He felt Owen tense up at his side. He looked up at the alpha and followed his line of sight. There were two rough-looking alphas in the corner of the bar. They looked like they had been ready to leave until they caught sight of the pair entering.
Mr. Yorke noticed the concern in Owen’s eyes and quickly pointed them to the breakroom, staring down the alphas as they sat at their table.
Within moments, Lukas found himself on a surprisingly comfy couch. Owen walked over to a small cabinet near some lockers and grabbed some first aid supplies.
Lukas took a second to study the room. It was much bigger than the breakroom back at the diner, and a lot more posh with its classic furniture, colors, and dimmed lights. Most of the furniture looked to be antique. Many different signs and posters hung on the walls, all relics of a bygone era.
He had to hand it to Mr. Yorke, the man knew how to decorate.
Lukas’ eyes trailed back toward the door they had come through. “Should we be worried about those other…?”
“Nah, he may look calm and collected all the time, but Mr. Yorke can be a champion heavyweight when he wants to. Trust me, I’ve known him for years, and I’ve seen him throw people twice his size to the ground with ease.” Owen laughed, clearly fond of whatever memory he was talking about.
Lukas laughed quietly. “Remind me not to get on his bad side.”
“Oh, you should see him when he’s really pissed off. I watched him stare an unruly alpha into submission pretty recently.” Owen chuckled before placing the supplies on the table in front of the couch. “Now, let’s take a look at you.”
Lukas motioned to his arms, left leg, and back as he tilted his head up. “I hit the wall pretty hard when I was thrown. Had a bit of trouble focusing my vision for a few minutes.”
Owen looked concerned. “You could have a concussion. I have to stop the bleeding before I can check. Just don’t fall asleep while I’m patching you up. Do whatever you have to to stay awake. It would be a shame if I had to tell Archer your last words were ‘wow this is a nice couch.’”
“Okay, Doctor Atkins. I’ll keep talking until the cows come home so I don’t die on Mr. Yorke’s couch,” Lukas replied as he pulled his tattered shirt over his head and tossed it onto the back of the couch.
“The real question is, where have the cows gone?” Owen asked with a grin.
“Damn those pesky cows. They go to more parties than I do,” Lukas replied, a small smile tugging at his lips.
Owen chuckled and set to work cleaning Lukas’ wounds and stopping the bleeding as Lukas began telling stories about the diner and the fair plans.
“…there’s going to be lots of bands playing at the venue. To be honest, I’m really excited! I’ve never been to an outdoor music event before.” Lukas spoke quickly, shuddering as the cold, alcohol-soaked rag burned the cuts on his arms.
“…and there’s supposed to be a giant, inflatable water slide and slip-and-slides and all sorts of things to go along with the rides.” Lukas grinned.
Owen grunted in acknowledgment as he wrapped the gashes on Lukas’ arms and leg. Lukas noticed the man’s gaze linger on his arms as he tried to sit still. He might not have looked it, but there was definitely taut muscle hidden beneath that old, ragged clothing he had brought from Bellcrest. So why the hell couldn’t I fight that guy off myself?
“I’m glad you’re so excited about it. I’m sure Archer told you a lot about it, and let me say, it’s definitely worth all the hype,” Owen said.
“So, you’ve lived, breathed, and experienced this fair? You a local?” Lukas asked.
Owen nodded. “Yeah, born and raised in Boston, but went out to Vegas for a few years. Practiced my trade there and came back here to work with Sheldon. He’s an old family friend who needed some help around here, so I obliged.”
Lukas was quiet for a moment, wincing as Owen pressed the rag onto a particularly deep cut on his shoulder. He tried to focus on the dog sleeping near the couch.
“So, Mimosa?” Lukas asked with a slight smile. The dog poked her head up at the mention of her name.
Owen chuckled. “Yeah, I brought her with me from Vegas. Someone had dumped her near the bar I was working at. Mimosas were very popular in that bar, and it just seemed right.”
“She’s a good dog.” Lukas smiled before turning his head to look over his shoulder at Owen, trembling when a dull pain shot up his back and neck.
“Yeah, she’s a loyal beastie. The best there ever was. Now, let’s get your face patched up, and you’ll be good to go,” Owen said.
