Page 3 of Alpha & Omega (Alpha's Rejects #4)

After several passes through the skate bowl at the skatepark, I tossed off my shirt. The day was hot as hell, and the sun shone bright without a cloud in the sky. With my exposed skin, the light breeze ghosted over the accumulating sweat, cooling me down, and then I went back at it.

The park was crowded since summer was almost here, being early June, but I dodged around the skaters, pushing my limits on speed and tricks.

I was so out of practice, messing up way too much. With work and trying to keep my bar alive, I was lucky to get out and skate once a month. If I were really lucky, I would get out here twice a month. For years, I was a pro at skating, winning several competitions. Now, I wouldn’t even make it through the first rounds, which was kind of depressing. Regardless, the choices I made benefitted not only me but those of my family.

When my legs started to burn from the exertion, I stopped and headed over to where my crew sat, drinking beer, smoking, and munching on snacks under a shade tree.

Stix and Stone were still skating, but Pippin and Nacho, along with Blaze and Ajax, were snuggled together, making me feel even more lonely. It made me incredibly happy to see them find love because, if anyone deserved happiness, it was my crew, but I also ached to have that. I tried not to think about it too much, but they made it my central focus since last night after all their damn nagging.

I grabbed a beer out of the cooler, popped the tab, and took a swig before I lit a smoke.

“Sooo, did you join a dating app?” Nacho asked.

I raised a brow at him. “Didn’t you all bitch at me enough last night?”

“We’ll keep nagging you until you find someone,” Ajax chimed in. “If we know you, which we do, you’ll put it off and keep putting it off until you’re a withering husk.”

“Well, I’ll have you know I did sign up to one. I joined MatchVibes, that new dating app for LGBTQ+ folks.”

They all crowded me when I pulled my phone out of my backpack and swiped it open.

“You’re actually going to fucking date?” Jazz asked, combing her blond bangs, streaked with pink, away from her face as her twin, Blondie, sat right next to me, staring at my phone as he rested his head on my shoulder.

“Yep, these clowns over here pressured me after work last night until I gave in.”

“God, finally. If anyone needs to get laid, it’s you,” she said.

“Ugh, why can’t you all just leave me alone about my sex life? Who I fuck or don’t fuck is really no one’s business.”

Pippin rested a hand on my other shoulder. “Because we love you.”

“Fine, I love you all, too, but still… Anyway , I’ve had some hits on the app, but I haven’t had the balls to look at them yet.”

Jazz instantly snatched my phone out of my hands, leaving my jaw dropped. “Hey!”

She ignored me as our friends gathered around her. “Hmm, this dude is forty-five. Nope. Way too old. ”

“Hey!” I said again. “I don’t care if he’s older.”

She gave me a hard stare with her brown eyes. “He’s sixteen years older. No way.”

“Oh! Look at that one,” said Blondie, who rested his chin on his sister’s shoulder as he had done with me after he moved to her side. “His username is Omega.”

Jazz barked out a laugh. “Alpha and Omega? I fucking love it! It’s like fate or some shit. This one. You need to date this one.”

I held out my hand to her. “You just decided that over a fucking name? Can I have my phone back now? I’ll look at them myself later.” I sighed when she completely ignored me. “Remind me why you’re part of the family?”

“Because you love me, and I’m fucking awesome,” she said without looking up from the phone. “So OmegaChef34 here owns a restaurant, and he’s only five years older. He’s perfect. You two already have a lot in common. This is your perfect match, Alpha.”

Ajax moved behind Jazz and peered over her other shoulder as Blaze picked at his nails, ignoring everyone… more like looking out of place and awkward. He only seemed comfortable around us when Ajax was smothering him with affection.

“Hey, our Alpha’s got a message. Open it,” Ajax said.

“Fuck! Can you all please not open it? It’s private!” I snapped. When they ignored me, I reached over and snatched my phone back. “Jesus. It’s mine .”

They all complained, but I tuned them out when I opened the message, suddenly filled with twists in my gut, which was a stupid reaction, reminding me how out of touch I was at dating.

“Read it out loud,” Nacho said, giggling.

I huffed. “You all suck.”

I wasn’t really mad at them… well, maybe a little frustrated. They only wanted me happy in their awkward and overbearing way.

