Page 10 of Knottily Ever After (Crescent Lake Cozy Omegaverse #1)
Chapter Ten
Vaughn
W hat I just learned from Violet is absolutely outrageous.
No Alpha worthy of life would ever betray his Omega.
Ire builds in my blood, my upper lip threatens to curl into a snarl.
But as I look into Violet’s emerald eyes, so surprised and confused, my brows furrow.
It’s as if she doesn’t know how terrible what her ex has done is.
She’s obviously hurt, but she’s nowhere near as devastated or enraged as I would expect from such a betrayal.
Yet, as much as I would love to wrap my hands around that Alpha’s neck, which I expect to be as scrawny as his devotion, if he hadn’t cheated on Violet, she would never have come here. My pack brothers and I would never have met her. Scented her. Learned that we actually have an Omega match.
“We were best friends.” Her tone is soft, and she sips her beer with a slight frown.
I lean on the bar again to get a little closer.
“Our parents had been friends, and Steve and I grew up together. Went to each other’s proms.” Her head shakes.
“He was there for me through so many ups and downs, tragedies I never thought I’d recover from, and I just…
I just don’t understand how he could do this, you know?
” Her tearful eyes bore into me, and I nearly feel her pain right in my chest. “But,” she lets out a breath, one corner of her mouth twitches upward, “I’m here to forget about him and move on.
” She raises her pint in a salute and takes several more gulps before placing it on the bar with a satisfied sigh.
“Was this, Steve,” I spit his name like vomit, “your only mate?”
She blinks up at me, one brow twitching, then her expression settles. “Yes. I don’t know anyone who’s a part of a pack, actually.”
I’d watched enough television and movies and seen enough news stories to know that the bigger cities have always leaned toward monogamy. What I don’t know is why. Our instincts dictate we form packs based on scent matches.
I gesture with my head and eyes to the table in the back, behind where Violet is seated. “Almost everyone in Crescent Lake is a part of a pack.”
She startles slightly, turns wide eyes briefly to the table where Darren, Heath, Hunter, and Carla sit, each drinking their usual, snacking on tapas that we only serve Friday through Sunday out of our tiny kitchen.
Their smiling faces are alight with love and adoration, as they always are whenever I see them around town.
Violet tilts her head at me and asks in a quiet tone with a touch of awe, “Really?”
I nod in confirmation at her and stand up straight, cross my arms over my chest, and regard her, fighting my frown. This woman is educated, sharp, but she may have lived her life in a kind of bubble, not experiencing much outside of city living.
The world is so much more than that. I’d give anything to show it to her. Share it with her. And my pack brothers.
“I’m not familiar with pack dynamics,” she continues, her voice still quiet. “I’ve never been around any. I mean, I’ve read some books that included packs, but it all seemed like untouchable fiction.”
“Definitely not all fiction, and definitely not untouchable.” Is my voice a bit rough? I clear my throat. “Everyone here lives freely, and I’ve never met a pack that wasn’t filled with love.”
“Wow,” she breathes, a little wistful. “That’s so hard to believe. But I guess the longer I stay in town, the more exposure I’ll get to the lifestyle.”
The idea of Violet staying elicits a joy I never knew I could feel. The thought of her ever leaving, however…
The bell at the door chimes, and Quinn enters the bar, wearing one of those form-fitting tees and a pair of dark jeans with sneakers. His eyes land on Violet before flicking to me with a knowing smirk. He approaches quickly and sits beside Violet, turning his perfect smile on her.
“Vi!” he sings, his voice smooth. “Good to see you.”
Violet fights what I can only assume is a big smile she wants to give him in return, her lips twitching with the effort. Although why she’s fighting, I have no idea.
“Hey, Quinn.” She’s more shy than I’ve ever seen her.
Quinn regards me, his smile turning a bit taunting around his dark eyes. “What’s your latest creation, Doc?”
“I just tapped a grapefruit wheat and a peach lambic,” I tell him, and his nose scrunches, something Violet doesn’t miss. “Or I have that Abbey Porter you liked last weekend.”
“I’ll take the porter,” he says.
“And I’ll have that lambic if you don’t mind.” Violet places her empty pint glass on the coaster.
I grin at her and take her glass to the under-bar washer, and grab a pint glass for the porter, a stemmed glass for the lambic.
Violet enjoys sweet things. The knowledge makes me feel somewhat prideful.
As I pour and serve, Violet first, Quinn peppers her with questions.
“How was your day?”
“It was… okay,” she says with some hesitation. She also doesn’t elaborate, share the same story she shared with me. “How about yours?”
Quinn sighs. “I don’t usually work on weekends, but I had to go to the gym to take care of some paperwork today. But, at least I got it done.”
I turn to give him his porter, then give a silent grumble when one of the patrons at the other end of the bar waves me down, taking me away from Violet.
I grab a towel and walk away just as Quinn asks Violet, “So, what are your plans for tonight?”