The park is lovely, tucked into a curve of the river on the opposite bank of downtown, away from the foot traffic congestion of some of the larger parks in the city. I showed up early. I wanted to watch Jason when he walked into the park. I picked a gazebo that backed up to the river and was partially concealed from the rest of the park by a blooming tree, its purple flowers reaching toward the Stelline sky.

I’d just settled on the bench in the gazebo when I saw Jason round the walk into the park. He had two coffee cups in hand. Always so sweet, always trying to take care of me, even in the smallest of ways. Which was going to make it even harder if I decided that we weren’t going to work.

And were we? After meeting his parents, I wasn’t sure. I didn’t think I belonged with his family or that they’d ever accept me. And I wasn’t sure I could live like that.

I watched him for a few more seconds—his dark grey suit cut perfectly as always, his thick hair waving back from his forehead—before I stood and raised my hand to catch his attention. He looked surprised to see me and I realized he was probably trying to show up early, too. Looks like we were both trying to have the upper hand today.

“Hi,” he said, sliding onto the bench beside me. “Caramel mocha. Right?” He offered me the steaming coffee cup in his hand.

“Yeah, thanks.” I took the cup and sipped at it gingerly. “Good.”

We sat in silence for a few minutes, both sipping on our coffees.

“So, how’s your week been?” Jason finally asked.

“Not too bad. Just work.” I shrugged and looked over the edge of the gazebo to the river. The wind was kicking up little whitecaps on the surface. The churning matched my insides. I set the coffee down. “You?”

“Horrible.” Jason ducked his head until he caught my eye. “I can’t stop thinking about you. About us.”

“Jason,” I sighed. I wasn’t ready to end this or to keep it going. I didn’t know what to do.

“Listen, I know my family is… hard to take.”

“Just your parents. Your brothers are great. Especially Ollie.” I smiled, remembering how Ollie’s laidback attitude reigned in the rambunctious twins without him having to say a word. “If I had brothers, I’d want them to be just like yours.”

“They can be your brothers. Hell, they are. We’re fated. My family is your family.”

“I don’t know…”

“Do you know why I chose this park?”

“What?” Was Jason trying to change the subject? Where was he going with this?

“This park. I know it’s farther from where you live…”

“It’s pretty,” I said.

“Yes, it is. It’s also where our parents brought us—me, Parker, and Ollie—to tell us they were having the twins. This place is full of happy memories. Ollie was thrilled that he didn’t have to be the baby anymore.” Jason chuckled at the memory and my heart constricted, watching him think about his family. He seemed so close to his brothers. I didn’t want to take that away from him. I knew what it was like to not have a family and I didn’t want to be responsible for making Jason lose his. I wasn’t worth it.

“Listen, Jason, I’m not sure we should see each other anymore.” My hands twisted in my lap.

“Sorry, that’s not going to work for me.” Jason sounded amused. I snuck a look at him. There was a smile playing around his lips.

“What?”

He shrugged. “We’re fated, baby. You can’t do anything about us.”

“There is no us.” My voice was rising. He may have been an alpha, my alpha, but he wasn’t going to tell me what I could do with my life. “I have things I need to figure out. Things I need to do on my own, for myself.”

“I’m not going to stop you. You can do everything you need to do with me as your mate. I’m not the kind of alpha to stop his mate from living his own life.”

“I don’t think you get it.”

“So make me understand. Because right now I don’t understand what’s so hard about this. We’re fated. Simple as that.”

“I need to sort out things in my own head. And I need to make my own way.”

“So do it.”

“I can’t! Not with you and all your money around! Money doesn’t fix everything! It can’t fix me!”

“The hell it can’t!” Jason exploded. “Hungry? Money fixes it. Homeless? Money fixes it. Sick? Money buys treatment. Naked? Money buys clothes. There is almost literally nothing that money can’t buy. And I can’t believe we’re back here again. I’ll put this as simply as possible. You’re my mate. My money is your money. When I claim you, everything I have is yours. You’ll have the money to buy anything and everything you’ve ever wanted.”

“Except a family. My own family. And my own family memories and traditions and inside jokes and triumphs and failures. Because every family that could have been mine rejected me. And your parents did, too.” I rubbed my hand quickly across my tight throat.

“Ollie was right. You need some counseling.” Jason stood up and straightened his jacket, his hands wandering to the buttons, then up to his hair. “This isn’t over. We’re not over. Figure out what you need to do. I’ll give you some time. But do not keep ignoring my calls and texts. If more than two go unanswered, I will track you down, I swear to gods.” Then he reached over and jerked me to my feet before pressing a possessive, almost punishing kiss, against my lips. “Mine,” he growled, and stalked off across the park.

