by Esme Beal
“If it isn’t? Well then, I’ll just have to get Eunice to get you another pizza.”
“Extra pepperoni!”
The children at the table all cheered right along with her. Their enthusiasm made me laugh harder than I could ever remember laughing. I was so exhausted that I had to excuse myself to take a break.
“There you are.”
Eunice walked up to me with a smile.
“How are you feeling?” she asked.
“I’m doing just fine.”
“You know, you’ve been watching over Amy and taking care of her this whole time. Why don’t you take a break and have a slice for yourself?”
“I’m fine. Really.”
“Well, you can at least have a seat.”
“Yeah… In a little bit.”
Eunice was one of the people who worked at the shelter. The woman had been around longer than most of the volunteers like me. She was blond with a kindness in her eyes that was obvious even if you didn’t know she was a volunteer. It was easy to believe that she enjoyed being here with how much of a good mood she was always in. Being around the children was exhausting but anybody who spent enough time with them was never in a bad mood.
Ashton and Noah stood off to the side of the spacious dining room of the shelter and observed the chaos from afar.
“You two,” I said. “What are you doing way over here? You should be enjoying the celebration with everybody else.”
“We’re enjoying the celebration just fine,” Ashton said. “As long as the guest of honor is having fun, that’s all that matters. How is she doing?”
“See for yourself. Amy’s been stuffing her face with pizza this whole afternoon.”
“Good. Tell her there’s more where that came from if she wants it.”
“With the way she’s eating, I think she definitely wants it.”
I looked over at Noah. He rocked his son back and forth gently in his arms.
“How is little Felix doing?” I asked as I rubbed his cheek softly.
“Sleeping.”
“I’m surprised he’s able to get some sleep with all of this craziness around here.”
“That’s because he was up all night getting all of the craziness out of his system early. Now he’s nothing but tired.”
“You look a little tired, too.”
“That just comes with the territory when you’re a father. An Omega knows no rest, as the old saying goes.”
“But it’s all worth it. Such a cute little baby boy…”
Felix squirmed in his father’s arms but didn’t wake up from his deep slumber.
“Say,” Noah said. “That pizza does look pretty good. What do you think about getting me a slice?”
He raised an eyebrow at his Alpha. Ashton chuckled softly and put his hands up.
“Even after giving birth, an Omega father never loses his appetite,” Ashton sighed. “Excuse me, Spencer.”
Ashton left to deal with the hordes surrounding all of the pizzas on the other side of the room. I moved next to Noah and observed the scene.
“So… How are you doing?” Noah asked.
“I’m doing fine. I’ve been fine ever since we found her. Why are you asking?”
“I’m not talking about Amy.”
“Then what are you talking about?”
“Don’t be coy with me. You know exactly who I’m talking about.”
Noah gave me a smirk that only he could give. I rolled my eyes but it didn’t do much for the heat rushing toward my cheeks. I shook my head to try and hide my embarrassment.
“I repeat, I’m doing fine,” I said.
“And Mr. Marshall.”
“Mr. Marshall is finishing up at the hospital. Just changing out his bandages. He’ll be over here as soon as he can get here.”
“Have you thought about what you’re gonna say to him?”
“Not really…”
That was a lie.
Ever since Amy was rescued, the only other person on my mind besides her was Marshall.
“He solved the case,” Noah said. “I knew Ashton wouldn’t have hired a man that wasn’t capable.”
“Yes, Marshall certainly is capable. That’s why he’s in such high demand. He’ll be leaving Snow Falls soon to go on his next assignment and work for whoever hires him next.”
“I don’t think that’ll be for a long time.”
“What makes you say that?” I said as I raised an eyebrow.
“I know Marshall works in a specialized field. There aren’t too many mercenaries out there with military experience. But I know nobody’s given him the kind of payday that Ashton just did. Marshall can afford to take some time off.”
“True,” I said with a nod. “But that doesn’t mean he’s going to take his time off in Snow Falls. With that kind of cash, he could travel across the globe. All the sights and sounds. He just told me he was on the other side of the world once. I don’t see why he wouldn’t go back.”
“Spencer.”
Noah gave me a look. The kind of look you gave someone when you didn’t want to have to say something.
I shrugged back at him and shook my head.
“What?” I said.
“Are you really just going to let him walk out of your life like that?”
“It’s not really my choice. I worked with Marshall on a case. We were trying to save Amy. Amy’s saved. That’s the end of it.”
“Don’t try to use Amy as an excuse. There could be something more to Marshall and you.”
“There could be. But maybe it’s nothing. Maybe it’s just a fling. Just because you hook up with someone doesn’t mean it’s serious.”
“You never know until you try. A real try…”
I knew Noah wasn’t going to let this go. I couldn’t deny that I’d gotten close to Marshall but Noah made everything sound a lot simpler than it was.
“You and Ashton,” I said. “How did you know it was him?”
“It’s not about knowing. It was a feeling. Ashton and I were destined to be together.”
