by Sky Winters
“That looks doable,” Mike said, handing her a glass of wine and sitting his on the side table on the opposite end of the sofa. The oven timer went off in the background. “Come on and get some food before we settle in.”
Kat followed him to the kitchen and fixed herself a plate with a slice of pizza, a couple pieces of chicken, and knots. Mike looked at her and shook his head.
“You eat like a bird,” he told her.
Kat defiantly reached for another slice of pizza and returned to the sofa while he piled up his plate. He plopped down on the other end and smiled at her.
“Ready for the matinee?”
“I am,” he mumbled through a bite of pizza.
“You’re disgusting,” she told him, laughing as he made a production of chewing his food.
“Ah, come on. It’s just us girls tonight. You can be all ladylike if you ever get a boyfriend.”
“What makes you think I don’t have one already?”
“Mom talks a lot.”
“Ah, of course. The old speech about how I’m never going to find a guy and settle down.”
“Yes.”
“Just no one around here to date.”
“You should try Alpha Meets Omega.”
“Alpha Meets Omega?”
“Yes. It’s an app. I can give you a code to join. Alphas set it up to help them meet Omegas, but we Betas use it too. There are a lot of Betas and Omegas out there that aren’t looking for the whole walk down the aisle. More like a walk of shame,” he scoffed.
“Spare me any details about your walks of shame,” she groaned.
“I will. Still, you should give it a try. You might meet someone you like. If nothing else, you’ll at least have something to do better than eating frozen pizza and watching movies with your brother.”
“I’ll look at it,” she told him, with no real intention to do so.
After a glass of wine too many and a slice of cake after the movie ended, she found herself downloading it while Mike talked to someone in hushed tones down the hallway. She set up a quick profile and began flipping through local Alphas. There were several she knew and quickly swiped left on. There was no one in this pack she wanted to date.
Then she saw him.
CHAPTER THREE
Travis
Travis looked down at his phone. He’d only been out of prison for a month, and things still seemed weird to him. After five years in that place, it was hard to adjust to being free. He’d considered trying to get a completely fresh start, but in the end, he’d ended up back at home in his old pack. He’d missed his family and pack brothers.
Luckily, his mom’s old place was still vacant, and his sisters, though all married and moved away, had made sure it was kept up for his return. He’d gotten a job slinging drinks down at the motorcycle hangout, which wasn’t glamorous work for an Alpha, but it would keep him in groceries and afforded him a cell phone.
“You should find you a woman to settle down with,” his sister Janet had told him over dinner his first week home.
“Yeah, because what woman doesn’t want to marry and have babies with a man who went to prison for gun running.”
“You did what you had to do. The right woman will understand that.”
“If you say so.”
“Maybe it’s something you don’t open with. You know, skip the whole, ‘Hi, I’m Travis, and I just got out of prison. I’m a felon.’”
“Doesn’t seem honest.”
“I’m not saying for you to lie, just maybe give them a chance to get to know the real you before you spring all that on them. Besides, you are only a felon in the pack system. Out in the human world, your record is clean.”
“That would be great if I wanted to live out in the human world. I don’t. It doesn’t matter anyway. I have no idea how to even go about meeting women.”
“You don’t meet them at the bar?”
“Not the sort of women who want to settle down,” he told her.
“Hey, you should sign up for that dating app my brother-in-law Hunter uses.”
“Dating app? No way. No thanks,” he said, waving his fork toward her in a dismissive gesture.
“Oh, come on. Things have changed while you were gone. No one thinks twice about it these days with all the social media stuff going on.”
“You act like I did life. I was only away for five years.”
“Yeah, but that was long enough to push you into your thirties. You’ll be thirty-five soon and have no time to waste.”
“Good God, Janet. You act like I’m older than Gramps.”
“You could learn a thing from Gramps. He’s got women all over him.”
“Did he meet them on a dating app?”
“No. He met them at bingo. Would you rather give that a go?”
“Hard pass,” he said with a laugh.
“Then, give the app a try. It’s called Alpha Meets Omega. I’ll get Hunter to send you a code.”
“A code?”
“Yeah. They make sure no non-shifters get in there by requiring everyone to get a code from someone who can verify they are an Alpha or Omega ... or Beta.”
“There are Betas there too?”
“Yeah. Betas need love too, I guess. I’ll look at it.”
Travis took another bite of his lasagna as the conversation drifted to other things. It was good to be back, even with his sister trying to meddle in his love life, or lack thereof, first thing. He had no intention of joining any dating app, but it served no purpose to tell her that. She’d just double down on trying.
Hunter had sent him a link to the app and a code to join the next day, but it had still been another week before he signed up. So far, no one had sparked any interest. That was, until today. He sat looking down at the notification that someone had sent him a paw print to show they were interested in him.
Opening the app, he looked at the photo, stunned. She was gorgeous. A pair of big brown eyes looked up at him as he opened her profile to reveal she was a Beta looking for a good time. It wasn’t what he was looking for, but it might do for now to get him back in the game. He sent her a little message and was about to put the phone away when he noted another paw print had appeared.
