His Pretend Omega
M/M Alpha Omega MPREG
Harper B. Cole
Frost & Hazel
Contents
1. Aiden
2. Chris
3. Aiden
4. Chris
5. Aiden
6. Chris
7. Aiden
8. Chris
9. Aiden
10. Chris
11. Aiden
12. Chris
13. Aiden
14. Chris
15. Aiden
16. Chris
17. Aiden
18. Chris
19. Aiden
20. Chris
21. Aiden
22. Chris
23. Aiden
24. Chris
25. Aiden
26. Chris
27. Aiden
28. Chris
29. Aiden
30. Chris
31. Aiden
32. Chris
33. Aiden
34. Chris
35. Aiden
36. Chris
37. Aiden
38. Chris
39. Aiden
40. Chris
41. Aiden
Epilogue
About the Author
Also by Harper B. Cole
Accidentally Mated: Chapter 1
COMING SOON
1
Aiden
I felt the tension drain from my shoulders the moment I entered Café Om. Partly, it was the aroma of coffee and the scent and calming pheromones of the omegas working, but a large part of it was that this had become a ritual. Whenever I was stressed, whether it was work or my family getting to me, I came here, ordered a cup of the house coffee, and left my worries outside the door. I would pick them up again when I left, but here was my sanctuary. And if I scheduled my visits around a certain barista, well, who could blame me? The man was gorgeous.
I was having trouble letting go of the outside world today, though. My dads were throwing a dinner party, disguised as Mid-Summer’s Night celebration, but in reality, it was an excuse to throw me at any and all of the eligible omegas of their acquaintance.
I knew my parents meant well. They were the product of an arranged mating and everything had worked out fine for them, more than fine. I couldn't name another couple as in love and as caring as my dads. They just wanted the same for me. But just because it worked out for them didn't mean it would work out for me. I couldn't imagine being in a relationship with someone I barely knew, and I knew my dedication to my business would drive a wedge between me and anyone who didn't understand how important it was to me. Especially when it was still in this fragile fledgling startup phase.
I’d gotten tired of how much time it took to figure out meals in college, so I’d decided to hack my diet. I’d created the ultimate meal shake, LifeFuel. It had taken a little bit of experimentation, on myself of course, and there was that painful time before I realized my recipe didn’t take into account the body’s need for sulfur which exists in basically every natural food source so no one thinks to add it to nutritional recommendations… I’d ended the semester with a workable prototype, though, and not only streamlined my meal time, but had more energy every day. Once I had some real cash flow, I could just imagine what something like that would do in impoverished areas.
My dads supported me, but in their minds, a business wasn't as important as a family, no matter what the possible global effect. Not that I disagreed with them. But at thirty, I felt I still had time to build a family. And I’d like to support them on something other than my inheritance.
I shook my head ruefully. It didn't escape me that no matter what I did, my success would always have to give some credit to my family's wealth, but I wanted to have earned the right to use it. I sighed inwardly, taking a sip of my coffee. Where did they get these beans? And why couldn't I convince his favorite barista to sell me a bag?
Speaking of my favorite barista…
"Can I top you off?" Chris appeared at my elbow.
The coffee was getting cold. Too much thinking and not enough drinking. "That would be amazing."
Chris poured more into my cup and then hesitated. "Mind if I sit for a second? Aiden, right?"
I smiled, pleased he knew my name. "You won't get in trouble for not working?"
Chris glanced around the nearly empty cafe. "I've wiped down the counters at least five times already. I'm sure it'll be okay for a few minutes."
I smiled. "I'd love for you to join me, then."
Chris set the coffee aside and slid into the seat across from me. "I'm not trying to pry, but you seem a bit...out of sorts today. Not that I've been watching you. I mean, I see you every time you come in, it's just—"
I interrupted him. "Yeah, I'm having a not awesome day."
"Anything you want to talk about?"
“Actually…” The wisps of a plan began to form in my brain. “This is going to sound super out of the blue, and possibly crazy, but could I take you to dinner?”
Chris blushed. “That’s not crazy, but I’m afraid—“
“Don’t say no yet,” I rushed to cut him off. If he agreed, I could keep my dads happy while avoiding all the marriage-hungry omegas they’d be inviting to their house. “This is the crazy part: my dads are really set on my settling down and getting mated. And they’re throwing this dinner party where I’ll be on display like brownies in a bakery. They’ve been doing this for a year now. I can’t not go, but I really can’t handle fending off every possible mate and their mother. You would be doing me a huge favor.”
A hint of disappointment crinkled his nose. “Just a favor?”
Well crap, when he put it that way, it sounded really shitty of me. I opened my mouth to rephrase, but he interrupted.
“That I can do. I’m kind of seeing someone,” he explained, and my heart dropped. Of course he wasn’t on the market. A guy as gorgeous as him?
“It’ll probably be an overnight thing, if that works for you? It’s tomorrow night, but I know you don’t normally work Thursday mornings.”
Chris’s nose and eyes crinkled in an adorable smile. “You know my schedule?”