Owen stood and moved around to the other side of Lukas and sat down. Lukas’ gaze was focused on his wrapped hands. He flexed his fingers every so often to get used to the stiff movement.
“Alright, let’s see,” Owen murmured, taking the rag and soaking it before holding it up toward Lukas’ face. Lukas tilted his head up so Owen could clean the cuts.
Lukas saw Owen’s eyes widen as the alpha’s breath hitched. Owen’s gaze burned into his skin, almost as if the poor guy had just noticed how he looked. He felt goosebumps prickle across his body. The scent from before drifted around them both, a thick cloud of raw sensuality.
“Is everything okay, Owen? Is it that bad?” Lukas asked, ducking his head slightly and averting his eyes.
“Yeah. I mean, no! Damn, let me start over. No, it’s not bad, and yeah, everything’s okay. Just ignore me. I mean, you’re–” Owen stuttered, his voice trailing off.
Lukas raised his eyes, feeling his heart hammer against his chest as he saw the fire in Owen’s eyes. It was an intoxicating gaze, and he felt drawn into it. He had wandered so close to the lion’s den without an alpha or even an alpha’s mark to protect him, and now here he was. Just him and this fascinating, fiery, maybe even foolhardy, alpha.
Calm down. Calm down.
“Don’t worry. Everything looks good so far. This is gonna sting pretty bad.” Owen soaked the rag in some more alcohol before carefully curling his fingers under Lukas’ chin and tilting his head back up. Damn this alpha and his magic touch.
“This one may leave a mark. You don’t seem like the type to worry about a few scars, but it’s a shame…” Owen murmured. “…if I had just been a bit faster, you wouldn’t have had to worry about scarring.”
Lukas whimpered and tensed when Owen pressed the rag onto a deep cut on his jawline.
“Listen, I know it hurts, but you have to keep pressure on it while I grab some butterfly bandages. If it starts bleeding again, we might have to get you some professional stitches.”
“Can do, Doctor Atkins,” Lukas quipped before reaching up to take the rag from Owen. Their hands brushed for a moment, causing Lukas to jerk back.
Owen gave him a look, followed by a smile. “You’re breaking my heart. I hope I’m not that repulsive,” he joked before covering the smaller cuts on Lukas’ face.
“No. No, it’s just… I’m not used to– … a lot has happened tonight, and you’re–” Lukas trailed off. He felt his face getting warm.
“I know. I’m the big, scary alpha who picked you up off the street while you were vulnerable. Trust me, I know. You don’t have to worry. I know you haven’t known me for long, but I’m not like that one on the street, I promise you,” Owen whispered, raising his eyes to look into Lukas’.
Lukas felt goosebumps rising on his skin as he locked eyes with Owen. Shivers ran across his body as every part of him hummed with energy. Owen’s fingers lightly touching his face left behind a searing heat as he got lost in those steely eyes. Uh-oh.
The tension was broken when an impossibly loud knock came on the door of the bar. Lukas realized he had leaned a bit closer to Owen and quickly shrunk back into the couch, averting his eyes.
“Is everything all right in there, Owen? Is your friend okay? May I come in?” came a voice from outside.
Lukas looked down at the couch before closing his eyes and shivering.
Owen looked disappointed for a split second and then re
lieved. “Is it all right if he comes in?”
Lukas nodded before Owen replied, “Yes, sir. Everything is alright now. Please, come in.”
The door opened with a creak as Mr. Yorke stepped in, closing it behind him.
“I went ahead and closed the bar a bit early, so you can stay back here as long as you need to, boys,” Mr. Yorke said. He walked over and put his hands on the back of the couch, balancing his weight on it.
Lukas looked concerned. “You’ll lose out on a lot of money doing that, Mr. Yorke. Are you sure?”
“Bah, there are a hundred other places where they can go get drunk for a night. Frankly, I’m more concerned about people like you that need help,” Mr. Yorke replied.
“I really appreciate it, sir.” Lukas’ voice was low and humble.
“So what happened out there? I saw numerous people run out and then you came waltzing in with poor Lukas slung across your shoulder!” Mr. Yorke exclaimed, glancing at Owen before pausing on Lukas.
