Starry Skies for My Omega

by Marianna Forrest

  “I would love to. Stay, that is. Dessert sounds great right now.”

  A smile appeared on Lukas’ flushed face. “So, what’s your favorite treat?”

  Owen instantly stated, “I would swim across the Charles River in the dead of winter for a fresh apple dumpling with a ton of cinnamon.”

  “Well, come on, partner. We have a lot of work to do.” Lukas laughed before motioning for Owen to follow him into the kitchen.

  Chapter 6

  “Don’t you throw that banana. Don’t you do it,” a gruff voice growled.

  “You just watch me,” came a low, challenging voice.

  “No, I’m right behind you! You’ll kill me, and then the evil ones will win,” the first voice pleaded.

  “Sayonara, partner,” the second voice cackled.

  The world seemed to go in slow motion as the banana was dropped onto the road. A pair of drivers on one side of the split-screen hit the peel and spun out of control into a river. Many other pairs sped past to the finish line. Owen looked absolutely devastated as he watched the results play out on the screen.

  Lukas doubled over on the couch, laughing.

  “You came in second; you’re okay,” he said through giggles.

  Owen turned and looked at Lukas in despair. “No, Lukas, I don’t think you understand the gravity of this situation. Look at the smug look on that turtle’s face. Evil has prevailed!”

  “Well, you better stock the bunker, city-slicker.” Lukas tried to catch his breath.

  “I will not hunker down. I will fight!” Owen declared. “Lukas, we’ll fight for the fate of the world. Get your weed killer because you’re going after the weird plant thing while I get the angry turtle. We got this.”

  Owen threw his arm over the back of the couch and looked at the clock on the wall. “It’s a little past two. Do you want to go out for lunch? My treat.”

  It had been four days since Lukas was attacked. He was still sore, and he had eventually had to go get stitches after a wound on his arm opened back up, but he knew he had to get out of the house soon.

  Lukas thought for a moment and nodded. “Hell yeah, where to?”

  Owen smiled and stood, pulling Lukas up with him and grabbing his wallet and keys off the table.

  “You’ll see. I have a suspicious feeling you’ll love it.”

  * * *

  The diner seemed no worse for wear. As Owen helped him out of the car, he saw Archer’s truck and Sienna’s van parked in the employee section. He wondered if they knew he was coming.

  He got his answer when he was immediately spotted by a surprised Archer. Nearby, Sienna and someone he had never seen before were rushing to and fro delivering orders.

  “There he is, the star of the show!” Archer yelled across the diner, causing the customers to smile and look toward the door.

  Lukas cringed a bit before waving at Archer. His head still hurt, and he wasn’t fond of the stares from the customers.

  “Hey, Boss. Glad to be here.” Lukas smiled, gingerly walking behind the counter and clapping Archer on the shoulder.

  “Glad you’re feeling a bit better, Lukas,” came a cheery voice from behind him.

  An older female omega stood there, balancing a tray on one hand and smiling at Lukas. She sported a refined retro uniform that made her blend in with the old-fashioned diner, big hair and all. Her dark skin practically glowed with positive energy, and her smile lit up the room. She stepped forward, giving him a quick hug before looking him up and down, eyeing the stitches in his arm.

  The beautiful woman standing before him was a huge blessing. They had been friends for years before she moved to Boston to be near her parents, and they regularly kept in touch online. She was an angel in disguise, this much he knew, because when he suddenly moved up to Boston with no plan what-so-ever, she helped him out, no questions asked.

  “Hey, Sienna. It’s good to be back. How’s Hazel feeling?” Lukas questioned.

  Sienna looked relieved. “I got her to the doctor and got some medicine in her, so she was finally able to get some sleep. Doctor said it was one of the worst bouts of strep she’d ever seen. How about you? Are you sure you’re feeling good enough to be here?”

  “I’m still sore and bruised, but I’ll go insane if I’m stuck in the house for much longer,” Lukas replied.

  Archer called out to the new guy, motioning him toward a tray full of food that was ready to go out before darting over to the oven to pull out another dish.

  Sienna looked toward Owen. “And who is this? Is this the guy who…?”

