Page 15 of Dragon's Revenge

Which was a stupid thing to promise, but Delton’s curiosity was far too pressing to let it go. Hell, if someone ever managed to kidnap him, it would be because they lured him in by making him curious. People were like puzzles to him, and he had a hard time letting go until he’d solved the entire puzzle.

“Sivney said I should spend as much time with you as with Oliver…and that you need my protection as much as he does when it comes down to it.”

Damn. The omega hadn’t sugarcoated his advice, had he? And as usual, he’d been spot on, even pointing something out that Delton hadn’t fully grasped until then. “He’s not wrong. I think you spending so much more time with Oliver is one of the reasons I feel like I don’t belong with you. We’re not on equal footing with you, Oliver and I.”

Adar looked crushed. “I know.”

Delton took a deep breath. “Why don’t I put these flowers in some water, and then we can find a quiet spot somewhere to sit and talk? If that’s what you want.”

“I’d love that.”

“Okay. Give me two minutes.”

Delton headed back inside and rummaged in the kitchen cabinets until he found a pint glass that would have to do double duty as a vase since he didn’t have an actual one. He’d never received flowers before, so he’d never needed one. After he filled the glass with water and put the flowers in it, he set it on the kitchen table, where it looked homey.

Quico, Delton’s one roommate since the third bedroom of their cabin was Delton’s office, would no doubt have some snarky comment on it. Not that Delton particularly cared about the alpha’s opinion. They weren’t close.

It really had been sweet of Adar to go through the trouble—even if Sivney had told him to get flowers. Although, come to think of it, that didn’t sound like a suggestion the omega would make. Maybe one of his mates? Lev, probably. He was definitely the type for romantic gestures.

Delton straightened his back. His two-minute reprieve was up. Time to face the music again. Sure, he could tell Adar to leave, and the alpha would heed that request, but Delton didn’t want him to leave. Strange how that worked. The thought of staying and always being the third wheel broke his heart, but the idea of leaving tore him apart too. He was fucked either way.

When he stepped outside, Adar stood in the exact same place, like he hadn’t moved a muscle. Then again, in his job, the man had to be used to standing still for long stretches of time while still remaining alert and vigilant.

“I’m back,” Delton said as if Adar hadn’t noticed that himself. Stupid nerves. “Wanna sit under the trees?”

The sun wasn’t out in full force yet, but once it was, it would be unbearable outside of the shade.

Adar nodded, and they made their way over to a cute little wooden bench under one of the big trees on the property.

“How’s Oliver doing?” Delton asked.

“Not so good.”

“Has he spoken again?”

Adar shook his head.

Dammit. “I shouldn’t have told you then that I wanted out. My timing was awful.”

“This isn’t on you.”

“Not the initial trauma, no, and I’m not to blame for his reaction after he fucked up and told you. I know that. But I knew he’d stopped talking again, and I still went ahead and ended things. Or whatever you want to call it.”

“That’s very unlike you to be so unspecific. You’re always so good at labeling.”

He wasn’t wrong there. “That tells you how confused I am about all of it. It’s more complicated than a soap opera storyline.”

Adar chuckled. “Yeah? I can’t say I’ve ever watched one.”

“My mom loved them when I was a kid, so I grew up watching them with her.General Hospital,The Bold and the Beautiful… I knew exactly who everyone was and their connections to each other. It was all about love and lies, betrayal and bad choices, secrets and schmoopy moments.”

“Schmoopy? What the hell is that?”

“Romantic, lovey-dovey. In soap operas, it’s often a little corny and tacky, but all part of their charm. But some of these shows have run so long—I thinkThe Bold and the Beautifulis at thirty-plus years now—that a summary of their storylines is like a big knot of yarn, all tangled up. And that’s how I feel. All knotted up, unable to see a way out because I can’t find the beginning or the end. It makes it impossible for me to label because I can’t see enough to know what I’m looking at.”

“What do you see?”

“Fated mates between you and Oliver, an omega who survived unimaginable trauma, which manifests in many ways, including difficulty speaking. I see an alpha who craves impact play and rough sex but feels ashamed about it and tries to be something he’s not so he can fit in. But I also see a man who is protective of those he loves. Honorable.”

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