Lukas took Owen’s hand in his, shifting closer to the alpha.
“Yeah, if not for Owen here, it would have been a lot worse.” Lukas shuddered, burying one side of his face against the alpha’s warm shoulder.
Andre stood from the couch, shaking Owen’s free hand.
“Good on ya, boy. Thank you for protecting Lukas from that piece of shi–”
Dahlia shot a look at her husband, cutting off his sentence.
Andre flinched, clearing his throat. “I mean… that piece of crap.”
Dahlia nodded, smiling at Owen before her gaze drifted to Lukas.
“And I do have to thank you for those meals you sent. Lord knows I love this man to death, but our kitchen would be burnt to cinders if I left him alone in there,” Dahlia cackled and Andre looked sheepish.
“It’s the truth. I consider myself lucky that I have been blessed with a wonderful wife who is a master in the ways of the skillet.” Andre put his hand over his heart and bowed to Dahlia, smiling.
“Ah, stand down, you old gollumpus. You already get three square meals a day. Don’t have to suck up to me anymore,” Dahlia snickered, kissing Andre’s cheek. “And I meant to tell you, Lukas, Sienna and Hazel are gonna be stopping by too. We’re all gonna help you clean up, and we’re not gonna take no for an answer.”
Before Lukas could say anything, a little girl’s voice pierced the room.
“Lukas? Are you home!?”
“Told you. Can’t say no because they’re already here.” Dahlia grinned impishly.
“Hazel, be careful of the glass!” Sienna’s concerned voice boomed from the hallway.
Lukas chuckled before a flash of purple and pink ran through the living room and jumped into his arms, knocking him back into Owen’s chest. Owen instinctively wrapped his arms around Lukas and the newcomer, steadying them so they wouldn’t fall.
“Oh, critical hit!” Lukas groaned as the little girl in his arms laughed.
Sienna came around the corner and giggled at the sight.
“Hazel, sweetie, you gotta be a bit more careful with him. He had a rough night last night.” Sienna glanced over Lukas’ shoulder.
The little girl looked a bit guilty and climbed down before looking up at Owen in confusion.
“Well, look at you, Hazel. Is that a new dress?” Lukas asked, crouching down to the girl’s level.
“Yep, Eliseo made it for me. Isn’t it pretty?”
The girl twirled around with a smile, flaring out the pleated skirt and showing off the matching shorts and gold bracelet.
Lukas gasped, smiling at the little fashionista.
“Absolutely beautiful. Eliseo really outdid himself this time.”
Sienna made a noise of agreement from the corner of the entryway, smoothing down the back of the dress as Hazel stopped twirling.
“He’s very talented. I’m surprised he hasn’t opened his own shop yet. I’m sure he would do very well.”
“Actually, he’s planning on setting up a booth at the Heated Hullabaloo, so maybe that will get his name out there,” Lukas replied, standing up and intertwining his fingers with Owen’s.
The girl escaped her mother’s hold and looked positively shocked at the person who was holding hands with her friend. She looked the alpha dead in the eye, probably studying him for any weaknesses before grinning from ear to ear.
“You’re new. What’s your name?” she asked. “I’m Hazel. Hazel Adgate.”
“Well, hello, little princess. I’m Owen. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Owen smiled, crouching down to Hazel’s level.
“He’s my knight in shining armor, Hazel, so you better be nice to him.” Lukas ruffled the girl’s hair, earning a giggle.
“You have pictures on your arms. Did you draw those yourself?” the girl questioned, spying Owen’s tattoos.
Owen opened his mouth to respond but didn’t get to utter a word before Hazel continued on her roll.
“And these marks. Mama said those are called scars?” Hazel looked over to her mom, and the woman nodded. “Yeah, scars! Did you get them protecting Lukas from scary things? What did you save him from? Was it big? Was it–”
Sienna scooped up the girl mid-sentence, earning a squeal.
“Hazel, calm down, sweetie. One question at a time. Why don’t you go check on Papaw and Mammy? They should still be in the living room.”
Hazel ran to her grandparents and Miss Mulberry as Sienna walked over to Lukas and Owen.
“So, you seem like you’re feeling a lot better, Lukas.”