  Lukas smiled, looking toward Owen, “Yeah, this is Owen. He’s the one who saved my ass and patched me up.”

  “And thus, his ass was saved. No harm came to it.” Owen grinned.

  Lukas felt his face get hot as Archer laughed and turned to Owen.

  “I have to thank you for getting our favorite little troublemaker out of trouble,” Archer said, shaking Owen’s hand.

  Owen nodded before saying, “He’s definitely a fighter, like you said. He managed to hold off that guy until I got there.”

  He turned to Sienna, bowing. “You have trained him well.”

  Sienna smiled at Owen, giving him a nod before picking up her tray and menus.

  “Damn right, I did. Follow me right this way, boys. We’ll get you the best seat in the house.”

  Owen stretched, exhaling a deep breath as he relaxed. He leaned down to whisper to Lukas, “I’m gonna hit the restroom. I’ll be back in a few.”

  Nodding, Lukas replied, “Don’t take too long. I’ll order for both of us and finish both meals, I promise you.”

  A look of shock crossed Owen’s features before he held a hand to his chest.

  “A man after my own heart. I trust you’ll order only the best.” He winked before walking off in the direction of the restrooms.

  The moment Owen left, the new guy came up to the front of the diner, his gaze flitting between Lukas and the floor. Lukas paused, feeling his nose twitch as he tried to figure out what was wrong with the other man. The man swallowed hard, licking his lips before trying to speak. Poor guy is so nervous. Time to lay on the Southern charm.

  Lukas turned and smiled, holding out his hand. “Hey, don’t believe we’ve met. You a new hire?”

  The stranger seemed shocked at the sudden introduction, but took Lukas’ hand and shook it, his eyes now completely focused on the floor.

  “Y-yes, sir. I’m Aaron Hudson. Started on just a couple days ago. Nice to meet you.”

  “Thought we could use some more help with the fair getting closer. All the colleges have let out for the summer, and he was looking for something part-time whenever school starts back up. This is his first serving job, but he’s a fast learner.” Archer quickly threw together a sandwich for an order.

  “Thank you, sir,” Aaron replied. “I’m still a little nervous, but everyone has been very cordial with me so far.”

  Archer smiled. “So, Aaron, Lukas will only be doing half days for a while once he gets back, but he can show you some tips and tricks while he’s here. After he’s feeling better, he’s going to be making a lot of treats for the Heated Hullabaloo.”

  Sienna chimed in, “Yeah, he’s one of the best cooks I know. The fair will have some pretty amazing food between him, Archer, and Mr. Yorke.”

  Aaron looked up at Lukas, and a small smile formed on his lips. “I’m looking forward to it, sir.”

  Lukas snickered, “You don’t have to call me ‘sir.’ We’re around the same age, I’m sure.”

  A look of shock crossed Aaron’s face. “Sorry, sometimes it just slips out. My mee-maw was strict on manners like that.”

  “Hey, Aaron, got another order for you, let’s hop to it!” Archer called from behind the counter.

  Aaron rushed over, waving to Lukas and Sienna as they walked to the booths at the back of the diner.

  “He seems like a good kid. Hard worker, at the very least, and he seemed very happy to meet you, too
. Toughest thing has been making sure he takes his eyes off the ground every now and then,” Sienna giggled.

  “Here’s hoping he works out well for the diner. It’s been getting a bit too crazy around here for my liking.” Lukas gazed back at the counter, catching the eyes of Aaron, who waved to the pair with a smile.

  * * *

  “…and if you want to be a super server, you make friends with your regulars. Archer comes up with all sorts of new dishes, so learn what they like and make recommendations for the new selections based on that info. Trust me.” Lukas took a bite of his sandwich as Aaron laid out menus on a nearby table.

  “You seem close with a lot of the people here,” Aaron replied.

  Lukas paused, raising an eyebrow. What’s with that face? He looks… sad? Irritated, maybe?

  “Yeah, a lot of good people frequent this place, and it’s always fun when Mrs. Xian brings her three kiddos in.” Lukas laughed to himself as he remembered Mei and Jin tackling him to the floor.

  Lukas thought for a moment before saying in a sinister voice, “There is one lady you have to watch out for though.”

