Chapter Six

Leon

I fastened the top button on my new black button-down shirt and rolled up the sleeves in the mirror. My tattoos showed but, from what I'd seen on my videos, that was a good thing. Some called me a silver fox, but none of the compliments meant a damned thing unless they were from Tobias.

Tonight, I wanted to look good for him.

I grabbed my wallet and keys and threw a scarf around my neck, not for me but to share with him, and opened the door.

My phone vibrated in my pocket and I reached for it with anticipation. Perhaps it was Tobias telling me he was excited for our date.

My mood tanked.

Tobias canceled the date. No reasons. No excuses. No rain check or promise for another day.

Just canceled, like an order of food or a TV show.

My chest constricted with disappointment. I had been more excited for this date than I had been for anything in a long time, and now it was over before it began.

I wasn't an alpha to give up that easily though. I shut the door behind me and walked down the sidewalk and toward the center of town. I knew where the new restaurant was and made a beeline, reassuring myself that maybe Tobias was simply busy that night or some of his staff hadn't shown up.

The other reasons were shushed, along with the howls from my jackal. He'd only howled in the past few days. Had never heard him make the sound before Tobias stumbled into our life.

A howling jackal was one who was in mating season.

My feet moved fast toward the restaurant but when I turned the corner, I saw Tobias' place dark and empty. A closed sign on the door.

I walked up to the door and sniffed deeply. Tobias hadn't been there that day or if he had, it hadn't been through this door.

Fuck me.

I knew it was too good to be true.

I turned around and gave fake smiles to a couple passing through. The alpha had his hand on his mate's pregnant belly in pride.

That would never be me. The fact pushed down on me, that damned anvil back in my life again.

Stepping away from the building, I tugged on that gratuitous scarf around my neck with a bit too much force.

Too good to be true.

It had to be my age. His mating instinct must've gotten the best of him, making him say yes in the first place. But once he got home, he thought of all the things that could go wrong. I was older. That meant his kids would have an older father. I would in all probability die before him.

Or maybe an older alpha simply wasn't what he needed.

I shoved my hands into my pockets and decided to take the long way home, meandering around town for a while. My jackal wanted to break from me and scent the omega down, submit to him and make him want us again, but he had no manners or dignity when it came to Tobias, apparently.

I nodded and waved to some couples as I passed them and even stopped at the coffee shop for a late-night latte. Yeah, it was late but with the events of the night, there would be no sleep for me anyway, so I might as well get my treat beverage. Getting canceled had earned me a treat.

While I sipped my latte, I strolled the streets of Oliver Creek. My jackal's senses were on high alert. He was still hoping our omega would come around a corner and tell us he was sorry. That he'd changed his mind and wanted us to go out together—or even better, stay in together. I passed the bustling new restaurants and food trucks. The smells on a night like tonight made my mouth water, but my appetite had disappeared completely.

I took long, deep drags of cool, fall air through my nose and let it calm me a bit.

Then the thought hit me.

What if he was hurt? What if something had gone wrong at the restaurant and he'd hurt himself, burned himself, or had to go to the healer?

Perhaps something caused him to shut down the restaurant.

Gods, I'd been selfish all this time, thinking like the victim when maybe my omega was in danger or wounded or emotionally hurting.

I would reach out to him the next morning. I would bring him flowers or breakfast, something to show him that I still wanted to pursue him.

If he said no again, I would have to accept it.

There would be no choice.

I'd stopped on a corner, intending to go home when I noticed a home at the far end of the street. The front lights were on, and something on the porch swayed back and forth.

My jackal all but pushed my feet forward, toward the movement. The house was small, a cottage. Yellow paint. White shutters, and the closer I got, the faster my heart beat. My feet moved of their own accord now, drawn, pulled in, tethered to the person on the swing out front.

Tobias. My omega. My bear.

Swinging, looking up at the moon, appearing like a dream—a fantasy.