“Good. Maybe you’ll be able to take a bit of a break. I think your blood is about eighty percent coffee right now.” Lukas leaned over the desk to sneak a peek at the planner.
“’tis a mighty brew that runs through my veins. I think I need to offer a worthy sacrifice to Rufio for making such long evenings possible…” Archer’s voice trailed off.
Lukas took a step back, hands up, “Whoa, Boss, don’t look at me like that. How would you ever survive without my pies and Miss Mulberry stories?”
Archer got a dreamy look in his tired eyes. “Throw me some of those famous fruit tarts, and you’ll be just fine.”
* * *
It was close to midnight when an outline and supply list for the fair were finally ready to be sent to Mr. Yorke.
“Oh, the sweet gods of sleep reach out to me.” Lukas yawned, stretching his arms over his head. He knew he should have napped before he came back in to help with the fair planning.
“No sleeping yet. We have to get this to Mr. Yorke so he can get started on it right away.” Archer stood from his desk, patting Lukas on the back a few times to wake him up. “I just have a few more things I need to do here, and then we can head out.”
“Isn’t your house in the other direction? Don’t worry about it, I’ll drop the plans off with Mr. Yorke and then catch the bus from the bar,” Lukas replied. “I can meet the new help, too. Give my professional opinion.”
Archer put one hand on his desk and turned to face Lukas. “Lukas, I know you grew up in a small town, but surely you know things are very different here in the big city? It is much more dangerous at night for everyone, especially someone like you. Especially now.”
Lukas stretched, thinking for a moment. “I think I’ll be okay. It’s just a short trip, and I’ll be sure not to investigate any seedy alleyways or talk to strangers.”
“Trust me, I really don’t think we should risk that, Lukas,” Archer murmured, turning his back to him.
Conversation over, his body language screamed. Lukas bristled with irritation at the fact that he was brushed off so easily. Archer stacked his papers and put away office supplies before pausing, holding up an envelope that had gotten buried between the documents.
“Oh, by the way, that customer left this for you. Again,” Archer handed over the small envelope with Lukas’ name on it.
“Another one? He’s kind of starting to freak me out,” Lukas murmured.
Archer nodded. “I see him hanging around this area a lot. Still haven’t been able to stall him enough to keep him around until you get back to the counter.”
Sighing, Lukas buried his face in his hands. “You know, it wouldn’t be so bad if he didn’t act so shifty. Always wears that hoodie, never looks up from the ground.”
Archer appeared lost in thought before saying, “He uses a scent blocker too. I hate to suggest it, but he may be an abused omega. Probably just looking for friends since he seems most comfortable around you. My guess is he escaped from his controlling alpha. Doesn’t happen often, but maybe he got lucky. Or maybe he’s just hiding from an alpha he doesn’t like.”
Archer sat down at his desk. He was quiet for a second. “Though, like you said, it is strange. Just keep an eye on him.”
Lukas nodded before stretching his arms above his head and flopping onto the nearby couch.
Archer yawned. “I know you’re worn out, so don’t worry about coming in tomorrow. I’ll open the diner late, and then Sienna and I can handle the dinner rush.”
“You should take the whole day off, too. You’ve worked harder than I have the past few weeks, and Sienna would probably appreciate being able to stay home with Hazel,” Lukas said, worried.
Archer thought for a moment and sighed, “Maybe you’re right, I won’t argue with that. It would be nice to have a mental health day. I’ll post notices on the front door and our website before I leave tonight. Ah, the perks of not being part of a corporate chain.”
Lukas breathed a sigh of relief and pulled out his phone. “I’ll call Sienna and let her know since she should still be up and about. Don’t worry about it.”
A few minutes passed as Lukas and Sienna chatted over the phone. Archer leaned over his desk and took a deep breath, releasing a sigh as Lukas ended the call.
“Thank you. Now, Lukas, I need to talk with you about one last thing.” Archer’s tone suddenly turned serious. “I’m sure you don’t need me to remind you, but I’m going to anyway. You need to reapply your scent blocker before we head out. Don’t take this the wrong way, but I can tell it’s about time. We don’t want to attract any unnecessary attention.”
