by Fel Fern
Saving Rhys
Fel Fern
Contents
Saving Rhys
1. Rhys
2. Nolan
3. Rhys
4. Nolan/ Rhys
5. Nolan
6. Rhys
7. Nolan
8. Rhys
9. Nolan
10. Rhys
11. Nolan/ Rhys
Epilogue
About the Author
Saving Rhys © 2020 by Fel Fern
Book cover design by Cormar Covers
All rights reserved: No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental. All sexually active characters in this work are 18 years of age or older.
Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal.
****
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Saving Rhys
I can’t fall for my best friend’s son…
I always had a thing for Rhys but he’s out-of-bounds. At 40, I should have everything figured out. I’m a retired cop, an Alpha with too much time on his hands. My life is a mess. When the wet and homeless Omega turns up at my doorstep, I offer him a place to stay the night.
Rhys is an unnecessary complication. The longer he stays, I become more convinced he’s mine to keep. Who am I kidding? We both need each other. But sooner or later, Rhys will leave. Being on the road makes him happy. Once that happens, he’ll take my heart along with him. Can I give him a reason to stay?
1
Rhys
My teeth clattered as I raised my fist to the door. Hesitation swamped me. I froze. Unease unfurled in my belly. Cold seeped past my soaked hoodie and jeans.
What I wanted was a hot shower and maybe a warm meal. I didn’t relish going back into the dark streets. I doubt I’d be able to survive another night in a mixed shelter. Sure, there were shelters in town that specially catered to Omegas but they were all booked.
Hence the reason why I was here.
Bolstering my courage, I knocked. I did it a few times but there was no answer. Maybe he was working overtime. Perhaps he went out drinking with his friends. Then again, I remembered my Alpha dad telling me that Nolan wasn’t the most sociable guy in the world.
I glanced at my wristwatch, the only memento I had of my two dead dads. There was a crack right through the middle of the clock face but I could still tell the time.
Close to midnight. Did I have the wrong address after all?
I glanced at the empty corridor, at the peeling paint and wallpaper. The fuzzy carpeting beneath my feet was marked with cigarette marks. It smelled musty here.
A baby began to cry from a couple of units down the hall. I could hear a couple arguing next door. This place was a shithole but it was better than sleeping in a room filled with warm bodies.
What if Nolan had forgotten me?
I knocked again. Frustration festered inside me. The backpack I was carrying—the backpack that contained all of my belongings, weighed like a ton of bricks. I dropped it by my feet.
Exhaustion made me slide to the floor. I pressed my back against the door. Closing my eyes for a few moments, I imagined I was somewhere else. Far away from this wretched and rainy town.
I pictured myself sun tanning on a deserted beach. I was only wearing swimming trunks. Nolan began to walk towards me. He wore a knowing smile on his face.
I let out a laugh. I was being ridiculous.
Hearing the click of a lock, I leaped to my feet. The door opened. Suddenly, I stared into the face of a grumpy and unhappy Alpha. Nolan was exactly how I remembered him.
Huge.
Every inch of Nolan was padded with muscle. Last I heard, he retired from the police force, but it was clear that he kept himself in shape.
He narrowed his eyes at me. I’d always remember his eyes. They were a green so dark they sometimes appeared black under the right light. Nolan was shirtless, only wearing boxers. He was holding a beer in one hand.
At a more appropriate time, my dick would’ve thickened at the sexy sight of the Alpha. Now, I just want to get warm inside his apartment. All six-foot-six of Nolan seemed unhappy to see me. He furrowed his brows, as if he was thinking deep thoughts.
My heart was in my throat. Ever since I was old enough to want someone, I knew it was wrong to desire him. Nolan was my Alpha dad’s best friend. He must be twice my age. I told myself often enough that my silly crush would go away.
It never did.
“Uh, hi. I’m not sure if you remember me, Nolan,” I began. Suddenly this seemed like a bad idea. I haven’t seen Nolan since the funeral. That was two years ago.
“Rhys,” he said huskily. “What are you doing here?”
“I need—” I faltered. I wasn’t exactly sure I knew what I wanted.
“Come inside. You’re soaking wet,” he said, much to my relief.
Nolan ushered me inside. Before I can get another word out, he said, “I’ll get you a towel. Wait right there.”
I set my backpack down. The inside of his apartment looked so much better than the corridor outside. The walls were painted white, making the studio apartment appear larger. His taste in furniture was simple.
Minimalist and light.
The Alpha returned to me, towel in hand. He began to rub me down. I stilled, unable to believe this was happening. Part of me wanted to know where this would lead.
Nolan halted, breathing hard. Disappointment filled me, but I shook it off. Now wasn’t the time to break down in front of him. To my relief, Nolan took a hesitant step backward and I stared at him.
I wasn’t sure what to say next.
“Did something happen?” He asked me.
Nolan ran a hand through his short hair. There were more gray strands than gold in there now, I noticed. He was like fine wine. Nolan was the kind of guy whose looks only got better with age.
