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There it was. The word that no one ever spoke. Omega. My life would never be normal, and the past week or so had just been further proof of that.
I thanked the doctor and took the prescription from him.
As soon as I was in the parking lot and some of the embarrassment had faded, I checked my phone. Sure enough, Ty had texted to see how my appointment went.
It’s all good.
I couldn’t summon up a more detailed response. I was spent.
Before I could slide in behind the steering wheel and buckle up, Ty responded.
Let’s meet at What’s the Scoop for an ice cream. My treat.
Ice cream sounded wonderful.
I’ll be there in five.
It was only around the corner and down the block, so when I pulled up, Ty was already waiting on the sidewalk in front of our town’s oldest ice cream parlor. It was one of those old-style hand-dipped places with red leather booths, a Formica bar trimmed in chrome, and black-and-white checkered floors. Straight out of an Archie comic.
Ty opened my door, then offered his hand to help me out.
I couldn’t help but smile. He was a sight for sore eyes in his button-down, collared shirt and fitted khakis with the skinny legs.
Ty smiled as he pulled me into his arms and kissed me lightly. I breathed deeply, taking in the scent of his cologne. “I needed that after the day I’ve had.”
“Let’s go inside and you can tell me all about it.” He held my hand and opened the door for me. “Hmm. What should we order?” Ty stared up at the menu hanging above the counter like a little kid.
“Strawberry cheesecake is always a winner,” I pointed out, and the picture on the little A-frame board sitting atop the glass case was enough to seal the deal for me.
“True, but I think I’m in the mood for some chocolate.” Ty tapped his chin and glanced down into the glass case at the open containers of ice cream.
The woman working behind the counter overheard his comment. “If you’re in the mood for chocolate, we have mint chocolate chip, caramel turtle surprise, triple chocolate, and there’s always the option to add a brownie to any bowl or cone.”
We both shared a look and smiled.
“Perfect.” Ty held up two fingers. “Two scoops of mint chocolate chip with a brownie on a sugar cone, please.”
I ordered the same. When she handed us our cones, we went to sit at a table outside.
“So, what did your doctor have to say?” Ty licked his ice cream, and I tried not to imagine him licking something else.
I frowned as I bit into my brownie. Maybe it would cool me off.
“You look upset.” He reached across the table, twining his fingers with mine. “What happened?”
For the smallest fraction of a moment, I contemplated telling him everything. I was strangely comfortable with Ty, and I was confident that the feelings were more than just our mating bond. He was a natural at being an alpha—everyone could see that in his day-to-day interactions with the pack. His presence was a comfort to those around him, which made it easy for people to talk to him.
We were fated mates, and I wanted to tell him the whole truth of who and what I was.
Before I could stop it, a lump rose in my throat and tears pooled in my eyes. The very last thing I wanted was to get emotional in front of Ty. “I just hate that I’m so different.”
Ty’s eyes softened with concern. He was completely unaware of the actual extent of how different I truly was, and the guilt of keeping it to myself caused a physical pain in my head. Or maybe the ice cream was to blame. I couldn’t say for sure. I only knew I hated lying.
“I just wish I knew the truth about where I came from.” I wiped a tear before it made its way down my cheek. “Maybe if I had that information, it would make dealing with my quirks a little easier.”
Ty stood, tossed the rest of his ice cream in the trash, then knelt next to my chair. He cupped my face with both hands and stared so deeply into my eyes, I felt it in my soul. “There’s nothing wrong with you. You are perfect just the way you are, Liza.”
His eyes darkened, and something akin to pain flashed in those depths. I was surprised to see honest emotion there. I’d expected sympathy, but he looked sad, almost guilty.