“Oh, shit. It’s not like I’m a stalker or anything,” I protested. “I just come here so often—”
“It’s flattering,” Chris cut me off. Clearly any chance I had of maintaining a suave image had gone out the window in one conversation. “So tell me the details of this favor.”
At least he was still willing to help me, even if it was clear I was crushing hard on him. “My dad’s place is a couple hours out of the city, and their event starts at six, but I like to get there a little late.”
“To avoid the marriage piranhas?”
“Exactly.”
“Sounds good to me. You want to pick me up here? And what time?”
“Yeah, that sounds great. Four-thirty work for you?”
“Perfect.”
We exchanged numbers and I left the café with a brighter outlook than when I’d entered.
“Are you sure you’re not taking me out in the middle of nowhere to kill me and dump my body?” Chris joked about an hour and a half into our drive. I laughed. It did get pretty empty out this way, but that was how these old rich people liked it. Closer into town, some of my dads’ friends lived in this gated community of mansions and it was totally a “see and be seen” location, but out here? They liked their privacy. None of the houses were visible from the road, and if you didn’t know where you were and where you were going, you’d think you were really in th
e middle of nowhere if it weren’t for the well-paved road and closely placed streetlights. I knew we would pass a couple fields with horses, but that and the giant gates guarding each property from unauthorized access were the only signs of habitation.
Until you got off the road.
“Do you ride?” I asked Chris.
“Ride what? Motorcycles? Four wheelers?” He had a cocky, teasing grin.
I laughed again. “Horses.”
“I’ve never had the chance before.” Chris shrugged. “I rode a cow once, though.”
I looked over at him, incredulously. “A cow? Did you have a saddle?”
He burst out in a giant guffaw. “Nah, just bareback. I was a little kid. Maybe nine? Didn’t weigh too much.”
“Was the cow okay with that? How did you lead them?”
“They seemed fine with it. But it wasn’t so much leading as meandering. We just hopped on and went where the cow wanted to take us. Thankfully nothing spooked them. I can’t imagine trying to stay on a cow that was going any faster than a walk.”
I tried to imagine riding a cow at just a walk and my imagination was failing me. “You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?”
Chris shrugged again. “Oh, I don’t know about that. I’m just an ordinary guy with an ordinary childhood.”
Ordinary. I hardly knew what that looked like. My childhood had been full of tutors and riding lessons and violin lessons and martial arts…
We traded stories about growing up and the regulars at Café Om during the last half hour of the drive. Chris seemed to shy away from talking about his parents too much, and it intrigued me, but I didn’t push. As we crossed over a bridge that was my landmark to start looking for my dads’ driveway, I broke off laughing at Chris’s imitation of one of his most annoying customers who loved to say the word “plebian” as she looked down her nose. “We’re almost there,” I said.
And then we were. My dads’ gate wasn’t as ostentatious as some of their neighbors, but it couldn’t help but scream, “money.” Especially since tonight it was manned by two guards checking people against a guest list and three cars that cost at least double the price of my Maserati lined up before us.
I looked over to catch Chris’s mouth drop open before he shut it with a snap. I held back a laugh. I didn’t want him to think I was making fun of him. But if he thought this was impressive, just wait until we got to the house.
The guards waved us inside after recognizing my face and we followed the short, slow line of luxury cars up the winding driveway. I slowed down even more as we approached the curve that would round the tree line and reveal the house.
2
Chris
When Aiden had said “dinner party at my dads’ house outside the city,” in my mind, that meant a large house in the suburbs and a Pinterest-worthy menu. Aiden’s car should’ve told me that it was going to be so much more than that. The vehicle cost more than I made in multiple years. Still, as we drove up to the gate, my mouth fell open. This was no grand home, it was a freaking mansion, complete with a manned check in gate.
Technically, I shouldn’t be here because technically I was dating Will. Or at least getting naked with him on occasion. He hadn’t cared at all when I told him I was going, though, so there was that. I relished in the feeling of being with Aiden as his date, even though it was just for show. I suffered no little guilt for enjoying this so much after crushing on Aiden the way I had been for the past few months, though.
I needed to cut it off with Will. It wasn’t as if we actually liked each other or had a future. We were both just lonely and filled a need. That wasn’t enough anymore. It hadn’t been for a while, if I was honest with myself. I mentally put it on the top of my to-do list.
After we passed the gate, it felt like we drove forever. When I was a kid, it was my job to shovel the drive in the winter and looking at this one made me smile. With all my grunting and whining as a teen, it could’ve been so much worse. Not that they would actually use a shovel here. But it still amused me.
“You alright?” Aiden grabbed my hand, giving it a slight squeeze as we pulled to a stop behind a line of cars waiting for the valet. We were at a house for a dinner party, waiting for a freaking valet. This was so not a part of my world.
“Yeah, I just didn’t quite understand what I was getting into.” Understatement of the year.
“I can make our excuses and we can leave now if you’re uncomfortable.”
I could tell he would, too, which was unbelievably sweet given that the entire evening was designed to help him, something leaving would not do.
