Forget Me Not, My Dear Omega

by Marianna Forrest

  He struggled to imagine himself being a tease. Would he be like Eliseo with his casual touch? His silky-voice banter? Or would he be like that couple down in the streets, all tangled up, hot and heavy, and hopelessly enamored?

  He shuddered and felt Takahama and Akiko squirm on his shoulder in response. He closed the window and stepped lightly across the living room. He eyed the calendar and realized just how behind schedule he was. He eased the birds into their cage before sitting down at his desk.

  “Don’t have time for all that. Gotta finish these arrangements for Valentine’s Day,” he muttered to himself.

  Another hour of sleep lost. Sound seemed to grow more intense as he relaxed into the bed. Maybe Boston never really got quiet, like the outskirts of Atlanta, after all. Just as he began losing focus, he heard voices, whispers, and moans.

  He cracked his eyes open and stared into the darkness. Great. Now he definitely wasn’t going to get any sleep for a while.

  “Thin-ass walls.”

  Colton grabbed his phone off the nightstand and flicked on the lamp. He scrolled through old emails and looked at a particular one for what seemed to be the hundredth time. It still didn’t seem real to him that everything had worked out so well with this job.

  “This is an automatic confirmation from the Hughes Center of Agricultural Research. An evaluation for Colton McGuire is scheduled on February 3rd at 3:30pm in the Carson wing. Please remember to bring your I.D. and–”

  Colton jumped as he heard a loud moan.

  “Shit, these hotels are for the birds." Colton groaned and turned over onto his side. He missed his old house back in Georgia, where the only noise he had to worry about was the neighborhood dogs.

  Thankfully, his evaluation wasn’t for a few days. He would have to buy some earplugs if he wanted to have any hope of sleeping while he was here.

  “At least I’ll be out of here by Valentine’s Day,” he muttered to himself.

  He cringed at the thought of staying in a cheap hotel on Valentine’s Day. How bad was it for the cleaning staff the day after? He shuddered as he quickly closed his email and scrolled through the rest of his text messages and tried to ignore the people in the room next to him.

  “Spam, Cyrus, Lukas, spamerooni, sp–”

  He cut himself off as he spied Owen’s number at the top of his list. What the hell was he doing up so late? He quickly opened the message, eager to have someone to talk to since he wasn’t going to be sleeping any time soon.

  “Things have finally calmed down in here. Wish you could have stayed longer, but I know you’re probably worn out after your flight. We should go out for lunch sometime before your job keeps you tied up. Lukas says he loves you and that you should stop by the house when we all get settled in.”

  Owen. Maybe they should plan for lunch sooner rather than later. He needed answers, and Owen seemed like the perfect guy to ask.

  Colton’s fingers worked quickly as he typed a text message back. He was hoping to catch Owen before he went to sleep and ask him to meet as soon as possible. He was delighted when Owen agreed to meet the next day.

  Wait, tomorrow? Shouldn’t he stay with Lukas in the hospital? He typed out his questions and sent the text before he mentally slapped himself.

  Of course, they’d be home tomorrow. It was something amazing in the biology of omegas. They healed much faster than alphas and betas did. Not even the top scientists could figure out the why or how.

  The most widely believed theory was that omegas had naturally higher body temperatures due to their clockwork heats, which helped wounds heal faster. It was along the lines of the knowledge that keeping a wound covered and warm would help it close faster. It was evolution at its finest.

  Ah, hell. I’m rambling. Ain’t nobody hearing this whole scientific debate in my head. Colton tensed, suddenly paranoid. Or is there?

  He snickered and flopped back onto the mattress. A ding on his phone let him know that Owen had texted back. He was probably calling him an idiot, but he had texted back, nonetheless.

  “Yep, I know I’m an idiot." He smiled at the phone and read the text. “Meeting tomorrow, on the 2nd. Got it.”

  Now, he was meeting Owen for lunch tomorrow. He might get some answers, for sure. His ears twitched as he realized the room next door was finally silent. He internally cheered, switched off the light, and dove under the covers again. Maybe now he could–

  The muffled squeaks of the bed once again tore him from his bliss.

