All it took was one look into Ellis’s eyes to know that some things can’t remain in the past, no matter how hard you try to bury them. He was no longer the shy, awkward kid I tormented in high school. His red satin hair, pulled back at the nape of his neck, was a stunning contrast to the green eyes that had always reminded me of the forest. His skin was as fair and freckled as ever, but it was a charmingly quirky feature on a face that belonged on billboards. It wasn’t just his facial features that he’d grown into. From his broad shoulders to the lean, muscular body that his suit so perfectly highlighted, he was all man. A gorgeous man, but still undeniably masculine, a far cry from the waifish omegas the Alphas in my family tended to bring home.

It was an inconsequential observation, except for the fact that it made my reaction to him all the more troubling. It was the same reaction that had sent me into a spiral of panic and coverups that I’d regretted for the last fourteen years, only it was so much deeper now than back then.

Back then, I’d told myself that there was nothing all that weird about noticing an omega who’d changed as much as Ellis had over that long summer. Even if he was the first thing I thought about at night and the dream that filled me with shame upon waking, it didn’t mean anything. I wouldn’t let it. I stuffed the feelings down, compartmentalized them, and put them in a closet in the furthest reaches of my mind—right beside the grief I felt over my mother’s death and the disappointment I was sure I saw in my father’s eyes whenever I failed to live up to his expectations.

For a while, it worked. I replaced the feelings I didn’t want to acknowledge with other things that were easier to handle, like anger and the animalistic frenzy of a pack of bullies descending on an unarmed target. I told myself that if I hated Ellis, and if I made sure everyone else knew it, I wouldn’t have to face the truth. I ended up losing myself in the process, but it seemed like a fair price to pay at the time in exchange for avoiding social suicide.

By the time Gray had taken a male omega as his mate, I’d been sure I was over my juvenile hangups. I didn’t even know where they’d come from, really. Our parents had never been remotely bigoted, and the only explanation I could formulate on the rare occasion I was up for self-reflection was that my mother had always said she wanted me to find a “nice girl omega” to have a family with. It didn’t seem like such an unreasonable wish to make on your death bed, and the endless string of women I’d filled the interim with between Ellis and Janie managed to convince me that my attraction to women far exceeded any interest I’d ever felt toward men.

After all, there had only ever been the one. I’d had countless relationships with women ranging from one-night stands to long-term relationships before Janie. When I’d met her, that was it. I’d fallen in love from the moment she told me to “fuck off” at one of her father’s parties, and I’d never fallen out, not even for a second. Her death had been the end of my life in every way that mattered, and even though the love of my family had managed to pull me back, I was still just counting the days until I could see her again.

It was wrong to feel the way I felt now, to feel this thing I’d never felt with anyone else—not even her. The sick thrill that made my heart ache and long for things it had no business wanting brought fresh betrayal with every beat. Over the years, I’d convinced myself that what I’d felt back then for Ellis was just some bizarre, hormonal fluke. And yet, standing in front of him, feeling the glare of the hatred in his eyes, I was back in high school with my entire world turned upside down, wondering how everyone around us was managing to keep on like nothing was happening.

There was no more denying it. I’d imprinted on an omega who had every reason to despise me.

“Mr. Roman,” he said in an icy tone, standing to shake my hand. I deserved nuclear winter.

“Ellis,” I said before I could stop myself and refer to him by his last name. His name rolled off my tongue much too easily. I savored the taste of it. “It’s been a long time.”

His handshake was firm, his skin warm to the touch. The pins and needles started in my fingers and worked their way up my arm and down my spine until all I could feel was him, and I never wanted to let go.

“Not long enough.” His words were so casual, so polite, it took me a moment to process their meaning. In a way, it was a relief that he wasn’t going to pretend like he was happy to see me so we’d be forced to make innocent smalltalk.

I sat across from him and when the waiter came to offer me a drink, I took him up on it. Being around Ellis was not something I had the strength to manage sober, even though I hadn’t taken a drink since Anika’s birth. Somehow, I knew if I started, I wouldn’t stop. Not back then.

“I’m sorry about this,” I began, deciding to at least make an attempt at peace for the evening. “I had no idea my father was pestering you about this meeting until it was made.”

“So you’re not the one who asked me to dinner?”

He sounded disappointed, or annoyed—I couldn’t tell, and I almost leaped instinctively to right it. To reassure him that even though he was the last person I’d ever expected to see again, let alone under these circumstances, I had no intention of throwing away the opportunity now that it was here. My eyes couldn’t drink him in fast enough. Every move, every venomous look, was magic and I was under his spell, even more powerless to resist than I had been back then. “I didn’t know about the acquisition until this afternoon,” I confessed, deciding that was a safer answer than yes or no.