Lukas tensed up. “I was afraid you might mention that. I know it’s coming, and I was going to go to the quick stop shop near my house to get some more blocker.”
“Lukas, bear with me here, but this one seems different, so scent blockers may not protect you for long. There are just so many people here, so many alphas. You can’t be too careful.” Archer looked outside into the darkness of the streets.
“Did you forget you’re an alpha, too, Boss?” Lukas asked with a frown.
Archer leaned back in his chair and looked at Lukas before crossing his arms and sighing. The look on his face said he knew Lukas’ temper was flaring.
“What I’m saying is that not every alpha has a good moral compass, Lukas. You should stay home as much as possible once this heat hits.”
A moment of silence came between the two men. Archer sighed and asked, “Do you have any scent blocker on hand?”
“Yeah, in my locker. It’s enough to last me for a couple of days,” Lukas replied nervously, walking to his locker in the breakroom and pulling it open.
Archer let out a little tsk. “Alright. Give me a few minutes, and we’ll head out. I need to put a few things away and lock up.”
“Okay,” Lukas replied as he sprayed the scent blocker all over himself, feeling it settle onto his skin with a shudder. He dragged himself out of the breakroom, pulling the door shut behind him. He wandered into the main area of the diner.
The minutes passed too slowly as he waited for his boss. He looked out into the streets, watching the people that walked by the windows of the diner.
He may have seemed calm on the outside, but he was seething on the inside. Why was Archer suddenly treating him like a child? And what did he mean ‘this one seems different’? His heats had been the same for years. Consistent, every three months, and they had never once hindered his everyday life or posed a danger to him.
The longer he sat, the more irritated he got, so Lukas stood, grabbing his apron and phone. He knew his own body better than anyone, that much was for sure. He wasn’t going to stay here and be treated like a damsel in distress. He carefully snuck out of the diner, locking the door behind him.
Standing outside the diner, he took a deep breath before inspecting the area around the restaurant. The number of people who were out and about this late at night still staggered him. Back home, the streets were nearly empty by this time.
He looked up to the sky, disappointed once again when he didn’t see any stars.
“These people don’t know what they’re missing,” he whispered to himself.
As he began walking down the street to the Shattered Gate Bar, he felt himself growing nostalgic. He used to love watching the stars, but since he had moved to Boston five years ago, he hadn’t seen any sign of the twinkling lights at night.
Dodging the scattered people on the sidewalk, he glanced over the fair plans. It seemed like a good lineup. Lots of bands, good food, fireworks, and countless ways to keep cool, just what you’d expect from a fair celebrating the beginning of summer.
He might have loved working in his garden, but he still favored winter over every other season. He remembered when he and his older brother had snuck outside one winter evening, just a couple days before Christmas. Something about finding weird tracks in the snow.
A fresh blanket of snow covered the ground, silencing the alread
y quiet countryside. The breeze was cold, making him all the more appreciative of his warm coat and homemade scarf.
He had thought the world beautiful already and then his brother told him to look at the sky. He remembered gasping at the sight. A full moon lit up the snowfields surrounding them, and thousands upon thousands of twinkling stars filled the dark sky.
He could see the city of Greensboro off in the distance to the southwest, Christmas lights glimmering against the buildings. He collapsed into the snow, eyes still on the sky as his brother joined him. They stayed out in the snow as long as they could, just admiring the stars.
By the time they went back into the house, their ma had noticed they were gone and had given them quite the scolding. Though no matter how angry she was with them for sneaking out in the middle of the night, she still had hot chocolate and dryer-fresh blankets waiting for them.
He might have gotten in trouble, but it was still one of his fondest memories.
He was torn from his thoughts by a sudden noise in the alley he had just passed. He spun around, ready to face whatever monster was about to claw its way out of the alley, only to come face-to-face with a stray dog, its golden fur covered in grime.
