by Esme Beal
OMEGA PROTECTOR:
M/M MPreg Romance
(Snow Falls Omegas Series Book 2)
by ESME BEAL
Copyright © 2018 Esme Beal
All rights reserved.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. All persons appearing on the cover are models and being used for illustrative purposes only.
About the Snow Falls Omegas Series
Omega Protector is a gay non-shifter romance novel featuring two male protagonists. This story contains dominant alphas, loving omegas, and friendly betas, both male and female. Some scenes contain sex, violence, and language that may offend some readers. This book is intended for mature audiences only.
If that sounds like something you’re interested in, enjoy the story!
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Epilogue
Thanks for reading!
Snow Falls Omegas
The Dirge Omegaverse
Chapter 1
MARSHALL
You’d be surprised how busy a bar could be even in the middle of the afternoon. You figured most people would be going about their day at work or taking care of their families, running errands. Stuff like that. But there was always somebody who needed a drink.
Or maybe Snow Falls was just that kinda town.
I sat at the bar and stared at the half-empty glass of whiskey in front of me. The conversations around me were quiet. The television was on mute. There was some music playing in the background but I barely noticed it. It was like I was all alone in this dark, tiny bar.
“You must not be from around here.”
I heard a voice next to me. I didn’t care much for conversation but I could feel them standing there. I slowly turned my head and looked at the man.
Messy gray hair. Face wrinkled and in need of a good shave. Skin tan. Clothes that looked and smelled like they hadn’t been washed in weeks.
“What makes you say that?” I said.
“Oh, where do I start? Maybe it’s the demeanor. Maybe it’s the tattoos. Maybe it’s both.”
“Tattoos? People in this town don’t have tattoos?”
“Sure, they do. But not in this bar.”
“What’s so special about this bar?”
“Look around… Look at all of them. They’re all just winos who are looking for a place to drink. You… You look like you’re here for a reason.”
I looked him up and down. The old man was harmless enough. I couldn’t help but smile and nod.
“Not bad,” I said.
“So… Why are you here?”
“It’s a long story.”
“Oh, I don’t think it’s long. I think you just don’t wanna tell me.”
“Observant as always…”
I took a big gulp of my whiskey and dropped the empty glass down on the table. The old man eyeballed my glass. His tongue stuck out a little like his mouth was watering.
“I know you don’t want my advice,” he said as he shifted his eyes to me. “But I’m gonna give it to you anyway. A useful piece of advice while you’re here in Snow Falls. Especially in the Southern Block.”
“All right,” I sighed. “Let’s hear it.”
“Make sure you don’t get on anybody’s bad side. You never know what people around here are capable of.”
Smart.
I smirked at his suggestion.
“I’ve been watching my back my entire life,” I said. “If anybody is up to something around me, I’ll know it. Trust me. You don’t have to worry about me.”
“I’m not worried about you at all. You look like you can handle yourself. But it never hurts to be an extra step cautious, if you don’t mind me saying.”
He shifted his eyes back toward my empty glass. It was obvious what he was thinking.
I chuckled to myself as I pulled what cash I had out of my pocket.
“Bartender,” I said as I paid for my drink. “Give my friend here whatever he wants.”
The old man’s eyes lit up as he took a seat at the bar.
“You didn’t have to do that,” he said.
“I know. But I wanna make sure not to get on anybody’s bad side.”
I got up from my seat and patted the old man on the back.
“I learn fast,” I said with a wink.
The old man had already stopped paying attention to me, his eyes glazed over as he watched his glass fill up with the liquor he craved.
Where is this guy?
I gave the bar one last look to make sure I didn’t miss him. But with who he was, I was sure he wasn’t in the bar now.
I shook my head and headed toward the entrance.
It was a warm afternoon in Snow Falls but not anything I couldn’t handle. It helped that the sky was clear and the breeze was cool.
I leaned up against the wall and popped a cigarette into my mouth. Just as I held the lighter up to it, I saw a car approaching in the distance. The kind of car that only the man I was expecting would drive.
The black luxury sedan pulled up to the curb. The windows were tinted, so it was hard to tell if there were even passengers outside of the chauffeur.
It took a few seconds before the backseat door opened up. I saw the foot step out, some fancy loafer with patent leather. I worked my eyes up and saw the suit that was attached to the rest of him.
The suit was just as expensive as his shoes. The same went for the watch on his wrist. His skin was tan and his hair was short. Despite how much wealth he looked like he had, he was still young. He exuded a bit of arrogance. When you had as much money as he did, I suppose it was only appropriate.