Sienna winked as Owen pulled Lukas close in a side hug, kissing his hair.
“Yeah, Owen took good care of me.” A dark flush decorated Lukas’ cheeks as he spoke.
Sienna let out a small sigh, crossing her arms, before smiling.
“Yeah, judging by that mark, you won’t ever have to worry about going through your heats alone again.”
Lukas’ hand shot up to his neck, fingers trailing the bite mark, before ducking his head.
A quiet snicker slipped from Sienna’s mouth as Hazel came back over to the group.
“Hey, are you going to come to my birthday party, Lukas? And you’re invited now too, Mr. Owen, because Lukas really seems to like you, so you must be a good person!”
Lukas reeled. He had almost forgotten about the little girl’s upcoming birthday with everything that had been going on.
Crouching down to the little girl’s level, Lukas smiled brightly, disguising his moment of forgetfulness.
“Of course, Hazel. I wouldn’t miss your party for the world! Tell me what kind of cake do you want this year?”
“Strawberry! With bright pink icing and lots of sprinkles! It’s gonna be a mermaid party, so there’s gonna be lots of seashells and water, and I’m gonna be the mermaid princess!” Hazel trembled with happiness.
Suddenly, she froze, eyes locked on the crook of Lukas’ shoulder.
“Are you okay? What’s wrong with your shoulder? Do we need to go to the doctor?” Hazel asked, cocking her head.
Sienna stepped in, putting her hand on Hazel’s back and steering her to the hallway before Lukas could answer.
“Oookay, it’s clean up time! Who’s ready to clean!?”
“But Mama, what if Lukas needs to go to the doctor? We can take him to that one we went to when I was sick. She was really nice.”
“Lukas is fine, sweetie. Trust me. This is just something that eventually happens to every omega.”
“Even you, mama?”
“Even me, sweetpea.” Sienna carefully pulled back her blouse, exposing the faded scar on the crook of her shoulder, showing the young girl her mark.
Sienna reached into the closet and grabbed a small broom and dustpan, ready to sweep up all the glass on the floor.
Andre stepped into the hallway, saying, “Hazel, sweetpea, can you please go check on Mammy? I’m going to help with the cleaning down here, and she may get lonely sitting all by herself on that couch.”
“Okay, Papaw.” The little girl scampered off as Lukas and Owen filed into the hallway.
“I almost forgot about her party. I’m such a horrible adoptive uncle,” Lukas lamented, whispering to Sienna.
“Don’t worry about it, Lukas. You’ve been through a lot in the past week. And I know you volunteered to bake a lot of stuff for the fair, so if you’re not up to baking her cake this year, I can make something. Don’t strain yourself, you doof,” Sienna whispered.
“I’ll help with anything I can,” Owen suddenly chimed in. “After all, we’re a team now.”
Andre chuckled nearby. “Yeah, I guess you are. Can’t say no to a face like that, Lukas.”
Lukas looked at Owen’s face and was shocked to see his alpha giving him puppy eyes.
“You’re right, how can I refuse?” Lukas grinned, wrapping his arms around Owen. “All right. Now, let’s get to cleaning. We have a lot to get done.”
* * *
As the sun began to set over Boston, th
e house was filled with the comforting scent of hearty food and baked goods. Lukas wiped the sweat from his forehead and let out a sigh, opening the small window in his kitchen to help cool the room down.
He leaned against the windowsill to rest for a moment, listening to all the people moving around in his house, each and every one chatting and joking. It reminded him of the holidays when he was younger.
Over the course of the day, a few neighbors had come and gone, helping out and spreading goodwill. It was a real sense of community that Lukas hadn’t been expecting. He focused on plating the food he had been slaving over for the past two hours, setting up the table as a little thank you for his friends and neighbors.
He was so caught up in his plating that he almost didn’t notice a small hand creep over the side of the counter, reaching for a homemade doughnut.
“And just who dares to steal the treasure of Doughboro?” Lukas asked in a menacing voice, peeking over the counter. He expected to see Hazel, but he had to hold back a laugh when he saw Archer crouched on the floor next to her, looking guilty. Just when did he sneak in?