“Hey, buddy, what are you doing making all that noise?” he asked before squatting down to pet the dog.
The dog was hopping around like a jackrabbit, tail wagging rapidly, at the sound of a friendly voice. It started sniffing around Lukas’ pocket.
“Oh, you probably smell that jerky from dinner. Here, take it,” Lukas offered the jerky to the dog, who ate it happily.
“Gotta get going, buddy. I can’t stay out here long,” Lukas whispered to the dog, giving it one last pat on the head.
He had taken a few steps down the sidewalk when he heard the tap tap tap of the dog’s nails on the concrete.
“Oh, you’re my best friend now, huh? Fair enough.” Lukas smiled down at the dog.
“You know, I used to have a dog back home years ago. He was a Shepherd mix, a bit bigger than you are. That dog and I used to get into so much trouble,” Lukas said to the dog, reminiscing about his old friend.
They had gone a few blocks when Lukas suddenly felt uneasy. The dog sensed it too, stopping next to him. Amid the people on the sidewalk, Lukas could feel eyes on him, and his gut told him it wasn’t a good kind of appreciation. He walked a bit faster, determined to get to the bar as quickly as possible.
He made it past a few shops before gathering the courage to look behind him. A shadow was tailing him, slowly gaining ground.
“Oh shi–” he gasped as he began to run.
The dog kept up with him, herding him closer to the light of the streetlights. The people scattered on the sidewalk dodged him, trying to avoid whatever commotion was heading their way. He was close to the bar now, just a little farther–
The dog suddenly barked and then Lukas was on the ground, being dragged into a nearby alley. He lay on his stomach, gasping for air, wondering what the hell had just happened to him. He raised his head and saw men’s boots.
“What the hell? How did–” Lukas murmured.
He didn’t have time to register much before the figure grabbed his arm and hauled him to his feet. This close to his attacker, he got a slightly bitter scent. Alpha. An ice-cold fear jolted through his body. No, no, no. Not gonna sit back and take this–
Before he could even finish his thought, the dog was biting the leg of the assailant. Lukas took the opportunity to bite the figure’s hand that had been carelessly put in front of his face.
The figure threw Lukas to the ground in a panic. Lukas jolted as his head hit the brick wall behind him, his hat toppling into the darkness of the alley. He slumped to the ground, his hands rushing up to hold his head.
Lukas’ world was spinning, but his hand had already found its way around the neck of a glass bottle. He grasped it and smashed it against the wall, swiping out at the man as he got close. A red stream flowed down the attacker’s arm.
The man groaned, ignoring his bleeding arm while slowly stalking toward the injured omega. Lukas cringed as warm drops of blood hit his face. The sound of thundering footsteps brought the fight to a stop, the attacker whirling around to face an unknown opponent.
Lukas caught a flash of red throwing the assailant to the ground. He heard people shouting, but couldn’t make out what was being said.
The dog stood protectively in front of Lukas, growling at the stranger. In a flash, the incapacitated man stood and ran, and a couple of people chased after him.
It was over. Lukas knew he was bruised and bleeding. That was definitely gonna smart in the morning. His hand found his old hat and clutched it, and he pulled up his arm to rest it languidly on his knee.
His nose twitched as the stranger stepped closer. Another alpha. Just his luck.
“Stay back. Stay away from me,” he tried to growl at the stranger, sounding much less threatening than he had planned. He scooted to the side, trying to get away from the man, cringing as his shoulder hit a solid pile of stacked crates.
“I won’t hurt you. I just want to get you out of all this garbage and glass,” the stranger said in a husky voice. “Please let me help you.”
Lukas winced as pain shot through his legs. If he decided to run, he wouldn’t get far on his own.
“Fine. Okay.”
Lukas took a deep breath before he felt himself being gently pulled up. He didn’t sense any hostility from this alpha. He took in more of the man’s scent, a heady, intoxicating blend of pine, spices, and…Wait.
He froze at the exact time he heard the alpha take a deep breath. He looked up and saw the alpha’s eyes darken for a split second as if he was in a trance before recovering his senses.
