Quickly dressing, Cade rejoined Simon who not only had coffee but toast and eggs as well waiting for him.
After polishing off breakfast Cade began to feel a little more human, of course it most likely had more to do with the pot of coffee than the food, but that was splitting hairs. Either way it prepared him for the conversation Simon wanted to have.
“You ready to talk now,” his friend asked as he poured Cade the last cup of coffee.
“There’s no getting around it, so I guess I am,” Cade agreed before taking a sip of the hot liquid wishing he could add more than milk to the brew to prepare him for what was about to come.
“I’m pissed at Brogan,” Simon admitted. “and even if you take him back I’m not sure I’ll ever trust him not to hurt you again, but I’ll accept him because he’s what you want. I did the same with that red headed girl you dated our freshman year in college.”
“You got along with her,” Cade alleged shocked at the admission, “you always joked around with her and made sure she was invited to everything.”
“Nah, I hated her, but you loved her and that was good enough for me. She was just a bitch but there is no excusing what Brogan did, but if he’s what you want then I’ll be there for you.”
“I.” Cade didn’t know how to respond.
He remembered the girl, Amber. She was his first serious girlfriend and he thought that she was liked by his friends. They included her in everything the entire year she and Cade dated, hell Danielle colored her hair the same as Amber’s and he took that as a sign of them liking her, but it seemed that it was just them being Cade’s friend.
Knowing that Simon didn’t like Brogan shouldn’t have been a surprise, if Elias had behaved in the same manner, Cade would feel the same.
“How was he?” Cade asked instead of asking how deeply his friends dislike of his mate went. Now that he was sober, he could have this conversation about Brogan and decided how he was going to handle the situation.
“Scared because he’s in an unfamiliar place. Hurt that you didn’t come, and disappointed because he wanted to show you that he’s changed. I explained that you were still dealing with the fallout.”
“Geez!” Cade swore. “He’s the one who fucked up so why do I feel so bad?”
“He understands that you’re coming to grips with his actions, but he wanted to see you.”
“He loves you,” Elias spoke from the doorway. “He just wants to see you so that he can explain why he did what he did.”
“Before you spout what you think you know go see him, y’all have a heart to heart before you make any decisions,” Simon implored. “I still don’t trust him, but I don’t have to live with him, and you do. If you want him let him know.”
“Okay I’ll go see him.”
Amanda Wheeler told him that Cade was going to come visit him, but that’s what she said the last time and when he walked into the visiting room, he had found Simon and a very pregnant Elias. During their entire visit all Brogan could think about was how the pregnancy was affecting Cade, how it must hurt.
After the last visit Brogan had convinced himself that he was going to ask them not to come again, that if Cade couldn’t be bothered to come then he didn’t need to send his friends. Friends who hated him.
Simon covered it well, but he knew when he was not liked, and Simon did not like him, but as he walked towards that room, he changed his mind. He would rather have someone close to Cade than nothing at all. So, as he stood outside the door he sucked in a deep breath before turning the knob.
Cade.
Cade was here.
As soon as he opened the door the scent that was exclusively Cade assaulted his nose. It was the same as that first night, a bloody rare steak, with that touch of cinnamon and there was something else this time, there was a bitterness that he knew was anger and he was the cause of that, but it still didn’t cover the smell of home.
Cade stood by the lone window in the room with his back turned to the door. He was dressed casually in faded jeans that cupped his ass nicely, and a dark blue Henley with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows. From where Brogan stood, he could see that Cade needed a haircut because his normally short spikes were gone, and the hair was covering his ears and curled at the back of his neck.
There was no product in in and it looked soft and inviting and Brogan’s fingers itched to run through it to see if it was as soft as it looked.
“Hi, Cade,” he greeted meekly still standing inside the door.
“Brogan,” was all the greeting he received from his mate.
He shouldn’t have expected more than that. He had spent their time together trying to get away from the man, hurting him any way he could. He hadn’t even let their bond fully form. He had caused this beautiful man before him nothing but pain yet here he was making sure that he was okay.
It wasn’t going to be easy, but if Cade allowed him back in his life then he was going to be the Omega Cade wanted him to be because he owed him that.
“Sit Brogan,” Cade demanded from his position by the window.
Not once did Cade turn around to face Brogan and that hurt but it was what he deserved. Now witnessing the coldness from his Alpha Brogan realized how he misjudged his mate. He only turned around when he heard the whoosh from Brogan’s chair as he sat down.
The silence was horrible. He’d rather Cade yell and scream; that he could deal with, but the long silence was horrible. They had been in the room for ten minutes and other than the stilted greeting, no words had been exchanged.