“The last time we spoke—” He continued.
“Plenty of stuff had happened since then,” I interrupted. I wasn’t in the mood to talk, not yet. “Can I use your shower?”
There was only one other door in his tiny apartment. I guessed that led to the bathroom. Once I was alone in the bathroom, I could think about my next move. I’d be able to gather my thoughts and decide what I should tell him.
“Wait a damn second,” Nolan said, grabbing my elbow.
It was crazy but his touch sent electric currents up my arm. I pulled away, deciding that it was better to keep a safe distance from him. For now. You arrived on his doorstep like a drowned rat, a nasty voice inside my head said.
Nolan had every right to be worried.
“Rhys, tell me what’s going on.” He insisted. Nolan searched my eyes. “Are you in trouble?”
I liked that he was concerned about me.
Thankfully, I managed to find my tongue. “I need a place to crash for the night. Please.” I added that last word because I couldn’t bear the thought of Nolan tossing me out.
God. I was pathetic but one night was all I needed.
“Of course,” he replied. “Bathroom’s through there. There are additional towels in the cabinet next to the sink.”
“Thank you,” I told him, meaning every word. I was about to touch the door handle when Nolan spoke again.
“You hungry? I can order s
omething.”
I thought about refusing him. Nolan had been generous enough to let me stay here but my stomach rumbled. I couldn’t even remember the last time I ate.
A shower. One meal. One night. Surely, asking for those 3 things wouldn’t hurt.
“Yeah,” I answered. “I can eat.”
“Any particular preference?”
“I’ll let you decide.”
“Anything but Thai, right?”
I froze and looked at him. “You remembered?”
Nolan shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal but it was. My ex-boyfriend Arthur didn’t even know I hated Thai food thanks to a food poisoning incident that happened when I was in high school. To be fair, I had nothing against Thai food. It was my fault for eating my Omega dad’s 3-day leftovers in the fridge.
“Of course. I remember everything about you,” he said in a hoarse voice.
The tension between us tightened like a rope. I swallowed. Like the coward I was, I rushed inside the bathroom and locked the door behind me.
For a split second, I wondered if Nolan would pursue me. He didn’t. Seconds passed and I finally detached myself from the door. His bathroom wasn’t huge. It contained a toilet, a shower, and a sink.
I stood in front of the sink and looked at the full-length mirror. A film of dust covered the glass, telling me Nolan couldn’t care less about his appearance. I used the sleeve of my jacket and wiped the mirror clean.
There. Better.
A stranger looked back at me. I was all skin and bones. There were shadows under my eyes. My dark brown hair had gotten long. I preferred to wear it short but right now it fell to my shoulders. I needed a hair cut but if I had any spare cash, I’ll use it to get a hot meal instead.
God. What must Nolan think of me?
What kind of guy allowed a homeless dude to stay in his apartment? Sure, Nolan knew my Alpha dad his entire life but I was practically a stranger to him.
“Maybe good Samaritans do exist,” I murmured to myself.
I peeled off my wet clothes and wondered if Nolan found me attractive. Earlier, his tone changed. Hunger burned in his not-quite-so-green eyes. Maybe I was imagining things.
My ex-boyfriend certainly didn’t find me desirable. Arthur was a grade-A jerk. He had nothing on an experienced silver fox like Nolan. I pushed Arthur away from my mind.
Finally, I entered the shower. Gosh, the hot water felt good on my skin. I couldn’t remember the last time I experienced such a luxury. I closed my eyes, letting the liquid cleanse my skin. It was Nolan I imagined kissing. Nolan putting his big hands on my body. I imagined an Alpha like Nolan preferred to take control.
I never saw myself as the kind of Omega who let his Alpha order him around but Nolan was different. For him, I’d make an exception. I was letting my imagination get the best out of me. I shouldn’t be fantasizing about my dead Alpha father’s best friend.
I had more important problems, like the fact, each day was a struggle for me to survive. I opened my eyes and placed a hand against the tiled walled. I banished the image of Nolan and me getting hot and heavy.
“Behave around him. Have a good night’s sleep and thank him tomorrow morning,” I told myself.
2
Nolan
“Make that two orders of lemon chicken. One more additional fried rice. That’s right. Thank you.”
I ended the call with Mr. Foo, the owner of my favorite Chinese restaurant. Foo’s Delights was only two blocks away but I didn’t relish going out in the rain and returning with wet bags of food.
If I had to be honest, I already ate dinner but that frozen pizza had been hours ago. I didn’t mind sitting down with Rhys and accompanying him at the dining table.
I moved my gaze to the shut bathroom door. Part of me couldn’t believe that Rhys Matthews was taking a shower in my apartment. He was my dead best friend’s son. Rhys probably came to me because he couldn’t turn to anyone else. Both his dads were gone.
There was one other thing that disturbed me. Rhys refused to answer my questions earlier. I used to work with at-risk Omega youths in the past. Rhys reminded me of them. He was cagey and angry. If I pushed him too much, he would probably take flight.