He straightened his tie and stepped toward me with a smile, his teeth gleaming white.
“Mr. Marshall,” he said.
I pulled the cigarette down from my mouth and packed it away.
“That’d be me,” I said.
“Ashton Webb.”
He held his hand out and I shook it, his grip firm and business-like.
“I won’t waste any more of your time,” he said. “We should discuss this now.”
“All right. There’s plenty of seats in the bar—”
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “This has to remain a secret. The fewer people that know about this, the better.”
“I don’t think the people in this bar care too much about our business.”
“You would think that but you never know. Word gets out and there’s no telling where the information will eventually land.”
He held open the back door of his car for me.
“Please,” he said. “I insist.”
I shrugged and headed in the backseat. The car was a lot more
spacious than I expected. The seats faced each other, so I could look him right in the eye as he talked to me.
“Drive,” Ashton said.
The chauffeur followed his orders. Ashton raised the separator between us and the driver.
“There,” he said. “Now what I’ll be saying will stay between you and me.”
“You don’t have to worry about me telling anybody. I have no interest in this getting out.”
“Then we’re in agreement.”
“You mind telling me what this is all about?”
“Of course.”
He reached into his pocket and then held out a piece of paper to me. I took it and realized that it was a photo.
“Her name is Amy…” he started.
She wasn’t even a teenager. Black hair. Eyes wide and fill with the kind of innocence you’d expect from a child. She had a big smile on her face that would’ve made me do the same if the circumstances were different.
“…She was an orphaned Omega at the shelter I spent my time at.”
“Was an Omega?” I said, raising an eyebrow at him.
“Three days ago, Amy disappeared. We contacted the police as soon as we could. But we didn’t need to. We got a note just a few hours later.”
“What kind of a note?”
Ashton reached back into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. I took it and saw the scribbled ink on the wrinkled paper.
“It’s a ransom,” he said. “They said we had a week to pay it.”
“You’re a rich man. I’m sure this amount isn’t much for you.”
“It’s not. I’ll do everything I can to save that little girl. She’s the priority. It doesn’t matter what it takes. But if she goes missing and I pay the ransom, who’s to say that someone else won’t abduct another child at the shelter? Maybe next time they’ll raise their ransom demands. I have money. That’s not a problem. But that doesn’t mean I’m so willing to give it away, especially to some criminals.”
I nodded in understanding.
“I suppose you have a plan for all of this,” I said.
“I have a plan but it’s up to you whether or not it succeeds.”
“What is it?”
“I was given a week to pay the ransom. Three days have gone by. You have four days to find and locate the girl and her abductor. Do that and I’ll give you the ransom money as a reward.”
“And what happens if I don’t get to her by then?”
“Then I’ll pay the ransom and her abductor will be free to attempt this again.”
I leaned back in my seat and sighed.
“Four days to find a missing girl… That won’t be easy.”’
“You’re not painting the brightest picture.”
“It’s not supposed to be bright. Some asshole is out there in the city and he’s making demands with a little girl’s life at stake. If I’d known that was the case, I would’ve shown up to Snow Falls a lot sooner…”
I let out another sigh as I looked out the window. I watched the streets pass me by. I couldn’t help but notice and destitute this part of the city was. The asphalt was broken and the sidewalks were dirty. Some people on the streets looked like they were just trying to get some shade.
Four days to find a missing girl…
“How did you find me?” I said.
“What?”
“Me,” I said as I turned to him. “How did you get my information?”
“I’m the richest man in the city. I have contacts. I said I needed someone who was capable of this kind of work. Someone outside of the city. Law enforcement is already doing everything they can. It doesn’t hurt to have a few extra hands and eyes on the case.”
“You’re asking a lot of me. I don’t know anything about Snow Falls and I don’t have much of a lead.”
“You’re free to turn down the job if you wish. I’ll get this done with or without you, one way or another. You saw how much the ransom is. I’m compensating you quite well.”
“I don’t need any extra motivation,” I said. “A little girl is out there and she’s in danger. I’m gonna do everything I can to get to her. It’d just be nice if I had a little bit of information.”
“I might have something for you.”
“And what’s that?”
“Rumors are beginning to spread about the abduction. Someone at the papers looked at the police reports and they finally published some information. I think the one responsible for this doesn’t like the amount of attention they’re beginning to draw.”
“And what makes you say that?”
Ashton pulled out his cell phone and held it up to me. I looked at the message and read it.