“No, no.” I shook my head. “Nothing like that. I’m just worried I will stand out.” Like a sore thumb.
“You will.” He sounded oddly happy about that. What had I gotten myself into?
“Thanks for that,” I mumbled as I tried to remember that I’d never see these people again and it was only one night. One dinner. I could do this.
“Have you not seen yourself?” He turned to me as he pulled forward another spot. I caught myself on the dash with my right hand. I was so graceful at times. “You’ll be the most handsome guy here.”
He sounded serious. Not for the first time that evening, I wished this was a real date. Wished I wasn’t seeing Will. I knew Will saw other people, we weren’t exclusive, nor would we ever be, but that didn’t make me the kind of person who could date around. It just wasn’t how I was built.
“That was so not what I was referring to.” I hurried past the subject before I went further and admitted to him that I found him to be the most handsome in any room. It was true, but some things were best unsaid. Especially during a fake date.
“We’re next in line. How about this? If you feel the need to get a bit of air and away from all things, tell me about the new color you’re going to paint your kitchen.”
“Because all conversations easily segue into painting?” I teased not wanting him to see the emotion his kind but unnecessary offer brought to the surface.
“Because none do, so if you bring it up, I’ll know to get you outta there.”
“Thanks.” I beamed back at him. He was going to make some omega a very good alpha when he decided to settle down. If he decided to, anyway. Maybe he those lifelong bachelors. The time we spent talking in the car had shown me so many more layers of the sexy alpha that already caught my eye, but I didn’t really know him that well. My growing attraction was problematic. He was a customer at my work and possibly a friend. Nothing more. Sad, but true.
“No problem.” He pulled up the final distance. “Here we go. You ready?”
“As I’ll ever be,” I replied, which he took as his cue to open the door and hand the key to the valet, a visual cliché if I ever saw one, complete with red vest. Being a gentleman, Aiden walked around the car and held out a hand for me after opening the door, which I took a little too happily.
“I owe you,” he whispered in my ear, sending a shiver down my spine, before he let my hand go and offered me his arm.
“And I plan to collect when you paint my kitchen,” I teased with a shoulder bump.
The laugh that escaped his lips made the entire evening worth it already and I vowed to make him laugh again before the night was over. Preferably more than once.
As we made our way to the front entrance, I reminded myself once again that this was a pretend date. Who knew. Maybe if I kept repeating it, I could convince my heart that it was true.
3
Aiden
“So what do you do?” my father, the alpha, asked Chris. Chris looked uncertain, so I answered for him.
“Chris is a barista.” I might be lying to my dads by mission, letting them think Chris and I were in a relationship by bringing him here, but I didn’t see the need to complicate it any further by lying. I took Chris’s hand and squeezed it for reassurance.
“Really? Where? At Starbucks? I can never get them to make my cappuccino dry enough. Is there some secret code I need to say
to get it right every time?” Mrs. Gowan’s smile seemed sweet, if you didn’t know her. She had been throwing her oldest and only omega daughter at me relentlessly every time my dads threw one of these things, and I knew my dads couldn’t stand her and her subtly nasty comments, but her husband and daughters almost made up for her nastiness. At least enough to keep getting her invited to parties. I wanted to snap back at her, but I’d never been a match for her sly insults. I was too direct.
But Chris smiled and said, “I’ll be honest with you.” And he leaned in and whispered behind his hand as if sharing a secret. “I can’t stand Starbucks. It’s just so…plebian.”
I nearly snorted into my wine at the echo of his impersonation. But Mrs. Gowan smiled the first real smile I’d ever seen on her face, as if she’d found a kindred spirit.
“I actually work at Café Om,” he continued.
"Oh, that's the new chain that's been popping up, right?" my omega dad chimed in.
"That's the one." Chris nodded.
"I've heard Aiden speak well of it. And aren't they pretty involved in supporting Omegas’ Rights?"
Chris nodded. "We've got a really close relationship with the Omega House charity. A lot of former residents come to work at one of the Café Om locations. Abrar, he's the owner, his brother-in-law is their fundraiser."
"Abrar, Abrar..." my father tapped the table in thought. "Dear, didn't we meet him? At the—"
"—the Metropolitan Gala," my dad finished with my father. "And I think we also met the brother-in-law. Nathan? No, Nevin?"
"Naheed," Chris supplied.
My dad snapped his fingers. "That's the one. Passionate young men. That was, what? A year ago?"
"Hmm, I think closer to a year and a half. The Gala is always that second week in January."
"Ah, right, right. You're not one of the Omega House hires, are you, Chris?"
I flushed as my dads eyed Chris appraisingly. I appreciated that they wanted to make sure of anyone I was in a relationship with, but seriously, that was going too far. And I was pretty sure with Chris's descriptions of his childhood that he hadn't been abused. There was something between him and his parents, but I didn’t think it was anything that ugly. And if he had been, he surely wouldn't want to talk about it in this crowd.
His Pretend Omega: M/M Non-Shifter Alpha/Omega MPREG (Cafe Om Book 2) Page 1
