Page 14 of The Sad Omega
It worried me how much I didn’t want him to be involved in this. I tried to do an honest check of my feelings. I really couldn't see Isca being involved in this.
But nothing else on the farm had changed. Nothing else was different.
I decided to leave things be for now. I couldn’t believe it was him, and I refused to entertain the thought that it might be. It would be a betrayal of his trust. There must be some other explanation.
Somewhere along the line, the truth would emerge, I felt sure.
“Lock up the sheds unless you’re actually in there getting something,” I told Johnson. “We can’t keep losing equipment like this. And keep your eyes open. Whoever’s doing it is bound to make a mistake sometime.”
???
Two days later, Isca stood in the open doorway to my office.I was busy doing the monthly accounts for the farm, but as had been the case for a while now, I was acutely aware of his presence. Maybe it was the omega pheromones or maybe it was something else, but I didn't need to hear the soft brush of his shirt against the doorframe to know he was standing there.
It reminded me I needed to talk to Irian about my increasing ‘awareness’ of Isca. I'd grown surprisingly fond of the sweet young omega and I couldn't deny I was attracted to him. I wasn't going to betray my mate, but I owed it to him to be completely honest.
I was afraid it was going to be a difficult conversation and I’d been delaying it because I didn’t want to hurt him. Irian meant the world to me. It was just that maybe now I was realising there was room in my heart for more. But I had also noticed the light in Irian's eyes when he was around Isca, and I wondered if there was something there too.
I shook my head, trying to dismiss these thoughts. They were pointless. Isca belonged to another pack, another alpha.
“Excuse me, sir.”
I looked up, expression softening as my eyes fell on the shy omega. Only… something was wrong. We were well past him addressing me as ‘sir’ and his face was pinched and tense.
“What is it, Isca?”
Now that he had my attention, his head dropped and he stared downwards. His shoes rubbed restlessly on the carpet, as he shifted from foot to foot. I heard the rush of air as his chest expanded and then exhaled heavily.
“Sir, there’s something I need to talk to you about.” His voice wavered and sounded watery.
“What’s that, Isca?” I asked as gently as I could.
“Um. Well, someone’s been stealing from your farm, and, um,” he swallowed hard and finished in a rush. “It’s my fault, sir. I’m so sorry. I didn't mean for it to happen.”
What was he saying? Was he trying to tell me he’d been the thief, after all? No! I wanted to howl. A slight tremor ran through me as my emotions ran away with me. Not this. Not him, please.
“Why is it your fault, Isca?” I forced myself to keep my voice soft, not wanting to frighten him and have him shut down. I needed him to talk to me. But if he’d stolen the things himself… no… I still didn’t want to believe that. We were his friends. But I had to ask.
“Did you take them?”
“No, sir! I would never steal from you. Please believe me,” he begged, and then a jumble of words spilled out, “but Irian and I talk about what’s going on when we're online together and I think that’s how my pack has known when there’s going to be no-one here and that’s when they take things. I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault.”
He sniffled.
The poor omega was shaking and tears trickled down his cheeks. I got up from my seat, moving slowly so as not to startle him. Coming to stand in front of him, I waited a moment to see if he would settle. He didn’t, and when he kept trembling and sniffling, I gently reached out and wrapped my arms around him, pulling him to my chest where he sobbed quietly, holding on tight.
I gently rubbed his back trying to soothe him and eventually he quieted.
“It’s not your fault, Isca, if you didn’t take the things.”
“But…”
“No, buts. Tell me, did you even steal one thing?”
“No, sir. Never.”
“Then you’re not to blame. Whoever took those things is responsible for their own actions.”
Another wet sniffle.