  “Oh, for fu–” he grumbled. Why did he have to get a room right next to these two stamina-drivers?

  He was irritated. Irritated, tired, wound-up, and nervous. Way too many emotions, but not enough Colton.

  “I’m gonna need so much coffee tomorrow,” he groaned.

  Sawyer lifted his head and almost fell out of his chair when he saw it was nearly two in the morning. Time had gotten away from him as he lost himself in the arrangements. There were so many different myths and meanings; it was overwhelming sometimes.

  These little flowers could very well be compared to people. Soft, delicate petals, each a different story. Sharp thorns, different scars. Everyone had a flower that suited them most, and assigning them to people was one of his greatest joys.

  Lukas would probably be a sunflower, Sawyer mused. A bright flower that is known and loved by all. Yep. Definitely Lukas. It was as Sienna always said, Lukas is a breath of fresh air in the city streets.

  Sienna. She would definitely be a gladiolus.

  “Strength, faithfulness, honor." He grinned as he remembered Kieran, her late husband. That man had been her everything. When he passed away after the accident, she had really pulled herself together to make sure Hazel was taken care of, no matter how hard it had been. She was an admirable woman, for sure.

  “Definitely a gerbera for Eliseo. Cheerful little bastard.” He giggled.

  His thoughts wandered to Colton. What flower would he be? He sighed. Probably nothing. Alphas didn’t care about that sort of stuff.

  He stopped himself. Every time they met, Sawyer smelled a faint hint of plants on the alpha. It was an earthy, simple scent, but hugely different from the smell of the city streets. What if Colton did care? He didn’t know the alpha as well as everyone else.

  He’s different.

  His nose twitched. He would be a…

  Seek him out! You need him!

  “It doesn’t matter. He’ll settle in here, get into his new job, maybe find a nice omega that doesn’t…Yeah, one that treats him well. He deserves it.”

  The man was attractive. That much he would admit. He was kind and not afraid to show vulnerability. Surely, he’d find someone. Sawyer felt a pang of sadness in his chest and cursed. Why was it so difficult to imagine that Colton might find another omega?

  Yours. Your alpha!

  Sawyer gritted his teeth, and accidentally knocked some things off his desk as he stood suddenly. Takahama voiced his displeasure at being woken up by squawking loudly. Sawyer sunk back down into his chair, folded his arms in front of him, and rested his head, suddenly exhausted.

  Damn it all, he couldn’t continue like this. His omega voice had never been this annoying. What should he do?

  Then, it hit him. Lukas and Owen, they were fated. He remembered how out of it Lukas had been for a few weeks before everything suddenly fell into place.

  Sawyer pulled out his phone and sent a quick message to Lukas. He was probably already asleep, but he would see it in the morning. For now, he needed to rest. His shop was due to open in about six hours.

  His phone dinged, causing him to jump. Damn, Lukas was fast.

  “So, we’ll meet sometime on Wednesday,” he muttered to himself. “Good. Shop will be closed that day. We’ll take a couple hours to talk things over and then I can head back to the shop to catch up on work.”

  He yawned, then carefully closed the door to the birdcage and flicked off the lights as he headed to his bedroom. Not that he thought he’d actually be a
ble to sleep. There was just too much on his mind tonight. He had to talk to Lukas. He needed answers.

  Chapter 4

  Colton groaned. I knew I should have eaten before I left the hotel.

  Yep, he really messed up this time. How could he have been so foolish?

  He had followed Owen to a small mom-and-pop grocery hidden down a small side road. It reminded him of the old shops back home. The only thing missing was the mechanical horse that usually sat outside.

  He couldn’t help but notice the way Owen strategically steered them away from the deli as soon as they entered. His mouth watered at the smell of savory chicken drifting across the store as they stepped through the well-kempt aisle. His brother had married a demon, he was sure of it.

  “Owennn,” Colton mumbled. “I need fooood.”

  “Hey, I warned you I had to run some errands." Owen grinned and tossed some fresh vegetables into a bag.

  “Errands can mean anything,” Colton mumbled.