  Owen’s gaze shot across the table to Lukas as Aaron took a step back. It was as if they felt the very air around Lukas change.

  “W-who would that be?” Aaron stuttered.

  Lukas faked a shudder and looked Aaron in the eyes. At that moment, as if planned, the door to the diner opened, and a sing-song voice pierced the air.

  “Lukas!”

  Aaron saw Lukas cringe and turn around in his seat. Within a moment, Lukas was wrapped in a hug by a deceptively firm grip.

  A woman’s voice rang out, “Lukas, I’m so glad you’re back! Are you okay, sweetie? I was so worried about you. We all were.”

  A muffled groan came from Lukas. “I’m fine, Ms. Newman. It’s good to see you too.”

  Archer watched with amusement from the counter.

  Lukas thought for a moment. “Wait. We?”

  As the minutes passed, more customers came trickling into the diner and came over to talk to Lukas, checking up on him since he hadn’t been at the diner for a few days.

  Owen smiled, watching the number of people around their booth grow, “Well, I’ll be damned. You have your own fan club, Lukas. Means there’s more competition now.” He smiled gently, taking a long sip of his soda.

  A few giggles came from the crowd. Owen looked toward Ms. Newman and was shocked by her expression.

  “Lukas, you found someone you like?” Ms. Newman shifted her gaze back toward Lukas.

  A pleasant pink hue covered Lukas’ cheeks as he looked across the table toward Owen, “I’m sure you heard what happened from Archer. This is Owen. He’s the one who saved me and fixed me up.”

  Ms. Newman looked positively pleased with the situation, clapping her hands together and smiling. “You done good, Owen. This diner just isn’t the same without our little Lukas.”

  Murmurs of agreement came from the other customers crowding the area around the booth. Owen looked a bit sheepish as he scratched the back of his head and smiled.

  Suddenly, there was a clatter across the diner. Gazes flitted to the front, where Aaron had suddenly dropped a tray of glasses on the counter, causing a number to tip and fall to the floor.

  Lukas yelled out, “Don’t try to–!”

  His warning came too late. Aaron dove to catch a few of the stray glasses before they shattered. A yelp came from the crouched figure.

  Lukas jumped up from the booth and rushed over to help as Archer’s voice echoed across the diner, “What happened? Everyone okay?”

  Aaron looked positively mortified. Lukas squatted next to him, catching the sharp metallic scent of blood. Lukas looked down and saw a gash across Aaron’s palm and fingers.

  “Hey, don’t worry about it, Aaron. I can patch this up easy,” Lukas whispered to the newbie.

  Lukas carefully took Aaron’s hand, holding it flat to survey the damage. He leaned closer to his injured co-worker, and saw the man tense up. Shocks ran through his body as he felt Aaron’s rough hand grasp his wrist.

  “I appreciate it, but you don’t have to worry about me. I’ve dealt with bad cuts like this before.” Aaron furrowed his brow.

  “Hush. I’m not about to let you bleed out on the floor,” Lukas said forcefully.

  Lukas looked up, feeling Aaron’s eyes burning into him. They were a startling amber color, warm and inviting to most, but something in them made Lukas’ gut twist.

  Danger. Wait, danger? Why is he–?

  Aaron was quiet for a moment before a light flush flashed across his face. He tilted his lips up in a soft smile, taking in a deep breath.

  “You’re too kind for your own good,” Aaron spoke quietly, almost as if he were talking to himself.

  Lukas helped Aaron to his feet, lightly patting the taller man’s back. I’m freaking out over nothing.

  * * *

  Eventually, the lunch crowd thinned, and Sienna and Aaron got to slow down a bit. Archer decided to go ahead and send Aaron home for the day, closing the back door behind him as he walked out into the parking lot.

  Owen leaned closer to Lukas, showing him something on his phone before raising his head to yell to Sienna. The two had really become fast friends within the past hour. The waitress was taking it upon herself to torment Owen every now and then from the other side of the diner.

  Lukas idly glanced out the window for a moment and saw Aaron freeze mid-step, staring back at the pair. His face was sad, almost. The other man tensed for a moment before turning and powerwalking out of sight.

  Lukas tilted his head. What was that all about? He was startled as Sienna came over to sit on the opposite side of their booth.