“I’ve spoken to Amanda,” Cade broke the silence. “She has told me that you will have to be here for at least four months - given your past behavior that can’t be avoided. After four months then everything is going to be based on me and if I want you back.”
The statement gave Brogan the opening he’d been looking for.
“I know that it will be hard, but I’m hoping that you can forgive me,” Brogan sniffled. He was going to continue but Cade interrupted.
“I remember you told me that I would regret not letting you go to your fathers, it looks like you were right so I guess you get to gloat about what you did. Even though you… eventually I’ll forgive you Brogan, but I don’t think I’ll ever forget. I know I’ll never forget. Right now, things are still fresh, and it hurts so fucking bad that I can’t breathe. During those times I must get away and there’s no getting around that. I’ve been burying my feelings with alcohol and I can’t keep that up.”
Brogan sat there listening to Cade speak and he wanted to kill himself because he caused his mate this much pain. He wished that he could find the magic words to ease Cade’s pain, but he felt that if he tried, it would only make the situation worse.
All he could do was swipe at his tears and nod his understanding.
“Had we not been bonded, there’s no way I would have even tried to forgive you. I would have left you here to rot; but we are, and I couldn’t. Understand?”
“Yeah,” Brogan breathed more so than actually formulating the word.
“I also need you to understand that there are no more chances,” Cade told him in a voice so hard it could cut steel. “I need you to understand that if you run again, I will wash my hands of you and never look back. If Jackson still wants you, I’ll personally deliver you to him.”
Nodding vigorously, Brogan readily agreed, “I’ll make it up to you Cade.”
“I know you will,” he said finally turning around, “Dr. Bailey seems to think that you’re sterile despite his attempt not to fill your request, but my wolf says different. You said that you’ll make up for your transgressions, you’ll start by giving me another child.”
Chapter 22
It was a Thursday when Brogan was released from the Omega Center.
Despite the day prior having been 95 degrees, the day was raining and 75 degrees. It was as though the universe was sad about what he was going home to. His once happy and outgoing Alpha was now sullen and withdrawn and
that ate Brogan up inside. There had to be a way to repair what he had broken.
The drive home from the center was just like the first time, quiet except this time Cade was the one silently fuming. That wasn’t a surprise for Brogan, he knew that he was responsible, but the familiarity of home would give him more confidence in slaking that anger. Once there he could show Cade how he had changed, that while he wasn’t a perfect Omega, he was better than the one who’d run all those months before.
When the car came to a stop in the driveway, Cade was out and at the front door as soon as the car stopped, he didn’t even reach for Brogan’s bag. However, happy to be home Brogan took his time. After months of being away it was both wonderful and scary being back home. The last time he was there was not the most pleasant of memories, but he’d had counseling while at the Omega Center that he was sure would help him deal with any feelings that arose from the attack and the baby.
Unable to sit there any longer Brogan reached over the seat and retrieved his duffel and exited the car to head inside.
“Brogan?” a voice asked from the driveway next door.
Just like the first day he and Cade came home, despite the coolness of the day, his neighbor Issa was in her yard pruning flowers.
Dropping the bouquet, she’d gathered from her garden, Issa crossed the property line and came to give him a hug, “I’m so glad to see that you’re back home and that you’re okay.”
He flinched when she hugged him, and he hoped that she didn’t think that he didn’t appreciate her welcome, it’s just that her hand rubbed across the spot where he had been chipped that morning and it was still a little sore.
The microchip was another of Amanda’s stipulations on Brogan’s release but at least it wasn’t a collar and couldn’t be seen.
He had thought that Cade would intervene on his behalf and stop them from chipping him like a dog, but he had used up all of his favors with his mate, so he let them chip him without protest.
To prevent her from thinking that, Brogan stepped back and gave her a quick smile letting her know that the concern was welcome.
“It’s good to be home, Issa, but I’m a little tired maybe we can catch up later in the week.”
His agreement made her smile even wider. He would have to be careful when he talked to her because she was an Omega and he had been rude to her on more than one occasion, but he’d deal with her later. Right now, he just wanted to relax in his own home.
Walking through the front door Brogan gave a sigh of relief at being home but he dropped his bag when he noticed the room. All the modern pieces, the chrome and glass had been replaced with furniture that looked homey. Gone were that stark white walls, they were now painted a sage green and decorated with other earthy colors. Everything that he and Lara had carefully chosen was gone, but he didn’t miss them. This felt like home.
It was as though Hugh Hefner had moved out and Joe the Plumber had moved in.
“You… changed everything,” Brogan chose his words carefully.
Shrugging his shoulders, Cade responded, “You didn’t want to be here, so I didn’t think that it mattered so I changed to something more livable.”
“Well it is my money that’s paying so I’d kind of liked a voice in the furnishing.” Brogan momentarily forgetting that he was supposed to be a more docile Omega.