“Surely you noticed that almost every person who ran out was an alpha?” Owen asked in a quiet tone.
Mr. Yorke sat down at his nearby desk. “Ah, yes, that makes sense. In most cases, I would supply some scent blocker. However, at the speed those alphas ran out of here, I’d say that…”
Owen nodded. “Yeah. Won’t do much good now.”
Lukas looked weary before removing the rag from his jaw and letting Owen plaster some butterfly bandages over the wound.
“Archer was telling me the same thing before I left, saying that… well, that this one is different. Also said I should stay home when it finally hits. I’ve been here for five years, and he’s never said anything about my scent until tonight. I wonder what changed?”
Lukas saw Owen tense as he heard those words.
Mr. Yorke took a breath before saying, “Lad, that means your scent is just becoming stronger than whatever is in those blockers. As Archer already said, it will be very dangerous for you to go out when your next heat hits.”
“But what’s so dangerous about this heat?” Lukas asked.
“In short, you’re experiencing something rare. Means you caught a special scent of something or someone, and your body is responding in kind. In a city this large, it’s always hard to determine where you came into contact with that scent,” Mr. Yorke continued. “But when your next heat does hit, if an alpha catches scent of you, and they aren’t strong enough to control themselves, they’d enter into a frenzy, and you wouldn’t be able to stop them. Rather, your own body wouldn’t let you.”
Lukas heard Owen make a noise at the back of his throat quietly before he turned his attention back to Lukas’ wrist.
It made sense now. Lukas didn’t have to guess what had triggered this reaction in his body. His mind was racing as he leaned sideways against the back of the couch. Earlier, he had thought he didn’t need to be rescued, that he could take care of himself. Proven wrong, he wavered.
Give in. Be a good little omega. A strong alpha is so close. He’ll take care of you. Lose yourself in his scent, his embrace. Take it all in.
No. He wasn’t going to give in. He could handle this himself. So it would be a bit rougher than his last heats, no biggie. He just needed more supplies since he would be home the entire time.
After a moment, Mr. Yorke sighed and stood.
“Just be careful, lad. Now, I’ll let Owen finish patching you up. You look like you’re about to pass out on that couch. I’ll get you two something to eat.” Mr. Yorke headed back to the now empty bar.
Owen carefully re-wrapped a spot on Lukas’ wrist. “You good?”
“Yeah, thank you,” Lukas replied with a yawn.
Owen looked worried before whispering, “Don’t you dare fall asleep. I still have to make sure you don’t have a concussion.”
“Might have to slap me around a little bit, Doctor Atkins. This couch is mighty comfortable,” Lukas said quietly with a sleepy smile. “Just know, I might fight back.”
Owen chuckled, nodding before saying, “Oh, trust me, I saw first-hand the kind of damage you can do.”
A slow smile tugged at Owen’s lips. “Get it?”
Lukas thought back to what Owen said before sighing and dipping his head down. His hand slowly covered his face before moving down to his mouth.
“Noooo, you did not just–” A quiet snicker escaped from behind Lukas’ hand.
Owen threw his arm over the back of the couch, smiling.
They heard the door open once again, and Mr. Yorke said, “I’ll be cleaning up out here until you two are ready to go. Just shut off the lights as you come out, Owen.”
“Alright, Boss,” Owen replied before looking back at Lukas. “Right. Let’s get you finished up. Stay seated here and follow the light with your eyes, okay?”
Owen took out a small flashlight from the first aid kit and crouched in front of Lukas. He concentrated carefully while he shined it into Lukas’ eyes before putting it away and slowly moving his finger across Lukas’ field of vision. Lukas forced himself to focus on the finger instead of the man behind it.
“Okay, looking good. Now go ahead and try to stand up. Use me for support if you need to,” Owen stood up and offered an arm to Lukas.
Lukas stood, legs shaking a bit from sitting on them, and promptly grabbed Owen’s shoulder to steady himself. He felt an arm reach around to support his waist.
“Damn it,” Lukas whispered, voice laced with pain.
Owen held Lukas. “I’ll let Mr. Yorke know to call Archer and tell him you won’t be in tomorrow.”
“No need. We already agreed we’re all taking a day off tomorrow. I just need to get home and rest,” Lukas replied, eyes half-lidded.