“But how did you know you had that feeling?”
“Because it’s like nothing I’ve ever felt before. I wouldn’t have gone into heat otherwise.”
“What do you mean?”
“What else could I mean? An Omega will only go into heat when he’s around the Alpha he was fated to. Otherwise, it’s just a fling.”
“Well, I’ve spent all of the past few days around Marshall and I haven’t gone into heat. Frankly, I wouldn’t want him to have that kind of obligation to me.”
“It wouldn’t be an obligation. It would just be what he was meant to do. Think about it. If you let Marshall go away without going into heat, you might never go into heat because he was the one.”
“That wouldn’t be such a bad thing. I mean, I wouldn’t complain. But an Omega not being with the one he was mated with isn’t such a bad thing. You’re only saying that because you found the Alpha you were meant to be with.”
“No.”
“No?”
Noah shook his head. He looked me right in the eye and smiled.
“I’ve been on the other side,” he said. “I’ve felt the same way you do. But now that I know the Alpha I was meant to be with and I’ve had his child… I’m glad that Ashton took a chance on me. I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.”
He looked down at his son in his arms. I couldn’t deny that Felix was special. The bond between an Omega and his child was like nothing else. I wasn’t about to admit that there was a small part of me that was curious about having that.
But that didn’t make it any easier.
“I can’t ask Marshall to stay in Snow Falls to wait and see if I go into heat,” I said. “It wouldn’t be fair to him. That’s his decision to make.”
“If you two were meant to be with each other, it’s nobody’s decision to make.”
Ashton returned with a plate and a couple of slices of pizza on it.
“
Here,” he said as he held up a slice toward Noah. “This should hold you over for a bit.”
Ashton playfully pushed the pizza into Noah’s mouth. Noah chomped on it and laughed as he chewed on it. Then he turned to me and gave me a wink. I rolled my eyes and sighed.
“I’ve been on my feet all day,” I said. “I think I need to take a seat.”
I walked out of the room and away from all of the commotion. I found a chair in the hallway next to the entrance and collapsed onto it. Alone with my thoughts, everything that Noah just said to me lingered in my thoughts.
What if Marshall isn’t the one?
I didn’t have much time to think to myself because of a sudden knock at the door. I got up quickly and opened it.
Marshall stood there looking as proud and handsome as he always did. Denim jeans. Plain t-shirt. And that confident smile on his lips despite slouching a bit.
“Hey,” he said. “I heard there was a pizza party here.”
“Yeah,” I said with a laugh. “You got the right address.”
“Perfect.”
He limped forward and I put my hand out.
“Are you sure you’re okay to walk?” I said. “Shouldn’t you be on crutches?”
“Crutches will just slow down the healing process. I need to get back on my own two feet. It’s almost been a week.”
“Don’t worry. There’s plenty of pizza for you.”
He moved forward slowly.
“Say, Marshall…”
I grabbed his arm and stopped him.
“What is it?”
He raised an eyebrow at me. I thought about it for a second. I didn’t know what it was that was holding me back. Maybe it was just my nerves. Everything Noah said to me made sense but I was still hesitating.
“Spencer? Is something wrong?”
“No. Everything is fine. I just… Can I talk to you for a second?”
“Of course.”
We moved over to the chairs and sat down next to each other.
“You look like you have something heavy on your mind,” he said.
“It’s nothing too serious. It’s just me over-thinking things.”’
“Tell me.”
“It’s just… I know that you came out to Snow Falls to do what you planned on doing. You accomplished the mission. Ashton’s payment is on the way. I’m sure you’ve got something else lined up for yourself.”
“It’ll be a bit before I can take another assignment.”
“Right… I was thinking… Maybe you could stick around in Snow Falls while you’re recovering. Maybe… you could stick around with me… see where it goes.”
Marshall stared at me. If he weren’t so handsome I would’ve been angry that he didn’t say anything. But the kindness I always saw in him was still there. I knew I didn’t have to be ashamed of the way I was feeling now.
“Yeah,” he said with a nod. “Snow Falls seems like a nice place. I wouldn’t mind sticking around to see what it’s like.”
“You wouldn’t have to stay here forever. Just… until you got bored of it.”
He smirked at me. I bit my bottom lip to try not to smile too hard.
“Maybe you could show me around this city,” he said.
“Definitely. I figure after racing around this town, it’d be nice to actually slow down and take everything in.”
“Right now, all I wanna take in is a big slice of pizza. You got the pineapple and anchovies?”
“Wait right here…”
I headed back into the party and searched all of the pizza boxes.
“Where is it?” I muttered.
I found a couple of pizza boxes on the side of the table that nobody had gone near.
“There we are…”
I headed back into the hallway and held the boxes up to Marshall.
“Pineapple and anchovies,” I said. “As requested by the man who solved the case.”
He opened the box up and held the pizza up to his face. He inhaled a deep whiff and his eyes lids fluttered like a junkie desperate for a high.
