Chapter 3

The packhouse was bustling with activity, the usual evening chatter filling the hallways. For everyone else, this was just another day, another night in the life of the Bourne Pack. But for me, everything had changed.

I forced myself to walk calmly, to ignore the gnawing ache in my chest as Aiden’s rejection replayed in my mind.

He was my mate, and he had thrown me away as if I meant nothing. And now, I had to pretend like it never happened, to carry on as though my world hadn’t just been flipped upside down.

I pushed open the door to the omega quarters, a small area tucked in the back of the packhouse where those of us with lesser ranks lived.

It wasn’t much, barely large enough for the few of us who stayed here, but it was home. The familiar scent of lavender and worn wood greeted me as I stepped inside.

“Layla!” Sarah, my closest friend, called out from across the room. She had been my anchor since we were kids, always there with a smile and a joke when life got hard. She waved me over, her blonde curls bouncing as she moved.

I plastered on a smile and joined her at the small kitchen table, where she and two other omegas were chatting.

“You haven't said anything about your birthday?” Sarah asked, her eyes twinkling with excitement. “Did anything special happen?”

I hesitated, the weight of the truth sitting heavy on my chest.

I couldn’t tell her what had happened in the woods. The bond, Aiden’s rejection, it was all too raw, too painful, and I had promised to keep it secret.

So, I lied. “Nothing much. Just went for a walk to clear my head.”

Sarah looked disappointed, but she didn’t push. “Well, at least you’re officially an adult now! Any word from James?”

I smiled for real this time, the mention of James easing the tension inside me.

James had been a constant in my life for as long as I could remember. He was a Beta, one of the strongest in the pack, but he had never treated me like I was less because I was an omega. He was kind, protective, and for years, he had been open about his feelings for me.

“Actually,” I said, “he asked me to meet him later tonight.”

Sarah’s eyes widened, and she squealed, practically bouncing in her seat. “It’s happening! I knew it! He’s totally going to make it official, isn’t he?”

I bit my lip, trying to keep my emotions in check.

James had lost his mate to a rogue attack over a year ago, and since then, he had been slowly opening up to the idea of moving on. We had never talked seriously about a future together, but there had always been an unspoken understanding between us.

Before the mate bond with Aiden had snapped into place, I had been ready to fully accept James. But now? Now, everything felt more complicated.

“Maybe,” I said, my heart heavy with the weight of the decision I had to make.

Sarah grinned. “You two are going to be perfect together. And honestly, it’s about time one of us omegas got a happy ending.”

I laughed softly, though it didn’t reach my eyes.

Sarah didn’t know how wrong she was. There were no happy endings for omegas like me, not in the traditional sense.

We didn’t get mates like the rest of the pack. But James... James was something different. He had been by my side through everything, and even though we weren’t bonded by fate, there was still a connection between us.

A choice.

I excused myself after a few minutes, needing time to think before meeting James.

As I made my way through the packhouse toward the Beta quarters, my mind raced. I wanted to be with James. I wanted to choose him and build a life together. But the memory of Aiden’s rejection still burned, a constant reminder that the universe had other plans for me.

It didn’t take long to reach James’s room.

The door was cracked open, a soft glow from a single lamp spilling out into the hallway.

I knocked lightly before stepping inside.

James was sitting on the edge of his bed, his strong frame bathed in the warm light.

His dark brown hair was slightly messy, like he’d been running his hands through it, a habit of his when he was deep in thought.

He looked up as I entered, his face lighting up with a smile that made my chest tighten.

“Hey,” he said softly, standing and crossing the room in a few long strides.

“Hey,” I replied, suddenly feeling nervous.

James reached out, gently taking my hand in his. His touch was warm and familiar, and for a moment, it soothed the turmoil inside me.

“I’m glad you came,” he said. “I’ve been waiting all day to see you.”

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled. “I just... needed some time to think.”

His thumb brushed across my knuckles. “It’s okay. I understand.”

There was a moment of silence between us, the air thick with unspoken words.

James’s brown eyes searched mine, and I could see the hope there, the unguarded way he looked at me, as if I was the only person who mattered to him.

“Layla,” he began, his voice quiet but sure. “I know this isn’t the same as finding your mate, but... I care about you. I’ve cared about you for a long time.”

I swallowed hard, the weight of his words settling over me like a blanket.

This was what I had wanted, wasn’t it?

To be with someone who chose me, not because of a bond, but because of his feelings. And I cared about James too, maybe not with the same intensity that came with the mate bond, but enough to want to be with him.

He continued, his gaze never leaving mine. “I know I’ve lost my mate, but I believe we can build something together, something real. And I’d like to try, if you’re willing.”

My heart fluttered.

This was it.

The choice.

I could have the future I wanted, a future free from the complications of being tied to an Alpha who didn’t want me. But even as I stood there, staring into James’s warm, honest eyes, I couldn’t shake the feeling of the bond I had with Aiden.

That invisible thread still connected us, no matter how much I wanted to sever it.

I took a deep breath. “James... I care about you too. So much. And I want to be with you.”

His face lit up, but I wasn’t finished.

“But...” My voice wavered as I struggled to find the right words. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

James’s brow furrowed in concern. “What is it?”

I hesitated. How could I tell him about Aiden?

About the bond that tied me to the Alpha?

About the rejection that still lingered like a wound in my chest?

“Layla,” James said softly, his hand cupping my cheek. “Whatever it is, we can handle it. Just tell me.”

I closed my eyes, leaning into his touch for a moment before pulling away slightly. “It’s... Aiden.”

James stiffened at the mention of the Alpha’s name, his jaw tightening. “What about him?”

I forced myself to meet his gaze. “He’s... he’s my mate.”

James’s face went pale, his hand dropping from my cheek as he stepped back. The shock in his eyes was like a punch to the gut.

“You’re... you’re mated to Aiden?” His voice was thick with disbelief.

I nodded, tears stinging the corners of my eyes. “But he rejected me, James. He doesn’t want me. He’s with Zara, and he told me to keep it a secret.”

James’s hands clenched into fists at his sides, his face a mix of hurt and anger. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“I didn’t know how,” I whispered. “I didn’t want to hurt you.”

James took a deep breath, his eyes softening as he looked at me again. “Layla, I don’t care if Aiden’s your mate. He rejected you, and that means you’re free. Free to be with me, if that’s what you want.”

I blinked back the tears threatening to fall, the weight of his words sinking in.

Free.

That’s what I wanted, wasn’t it?

“I want to be with you, James,” I said, my voice steady this time. “I really do.”

He pulled me into his arms then, holding me tightly, and for the first time since I found out about the bond with Aiden, I felt like maybe I could breathe again.