  “Exactly!" Owen laughed. “You’re a big boy, you’ll be fine until lunch.”

  Colton’s stomach grumbled loudly.

  “You’re right, I am a big boy. And big boys need lots of food. I think, at this point, I would sell you for a cup of popcorn chicken.”

  Owen sighed. He studied some tomatoes before throwing them into a bag and idly mumbling, “Fine. You can have one candy bar, but only one. It’ll rot your teeth if you’re not careful.”

  Colton snickered as Owen slowly realized what he had said. Owen’s eyes widened.

  “Oh, God, I sound like an overbearing dad already. I’ve only been a dad for four days!”

  “Imagine what it’ll be like when she’s older. I can picture it now, you’ll be that dad that’ll stand on the front porch with a shotgun on prom night.” Colton laughed.

  “First off, it would be a pistol. Second, don’t laugh, it’s like a virus. It spreads quickly once you hold them in your arms for the first time! I can’t help it.”

  Colton cocked his invisible shotgun with a smirk.

  “Put that thing away or so help me." Owen swatted at Colton’s hands and chuckled.

  The beeps of the registers and the clash of the carts filled the comfortable silence between the two alphas. Colton stretched and groaned at the enticing scent of the dried meats hanging nearby.

  Owen’s voice broke him from his strife. “So, what did you want to talk about anyway?”

  Colton shifted and sighed. How the hell was he going to bring this up gracefully? He inhaled sharply as they passed the small flower section and snapped his head toward the store's small area. His face flushed for a second before he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

  Smooth, Colton. Real smooth.

  “Look, Colton, I get it. We all have different things that make us tick, but flowers?” Owen grinned widely. Oh, you teasing bastard. Colton opened his mouth to retort but forced himself to pause. He needed serious answers, not joke fodder.

  Colton pursed his lips and focused on the floor.

  “How did you feel when you first met my brother?” Colton asked quietly.

  Owen paused, surprised by the suddenly serious look on Colton’s face.

  “That depends on what you mean by met. I met him before I ever saw him,” Owen said.

  “How does that work?” Colton asked.

  “When we were planning for the Heated Hullabaloo last year, his boss, Archer, corresponded with my boss, Sheldon. For a few days, the scent Archer brought in just…”

  Owen sighed, thinking.

  “I’d known Archer for years and knew his scent. It was something different. Lukas’ scent. Lukas is just…home. Before I met him, it was work, shower, relax, eat, sleep. And then it was just…”

  Owen gestured with his arms to mimic an explosion.

  “Everything became more colorful, everything seemed easier. It was sweet and simple, complicated, and scary, but everything fell into place. It felt right, like, you start to think, ‘If I ever got him into my arms, I would never let him go. I would cherish him and protect him and love him with all my might.’”

  Owen smiled, and his eyes were lost in a dreamy haze.

  “In short, you know the moment you touch them. The moment you see them in danger. The moment their scent hits you harder than you ever thought it could. You just know.”

  Colton stared, stunned. He buried his face in his hands and felt heat rise on his neck and ears.

  “So, do you understand?” Owen asked.

  “Yeah.”

  But did he? He thought back on what Owen had said. Love is strange. Sweet and simple, but complicated and scary? What the hell?

  “Then you know what you should do,” Owen said in a serious tone. “Just a little bit of dad wisdom for you.”

  Colton groaned. “I will.”

  “When?”

  “Soon.”

  Owen turned, failing to hide his obvious displeasure by scowling at nearby cucumbers, before his eyes lit up.

  “Once we’re out of here, I have a couple more places to stop. We’ll pick up some dinner, head home to Lukas and Abi, and discuss it further. Deal?”

  “Mexican food?”

  “Yeah, I think Lukas can work with that.” Owen grinned.

  “Deal.”

  “You know, those grocery stores and their million pinpad questions…I wish they would stop asking me if I want cash back. I mean, what if I want a taco back? Why do they never ask that?” Colton murmured as he rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck.

  “There aren’t enough tacos in the world to satisfy you,” Owen joked.