“Quick, our cover has been blown, H-2935! Abort, abort!” Archer yelled as he picked up Hazel and ran for the living room. Lukas noticed, too late, that the girl had grabbed three of the doughnuts from the plate, giggling the entire time.
“Ye shall be cursed! A monumental sugar high ye shall have!” Lukas yelled after the pair, laughing as he returned to setting the table. He began to think about the events of the day when it hit him. A full house, good food, good company, lots of shenanigans. He was seeing his dream again, only this time, he was awake. He was sure of it.
A voice startled him from his thoughts. Owen had stepped into the kitchen and wrapped his arms around Lukas from behind. As he rested his head on the omega’s shoulder, he sighed.
“Long day. Gonna sleep like a rock tonight,” Owen whispered.
Lukas snickered.
“You can’t sleep yet. I have to fatten you up first.” Lukas motioned to the meal set out on the table. “Go wash up. Spread the word that it is time for sustenance.”
“Yes, sir.” Owen smiled, pressing a kiss to Lukas’ cheek before unwinding his arms and heading upstairs.
Smiling to himself, he looked back over the small, worn book lying open on the counter. It was his mom’s old recipe binder, filled with every recipe he had loved growing up. He flipped carefully through the pages, fingers trailing across the doodles she had drawn.
The sound of approaching voices and laughter prompted him to close the binder, and he placed it on a nearby bookshelf before everyone seated themselves at his small dining table. It was almost comical seeing so many people trying to cram themselves around such a small table, but nobody seemed to mind.
As Lukas sat at the table, the world around him seemed to fade out. His gaze shifted to Owen, who was sitting across the table between Hazel and Andre. His alpha looked so handsome with that goofy smile, and his laugh was infectious. He was a presence that filled the entire room. Lukas could practically feel the cartoon heart pounding out of his chest, and he wouldn’t have had it any other way.
Chapter 12
“Can’t believe I let myself be talked into this. Haven’t been to a bar in ages,” Sienna muttered under her breath, hiding a smile.
“Come on, even moms have to unwind, girl! Take a load off. Your parents have Hazel for the evening, and I won’t be drinking, so you two can go wild if you want,” Archer clapped a hand on the woman’s shoulder, talking over the music and chatter of the bar.
Lukas was nervous about being back in the bar. Though the warm glow of the stained glass lights above the tables was inviting, he looked about warily. He didn’t feel any eyes on him like last time, and if someone did look his way, they quickly became disinterested. He idly ran his hand over the healing bite mark on the crook of his shoulder.
Archer pushed Lukas forward toward a table near the bar, waiting to catch sight of the redheaded alpha. “Just have a drink and enjoy yourselves. My treat.”
“You sure we won’t be bothering him?”
“Lukas, let me let you in on a little secret.” Archer threw his arm across Lukas’ shoulders, sighing dramatically. “Owen adores you, and I know if I had a partner that I absolutely adored, I would love to see them whether we were at work, in town, at home, or wherever.”
Sienna removed her jacket and draped it over the back of her chair. A waitress dropped off three menus and took drink orders before rushing off to other tables.
“Yeah, don’t worry so much, Lukas. Just have a drink and relax.”
Lukas trembled slightly. “Easier said than done.”
Sighing, Sienna laced her fingers together and placed her hands on the table.
“Lukas, think about that mark on your shoulder. If anyone comes over here to try anything, they will become the very definition of stupidity, especially since Owen’s scent is heavy around here.”
“Well, speak of the devil,” Archer mumbled.
Lukas followed Archer’s eyes to the door to the kitchen. Owen was approaching the bar, his steps hurried.
“Oh, come on! Let’s move over to the barstools. We’ll sneak attack him,” Sienna whispered excitedly, dragging Lukas along.
“You kids have fun. I’ll just stay back here and be the guardian of the coats,” Archer called after them, leaning back in his chair and looking over the menu.
Climbing up onto a couple of free barstools, Lukas and Sienna watched as Owen gathered many glasses and bartender tools, ready to put on a show of skill. He hadn’t noticed the pair at the end of the bar yet, and with an act of flair, he began juggling bottles and glasses effortlessly.