I waited until Jason was out of the park before I left. I made my way to the nearest tram stop and took the next one out. It deposited me a few blocks from my apartment and I walked slowly down the sidewalk toward my building, thinking about what Jason said.

Maybe I needed a therapist, some counseling. I thought I’d escaped the orphanage unscathed, untouched. But being with Jason and seeing him with his family brought up all the crap I’d forgotten about. It was impossible to have a true family in the orphanage. Kids came and went, caretakers too. There were very few like me, who never got adopted or fostered and spent all their lives in the same dorm, sleeping in the same crooked bed, until the day they turned eighteen and the orphanage gave them a set of clothes, a bus ticket, and a little cash, and sent them on their way.

I’d spent my entire life alone and unwanted. And now that someone wanted me, I didn’t know what to do.

I’d look up a therapist when I got home.

My building loomed in front of me and I took the stairs to the fifth floor because the elevator wasn’t working again. I finally rounded the last stair landing when I saw someone standing beside my door.

It was Ollie.

Why was Ollie here? And how did he know where I lived?

“Ollie, hi?” I gave him a halfhearted wave.

“Rudy!” His voice was bright. “I was about to give up on you. How’d your meeting with Jason go?”

“Um.” I looked around the hallway. “Would you like to come in?”

“Oh, yeah, sure. I guess this isn’t the best place for a conversation.” He gave me a shy grin.

I slid my thumb over the keypad and the door lock clicked open. I waved Ollie in. “After you.”

He stepped inside, and I followed, flicking on the lights.

“Cute place,” he said, taking in my little apartment. “You’ve got a good eye for decorating. You should give Mom a few tips.”

“Yeah, I think the only tip your mom wants from me is the tip of something sharp and pointy poking me in the ass and away from your family. Tea?”

Ollie stifled a chuckle. “Sure, tea’s great.”

“Have a seat.” I shucked off my jacket and hung it on the hook near the door while Ollie parked himself at my small, two-person table. It was weird having him here. Jason hadn’t even been in my apartment. He’d only ever picked me up in the front of the building.

I quickly filled a kettle, placing it on the burner and pulling a box of tea and a cup from the cabinet. Then I turned back to my guest.

“Ollie, not to be rude but… what are you doing here? And how’d you find out where I live?”

“I know some folks,” he said with a wink. “And I’m here because I want to talk to you.”

“Okay then.” I plopped a teabag into the cup and filled it with hot water. “Sugar? Milk?”

“No thanks,” Ollie said. “You’re pretty good at this hosting thing. Jason never would have offered me tea at his place. You having some?”

“Uh. No. I just had coffee. So, why are you here again?” I took the seat across from his at the small table, my fingers picking at a stray napkin on the tabletop.

“I just wanted to talk to you about Jason.”

“I don’t think this is any of your business, Ollie.” Did Jason put him up to this?

“I know it probably isn’t, and Jason would be pissed if he knew I was here. But listen, I know you don’t owe me any favors—hell, you barely know me—but I’d like you to give Jason a chance.”

“A chance to what?” I pushed away from the table and dropped the now-shredded napkin into the trash.

“To show you how much you mean to him.”

“I know you’re trying to stand up for your brother, but it’s unnecessary. I’ve already decided what I’m going to do. And I’m not going to come between your family. I’m just one person, and not a very important one at that. It’ll be easier for your family, for your parents, if Jason finds someone else. I know we’re fated, but he hasn’t actually claimed me yet. There’s still time to end this.”

“You don’t know Jason that well then. He can be stubborn. And protective. When we were growing up, Jason fought off the Simms brothers for me. Three of them, bigger than we are, and Jason took them on single-handedly for bullying me. He protects what’s his. And you’re his. He’ll stand up for you, Rudy. Even against our parents. Don’t ask him to go against his nature. Or against fate.”

“Ollie,” I sighed, “it’s nice of you come by and stick up for your brother like this—”

“Oh, this isn’t all for him. We’re the ones who’ll have to put with him if you leave him. And it won’t be pleasant. This is self-preservation, my friend.” Ollie gave me a sweet grin. “Besides, I like you. You’ll make a great addition to the Marks family. And give me nephews to wrestle.”

Ollie pushed his cup to the side and stood up. “Give a Jason a chance. That’s all I’m asking. And I’ll talk to my parents.” Then he gave me a crushing bearhug before leaving.

I threw myself onto my little sofa bed and studied the ceiling. I did want to give Jason a chance. He was the best thing that had ever happened to me. I just had to get over the fact that his parents hated me, and that we were from completely different backgrounds, and that he had more money than I could spend in five lifetimes, and that I was terrified he’d claim me and then dump me because his parents hated me and I was poor. I needed help.

I reached for my phone and quickly typed “therapists near me” in the search bar.