Page 41 of Trust No Alpha

“My internal organs are undeveloped. So there’s that.”

“You could sire children with a pure Omega, though. So that’s an untruth right there, that you’re infertile.”

Frustrated, though he spoke the truth, I shot back, “You know what I meant!”

He didn’t answer.

“I didn’t mean to yell.”

“You’ve faced a lot in the past few weeks. I’d yell, too.”

His weirdly calm tone immediately made most of the tension drain from my body.

“Thank you for that,” I said. My eyes were stinging again.

At least he didn’t think of me like Father and Doctor Poe and Mathias, like some useless thing and a burden to the family.

Thorne surprised me by setting down his rag and walking over to me. He leaned against the counter about a foot and a half away and said, “I can’t imagine what you’ve been through—what you’re still going through. It’s a terrible thing. Now all I want to do after you telling me all this is help you even more. I’m not sure you believe me, but it’s the truth. I’ll help you any way I can. And as a start, how about we dispense with our unwanted labels for the time-being and have a good dinner?”

I blinked back tears of relief, hoping he didn’t see. “That sounds good.”

“And Kris.” Thorne added. “Don’t define yourself by what you read in the cold context of online know-it-all websites. When you’re like me, away from the world for a couple of decades, you start to see the bullshit all the more clearer. Sure, there are stupid laws in place making everything worse, and people suffer for it. But who you are inside? No one can touch that.”

His words were like balm to open wounds. “Thank you for that. It helps.”

“Ah, if only I ruled the world, right?”

He was making a joke? Trying to get me to laugh?

I wasn’t ready. Somehow, he knew it. He turned away as if he did not expect any response, and said, “Baked chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans. How does that sound?”

“Sounds wonderful.” I cleared my throat.

“Excellent. It will be our first meal as the new rulers of our own little world.”

Chapter Fifteen

Thorne

Here I am practically insisting he trust me when I can’t even trust myself,Thorne thought.

They ate at the dining table by the kitchen window and watched the sun bruise the sky as it set against the snowy mountain peaks.

Despite his major problems and anxieties, Kris maintained a good appetite. Thorne found he liked feeding him. Liked seeing another person other than himself eat his cooking for a change.

Kris was quiet at dinner. After his long speech full of secret revelations, he was probably exhausted which was completely understandable and fine by Thorne. It had taken a lot for Kris to tell him so much so soon.

Thorne was no stranger to the quiet. Their rapport, even when not talking, felt natural. Maybe it was the attraction he felt toward the young man. At any rate, he was glad for the company.

Kris got up from the table when they finished.

“I’d like to help. Do the dishes or something.”

“All right.”

Kris picked up his plate and Thorne’s. “What do I do?”

Thorne chuckled. “Have you ever done dishes before?” he asked, already knowing the answer.