“Hm.” He took another sip of his cocktail. Not a word followed. It was a power move, and I knew it well. Sitting silently, waiting for your opponent to make the first move, to broach the topic first. A test of will to determine who would fold under the awkward pressure of needing to fill a silence and who was man enough to let the other squirm like a worm on a hook.

Having been raised by Lionel Roman, I was almost always up for the challenge of a power struggle. Unlike my brothers, with their aptitude for numbers and projections, I had always been better at reading people and making them do whatever it was that I wanted. Janie had been the first to prove immune to my manipulation, and Ellis was just about the last person I’d ever suspect of being the second.

This wasn’t the boy I’d grown up with, the one who had only existed on the periphery of my life, until he’d become the unwanted center of it. Ellis was an omega, a fact that I could no more deny in the face of the biochemical reactions that were taking place in my confused mind than the sun’s warmth, but he was no pushover. Not anymore.

I realized then what I should have known from the beginning. He hadn’t taken this meeting to hear me out, or to fulfill my egotistical fantasy that some part of him was still curious about the bond that had never been allowed to cement between us. He was here for his comeuppance.

“I’ve seen the offer my father made you,” I began, deciding to take the hit and speak first, if only because I was desperate to hear his voice again. It didn’t matter what he said, really. There were plenty of things I had coming, things I deserved, and I decided that however our meeting had come about, it was karma that had arranged it, not my father. It was time to face up to my past like the man I only wished I’d been then. How much would have been different?

It was a traitorous, unforgivable thought. I regretted everything I’d done to Ellis, all the times I’d looked the other way and ignored every instinct to protect and defend my mate in the interest of preserving my worthless image, and I always would. But to regret not knowing then what I could no longer deny in his presence? That was blasphemy against my wife, against our daughter, against the love we’d shared for so many years…

“You mean the wad of cash he flashed my brothers to make them hand over their birthright?” he challenged, arms folded as he leaned back in the chair. Everything from his posture to the vaguely irritated expression on his perfect face suggested boredom and indifference, as if he had better places to be and far more interesting people to be with.

I was sure he did. Stover Electronics hadn’t gone from being a struggling brand under its founder’s care to soaring up the ranks as a publicly traded company because Patrick and Brayden had an ounce of business acumen. I knew better than anyone that Ellis was the reason for his company’s success, and it was obvious that this was far from the omega’s first hardball negotiation.

It would be my last, if I didn’t get ahold of myself. “The terms were more than generous, as I’m sure you can verify by looking at the going rate for shares of companies comparable to yours.”

“Ah, but they’re not comparable, are they?” Ellis asked in a smug tone I’d never heard from him before. “Those other companies aren’t positioned in the perfect geographical and strategic positions to disrupt your technological empire. And they don’t manufacture integrated circuits powerful enough to handle your next-gen microprocessors and compact enough to sustain that fancy new line of toys your daddy has coming down the pipeline.”

As he spoke, I realized that this wasn’t going to be a matter of convincing him to sell some intangible commodity. I hadn’t put the pieces together until he started talking, but now at least I understood why my father was chomping at the bit to buy Stover Electronics. The integrated circuits our manufacturer made were good, but our research and development team was better. We’d struggled in recent years to bring our hardware up to speed with the capabilities of new developments, and desperation certainly raised the price tag.

“How much?” I asked, deciding not to insult him by playing innocent. He already hated me enough.

He gave a short, cynical laugh. “Typical Roman boy, thinking everything in life is for sale.”

I watched him swill the water and ice in the bottom of his glass, knowing he’d probably kill me if he had any idea the kind of thoughts that were going through my head as I listened. There was some integration involved, and plenty of electricity, but it had nothing to do with computers or their parts. “I know the money has to be a factor. Your brothers sold enough shares to make your board seriously itchy. All it’ll take is someone else willing to cave, and we’ll have control of the company. This way, at least you have a say in it.”

I thought I was being perfectly reasonable until I saw the poison in those emerald eyes. “I’m sure a man like you could turn a board member or two,” he said in a cold tone that made it clear his words were meant as no compliment. “But I will fight you every step of the way, and the majority are still loyal to me. After all, I’m the one who made them all very wealthy.”

When he talked like that, his voice full of icy indifference and his gaze full of spite, it made my mind go places it had no business in. “I’m not trying to downplay your role in the company,” I replied. “I know it’s not a coincidence that growth has more than doubled since you took over, and I’m sure Brayden and Patrick checked out the day they realized there was more to being an exec than writing checks and getting a VIP parking space.”

