rings, I gather my things quickly, determined to escape before Romeo can corner me.

But as I hurry down the hallway to my next class, I spot him and Cerise by the lockers, his varsity football jacket a stark contrast to her cheerleading uniform.

They look perfect together. The Alpha football star and his beautiful Beta girlfriend.

Nausea churns in my stomach as I watch him kiss her.

I duck into the nearest bathroom, splashing cold water on my face.

The girl in the mirror looks pale, frightened.

Not at all like Emmie Darling, the girl who once had so much confidence she commanded attention in every room.

That girl not only had confidence, she had style, a future mapped out.

This Jolie Masters is a shadow, hiding beneath baggy clothes and downcast eyes.

Put your shoulders back and go to the classroom.

Before I can gather enough courage, a commotion erupts in the hallway. I stand still as female voices and laughter get closer. The door bursts open and Cerise enters, flanked by two other cheerleaders. The same three girls as before. Their cruel eyes lock on me.

“There she is,” Cerise hisses, her lip curling. “The little Omega who thinks she can steal my boyfriend. I think it’s time for us to have a chat, considering the water didn’t put you off.”

The threat in her voice is unmistakable. I shake my head. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I don’t even like your boyfriend.”

She studies me for a moment, then laughs. “Really. He tells me you’ve been smiling at him whenever my back turns. He’s already told you to fuck off. Now fucking back off. Or else.”

“Or else.” Her flat hand slaps across my face.

The walk home feels longer than usual, each step heavy with dread. What had I done to make Cerise hate me so much? Romeo had been the one to approach me, to kiss me. I never wanted any of this. If she knew what her perfect boyfriend suggested, she’d realize what a bastard he was.

As I walk down the driveway after my disastrous conversation with Beck, I consider going to find my mother who’ll be working inside the manor, but the thought of facing any more Silver family complications keeps me walking toward the cottage.

I walk straight past our front door, through the gardens, eventually to the lake Eli mentioned. The water is still, reflecting the afternoon sun like liquid gold. I sit on a fallen log near the shore, wrapping my arms around my knees.

“Rough day?” I startle at the voice, turning to see Eli standing a few feet away, a small wicker basket in hand.

“Sorry,” he says immediately. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s okay,” I say, wiping hastily at my eyes. “I was just thinking.”

He gestures to the log. “Mind if I join you?”

When I nod, he settles beside me, placing the basket between us. “I was about to have lunch,” he says, opening it to reveal sandwiches, fruit, and a thermos. “Care to share?”

My stomach growls in response, and Eli laughs—a warm, rich sound that somehow eases the tension in my shoulders.

“Shouldn’t you be at school?” he asks, handing me half a sandwich.

“Shouldn’t you be gardening?” I counter, accepting it gratefully.

He grins, the expression transforming his face from merely handsome to breathtaking. “I’m taking a well-deserved break.”

We eat in companionable silence for a while, watching a pair of ducks glide across the lake. The sandwich is delicious—fresh bread, avocado, and some herb I can’t quite identify.

“Did you make this?” I ask.

Eli nods. “Bread and all. The herbs are from my garden.”

“It’s amazing. I’m surprised you’re not an Omega.”

“High praise from an Omega and a southern city girl,” he teases.

“How do you know I’m from the city?”

He unscrews the thermos, pouring what smells like herbal tea into the cap. “Your hands,” he says, passing me the makeshift cup. “Soft and perfect nails. And you got lost in the woods, which most country kids wouldn’t do.”

I accept the tea, our fingers brushing briefly. “Observant.”

“I notice things,” he says simply. “Like how you’re not at school when you should be. And how your eyes are red from crying.”

I look away, suddenly uncomfortable with his perception. “It’s nothing.”

“If Romeo’s bothering you—“

“He’s not,” I say too quickly. “He told me to stay away from you, actually.”

Eli’s eyebrows rise. “Did he now? And what did you say?”

“Nothing.” I sip the tea, the warm, slightly bitter liquid calming my nerves. “It’s none of his business that I like being with you.”

He studies me for a long moment, his eyes the same deep green as the pines surrounding the lake. “You do?”

“What?”

“You like being with me?”

I set the cup down, staring at my hands. “More than I care to admit. I’ve never felt more at ease with another Alpha before.”

Eli is quiet for so long, I think he might not respond. When he finally speaks, his voice is low, thoughtful. “It’s reciprocal.” He takes a deep breath, his gaze fixed on the horizon. “There’s something about you, Jolie. Something that makes me want to be better than I am. Braver than I’ve been.”

“You’re already brave,” I say softly. “And kind. And honest in a way that most people aren’t.”

“I’m also damaged,” he admits. “Broken in ways that might never fully heal.”

I turn to face him fully, seeing the vulnerability in his green eyes. “We’re all damaged, Eli. The question is whether we let it define us or whether we choose to heal together.”

“Choose,” he repeats, something shifting in his expression. “You keep talking about choice.”

“Because it matters.” I reach for his hand where it rests on the log between us. “Romeo thinks biology is destiny. But I think we get to choose who we are, who we love. And who we trust with our hearts. I have to believe that.”

Eli’s fingers intertwined with mine, warm and callused and steady. “And who are you choosing, Jolie?”

My heart hammers against my ribs as I meet his gaze. “Not Romeo. If I had a choice, I’d choose someone like you.”

Something raw and wonderful breaks across his features. “Jolie...”

“Can I kiss you?” The words tumble out before I can stop them. This feels bold and terrifying, but absolutely right.

His intake of breath is sharp. “I’ve been waiting to kiss you since the moment I smelled your scent.”

The admission confuses me. “But we’re not scent matches. We can’t be—“ I can’t tell him I’ll never find a match. I can only hope that one day an Alpha will choose me and not wait for their fated mate.

“No,” he agrees, his free hand coming up to cup my cheek.

“Then what do you mean?”

Instead of answering, he leans closer, his lips barely brushing mine. “You taste like sunshine,” he whispers against my mouth.

My heart nearly stops. The phrase is so unexpected, so specific, that it takes my breath away. “I taste like what?”

“Sunshine. Warmth after a long winter. Hope after losing everything.” His thumb traces along my cheekbone. “You taste like home.”

The tenderness in his voice breaks something open in my chest. This isn’t the desperate hunger Romeo showed me, or the sophisticated dominance Beck wielded so effortlessly.

This is something gentler, deeper. We’ve slowly built a connection on choice rather than biology.

And his description of my scent is the closest anyone has ever gotten to who I am.

I close the distance between us again, pressing my lips to his with all the certainty I’ve been lacking. Eli responds immediately, his mouth warm and patient as he kisses me like I’m something precious. His scent wraps around me, and surprisingly, it makes my Omega purr with contentment.

When we break apart, we’re both breathing hard.

But instead of pulling away, I thread my fingers through his hair and pull him back to me.

This time, the kiss is different. It’s urgent and hungry, like it’s filled with weeks of tension and longing.

Eli groans against my mouth, his arms coming around me to pull me closer.

I lose myself in the sensation of his hands on my back, his tongue sliding against mine, the way he holds me like I’m exactly where I belong.

When we finally separate, we rest our foreheads together, sharing the same air.

“Eli,” I whisper, my voice shaky with want and something deeper.

“Yes?”

I meet his eyes, seeing desire there. “Will you take me home?”

He searches my face. “To the cottage?”

“No.” I take a shuddering breath, making the choice that feels as natural as breathing. “Your home.”