“Had you taken the time to talk to me instead of plotting to run at every chance, then you would know that I have my own money, so I could and did do this without a dime from you and remove ‘The look at me I’m rich’ furniture you had.”
“I let Lara take what she wanted and the rest I donated. It felt like I was living in a fucking art installation and I got tired of living in a place where I was scared to touch anything, besides it wasn’t kid friendly.”
The retort of not that it matters now was left unsaid, but it was as though Cade screamed the words. Because he had no defense, Brogan deflated. He had to pick his fights, and this was not one. Picking up his bag, Brogan headed towards the stairs.
“You’re in the guest room at the end of the hall,” Cade told him before his foot hit the first stair.
“Why?” Brogan almost cried. The room was small, barely bigger than the one he’d shared at the Omega Center. He’d been looking forward to having room to move, but apparently that wasn’t going to happen.
“Because I’m the Alpha and I said so,” Cade said before heading towards the front door. “before you get settled in, I noticed that there is a trail connected to the park. I. I know that you’ve been cooped up for months without being able to run so I thought that we should do that before I head back to the office.”
“Okay,” Brogan nodded before turning to place his bag in the room Cade had exiled him to. He had barely placed his foot on the first step before Cade was doing something on his phone and that made Brogan sad. He would have liked to think that Cade had missed him so much that he couldn’t take his eyes off him, but that’s something else Brogan would have to work on.
There was a time when it was acceptable for wolves to walk around in public, but not so much now. It was only acceptable for pups and the elderly to walk around in their wolf form, so even though the park was close, Cade drove them to the park.
At the beginning of the trail there were lockers to place their clothes, so they wouldn’t get wet in the event of bad weather. It’s all so civilized now, Brogan remembered his grandfather telling him and his siblings’ stories of his childhood. “We used to walk around in our wolf forms, and no one said a thing, but times have changed. Walking around in your wolf form today can get you some ugly stares or even locked in the looney bin.”
Once they disrobed Cade watched as Brogan changed before he did the same. That was a holdover from the old times that his grandfather loved so much. The Alpha let the Omega shift first in the event of there being an enemy nearby.
Cade’s wolf was beautiful; white with red spots, and what surprised Brogan was how huge he was. Brogan had assumed that because his human side was small so was his wolf, but he was wrong.
Next to Cade, Brogan felt that his chocolate wolf was boring, but when Cade nudged him to play, his self-derision was pushed aside as they began to run.
Their wolves didn’t hold the grudges that their humans did, and they enjoyed the run in the woods without human feeling running the playtime.
After the months of being cooped up this was heaven and what was even better was the way that Cade’s wolf let him be more playful. They ducked and dodged behind trees and at one-point Cade tackled him and they wrestled.
Their play was stopped when they heard a rustling under a nearby bush. Protecting his mate, Cade jumped ahead of Brogan to investigate, only to find a little rabbit. Now they had a new interest; chasing the rabbit.
Brogan didn’t know that something so small could move that fast, but it did until Cade finally caught up with it. He didn’t kill it, instead he placed it at Brogan’s front paws letting him decide what the poor thing’s outcome would be.
Remembering the feeling of being trapped, Brogan decided to let the rabbit run free. He thought that Cade would be angry with his decision, but when his mate came and licked his snout, Brogan knew that he had pleased his mate.
After letting the rabbit go, the pair continued their romp in the woods until they were both tired and found a nice little spot of soft grass at the foot of a huge oak tree, curled around one another and fell asleep.
When they woke Brogan wasn’t sure what time it was, but he knew that it was time for them to go. They ran back to the lockers and retrieved their clothes before Cade drove them home.
Once at the house they went to their separate rooms and showered, and Brogan who was back downstairs first had begun to make then a late lunch, but Cade ruined things by saying, “I have a meeting this afternoon, I’ll be back around six, have dinner ready.”
With that command Cade was gone. Brogan thought about defying the order but as he unpacked the few things he wanted
to keep from his time at the Center, he thought about Cade’s demeanor and knew that if he did, it wouldn’t end well for him.
Instead of going outside on the deck and enjoy the freedom of being able to go outside when he wanted, Brogan lay down on his bed and cried himself to sleep.
Dinner was ready at six, Cade wasn’t.
In fact, he didn’t make it home until eight and when he did come home, he didn’t eat. He went into the office off from the kitchen and stayed there until late. He didn’t bother to speak to Brogan until the next morning when he woke him to prepare breakfast.
Breakfast was on the table when Cade entered the kitchen. He sat down to eat and stopped the forkful of eggs, and complained, “There’s no coffee.”
“I didn’t make it because it makes me sick,” Brogan explained.
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