“Then I’m taking you home. No way I’m going to let you ride a cramped bus in your condition,” Owen replied before helping Lukas sit on the couch again.
“I’ll let Mr. Yorke know we’re ready to go. If you give me the outline and supply list, I’ll put them on his desk, and we can head out.”
Lukas felt a cold chill all over his body.
“I was holding them when I was… ah shit…” Lukas’ voice trailed off.
“Probably long gone by now.” Owen sat next to Lukas. “It’s nothing. We can get Archer to print out another copy later.”
“Yeah, that should be fine,” Lukas replied with relief in his voice.
Owen leaned his head against the back of the couch, taking in a deep breath and staring at the ceiling for a few seconds before standing.
“Let’s get you home. It’s already past one. Come on.”
Lukas stood, supported once more by Owen, and they walked out to the bar where Mr. Yorke was waiting. After telling the man about the outline and supply list, they left the bar and walked to Owen’s car.
Within a few minutes, they were on the street, Lukas in the front seat, and Mimosa in the back. Owen noticed that Lukas was still fighting sleep.
“You can sleep now if you need to. You’ve checked out of the Shattered Gate Hospital with a clean bill of health.”
Lukas yawned. “You’ve already done a lot for me tonight. If I fall asleep in this car, I won’t wake up for a good ten hours, probably more. You’ll have to carry me up the stairs to my room once we get to my place.”
Owen chuckled before going silent. A stoplight changed to red, and he pulled to a stop. The chatter of the people in the crosswalk ahead of them filled the silence. Nearby, another driver revved their engine, waiting for the moment the light turned green.
Owen rolled up the windows, blocking out the noises of the city. “I hope I didn’t scare you too much in that alley.”
Lukas was shocked. Usually, alphas didn’t care much about the effect their presence had on others. They were large and in charge and wanted everyone to know that.
“Honestly, I was terrified at first, but I think your scent really helped. Once I calmed down, I realized something. It was familiar, you see,” Lukas replied, thankful the darkness of the car hid his flu
shed face.
Owen sighed. “I think a few alphas in this town have really made a bad name for all of us.”
The rest of the ride was silent. It wasn’t long before they pulled up in front of Lukas’ home.
Owen came around and opened the door for Lukas, offering his hand.
Making their way to the steps, Lukas suddenly spoke up. “Hey, hang on, I need to say a few things before you go.”
They sat down on the front steps, looking out at the buildings and cars in silence, while Lukas gathered his thoughts.
“Words can’t express how thankful I am to you, Owen. From the day I moved here, I was so worried that everybody would be lookin’ out for number one. I never thought I’d find such kindness here. Thank you for provin’ me wrong.” Lukas’ Southern drawl was apparent, each word dripping with sincerity.
“You’re welcome. I just wish we could have met in a situation that didn’t involve you getting hurt like that,” Owen replied quietly.
Owen seemed nervous, unsure of what to say. A moment of silence passed.
“Can we trade numbers? I need to be able to contact you about the fair,” Owen said. “…but I wouldn’t mind having your number so I can talk with you outside of fair planning.” Owen smiled softly.
Lukas tensed before his body heated up. He scooted closer and leaned into Owen’s side.
Numbers traded, Owen stood up, bringing Lukas up with him.
“Thank you again, Owen. I’ll be in touch.” Lukas shakily stood. “I’ll get that copy of the plans to you and Mr. Yorke as soon as possible,” he said, hand on the doorknob.
Owen smiled before replying, “I better not see you out and about tomorrow. You need to rest, first and foremost. If you need anything, please call me. In fact, call me for any reason.”
“At ease, Doctor Atkins. I feel like I could sleep for days right now.” Lukas laughed.
“Is it all right if I swing by tomorrow before work to check on you?” Owen asked.
Lukas looked surprised and then smiled. “I would like that very much.”
“Good. I’ll be by around six tomorrow evening. Sleep well, Lukas,” Owen replied in a soft tone.
“Goodnight, Owen. Be safe heading home,” Lukas whispered. He watched Owen walk back to his car and drive off before stepping inside and closing the door behind him.
Starry Skies for My Omega Page 4
