Chapter Fourteen

“What happens now?” Maxwell’s question punched me right in the gut. I don’t want to break this alpha’s heart. I don’t.

His eyes beg me for something I don’t think I have inside. He wants me to stay. He wants a life with me.

Gods, I should never have slept with him and yet, as the night before continued to pop into my memory, I didn’t ever want to forget. Maxwell holding me and taking me over and over will remain the best memory of all my time traveling—of all my time on this earth.

“Max,” I started, making sure to eye the coffee in front of me instead of him. If I looked up at him while saying this, I might not make it through. “I don’t really stay in one place for long.” The words were strange and sour on my tongue, not to mention my bobcat was pissed off and trying to scratch at my throat in a sad attempt at stopping me from saying what I needed to.

“I know,” he answered. “I knew who you were before we…before we mated.”

His despair poured over me through the bond we now had. People could say what they wanted to, but bonds were formed when two people gave their bodies to each other. Whether we would believe it or not. My animal had bonded with Maxwell’s bear the night before and perhaps before that.

“But I’m not leaving today, okay?” I tried to console him, no matter how pitiful my attempt. “I’ll stay around for a bit this time.”

His smile didn’t reach his eyes. “That’s good. We’ll make the most of it.”

I nodded. “We will. You’re getting a bit busy, and I have to find some kind of work around here. Meet up for dinner? I can cook as well.”

Maxwell stood along with me and placed a lingering kiss on my temple and ran his hand down the length of my arm. “We’ll cook together, okay? Have you tried the winery? I don’t know if they are in their busy season, but they might need some work done. Also, Paedon, the owner of the diner, was looking for an electrician, if you have any experience.”

I nodded, not loving the alpha’s faraway tone but knowing that I was the cause of it. Me and my wandering soul.

Gods, Maxwell deserved more.

I made my way through the town, following empty leads. Paedon had already hired someone for his electrical work. Macsen and Jett were not in the picking season, and the other winery jobs were out of my skill set. I didn’t know a damned thing about making or storing wine.

A little bit of me wanted to find a job—something that would give me a reason to extend my stay. Gods, who was I kidding? Not myself. Certainly not my animal.

The reason to stay was right across the street in the Oliver Creek Brew.

Maxwell was my mate, whether I admitted it or not.

And something else had occurred to me. The country and the world, all of its sights and attractions, would always be there.

Fate, on the other hand, might not give me a second chance to find my true mate.

“You’re Pike, right?” An older man sat down next to me.

“I am. And you are?” I jutted my hand out to shake his, but he fisted his fabric grocery bag handles even tighter. No handshake. Okay.

“My name is Bernard. Everyone calls me Bernie, but I hate that name.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Bernard.” The bench we sat on was on the other side of the street from the coffee shop. My alpha was right inside. Serving coffee. Making people happy.

All while, I made him sad and broke his heart, even though it was the last thing I wanted.

Last night had shaken up what I thought of as a rock-solid plan for the foreseeable future. Continue traveling. See new things. Meet new people. Avoid what I’d conjured up in my head as a boring, hollow, pale life.

“Heard you were looking for some temp work,” Bernard said after a long pause.

“I am. You know of anything?”

Bernard tipped his chin up and pouted his lips. I assumed he was thinking about it or was about to propose a job when he then said, “Nope.”

Okay, then.

“Where do you work?” I asked the man who had pulled an apple from his bag and started to snack on it.

“At the Oliver Creek News. It’s less of a newspaper now and more about uploading stories to the internet. I miss the days of a physical newspaper, but the times have changed.” A bit of longing laced his tone.

“I used to be a paper boy. My first job, in fact.”

Bernard turned to me. “Is that right? If we still had those, I would hire you.”

“Appreciate that.”

My gaze had been drawn to the coffee shop where Max cleaned tables, taking care to wipe down the undersides and the chairs. I found myself enjoying the scene. Taking in my alpha. The alpha.

A sinking feeling gripped my chest. If I moved on, when I moved on, Maxwell would find someone else. An omega would take notice of his work ethic. The way he spoke kindly to his staff. How he looked at me brought me to the verge of orgasm.

He wouldn’t hesitate to make them a home. Have a family. Live the dream I’d so far thought was a nightmare.

“He’s yours?” Bernard asked.

“I think so.”

The older man chuckled. “Either he is or he isn’t. Trust me, Pike, life doesn’t give second chances, no matter how much we might or might not deserve them.” He stood and tipped his hat at me. “Have a good day. I’ll keep watch for some jobs.”

“Thank you.”

His words fueled my walk across the street but, once I was inside, I noticed the change in the atmosphere. I moved to the side when Glen, the barista who had first served me, ran out of the place with his jacket in one hand and his phone in the other.