“That’s the stuff…”
He took a slice and took a chunk out of it between his teeth.
“Give it a try,” he said, his mouth half-full.
“All right…”
I shrugged and took a slice for myself. I took a bite out of it and chewed on it. He stared at me, wide-eyed like a child.
“How is it?” he asked.
“Salty… Sweet… Not bad.”
“I told you!”
“Not my favorite though.”
“All right then. Since you’re eating my favorite, maybe you can show me yours. We’ll start the tour at your favorite pizza place.”
“The tour?”
“The tour of Snow Falls you’re gonna give me. As long as I’m sticking around, right?”
“…Right.”
We smiled at one another. I enjoyed the pizza in the hallway with Marshall. The commotion in the other room seemed distant.
I didn’t know what my future with Marshall was. What I did know was that I was gonna spend as much time with him as I could as long as he was still here. The hard part was over. Now I could just focus on getting to know him better.
Chapter 16
SPENCER
Three days later…
Taking time away from work and the stress of Amy’s abduction finally gave me a chance to exhale. But that didn’t mean there weren’t other things on my mind.
The bittersweet feeling I had spending time with Marshall was something I couldn’t wash away. I savored every moment with him. Showing him around Snow Falls. Having dinner. Playing with some of the young Omegas at the shelter with him.
We never did anything more than that. With Marshall’s leg still recovering from the incident with Hudson, I couldn’t push him. It wouldn’t be fair to him, no matter how much I wanted to be with him.
It was the end of another long night and I headed back to my apartment for the evening with Marshall in tow.
“I am stuffed… Thank you, Spencer.”
He collapsed on my couch. It was somewhat comical to see him so satisfied, full of food and alcohol from a night out on the town.
“I should be thanking you,” I said. “You’re the one who paid for it.”
“Ashton paid me enough money to last me a long time. I wouldn’t have found that place without you.”
“When you’ve been in Snow Falls as long as I have, you eventually find the best places to eat. For me, the restaurants I like going to are the ones that are family-owned. Real mom and pop businesses.”
“I think everyone would agree with you. Food is always good when it’s homemade.”
“It’s more than just the food though…”
I took a seat on the couch next to Marshall.
“…There’s something about knowing that the food isn’t like anywhere else. You go to one place, you know exactly what you’re getting.”
“I’m beginning to find there are a lot of places in Snow Falls like that. I’m glad I’m around for it.”
Another comment about Marshall potentially leaving made my heart sink in my chest.
Stop it, Spencer.
I chuckled softly and shook the thought out of my head.
“Do you want something to drink?” I asked. “I have some beer in the fridge.”
“I think I’ve had enough to drink tonight. After all of that pasta, I don’t think there’s any room for that.”
“With an appetite like yours, I’m surprised there’s no more room.”
I playfully poked him in the stomach. Despite how much he’d eaten, his hard abs were still there underneath the fabric of his shirt. A belly full of food on Marshall didn’t look like a belly full of food for everybody else.
“We’ve been going out every night,” he said. “I think tonight would be nice to just… relax.”
“Right… Relax…”
A silence came between us. I looked at him and smiled, chuckling again
but failing to cover the awkward tension building between us. Marshall smirked back at me like he was waiting for me to say something.
“So…”
I searched for something to say to avoid the awkwardness from getting any worse.
“…We’ve been going out a lot. What do you think of Snow Falls?”
“It’s… an interesting city. Not like any place I’ve ever been to. The people seem friendly. The food is good. The weather is nice. You’d think that a place called Snow Falls there’d be some snow.”
“Wait until the winter,” I said with a laugh. “You’ll be begging for the warm weather around that time.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing it.”
“Winter isn’t for a long time though…”
I looked away from him. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake the thoughts of him leaving. I figured there was no point in trying to dance around it. I had to mention it eventually.
“Marshall… Can I tell you something?”
“What is it? Is something wrong?”
“No, nothing’s wrong. It’s just… I have to be completely honest with you.”
“Oh?”
He sat up straight and raised an eyebrow at me. I had trouble looking at him in the eye, nervously fiddling with my fingers.
How do I put this?
“The other day, I was talking to Noah… I talked to him about what it was like when him and Ashton… When the two of them… knew they were meant to be with each other. He said that an Omega goes into heat when he’s around the Alpha he’s meant to be with. Sometimes it takes a bit but it happens. It’s something neither one of them can control.”
“That’s how it works, from what I know. Some guys in my unit have told me stories about it. Being an Alpha in that situation…”
“What’s it like?”
“They said it’s like nothing else. You can’t control yourself. You just have a one-track mind. Nothing else matters except being with that Omega, your Omega…”
He smiled at me and shrugged.
“Why are you telling me this?” he said.
“I… I know that once you’ve recovered, you’ll probably go back on another assignment. The money Ashton paid you wouldn’t be enough. You have to do what you have to do.”
“Spencer—”
“Hold on,” I said as I put a hand up. “Let me finish.”