He set his jaw and I could tell my attempt at complimenting him was being read as hollow flattery. If I didn’t pull out of the nosedive fast, this dinner was going to end in disaster. “I know how much your dad’s legacy means to you. We got into all of this before I had the chance to tell you how sorry I am for your loss.”

“Yes, the flowers your father’s secretary sent at the funeral were a touching gesture. Almost as much as her reaching out after all these years to ask me to dinner so you could all capitalize on the opportunity of our grief.”

I cringed, mostly because he was right. I knew my dad wouldn’t see it that way, but that was certainly how it came off, and I couldn’t argue without lying to Ellis’s face. For some reason, I found that I didn’t want to even though my high school career had been comprised of doing little else. “I’m sorry. I wouldn’t have chosen to handle things this way.”

“No,” he agreed thoughtfully. “You always did prefer to let other people handle your dirty work for you.”

“Okay,” I said, taking a deep breath. “I deserve that. Look, since it’s obviously the elephant in the room and we’re both here, there’s something I’ve always wanted to tell you if I ever got the chance. About what happened in high school, I—“

“You can spare us both the apology. I’m sure you spent a lovely summer in Bali after graduation finding yourself and gaining enlightenment on a mountain top, but that doesn’t mean I’m interested in hearing about it.”

“I’m not the same person I was back then, Ellis,” I said earnestly. “I know you have no reason to believe that, and I know what I did to you was unforgivable. I’m not asking for absolution or even for you to sell your part in the company. I can tell that’s not going to happen, and I can’t blame you. If I were you, I would’ve decked me the moment I showed up. I just need you to know how sorry I am for everything. There’s not a day that’s gone by where I haven’t regretted the things I said to you.”

“The things you said?” His laugh was sharp and bitter. “And here I always thought what you didn’t say was worse.”

I swallowed hard. “I should have stood up for you. I should have done a lot of things differently.”

“Right. The new Reece and all that.” He took another sip of his drink and I realized he hadn’t touched his food. Neither of us had. “There’s still enough of the old Reece left that you really think the only reason I’m not selling my father’s company is because I’m still hung up on my high school bully.”

It hurt to know that was all I was to him, even though it had no right to. Even though it was completely irrational. I hadn’t been able to get him out of my head, but if he’d thought of me at all, of course it was only in connection to the hell I’d put him through. “I didn’t mean to imply that. I wouldn’t sell, if I were in your position. But I do think you should reconsider, not because you have any reason to hear me out but because I’ve seen how this goes. If your brothers want to sell the company, you might be able to hold out for a few months, maybe even a year, but it’s only a matter of time before the rest of the board realizes how much they stand to gain by selling. They’ll push you out, like they always do, and you’ll end up settling for a lot less. We’ll wait you out because we can. That’s how these things always go.”

Even as I said the words, I knew how they sounded. It sounded like what it was: a bullying tactic, even if it was the norm in any corporate setting. All I was doing was stating the facts, and I hated myself for it, but I’d hate myself even more if I let it play out without warning him.

He listened in silence, his face set in stone. I could tell nothing I was saying came as a surprise to him. He knew as well as I did that there were only a few ways this thing could end, and none of them went his way. “That sounds like a threat,” he said calmly.

“It’s not,” I assured him. “It’s just reality. Neither of us have to like it, but that’s just the way it is.”

He scoffed.”Oh, I’m sure you love this. Your company has had its eye on our market share since the mid-‘90s.”

“And yours could have doubled if you hadn’t refused the partnership offer we made three years ago,” I reminded him.

He looked away, his jaw set in irritation.

“I know your father was technically still the president, but you’d been calling the shots behind the scenes for years by that point, hadn’t you?” I challenged.

“There’s not enough money in the world to make partnering with Roman Enterprises worthwhile,” he snapped. “And don’t worry, my disdain for your company goes a hell of a lot deeper than you. Wouldn’t want you to feel stalked or anything.”

I groaned internally. Why had I ever thought this was going to go well?

Oh, wait. I hadn’t.

“It was a fair offer then and it’s an even fairer offer now,” I informed him. “You’ve done amazing things for your company, but you’re not a miracle worker. The departments the twins manage are inefficient at best, and even with all the changes you’ve made, the old quality control violations and settlements have to be draining your resources. Lawyers don’t come cheap, and that Lazr Corp suit has been going on for what, five, six years now?”

