Page 9 of A Hal for my Heart

Briar nodded quietly. I recalled that night so vividly, my wet and torn clothes clinging to my skin. The way the cold had seeped all the way into my soul, and the way my stomach was clenching with hunger. “I was walking aimlessly across a muddy field when I saw a dim light in the distance. Using the last bit of my strength, I dragged myself closer. When I reached the farm, I was dead on my feet, my old boots soaked through. I could hardly feel my toes. I didn’t dare approach the main building, too scared of how the owner would react to an alpha roaming around freely in the dark.”

Briar’s eyes grew wider as he leaned closer, listening intently.

“I found shelter in a barn,” I rasped. “I slept in the hay, drifting in and out of sleep to the muffled sounds of horses and the rain hammering against the roof. By morning, I knew it was bad. I had a fever, and it felt like I was burning up from the inside.”

Briar dug his teeth into his bottom lip. “What happened to you, Hal?” he breathed.

“I must’ve fallen asleep again, because I woke to the feeling of someone staring at me. When I opened my eyes, an older omega was hovering over me, a worried frown between his bushy eyebrows. I was getting ready to bolt, but I couldn’t move. All strength had left me. The man opened his mouth, and just when I thought he was going to yell at me to get out, he called for someone named Kenneth.”

I remembered everything as if it were only yesterday: Lord Willoughby lifting me from the hay; cradling me against his chest as he carried me inside; Kenneth coming to his aid from the main building.

‘You’re alright, child,’ Lord Willoughby had assured me again and again. ‘You’re safe here, son.’ No one had ever called me son before. I was no one’s son, unwanted and alone.

“Lord Willoughby and his servant Kenneth nursed me back to health, and when I was strong enough, Lord Willoughby offered me work at his farm.”

Briar’s eyes were fixed on mine, relief pouring off him, like he’d doubted for a minute if I’d made it or if I’d simply perished in that barn more than ten years ago.

“I was happy for the first time in my life. They were kind to me, treated me like family, and then a few years later, when Gus came to work at the farm, it was like meeting a long-lost brother.”

A shadow moved across Briar’s face. Then he blurted, “I haven’t seen my brother for a long time. He lives far away. Father sent him away just before my sixteenth birthday.” He paused, his eyes so sad, and I had to fight myself not to pull him into my arms and hug him. “I don’t know why. I don’t know what Sin did to be sent away. I—” his voice broke. “I wasn’t allowed to visit him, and now I have no idea where he is.”

“I’m sorry, Briar.”

Briar bit his bottom lip, and longing pooled in his deep green eyes. He was such a mystery to me, this strange omega, such a contradiction in everything he said and did. He’d told me he didn’t like when people touched him, but right now, this very minute, he could’ve fooled me. He looked like he wanted to be close to someone more than anything. The hollowness in his voice when he spoke of his brother. But I’d made a promise to Seb, and I’d keep it no matter how much I wanted to wrap myself around Briar and assure him everything was going to be fine.

“How was your life on the farm?” he asked, opening his journal again and pulling out the pen. It was clear he was done talking about his brother. So I told him about my life on the farm, of the years of happiness I’d spent there with Gus. From time to time, Briar would look up from his journal like he wanted to say something, but then he quickly continued writing my story. When I recalled the shenanigans Gus and I would get up to, he giggled, his voice lofty and carefree as it filled the space between us and mingled with birdsong and the hum of bees. From time to time, his blond curls fell into his eyes, and he pursed his lips and blew at them. My fingers tingled to tuck them behind his ears, to feel their softness against my fingers.

When I was done telling him about my past, he closed the journal carefully. “Thank you, Hal,” he said simply, then got up from his chair.

“What about you?” I blurted, not ready to let him go yet. His company felt like sunshine, and I didn’t want to be without it.

“Tomorrow,” he whispered as he took a few steps backward, clutching the journal against his chest. “I have to go see if Seb needs my help with the babies.”

“Do you want me to walk you?”

The longing returned to his eyes—I saw it, but he just shook his head. “No, that’s alright. See you at dinner?”

“Sure,” I nodded, and then he left.

I decided to explore a bit now that I was left on my own. Gus had told me about the stables and his friend Adrian, who looked after the horses. I missed the farm and being around the animals, so I headed in the direction of a larger building, which I decided must be the stables. As I approached, I could smell the horses. Eager, I quickened my pace and nearly bumped into someone as I rounded the building.

“Well, well, what a nice surprise,” he purred, and I recognized the omega in front of me from earlier as the servant, Nial, who’d been rude to Briar over breakfast. “Were you looking for me, Alpha?” He licked his lips, his eyes glued to my chest.

“Nope.” I tried to move around him, but he held out his hand and planted it against my chest.

“Don’t be shy now,” he giggled, but where the sound of Briar’s soft laughter was like music to my ears, Nial’s voice just left me annoyed. “You can call me Nial, by the way.”

“You think I’m shy?” I huffed, batting his hand away.

“If you are, Alpha, I have just the cure for that.” He smirked knowingly.

“Hate to break it to you, Nial, but you don’t have anything I’m interested in.” I tried to give him the most indifferent look I could, and he gaped at me as if I’d just slapped him in the face. “Now, if you’ll excuse me…”

I moved past him, and when I was halfway to the stables, he called after me, “It’s cute when you play hard to get, Alpha!”

“I’m not playing!” I yelled over my shoulder.

“We’ll see about that!” His annoying laughter followed me inside the building as I entered.