Page 40 of Frenzy
Pryce
This was weird. I felt like one of those sitcom characters who was an exaggeration of an awkward virgin. I didn’t know how to date, didn’t even have a personal style when it came to clothes. I didn’t really know what I liked, and the idea of being on a date without Bonnie or Radic, or even Dominic in the background, was making me feel anxious.
I couldn’t fault the Alphas who were taking me out though. They’d been perfectly polite and attentive, without being overbearing. They’d brought me to a restaurant, somewhere with alfresco dining so I didn’t feel trapped. They held the conversation when I’d been too socially inept to make small talk. They’d been so kind.
“Would you like dessert? Or we could go for a walk? There’s a nice little dock that goes out onto the lake if you would like to see it?”
I felt like shit. Like I was a broken Omega, destined to disappoint everyone. But I could fake it. “That would be great, thanks.”
Merrick went and paid, while Murphy ushered me outside. We walked down the street; it was quiet this time of the night, and the stars were especially beautiful. I didn’t think I’d ever get tired of gazing at the night sky. Fluorescent lights still triggered me a little. I’d never said anything, but all the fluorescent overhead lights in the kitchen of the Sanctum dorm house we’d made a home had been quietly removed and replaced by industrial hanging lights. No one had mentioned it or made a big deal about it, but I appreciated it anyway.
“You can be happy with them, you know?”
I looked over at Murphy, though he wasn’t looking at me. “Excuse me?”
He turned then, smiling sadly. “I know they were the first Pack that you encountered outside of… wherever you were, but that doesn’t negate your feelings. Do you want to choose them because you feel thankful, or because they make your heart hammer in your chest?”
I didn’t say anything, because I wasn’t sure what to say. It felt rude to talk about the Alpha you were living with to the Alpha you were on a date with right now. So I shrugged and we continued walking, Merrick jogging to catch up.
“So, why don’t you guys already have an Omega?” That felt rude to ask as well, but it was a legitimate question.
Maxton wasn’t very big, so the walk to the edge of the water wasn’t far. Merrick sighed. “There aren’t many Omegas around, and they always get the choice—which we entirely agree with,” he hurried to add. “And I guess, two Alpha bachelors with no Betas, who work as Legion grunts and live in barracks isn’t something that would appeal to a lot of Omegas.”
“Not to say Omegas are snobbish or anything,” Murphy interjected. “I’m sure that if we’d really connected with an Omega, it wouldn’t have mattered. But we haven’t had that kind of connection and we don’t have a lot to offer without it.”
I frowned, because that seemed wrong. “You’re both very nice.”
Merrick laughed. “Thank you for that, Omega. But nice doesn’t send an Omega into rut now, does it?”
He looked over at Murphy, who gave him a warm smile. “We are happy as a pair. We aren’t pushing for it to happen—we believe the Goddess will find us an Omega when she’s ready. I’m thinking that it might not be you though, am I right?”
Guilt washed over me again. “I’m sorry.”
Merrick nudged me with my shoulder. “Don’t be. Besides, I don’t think I could compete with your Alpha. Holy fucking hotness, that guy has some serious power. Honestly, I cracked an extremely inappropriate boner during his leadership fight with the old Alpha.”
Murphy snorted. “That's definitely inappropriate.”
And just like that, the weirdness disappeared. Merrick and Murphy were genuinely lovely guys, and if I had been born in Maxton, been raised here, they were the type of Alphas I would have chosen in a heartbeat.
We sat on the dock in the middle of the lake, and I found myself talking to them like I would other guys my age. Not like Alphas or potential mates, but like friends. I told them about the facility, and the babies. Not just Gabriel and Georgia, but all the ones who came before them. The slight night breeze whisked away the acrid smell of their anger when they realized I’d been in that facility since I was a child, and they didn’t push me to reveal anything I didn’t want to. Maybe that was why I told them so much. There was no expectation, and honestly, it was nice to unload on strangers. Maybe this was why people had therapists?
While I trusted Courtland and Dominic, and now Bonnie and Radic, more than I had any real right to, I still kind of wanted them to want me. With Merrick and Murphy, I wasn’t trying to impress them, and they seemed only too willing to take my damage and shoulder it for me. Unfair of me, but still somehow therapeutic.
When the moon was high in the sky, I smiled at them both. “I better be getting home before they start to worry. I had a nice time. I’m sorry…” I let the words drift away.
“Anytime, Pryce. You let us know if they aren’t treating you right over there.”
A laugh burst from my chest at the thought. “They treat me wonderfully, but if that changes, I’m pretty sure Bonnie will kick their ass.”
That made them both chuckle. “You’re not wrong. Bonnie is not shy when it comes to protecting someone she’s decided to care for. It’s why what she does in the Sanctum is so important. I hope your Alpha won’t make her give that up,” Murphy said, a little too loud.
I frowned, but shook my head. “He’s not either of our Alpha yet.”
Now it was Merrick’s turn to laugh. “Yet, Omega. I feel like your bonding is written in the stars. This is the closest Bonnie has ever come to settling down. Even Radic couldn’t persuade her to give any Alphas a try. Obviously, she was waiting for you and the Alpha General.”
Something about the idea of Bonnie waiting for me made my heart leap in my chest. “I hope so.”
We’d made it to the end of the pier now, and they both turned to me. “We would offer you a lift home, but your escort has been hiding in the shadows for at least an hour. Maybe even longer and we just missed it with the wind shift,” Merrick said conspiratorially, and I frowned, confused. Well, at least until Dominic appeared from the tree line.