His eyes burned, so I knew I’d struck a nerve. I continued. “By my most liberal estimate, you’ve got another year, maybe two where the sales from your new line can keep you in the black. Once the hemorrhaging starts, your investors will start jumping ship in droves and you’ll be the first person the board targets since you turned us down. On the other hand, you can take our offer, remain acting CEO and hire whomever you damn well please to replace your brothers. We get access to your proprietary manufacturing methods, and you get all the benefits that come with being a subsidiary of Roman Enterprises, including a tank full of blood-hungry sharks whose sole focus will be on putting an end to your legal headaches.”

“You forgot to mention the loss of our exclusivity agreements, and the fact that you’ll move in the other arm of your tech empire and crush all the small business partnerships we’ve built over the years,” he said flatly. “If you can’t beat them, join them, right? Without Stover Electronics in the way, the Roman Empire is free to spread its tendrils into the last holdout of small business in the tech space on the West Coast. You’ll have a monopoly.”

I frowned. “That’s a bit dramatic, isn’t it?”

“You tell me. After you bought TenTech Distribution and Guyver Electronics, the market price for their components skyrocketed two-hundred and fifteen percent.”

So he’d done his homework. I was impressed, weirdly turned on and realizing that this was all going to be a hell of a lot more complicated than I could explain to my family. “Okay, so the reality of innovation is that sometimes, the little guy gets pushed out in the process. On the flip side, those increased prices for corporate buyers allowed us to donate free tech to every school in the region, and the small businesses we bought out? Guyver’s CEO is now retired on the French Riviera with his wife and TenTech’s founder will be the first to tell you she only dreamed of getting an offer like that in their startup days. I get that you’ve invested a lot in this company, but be selfish for a minute. I’m sure you don’t want to be plugging holes in a sinking boat ten years from now. Your day job will remain the same, only you’ll actually have the support you need to do it. In a few years, if life takes you in a different direction, you’ll have the money and freedom to make that choice.”

“A different direction? You mean like settling down and popping out a few kids?” he asked in a clipped tone. “Because it’s fine for a young omega to play at business as long as he finds his place eventually and lets the Alphas take over, right?

“That’s not what I said.” I wasn’t about to admit it was pretty damn close to what I’d meant. On the one hand, I was selfishly relieved that he hadn’t found a mate and kids by now. On the other, I couldn’t help but assume that was in the plans, like it was for most omegas. Not that it mattered. I didn’t deserve him. It wasn’t even in the realm of possibility in my dreams, let alone reality.

“It’s what you meant,” he said, refusing to give me an inch of leeway. “Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m not going anywhere. And certainly not to keep house for some Alpha.”

“I didn’t mean it as an insult. Hell, I’ve got a kid myself. I’m just saying, whatever you want to do, you have options.”

“Congratulations. I’m sure your wife is a very happy woman, but our priorities aren’t the same and I’m not going anywhere.”

I cleared my throat. “My wife passed away a few years ago, actually.”

His indignation faltered and he frowned, seeming unsure of what to say for the moment. “I’m sorry for your loss,” he finally said, meeting my gaze with something other than fire for the first time all evening. “Was it… expected?”

“No,” I replied quietly. “It was right after our daughter was born.”

His expression softened, but it was the first time I’d told someone about Janie without feeling the floodgates of their pity unleash. “I hope your family has been a strong support.”

“They’ve been my rock,” I admitted. “Don’t know where either of us would be about them, but I’m finally back in the swing of things, more or less.”

“I can see that.” He folded his arms. “Your father must be proud. He always wanted you to take a more active role in the business.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “I think he would have vastly preferred a son like you, who’d stop at nothing to preserve his legacy. You’re a lot like Gray, in that regard.”

He snorted. “He’s certainly my favorite member of my least-favorite family.”

“I’ll be sure to tell him. He’ll be flattered. He, Jayce and dad have all recently taken mates and started families of their own, so like it or not, a more active role in the family business is what I’ve got. I’m a little rusty at the whole negotiation thing, as you can tell.”

A faint smile pulled at his lips. “If it makes you feel any better, I would have guessed you’d been shaking down small businesses this whole time.”

“So it’s working?” I asked, daring to grin.

“Not at all. The answer is still no,” he said, waving the waiter over for the check. “The answer is always going to be no, but at least you can go back to your father and say you gave it a shot.”

I sighed, taking out my wallet. “That’s what I figured. Here, I’ve got it. It’s the least I can do for taking your time.”

“Oh, no,” he said firmly, slipping his card onto the receipt tray on top of mine. “I insist on paying for my half. I can’t think of any way I’d rather spend the evening than disappointing you.”

I stared at him before laughing. “You didn’t agree to come here because you were actually considering it, did you?”

He smirked. “What do you think?”

“Like you said, I think the answer is always going to be no.”

“Now see, there’s something that has changed since high school. For once, you actually had the right answer.”