“Come on, bench isn’t far.” The alpha’s voice was rough, breathless.
The man helped Lukas limp to the sidewalk outside the alley, slowly lowered him onto a bench that was haphazardly pushed against the rough brick wall, and stood next to him, arms crossed.
“So what’s an omega like you doing walking the streets at night without some form of protection?” the alpha asked, raising his eyebrow.
Lukas once again leaned his head back against the wall, warily side-eyeing the man, before saying, “The dog protected me, didn’t it? And I got a good bite on that guy’s hand too.”
The man looked amused before replying, “Yeah, it would seem you two are cut from the same cloth.”
Lukas groaned as he averted his gaze.
The man looked elated. “You must be Lukas. Archer called ahead and told us to expect you.”
Lukas looked puzzled before asking, “Us? You and those other people?”
The man shook his head, “I work for Mr. Yorke. Got hired a couple weeks ago. Archer called not long ago and said to keep an eye out for, in his words, ‘an angry little omega with a fighter’s spirit.’ Those other people were just patrons of the bar who heard the commotion.”
The man bent next to Lukas and leaned close to his ear, a low voice slipping from his lips. “He also said you might get in trouble on the way. I didn’t really understand what he meant at first, and then that scent of yours caught my attention. Then it all made sense.”
The silky voice of the alpha so close to him made Lukas shudder, and he felt his cheeks get hot as a low purr followed the stranger’s final word.
Lukas leaned his head back against the wall and watched through half-lidded eyes as the lips of the alpha curled up in a smile. No telling what this guy was thinking if he had picked up on the same thing Lukas had.
Pulling his hat over his unruly hair, Lukas opted to study the man subtly from under the brim as he rested. The alpha stood in the light of a nearby streetlamp, keeping a sharp lookout around them.
He seemed to be in his mid-to-late twenties and had a fierce look about him, but Lukas felt safe around him. The man had shaggy dark red hair, bright silver-blue eyes, pale skin, and a killer smile. He wore the sleek, vintage, black and white uniform the Shattere
d Gate Bar was known for. His rolled-up sleeves revealed intricate tattoos and small scars.
Lukas thought back to his dreams. Great, so I’m a psychic now? Perfect.
Sirens echoed in the distance, ending Lukas’ idle thoughts. After a few seconds, the man turned and offered a hand to Lukas.
“Come on, let’s get you into the bar. We need to get you patched up. That is, if you’ll let me.”
Lukas nodded and took the alpha’s hand. The man carefully put Lukas’ arm over his shoulders and wrapped his arm around Lukas’ waist to support him. He turned his head back to the alley.
“Mimosa, come on, girl!”
The dog ran right up to the man before walking next to Lukas, effectively cutting off any escape if he decided he would rather take his chances on the streets. Oh, this alpha and his dog were quite the team alright.
Not that he would try to walk out on the street by himself again right now. Nah, he was quite content being plastered up against the side of this alpha.
Lukas looked up at the man before asking, “So, who do I have to thank for my heroic rescue?”
The alpha looked surprised before replying, “Oh, uh… Owen. Owen Atkins. Nice to meet you. Though I wish it could have been under better circumstances.”
Lukas laughed quietly.
“Agreed, Oh-uh Owen.”
Owen gave Lukas a look. “Okay, Meep.”
“Meep?”
“Hey, if you’re going to call me Oh-uh Owen, I am within my rights to call you Meep since that’s the first tangible noise you made after that asshat ran off.” Owen grinned.
“Fine. Tonight has been embarrassing enough. Thank you, Owen,” Lukas whispered.
Owen looked down and smiled. “No problem, Lukas.”
Chapter 4
Lukas had never been inside a bar this late at night before. Even with the patrons gone, it was still bustling with energy. He noticed Mr. Yorke behind the bar, showing off those amazing bartender skills he had heard about. He groaned when a dull pain shot through his body. Damn, he could really use a drink right now.
Starry Skies for My Omega Page 3