“He’s a grown adult man.” Saying those words to myself didn’t make me feel any better.
I couldn’t change the facts. I was still two decades older than he was. Wanting him wasn’t right but I couldn’t help myself. When we met at the funeral, Rhys had been 18. Far too young for me. 20 wasn’t any better.
Back then, I helped him make all the necessary funeral arrangements. I told myself I was just looking out for him but I wasn’t being completely selfless. It was just the exact opposite.
Gene talked about Rhys often when he was still alive. Rhys wasn’t like most Omegas. He was headstrong and stubborn. Passionate. He’d wither and rot away if he stayed with an old dog like me.
Where were my thoughts going?
Nowhere good. Rhys was just staying with me for one night. All I could do for now was offer him shelter. That ought to be good enough but it wasn’t. It felt wrong not to pry. If I involved myself any further, I might fall for him a little more. Gene and Phil would dance in their graves.
I was being overdramatic. I should be the responsible one here. I’d be whatever Rhys needed me to be. I’d offer him a bed, food and a listening ear. That was all. I wouldn’t allow myself to cross that line.
I couldn’t.
The doorbell rang. One glance at the wall clock in the living room told me I’ve let myself become lost in my thoughts for nearly half an hour. I paid for the food. I was beginning to bring out the plastic containers when Rhys emerged from the bathroom.
“Food’s here,” I told him, nodding to the containers on the table. “I hope you’re hungry.”
It didn’t help that the first thing I noticed was the fact Rhys was wearing my clothes. He was in my favorite ratty white shirt and my jogging shorts. Both items looked far too big for him.
Unexpected possessiveness speared through my entire body. I decided I liked looking at Rhys in my clothes. Maybe too much. Rhys widened his eyes as he noticed the spread.
“This can feed an entire village,” he said.
“Eat. You’re all skin and bones.” I took a seat at the dining room table.
Rhys reluctantly followed my cue. It struck me that it had been ages since I’ve dined with anyone in my apartment. I wasn’t the most sociable of individuals.
Sure, I have a couple of friends. They were also retired police officers like me, but my place was too small to host our twice-a-month poker games. I didn’t bring dates back to my apartment either. Heck, I didn’t date and I was too old to play games.
“Were you always this demanding?” Rhys asked.
He lifted his chin. Rhys seemed to be expecting an answer from me. It was so tempting to steal a kiss from his pouty little mouth.
I flashed him a smile, which was odd. Smiles weren’t easy for me. I couldn’t quite explain it, but Rhys’ presence lifted my mood—even if he arrived on my doorstep in less than desirable circumstances. I was itching to hear his story but Rhys didn’t seem interested in sharing.
Yet.
“You don’t know me at all,” I finally answered him.
“Yeah but—” Rhys faltered as if he was unsure how to continue.
Under my fluorescent lights, Rhys looked impossibly young and vulnerable in my clothes. This Rhys was a slightly a different version of the angry young man I met at the funeral.
The urge to fist a handful of his long hair and plant a kiss on his mouth arose, but I held myself back. I wasn’t a savage but Rhys hadn’t been here for more than an hour and I was already acting like one.
I noticed the dark shadows under his eyes and the fact that he was underweight. I didn’t manage to peek at his backpack but I was betting it contained all of his valuables. It wasn’t hard to piece together that Rhys was running from something or someone.
“But what?”
I prodded. I lifted my fork and munched on a piece of lemon chicken.
Even from where I was sitting, Rhys’ stomach rumbled. Rhys didn’t eat right away. The Omega knew he couldn’t just ignore me. This was my home and he was a guest. He understood he had to follow my rules.
Good.
“I was about to say that you don’t feel like a stranger,” he whispered.
I frowned but Rhys didn’t elaborate any further. I watched him devour everything on the table. We ate in mindful silence. I recalled the number of times I stopped by Gene’s place. Rhys’ old house. Gene was a private consultant for the police. He wasn’t a cop but he knew everyone from my old precinct.
Even back then, I remembered sitting in the dining room of Gene’s house and looking up the stairs. A couple of times I found Rhys there, sneaking glances at me. I had an inkling of what he thought about me.
I wondered. Did Rhys still have a crush on me?
What did it matter? I swore to myself that I was doing this as a favor to an old friend. A dead friend. Hitting on Rhys when he was in this fragile state would only make me the world’s biggest bastard.
“Thank you for the meal,” Rhys told me afterward. “I can’t remember the last time I ate.”
I looked at him thoughtfully, wondering how I could broach the subject of why he was here. To my surprise, Rhys didn’t require any further coaxing.
“I’ve been living on the streets,” he told me.
“You’re homeless?” I asked, unable to mask my surprise.
Did Rhys just return to town? Had he been here all this time?
If it was the latter, I couldn’t imagine what kind of courage it took for him to come to me. Just thinking about Rhys going to one of the town’s homeless shelters made me shudder.