This time, he found a stunning honey-blonde with bright blue eyes looking back at him. According to her birthday, she had just turned twenty-one and was looking for a long-term relationship with the right Alpha. He just looked at her photo for a while before swiping right on her photo. Maybe he’d send her a message later. Right now, he had to get to work.
“Hey, Travis, you got a minute?”
Travis had only just arrived at work when he turned to see his parole officer, John Cantrell, looking at him.
“John. Couldn’t wait for me to stop by your office this week?”
“I got a report and had to check it out myself.”
“Someone reported me? For what?”
“No. Not you. Someone else. It was a bullshit call. Just an ex trying to cause some shit to get even. Can I get a drink?”
“Sure. What’s your poison?”
“Just a beer. What’s good on tap?”
“Blue Moon is two for one.”
“Blue Moon it is, then.”
Travis pulled him a fresh pint and sat it down in front of him.
“How much I owe you?”
“It’s five for this and next. Just let me know, and I’ll bring you a fresh one when you’re ready.”
John handed him a five, and he took it down to the register, busying himself cleaning some glasses. It was slow in here tonight, but he wasn’t keen on chatting up his parole officer any more than necessary. He was a nice enough guy, but they weren’t friends. Travis had never been too keen on cops. In his previous business, they weren’t exactly the guys you wanted to chum up with.
He’d been clean since he got out and planned to stay that way. It was tough being back in his old pack among some of the old gang who’d not gone down for their part in the mistakes that
had landed him behind bars. They’d already tried to rope him back in but weren’t giving him any flack for telling them he wasn’t interested. As far as his pack was concerned, he’d earned the right to say no when he’d taken the fall for at least a dozen of them.
Leaning against the bar, he opened his phone and went to the Alpha Meets Omega app again, pulling up the photo of the Omega who’d shown interest and sending her a short message. He was still a bit leery of using an app to meet strangers, but that’s where working in a bar came in handy.
“You got another beer over there, Travis?” John asked
“Sure thing,” he told him, slipping the phone back in his pocket and getting John a fresh pour before again busying himself with polishing glasses at the other end of the bar to avoid further conversation. He didn’t have to work to avoid him long, as the flood gates seemed to open, and the bar went from dead to full capacity.
He didn’t even have a chance to look at his phone again, or he’d have gotten a head’s up that his entire life was about to change in an instant.
CHAPTER FOUR
Kat
“What’ll it be?” he asked the blonde slipping onto a barstool at one end of the bar.
She looked up, and her heart seemed to stop. It was him, and he was even more gorgeous in person than he had been in his Alpha Meets Omega bio. His dark hair was a little shaggy, framing a pair of gorgeous green eyes.
“A cosmopolitan?” she asked uncertainly, looking around at the crowd: a beer and whiskey shots crowd from her quick assessment.
“Coming up,” he said.
There was no indication that he knew who she was, but he seemed busy, so perhaps he just didn’t have time to talk. She tried not to take it personally but couldn’t help feeling out of place in what was obviously a bar meant for Alpha wolves and partying Betas.
“Hey, gorgeous. Haven’t seen you around here,” one of them said, approaching the bar and leaning against it, far too close for comfort.
“Here you go, Kat,” Travis said as he walked back and sat down her drink in front of her.
He said nothing to the Alpha that had saddled up beside her, but he didn’t have to, as he suddenly disappeared without further comment.
“Sorry about him. He’s a dog in every sense of the word,” Travis told her.
“I thought maybe you didn’t recognize me.”
“Oh, I recognized you. I was just a bit stunned. Your photo didn’t do you justice.”
“Neither did yours,” she said with a slow smile.
“Hey, bartender. You got time for us two-tailed dogs?” a guy called from further down the bar.
“Sorry. It was pretty dead in here when I suggested you drop by for an informal meeting. It’s gotten a little crazy since then.”
“No problem. I’ll be fine.”
He nodded. A broad smile showed off incredibly white, straight teeth that stood out even more against his dark skin. Though she got a good bit of sun out playing tennis and running, she was pale in comparison to him. He wore long sleeves, but she had seen a number of tattoos in his profile picture, though she hadn’t been able to make out what they were.
As busy as the bar was, it subsided by the time she’d finished her first drink. It was a Thursday, so she’d been surprised to see so many people in the first place.
“That’s me done for the evening. Want to get a table and chat a bit?” Travis asked after returning from a brief disappearance.
“Sure. That’d be great,” she told him.
“I’ll get us a round while you pick out a table, if you like,” he told her.
“Sounds good.”
It was only a couple of minutes later, as he walked toward the table, that Kat realized how tall he was. The bar was apparently a bit recessed, but as he stepped up from it and approached her, she could see he was easily six-two and would tower over her five-six frame.
“So, Kat. What’s a nice girl like you doing on a dating site?” he asked.
