9. ELLIE

ELLIE

I wake up in a cocoon of warmth, disoriented but snuggled into a mattress that feels like heaven. My arms are wound around Savin, my nose against his shoulder, a subtle berries and cream scent surrounding me. It takes me a few moments to realize that I never left last night and I’m holding someone else’s Omega. I untangle myself from him, the Omega groaning as he finds himself alone.

I don’t even remember falling asleep or the bath, to be honest, which means that Macon put us both to bed. Sweet but unnecessary and my belly is doing all sorts of flip-flops at how caring this Alpha is. I swallow and look around, confused when Macon isn’t there.

My first thought is that he’s waiting to berate me the moment I step into the kitchen. I snatch a shirt off the floor, throwing it over my body before slipping into the living room. There’s no time to think about anything else other than grabbing my stuff and I ignore my heart pounding wildly in my chest, telling me to stay. However, the rational thing to do is leave. I don’t belong with them. I can’t.

“Ellie.”

I freeze, my hand inches from the front door knob, my dress barely on, my shoes in one hand and my phone in the other. My blood runs cold as I stay there, Macon’s presence appearing a few inches from me. He seems angry just like I thought he’d be. “Yes?”

“Sneaking out?”

I turn to find him leaning against the kitchen counter, his arms folded across his chest. Coffee brews beside him and I’m surprised I didn’t even notice. “No. Well, yes? It was a one-night thing. Besides, I shouldn’t be here. I should have returned last night.” I bite my tongue before I tell Macon that I might not even get paid for the party because he seems like the kind of Alpha that would write me a check in a heartbeat out of the kindness of his heart.

And as nice as the gesture would be, fuck handouts.

His brows raise in surprise, Macon tilting his head to the side. “I apologize if we—if I overstepped last night, Ellie. However, when you and Savin fell asleep, I didn’t want to wake you. It was wrong of me and I shouldn’t have chosen for you.”

I don’t know how to respond to that. An Alpha outright apologizing to a Beta? Even more so, a famous Alpha apologizing to one of the entertainment hired for a party. He’s too fucking sweet and I don’t know how to handle that. I’m more used to Carleen and her abrupt revelations and harsh scolding. This… “You should have!” I say accusingly, going against every emotion swirling through my body. I want to curl up in his arms and take away the hurt in his expression. Biology sucks ass.

“Why?”

“Seriously? This was just some fun but you let me sleep next to your Omega. This is weird.” With the extra time, I slip on my shoes, grunting as the straps give me trouble. When one of the straps slips, I tear off the heels and resign to hold them on my way out. I don’t care how inelegant I look at this moment. The sexual haze from last night is gone and now I have to face my reality. That I need to make it across town in this skimpy ass dress. A true walk of shame.

Macon steps forward, pausing when I narrow my eyes at him. Just as Savin doesn’t want to be coddled, I don’t want to be placated. I don’t want my voice silenced and fuck, I do not want to feel guilted into a choice. “Ellie, I need you to understand something. He’s not just my Omega. He’s also his own person. He can choose what he wants just like I can. We both wanted you here last night.”

My face scrunches up. Their relationship goes against everything I know about Alpha and Omega dynamics. The Omega is to be cherished and loved, but their decisions are almost always dictated by their Alpha. “That’s not-”

He cuts me off. “It works however we let it, Ellie.” Macon closes the distance between us, the air supercharged as he reaches up to pull my unruly curls back. His fingers feel like heaven in my hair as he delicately pulls it back into a bun, pulling a band from his wrist to keep it there. At my confusion, he merely kisses my forehead. “Savin’s always in need of one and I thought you might appreciate it.”

It’s infuriating how easy it is to like this man. Any other one-night stand and I would have slipped out the front door at the first opportunity. “I have to go,” I whisper, needing to leave, needing to process this. I clutch my shoes against my chest.

Macon’s hands move to cup my cheeks and my eyes flutter closed as I’m once again surrounded by his scent. “As you keep saying, sweetheart. Do you want some coffee before you leave? Would you like me to call you a car?” I shake my head, not wanting him to have my address. This has to be the end. He hums, his lips grazing my forehead again. “Then hopefully our paths cross again at some point.”

I slip from his hold and finally find my escape, rushing down the stairs as I hurriedly order an Uber. My phone is nearly dead and the multitude of messages from Carleen worry me. Each one is just asking where I am and to call when I’m able. I hope nothing is wrong with our parents but I’m sure I would have missed calls at that point.

My driver pulls up to the edge of the hotel, raising an eyebrow at my attire but I throw him a middle finger, which keeps him quiet for the entire ride. Ever so often he glances at me through the rearview mirror but I just scowl at him, messaging Carleen that I’m alright.

The moment I step inside our apartment, Carleen is leaning over the kitchen counter, grinning like an idiot. “Well, hello sister. How was your night?” She wiggles her eyebrows playfully and I just grunt. “Wait, what is that? Ellie?” She rounds the counter and pulls me into her arms for a much-needed hug.

I sag against her, my head against her shoulder as I catch my breath, letting last night’s bad decisions finally sink in. I let them fuck me. I fucked them. And it felt more like lovers that had been away for a long time rather than having the best sex of my life with strangers. Well, it was a little bit of both. Is this what having a mate felt like?

“Going to see them again?” Carleen asks, rubbing my back in soft circles. I shake my head. “Why not? I’ve heard good things about those two. I suspect that a lot of the public stories aren’t all that true.”

“Leenie, I know you mean well,” I say as I untangle myself from her. Savin and Macon’s scents are everywhere and I really need to scrub them off before I start getting strange ideas of returning to that hotel room. “But I… this can’t happen. We live in two different worlds.”

Carleen lets out a heavy sigh as I push past her, heading for the bathroom that connects our bedrooms. The luxury of last night isn’t lost on me but I find myself more comfortable in this small, compact space. I know where everything is. I know what everything costs. “Ellie, you always do this. Things are only ever one night or one month or whatever bullshit you keep telling yourself because you want it to be. You’ve created this stupid little bubble where you think you’re better off just marrying a Beta because society-”

I’m too tired for this conversation but maybe because I’m both irritated and angry about how I left the night. Fuck, I didn’t even say goodbye to Savin. “Carleen, I could feel the pull of that stupid bond last night and I hated it. I wanted to believe that maybe it was more than just one night, that it all meant something. But it’s just biology pulling us together. We both know I’m better off marrying a Beta who can treat me right. Don’t Leenie. I’m not in the mood today.”

I slam the door behind me as I shed my clothes and turn the shower on. All of my words are bullshit. Every last one of them. I know that’s not how bonds work but if I lean into my true emotions, what I want, what my Beta wants, I’ll want something I can’t have.

So, I lie to myself instead.

It’s just easier.