Page 15 of Omega Island
He blinked again, beautiful blue eyes beneath wisps of incredibly golden hair. “I’m not worried,” he said.
“Well, of course I didn’t mean to assume you were. Worried, I mean.”
“So the fact that you asked me on a walk to see my first Caribbean sunset should be ignored?” he asked boldly.
Now I was at a loss for words. As hurt as he had been, he was still veryalpha. “No. But I do bring only favored guests here.”
He turned away. “Oh. As Luca’s brother-in-law, right?”
Not what I meant. But I let him think it for a few more seconds. “At first, maybe. But you intrigue me.” I wanted to stuff my fist in my mouth to shut myself up. Where this conversation was headed was not my intent.
He winced. “I know I’m different. Not a real alpha if people knew the truth.”
“Why would you say that?”
“It’s true. I lived with another alpha.”
“So? We don’t discriminate here. In fact, we encourage all manners of pairings as natural.”
“What if I told you I let him dominate me? Hurt me? And I didn’t leave?”
I watched the play of twilight shadows across his face. “What if?” I asked softly.
He eyelids half-closed, the muscles hardening in his cheeks. “What if I said I didn’t stand up to him? Something inside me—I just let him. I just believed all his lies because it was easier.” He shrugged hard, gaze becoming a glare. “But you know all this. Luca told you.”
“He told me what you needed, yes.”
“Why ever did you let me come here? I don’t deserve it. What you must think of me!” He turned away, his first step almost a childish stomp, and began to walk toward the path that would lead back to his cabin.
Shocked, my heart aching, I called out. “Raimi!”
He didn’t stop but slowed.
“I don’t think anything about you—well, at least nothing bad. And of course, you deserve this. You deserve time and self-care and gentleness and a way to see the world again as not as harsh as you may believe.”
“Yes. My therapist has told me exactly those words. But they’re just another way someone says to someone else how they want them to feel. How they hope to make it better.”
I took a step forward. “No. That’s not true.”
He moved away, but his stride shortened.
“There’re no rules,” I said. “Only beliefs. You can feel, do, and be however you wish. No one has the right to tell you otherwise.”Not even your ex-boyfriend--but I kept that thought to myself.
“I do know that.” His fists clenched and he stopped about twelve feet away.
“All right. Good.”
Silence.
“I didn’t mean to upset you, Raimi,” I said.
“You didn’t.” His tone was soft but slightly elevated in defensiveness.
I wanted to go to him, but he was like a deer right now, ready to run if I made any move. I was surprised and not surprised that the omega in me with hormones flooding my bloodstream ached for him. Wanted him. Maybe it was because he made me come out of myself and forget my stress.
“You didn’t upset me,” Raimi repeated. “I need you to know that.”
“Okay.” I still hadn’t moved.