Try anything and you’ll regret it. You have four days. No payment and say goodbye to her.
“I traced the number,” he said. “Apparently, it belongs to a man who works at a bar right here in the Southern Block. A place called Tsunami.”
“So, you already know who did it then?”
“Not exactly. The police took him in for questioning. He said the phone was stolen.”
“And you believed that?”
“Frankly, I don’t know what to believe. But everything has to be considered. You want my suggestion—”
“Right. I’ll head to Tsunami and start questioning people. I’ll do it tonight when there’s a bigger crowd. Maybe one of them has seen something.”
“Then I take it you’ve accepted the job.”
“You already know the answer to that.”
Ashton gave me a half-smirk and nodded. I’d only just met the guy but he certainly played the part of a multi-millionaire pretty damn well.
“Stay in touch,” he said. “Make sure you update me with any information you get.”
“You need this?”
I held the ransom note and photo to him.
“You keep it,” he said. “I already know what she looks like.”
I gave him a nod then walked over to my ride. Ashton stood by his car the entire time, his hands in his pockets.
“I’m counting on you, Marshall.”
I got on my bike. I gave Ashton a nod then revved my engine.
“I’ll find her.”
Chapter 2
SPENCER
I sat up against the wall and looked out through the window. I lost myself in my thoughts while I watched all of the cars pass by. It was just another day in Snow Falls but it sure didn’t feel like it. There was an anxious feeling in the pit of my stomach that I just couldn’t shake. Nobody could shake the feeling.
“Hey.”
A sudden hand on my shoulder made me jerk my head. I let out a sigh when I saw who it was.
“Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“It’s fine,” I replied. “I guess… I’ve been a little distracted lately.”
“All of us have been distracted lately.”
He took a seat across from me.
Noah was a little rough around the edges. His goatee was thick. His dark hair was a little long. He didn’t look much different from most of the Omega men in this part of Snow Falls. But knowing him personally, Noah was as kind and compassionate as any man you could ever meet.
“Any updates?” I asked.
Noah shook his head. I expected his response just from the look of disappointment on his face.
“The police,” I sighed. “You can’t count on them for anything.”
“Don’t say something like that, Spencer. I’m sure they’re doing the best they can.”
“The police are too busy taking care of business in the West Bay. And when someone comes calling from the Northside, they can’t get there fast enough. The Southern Block… We’re just not a priority down here.”
“You know you don’t mean that.”
“Maybe I do. Maybe I don’t. It sure feels that way though.”
I tried to distract myself with something, anything, to get my mind off of what was happening but there was nothing. I wasn’t comfortab
le in the least. At least Noah was there for me to talk to.
“It’s been three days,” I said. “Three days and absolutely nothing. You know, I cared a lot about—”
“You don’t have to explain it to me,” Noah cut me off. “I’ve seen you work with the people in the shelter. I’ve seen how you go out of your way to take care of them.”
“Sometimes it feels like it’s never enough.”
“It’s not supposed to be enough. You want my advice?”
“Sure.”
Noah got up from his seat and put his hands in his pockets.
“Before I started volunteering here, my life wasn’t very interesting,” he said. “I would work at the restaurant and then when my shift was done, I’d find something to do to pass the time. Most of the time I’d go to the bar and have a drink before relaxing for the night. Then I’d wake up and do it all over again.”
“I think a lot of people are like that. There’s nothing wrong with having a steady routine.”
“Just another man trying to live his life, no matter how ordinary it was. But then I met someone. Some kid who was running around on the streets. Looked like he was lost. Turns out he was just playing but I helped him get back to the shelter anyway.”
“That’s when you decided you wanted to spend more time here.”
“That’s right,” he said with a nod. “I figured I had the time, I might as well do it around people I care about. And you know what’s funny? These people care about me, too. It’s not what I was looking for. I never expected it. But they accepted me.”
Noah gave me a kind smile but I shrugged in confusion.
“What are you saying?” I said as I shook my head.
“They accepted me and they’ve also accepted you. Just because you’ve only been volunteering around here for a few months doesn’t mean we’re not worried about you.”
“But Amy—”
“We’re all worried about Amy. We’re all doing everything we can. I know it’s hard to get your mind off of her. Hell, I’m thinking about her all the time. But it’s not helping if you’re just going to sit around all day and letting the worry eat away at your insides.”
Noah was only telling me the obvious. I should’ve known that. I shook my head in frustration because there was no need for him to have to get through to me.