Lukas watched the show with awe. Every time it seemed like a bottle was going to crash to the floor, Owen was there to snatch it midair before sending it on its way again. This way and that way, low and high, the bottles went on a magnificent trip before reaching their destinations. Glasses rolled along his arms before they were tossed behind his back, ending up balanced on his shoulders before they were back in the air. They finally made a safe landing on the bar to be filled with perfect shots.
Every person witnessing this amazing feat of wizardry was starstruck. Mr. Yorke stood nearby, arms crossed and smiling, clearly proud of his apprentice. The man carefully snuck over to Owen, whispering something in his ear before motioning toward where Lukas and Sienna were sitting.
Owen finally noticed Lukas, and his eyes lit up. Lukas turned to his left and was about to smile at Sienna, but he found himself grinning like an idiot at an empty barstool. He spun around and looked back at the table where the traitor was sitting, giving him a thumbs up with a smile.
Lukas turned around just in time to come face to face with Owen. The alpha planted a chaste kiss on Lukas’ cheek before taking his hands.
“Babe, I’m so glad you’re here! Did you see? I thought for sure I was going to mess that up, but everyone seemed to love it!”
“I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. You were incredible! Guess all that training in Vegas is gonna make you a big star here,” Lukas said.
Looking back to where Owen had been standing, he noticed that Mr. Yorke had taken over bar duty. When he noticed Lukas staring at him, he motioned to Owen with a smile and nodded at Lukas.
Owen stretched, groaning a bit.
“That means it’s break time. I would say we could go over and sit with Archer and Sienna, but…”
One gaze over to the table showed that Archer and Sienna had found a few old friends. They were chattering quietly, sharing drinks, appetizers, and mindless banter.
Owen reached behind him and took a bottle of Lukas’ favorite drink down from the shelf, showing it to Mr. Yorke before grabbing a glass and walking out from behind the bar.
“That’s fine, though. Means we can hang out in the quiet of the breakroom. I know how tense you are being back here, and I know you don’t like crowds like this.”
Wrapping his arm around Luk
as’ waist, Owen led him back to the cozy room. Sitting down on a familiar couch, Lukas noticed that Mimosa’s bed in the corner was distinctly lacking said lump of golden fur.
“Mimosa is still at the apartment. I couldn’t roll her out of bed today. Really, I couldn’t. Miss Mulberry was sleeping on top of Mimosa.” Owen chuckled, setting the bottle and glass down on the low table in front of the couch. “Think it’s safe to say they get along well.”
Pouring a small glass for Lukas, Owen wrapped his arm around the omega, leaning into his warm body with a contented sigh.
“You know, it wasn’t my plan. Becoming a bartender. It just sort of happened.”
“Like everything else on this crazy ride of life, right?” Lukas hummed, downing the drink in one go. He winced as the burning liquid hit his tongue, shuddering as he felt the warmth settle in his stomach. “So, how did you end up in the business?”
Owen made a small sound in the back of his throat, and silence filled the room. His arm squeezed Lukas a little bit tighter.
“My dad was a drunk. A mean one. That’s why everyone was so surprised when I went into the bartending business. I figured if I could learn more about the trade, I could teach others and help them be more responsible with their indulgences.”
Lukas snaked his arms around Owen’s form, leaning into him.
“Thankfully, he didn’t stick around long, but it was tough,” Owen continued.
Lukas furrowed his brow. He’d always hated seeing people drunk and disorderly back home and was always thankful that those close to him never walked down that path.
“Mr. Yorke was actually the one who trained me before I left for Vegas. If not for him, I wouldn’t have lasted a day in those bars. He’s been more of a father to me than that stumbling asshat ever was.”
Owen leaned back on the couch, smiling up at the ceiling in a daze, no doubt reliving the good memories he had of growing up around Mr. Yorke.
“What about your mom?”
“Cripes, Mom. She was lucky. Dad ran off pretty quickly, but I know it wasn’t easy on her being a single mom. She moved in with a friend of hers who lived in Norwood after I left for Vegas. She was always rough around the edges, but she was good to me and did her best to spoil me once in a while.”
Starry Skies for My Omega Page 11