It was cheesy, but also kind of cute. He seemed nervous, an odd trait for an Alpha. He had stripped off his long sleeve shirt, and she could now see the full sleeve of tattoos that ran down one arm. The other displayed only a single flower, a colorful orange and red calla lily on his inner forearm. It seemed a stark contrast to the black inked lines and scroll work running up the opposite arm, but she wasn’t sure if she could ask.
“It’s hard for me to meet anyone in my pack. Most of the Alphas there are either married, in a relationship, or, well, just not a good choice.”
“What makes them not a good choice?” he asked, leaning back and taking a sip of his drink.
“I don’t know. They just aren’t my type, I guess.”
“What is your type?” he asked with a slow smile.
“I guess I’m just old fashioned. I’m looking for someone who believes there is more to a relationship than having an Omega to cook, clean, and spit out babies.”
“You don’t want to be a housewife,” he stated.
“Yes and no. I would love to have a husband and children to take care of one day, but not right off the bat. I want to enjoy being together for a while before we have kids, and I’d like to do something else.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know. I guess I don’t know what I’m good at yet. I mean, I went to school to become a masseuse, and I do that a few days a week down at the Opal Spa, but it’s hardly a life’s work your grandchildren will brag about, is it?”
“I don’t know. It could be. Maybe you’ll win a prize for best masseuse in the world or something,” he teased.
“Right. Anyway, what about you?”
“Me? I’ve made some mistakes. I’m not going to go down in history for slinging beers either. I know what you mean, though. I’d like to accomplish something before I die.”
“Well, there we are. That’s one thing we have in common. We want to be something more than we are now.”
“I don’t think it’s the only thing. I’d like a family too, with a wife that I can share more with than just changing diapers and feeding time. I don’t know that I’m ready to do that tomorrow, but one day, if I meet the right person.”
“God, look at us. Here we are on our first date—well, not even a date—and we’re talking about marriage,” she laughed.
“How about another drink?”
“Sure. Thanks,” she said.
She rarely drank very much, but she was uncharacteristically nervous, and it was relaxing her a bit. Travis was older, no doubt more experienced with relationships. Even with a little case of the jitters, he was easy to talk to, and she found herself losing track of time.
“Wow, it’s gotten late. I should get going,” she told him.
“Did you drive here?” he asked.
“Yes. I’ll call someone to pick me up. The car will be okay here until morning, won’t it?”
“Sure. They lock up the gates when they close and set the dogs free. No one in their right mind would come in here with six bull mastiffs roaming about. They’re very protective and territorial.”
“Like wolves.”
“Like wolves,” Travis repeated, followed by a little laugh. “Come on. I’ll take you home.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” she began.
“I’m harmless. I promise. You can call my mom if you’d like a reference on what a good boy I am,” he said with a sly grin.
Kat eyed him up and down for a moment and then agreed. She was all nerves as she walked with him out to the parking lot, suddenly hit by a thought that her foggy brain hadn’t considered before now.
“Wait, you’ve been drinking too.”
“Coke. No alcohol.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
Kat wanted to ask more but decided it might lead to some heavy discussion she wasn’t ready for on their first pseudo date. They’d already discussed marriage, and that was more than she’d intended. If things worked out, she’d see if it was just a tonight th
ing or more and whether it was anything to be concerned about. The thought made her laugh. Here she was considering whether the sober guy had a drinking problem when she was the one positively tipsy.
“What’s so funny?” he asked.
“Nothing. I think I drank too much.”
He smiled at her and pointed her toward an old Ford Bronco that had seen better days. Not only was it dented in several places, but it had a cracked side window held together by some duct tape and was painted with what looked like flat black primer.
“You sure that thing is going to get us there?”
“She runs a lot better than she looks. I rebuilt her myself. I’ll get her painted one day soon. I’ve got to strip off the Rustoleum some idiot put on there instead of fixing her up right.”
“Why do men always talk about their trucks or cars like they are women?”
“Because we can’t decide which we love more,” he told her, opening the door and smiling down at her as he helped her in.
Kat had an overwhelming urge to kiss him. Her heart thudded heavily against her chest as he closed the door and walked around to the driver’s side to get in. She felt flushed as he sat down beside her and more than a bit lightheaded. No one had ever affected her like this.
“Alright, where do you live?” he asked.
“683B Wolverine Way,” she replied.
“Oh, you live on Black Snout pack land.”
“Yes. Is that a problem?”
“No. I’ve got some good friends in Black Snout. I guess we didn’t really talk about our packs. I’m on pack land too, but Ginger Tail.”
“Yeah. I’ve heard of your pack, but I’ve never met anyone from it. I guess I thought you all had red hair,” she laughed.
“We get that a lot,” he said, starting the truck and pulling out of the parking lot and then onto the highway. “I guess I’m looking for a duplex then. The B in your address?”
“No. It’s a small house on my family’s property. The main house is A.”
“Gotcha,” he replied.
Kat felt more lightheaded as they drove. Travis was still talking, but she couldn’t quite make out the words. She had drunk a bit too much to drive, but not so much that it should be affecting her to this degree. Her stomach was in knots as she considered that he had been making her drinks all night. Had he drugged her?