  The streets of Boston bustled with activity. Colton dodged the oncoming pedestrians—a mass of hair, backpacks, and cell phones. His arms felt heavy as if he had carried tons of groceries across Boston. Oh wait, he had. Damn it, Owen.

  “I need, like, fifty tacos after that workout,” Colton groaned. “What compelled you to walk to the store instead of driving? Better yet, why didn’t we take the bus home?”

  Owen huffed and smirked. “Colt, listen. We are big, strong alphas. We have to stay in top form to protect our own. Nothing will stand in our way, not even groceries.”

  “Okay, what’s the real reason?”

  “Just felt like making you suffer. Like a true brother-in-law.”

  “I’m never going shopping with you again." Colton sighed. “I won’t survive another trip like that.”

  “I hope you can dig into that well of strength and power through it. We still have a couple places to visit, and I’d rather not drag your body across Boston. Not sure how I’d explain that one to the cops." Owen grinned and clapped Colton on the shoulder.

  “I don’t know,” Colton sighed.

  “Come on, just one more place, and then we’ll find some grub. One place, then food. I promise.”

  “I might not make it. I’m pretty fragile. Weak from hunger and all that." Colton smirked.

  Owen motioned to a nearby shop. “Look, we’re already here. I believe in you.”

  “It’s so far. I can’t take another step." Colton leaned against a nearby wall and fanned himself.

  “Would you do it for a Scooby Snack?” Owen chuckled.

  “A Scooby Snack? Roh, boy.”

  Colton snickered as he followed Owen into the shop. The tinkle of a bell above the door earned the pair a shouted greeting from the counter, which was muffled by the number of people in the small shop.

  Colton rubbed the chill of the streets from his hands, glad to finally be out of the wind. The scent of flowers hit him hard as he finally registered the world around him. It was a beautiful flower shop, humming with energy and bursting with color.

  Alphas, betas, and omegas wandered the shop, idly picking through bouquets and gifts. A young, female employee, a claimed omega, judging by her scent, rushed by Colton and Owen with a quick greeting. Her arms were wrapped around a box full of gorgeous flower arrangements, each ready to be displayed with care.

  He almost ran in
to Owen’s back as the man suddenly stopped and smirked at Colton over his shoulder.

  “What’s that smirk me–” Colton’s voice caught in his throat. And there it was, that special scent that drove him wild.

  Colton felt cold chills rising on his skin. Owen had gotten him good. That conniving bastard—he had planned this from the start. Granted, he should have seen it coming, but he couldn’t claim to be clairvoyant.

  “Owen, I will kill you. It may not be today, it may not be tomorrow, but mark my words, I will end you,” Colton whispered.

  “Ruh-roh." Owen laughed. “You huff and puff, but I know you’ll appreciate my doing this. Now, go on. Go talk to him.”

  “Are you nuts? This is his turf, and we’re trapping him like a caged animal,” Colton whispered with a harsh bite in his tone.

  “Relax. Chances are he already smells you. Besides, seems like he has a bit of trouble already." Owen motioned to a customer that was lingering around the counter, an alpha. Sawyer looked a bit peeved every time the man tried to talk to him.

  Why does that alpha look so familiar?

  “I can see the tension in that alpha,” Owen whispered. “A suitor, but not one Sawyer approves of, for one reason or another.”

  Owen grasped Colton’s arms and looked him dead in the eye.

  “So, what are you gonna do, big guy?”

  Colton froze. That sounded like something his Pa had said years ago.

  “Son, sometimes, you just have to do what you gotta do. Hesitation can make you miss out on so much in life. Don’t wait around and let life pass you by. So, tell me, what are you gonna do, hotshot?”

  Colton nodded, then felt Owen release his arms. He stepped up to the counter as he kept his eye on the other alpha. As he got closer, he realized Sawyer was actively trying to avoid the man, who kept cornering the young omega by standing in front of the counter’s door.

  Oh, hell no. Distraction time.

  “Hey, Sawyer, my dude! Do you have any begonias in stock? Where can I find some?” Colton’s eyes trailed to the other alpha for a split second before returning to Sawyer. His voice came out louder than he expected, but it stopped the other alpha from talking for a moment.