“Sam will see the photos on Facebook,” Kade said. “Not like you won’t be posting pics every hour.”
“I’ve seen the three hundred photos of Bethy, yes,” Sam said dryly.
“Can’t wait for your own?” Kade asked.
“I’ll wait,” Sam replied. “I’m not ready yet.”
At the stationery section, Greg picked a couple of pens, drawing loops on messy scraps of paper to test them.
The conversation about Facebook nagged at him. He’d been thinking about it lately—this thing he had going on with Dale. No one could know about it. His friends on the basketball team had been posting pictures of their bondmates, pictures of couples flying kites, or eating out, or going to the movies.
Greg had never felt the need to post about his personal life. But looking at Dale, he almost wanted to share pictures of them. Pictures that said, This is my omega.
Greg was proud of Dale. He wanted, at least, for his friends to stop nagging at him. When are you settling? the alphas on the basketball team had asked. You’ve been smelling like the one omega for weeks. Are you dating him?
It was stupid, but he wanted to show off his omega. Wanted to mark Dale, wanted people to know Dale was his.
Except he couldn’t.
Greg brought the pens to the register, tugging out his wallet. Dale stepped out from the shelves then, his eyes bright as he turned to speak with Felix. He was wearing his button-down shirt, his black pants, his steel-rimmed glasses. But back home, Dale had worn Greg’s jersey, its neckline gaping down his chest, and he’d looked just as gorgeous. Maybe even more so.
And Greg couldn’t stop staring at him.
“Greg? I’ll need to scan those pens if you want them,” Sam said, following his gaze. “Is there something wrong? Looks like Felix got Professor Kinney—”
Sam’s nostrils flared, and his eyes widened. He looked between Greg and Dale. “Ohhh.”
Shit. Greg slapped the pens down on the counter, trying to fight the blush crawling up his neck. “I’m buying these,” he said, his heart thumping.
Dale had turned, his gaze flickering between Greg, Kade, and Sam. And Kade’s eyes must’ve darted between Greg and Dale, because Dale tensed.
“I won’t say a word,” Sam breathed, but his eyes gleamed. “Cross my heart. I promise.”
“You promise,” Greg blurted, his insides coiling up. This was bad. He shouldn’t have been looking at Dale.
“Nothing happened. I swear.” Sam rang up the pens and read the total to Greg. But he glanced back at Dale, and Dale had frozen like a statue at the other end of the counter.
It wasn’t like any of them could avoid the giant elephant in the bookstore. And because Greg knew Sam well enough, after visiting the bookstore for four years, he could afford them a bit of truth.
“Dale’s my omega,” Greg said, calm as he could. His heart pounded. “I’m marrying him.”
Dale’s eyes snapped up to his. His throat worked, except no words came out.
“Congrats,” Felix said, looking meaningfully at Dale. He squeezed Dale’s hand. “I’m sure Greg will be good to you.”
Dale huffed a weak laugh. “That... is actually the least of my concerns, but thank you.”
Greg paid for the pens. Dale came to stand by him, setting on the counter a bag of ginger drops, a set of origami paper, and a wrapped sandwich.
“I’ll pay for those too,” Greg said.
“Will you invite me to the wedding?” Sam asked when it became clear that neither of them would speak. He smiled uncertainly. “I mean, I’m happy for you guys. I really am. I’ve known you for so long.”
Greg glanced at Dale. This, he wasn’t sure about. They hadn’t even discussed marriage.
Dale stared hard at Sam. “Only if you promise not to leak. I know where you live, Sam Brentwood.”
Sam looked between them, gulping. Then he glanced at his brother, and Kade shrugged. “Not my business,” Kade said. “You stepped into this yourself.”
Sam made a face. “You’re my big brother—you’re supposed to protect me!”
“Not if you’re getting into someone else’s mess.” Kade smiled at Greg and Dale. “Congrats.”
Greg nodded stiffly at them. Then he headed out of the bookstore with Dale, his back prickling under three different sets of eyes.
“Bye-bye,” Bethy said, waving when Greg glanced back at her. He waved back.
It wasn’t until they were back inside the car that he sighed, rubbing his temples. “That was not good.”
“You really want to marry me?” Dale asked, an odd inflection to his voice. Greg glanced up. Dale looked a little distraught, like he wanted to say no.
Greg’s stomach dropped. “You don’t wanna?”
“You’re young,” Dale said.
He sighed. “I thought we’ve been over this.”
“Yes, but not marriage. That’s... a little much.”
“You’re my omega,” Greg said. This was the one truth he’d been hanging onto, when Dale eyed him in class next to omegas his age, doubt in his gaze. When Greg thought Dale might tell him to leave.
Dale looked down at his ginger drops. “You have so much ahead of you. I don’t want to trap you into something that’ll clip your wings.”
“You aren’t clipping my wings,” Greg said. “I’m making my decision, and it’s staying with you.”
Dale rubbed his face, sighing. “I’ll think about it.”
Greg wasn’t sure what else he could say—he’d tried convincing Dale every way he could. And unlike when he and Tony had decided they wouldn’t be mates, this was... different. It hurt.
With Tony, there had been subtle differences, like Tony had said Greg gave him no space to breathe, that Greg clung too much to him as a lover. With Dale... Dale liked Greg this close. He liked Greg nudging him around, crowding into his space.
In his gut, Greg knew he and Dale were a good match. Everyone had their good sides and bad, and some of those things wouldn’t change. In love, there was no perfect mate, only the mate that fitted best with you, who