  Sienna studied the couple for a moment before saying, “We’ve really missed you here, Lukas. I know it’s crazy with the fair and all, but you should stay home if you’re still hurting.”

  Lukas chuckled, “Don’t worry about me, Sienna. You’ve got enough to worry about with Hazel, you don’t have to add me to the list. Besides, I have Doctor Atkins here.”

  Owen, who was sipping his soda, nodded and tried to smile without spilling his drink.

  Nodding, Sienna seemed a bit lost in thought.

  “Lukas, you should go check in with Archer. He’s been wanting to talk over some fair things with you.”

  “Will do. I’ll be right back,” Lukas replied, wiggling out of the booth. He knew what was coming. Sienna did with every alpha that was around him for long periods of time, a bit of a scare-tactic that she used to filter out the bad apples.

  Left alone with Sienna, he heard Owen begin to speak, “So, how long have you been workin–”

  He was cut off mid-sentence by Sienna, who motioned for him to be quiet for a moment.

  “Listen, you seem like a really nice guy. I can tell Lukas adores you. But you should know he’s been through a lot of shit, so I’m only going to say this once.”

  Sienna leaned closer and lowered her voice.

  “I’m a woman who’s normally made of sunshine and rainbows, but if you hurt him… well, did you know it only takes a few bags of lime?”

  Owen gulped before asking, “For what?”

  Sienna put her elbows on the table, leaning onto them while threading her fingers together under her chin before whispering, “To dispose of common filth, of course.”

  With this, her eyes shot up to make contact with Owen’s.

  A cold ball of dread settled in Owen’s stomach before he nodded.

  “I understand.”

  Sienna beamed, once again returning to her caring mom attitude.

  “Good. You take good care of our boy, okay? He’s a breath of fresh air in this city, and he needs someone to protect and cherish him.”

  Looking delighted, Owen agreed, “I will guard him against all harm. I promise.”

  Lukas felt his cheeks warm up as a stupid smile flashed across his face.

  As more customers trickled in, Sienna stood, “I’
m holding you to that promise. It was nice meeting you, Owen. Take care and make sure Lukas rests properly. Bruised just isn’t the right color for him.”

  Owen waved her off before sighing and looking down at his soda. He twirled the straw around in the drink for a moment before he tensed. Lukas felt his own body stiffen. Seeing Owen freeze made him nervous.

  Lukas raised his eyes and looked around, trying to center in on whatever made Owen tense. His eyes darted from table to table, eventually trailing to the windows. A young man in a dark red hoodie with a large tear on the arm stood outside across the small parking lot of the diner smoking.

  Goosebumps prickled across his skin as a cold terror ran through his body.

  “Archer, he’s back,” Lukas whispered, grabbing Archer’s sleeve as he leaned over the counter.

  “Weird, he didn’t order anything today on the phone,” Archer mumbled, flipping through an order pad.

  “No, Archer, that’s the guy that–!” Lukas panicked, suddenly feeling heat start to replace the fear he had felt moments earlier.

  Archer inhaled sharply. “Lukas, you need to get back to Owen and stay with him. Now.”

  Lukas felt scorching fire running through his veins as he realized what was about to happen. He stood, trying to get back to the booth where Owen sat, but he suddenly tensed up as every scent in the diner became ten times stronger. Then, shocks ran through his body, as if a bolt of lightning had just struck him.

  He froze, balancing his weight on the back of a nearby chair. Owen rushed over to the frozen omega, steadying him with his own body. Lukas looked up, trying to keep his eyes on the stranger, finding that Owen was doing the same. He whimpered when he saw that the stranger had extinguished his cigarette and was walking toward the front entrance of the diner.

  “Archer, we have to go. Now,” Owen whispered.

  Archer nodded. “I know, go out the back!”

  At his side, Lukas trembled, and Owen’s attention immediately shot to him. Lukas simply turned his head and buried it in Owen’s side, breathing raggedly. Within a moment, Archer was directing Owen, Lukas, and Sienna into the breakroom. He gave Sienna a knowing look and began walking over to the front door. Owen’s arm tightened around Lukas’ waist, half-carrying, half-dragging the omega to safety.