Not since she'd been left behind in the Boundarylands.
Maybe not even before then, if she were totally honest.
Something in the omega's smile called out to Mia. Made her long to share in that joy.
But it seemed that fate had other plans for her. Instead of radiant smiles and happiness, her reality was filled with threats and forced compromises.
Mia's jealousy only grew when Paige's alpha—Kian—rushed over to her side.
But it was the tender yet possessive look in the alpha's eye that really pressed the dagger of envy all the way into Mia's chest.
That was the look of love.
Real love—undying and passionate.
It was everything Mia had ever wanted.
And was never going to have.
Mia let out a long breath as the two alphas briefly embraced. Ty nodded his head respectfully toward Paige, and she said something that Mia couldn't quite make out. Whatever it was, it made Ty smile.
Mia blinked away the hot sting of tears threatening behind her eyes.
Ty never smiled that way at her. Most of the time, he looked like he was holding back a growl. Who was this woman who could wrap alphas around her finger?
"Mia," Ty didn't even look back at the house as he called her name.
For a moment, Mia didn't move. Suddenly, it didn't matter how lonely she'd been. She didn't want to go out there. What was the point? It was obvious she didn't fit in with these people who smiled so easily when she wasn't around.
As if to confirm her suspicion, the smile on Ty's face fell away as he turned toward the front door. "Mia, I know you're there. Come out and say hello."
Pushing her hair back from her face and behind her ears, Mia shuffled toward the front door. There was no point in trying to stay hidden. Not when she knew Ty would just storm in, toss her over his shoulder, and haul her out where he wanted her.
At least this way, she could retain a modicum of dignity.
Clasping her hands behind her back, she stepped out onto the patio.
Both Kian and Paige turned toward her. The alpha's eyes widened, and Mia could feel his assessing gaze sweeping over every inch of her, judging her.
Strangely though, she didn't feel threatened. She wasn't frightened. Her instincts didn't scream in alarm like they had when she'd first encountered Ty.
Kian might be an alpha, but as far as her instincts were concerned, he was just a man—massive, muscular, and gigantic, sure, but not a physical threat. Mostly, the alpha seemed content to stand back and judge her from afar.
The omega's face, on the other hand, didn't show even a flicker of judgment. When she caught sight of Mia, her smile grew wider, and she started waddling up the path.
"Paige, take it easy," her alpha called after her, but she waved off his concern with a toss of her hand.
"He's always worrying," Paige said, making her way up to Mia.
It wasn't hard to see why. The omega huffed and puffed with every step.
Mia rushed down the stairs so that Paige wouldn't have to climb up them to meet her. Turned out, she shouldn't have worried. The woman might've been pregnant, but she definitely wasn't frail. The moment she was in arm's reach, Paige embraced Mia and squeezed her tight.
"Welcome," the omega said before finally releasing her. "You have no idea how happy I am that you're here in the Boundarylands with us."
Despite her defensive nature, Mia felt some of the tension melt from her body. And why not? Those were the first genuinely welcoming words she'd heard since being dropped here.
The omega rested her hands on Mia's shoulders, seeming perfectly at ease with the intimate gesture. She shook her head slowly as she looked Mia up and down.
It was apparent she wasn't impressed with what she saw. Though, to Mia's amazement, the omega knew precisely who to blame.
She shot a disappointed frown at Ty.
"Really?" Paige said. "And here I was just starting to think better of you, Ty Wick."
Ty's brows pulled together in confusion. "What?"
"You're telling me that you were lucky enough to find your soul mate walking on the side of the road, and this is how you treat her?"
"What are you talking about?"
"The poor thing is wearing one of your old T-shirts."
"That's because her only dress was…damaged."
Paige didn't look swayed by his argument at all. "Ty, she's barefoot."
"She was wearing heels when I found her," Ty tried, starting to sound a little sheepish. "Broken heels."
Paige lifted her eyes heavenward as if praying for patience. "Let me get this straight. You run the only trading post in a hundred miles, but you can't order decent clothes for your omega because…?"
"I don't know if you've noticed, Paige," Ty protested, "but Evander's has been all but taken over by beta authorities."
To Mia's mind, Ty's answer made sense, but the other omega wasn't letting him off the hook easily.
"Too bad you don't know any other omegas who might be able to help out," Paige said. "Like me, for instance. Or Gail."
Ty stared at the ground, his eyes hooded. It was an expression Mia hadn't yet seen on him. He almost looked…ashamed.
But that couldn't be the case. Mia didn't think Ty—or any alpha for that matter—was capable of that emotion.
"It's okay," Mia ventured awkwardly. "Ty has been…dealing with a lot."
Paige gave Mia a skeptical look, turning her back on the alphas.
"You're sweet," she said. "But let me give you a piece of advice. Don't let these alphas off the hook so easily. If Ty had wanted to find you clothes, he could have done so."
"It's truly okay," Mia said, wanting to get past this subject without another tense confrontation. "I don't mind."
"Really?" Paige asked, not sounding convinced at all. "You're telling me that you wouldn't like some real clothes, decent shoes, some hair ties, maybe a little makeup?"
Mia let out a breath she hadn't realized that she'd been holding. Of course she wanted those things. She hadn't realized how much she missed them until Paige listed them out