With a deep breath, I opened the message from OmegaChef34, not to appease my crew, but because I was truly curious. The message was simple and not at all weird or creepy. I didn’t know what to expect… perhaps sex talk or wanting to hook up, but his message seemed promising.

“What does it say?” Jazz asked .

“None of your business, missy.”

“Can you at least tell us if you’re interested?”

“Fine. Yes, he seems promising. That’s all you get.”

They all groaned as I smiled. “Serves you right, you fucking busybodies.”

After chugging my beer and tossing my smoke, I stood and walked away from my family to message this Omega away from prying eyes.

Did it seem a little too eager? Probably.

Me: It seems we do have something in common. I’d like to get to

know you more.

Was that too forward? Was it too simple? Shit, I really sucked at this dating thing. Finding someone to fuck was so much easier because you didn’t do a whole lot of talking. You took your pleasure and moved on.

Before I put away my phone, it vibrated, indicating I’d received a notification. I looked at the screen, surprised he’d responded already. His eagerness wasn’t off-putting at all. I liked that he seemed as interested as me.

OmegaChef34: Thanks for getting back to me. Ugh, I sound so…

business like. The curse of responding to a hundred work emails

each day. If you can’t tell, I’m a little rusty at this.

His honesty was refreshing, making me smile like a loon. Already, I felt good about this.

Me: Tell me about it. When my family asked me the last time I

had a date, I blanked out.

OmegaChef34: LOL! Well, look at that. Another thing we’ve got

in common. Do you have a large family?

Me: You could say that. None of us are blood-related, but we’re

family just the same. I try to take care of them.

OmegaChef34: That’s amazing. Do you foster?

Me: Nah, they’re all adults now.

OmegaChef34: Cool. I see you love to skateboard. I’m afraid

I’ve never tried it.

Me: Speaking of foster care, I was in the system, so I skated a lot

as an escape. I got a sponsorship and won quite a bit of money in

some competitions, which allowed me to open my bar.

OmegaChef34: Wow. I’m impressed.

Me: Do you have a family?

OmegaChef34: Would it bother you if I told you I have a

sixteen-year-old son?

I paused in my response. Sixteen? He must’ve been really young to have a kid that old. Did it bother me? Not really. We weren’t exactly an item, but what if we really liked each other? I never intended to have kids, but him having one didn’t bother me. Hell, I was already a father figure, regardless, so I knew I could handle it.

Me: Not at all. I’ve been watching over teens since back in my early

20s, which isn’t the same thing, but just… you know, it doesn’t

bother me.

OmegaChef34: I’ve got to admit, that’s a relief. I haven’t been on

this app long, and already, I’m getting complaints about being a

single dad.

Me: I get that not all men want a kid in their lives, but to complain

about it to you is a dick move.

There was a long pause, so long that I thought he’d stopped responding, making me question if I’d said something wrong. I read back my messages, but I couldn’t tell. As I waited, I lit a smoke, ignoring the stares from my crew, dying to know what Omega and I were chatting about, no doubt.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity later, he responded. I let out an easy breath and smiled at my phone like an idiot.

OmegaChef34: I feel really good about this. Let’s exchange pics and

go on a date.

Me: I feel good about this, too. Let’s do it .

We both accepted the agreement on the app to proceed to the next level to get the option to share our pictures.

I scrolled through my phone, trying to search for a decent one, but I didn’t take tons of selfies. After twisting my ball cap backward like an asshole so he could see my face, I took a quick picture, approved it, and sent it on. At least I wasn’t sweating anymore.

Omega sent his photo, and I took a close look. His hair was a dark brown that fell to his shoulders, and his eyes were kind and also brown. He also had a beard, which was short but full. He was… fucking hot. Gorgeous even. Honestly, I hadn’t really cared, liking him already, but this was an added bonus.

Me: I like.

OmegaChef34: I like yours, too. I’m Harley, by the way.

Me: Kingston, but you can call me King or Alpha. It’s what my

family likes to call me. Kingston is fine, too.

OmegaChef34: How about dinner and some drinks?

Me: Your restaurant?

OmegaChef34: LOL, no, I wouldn’t torture you just yet, unless

that’s your thing…

I laughed out loud at the innuendo, then stifled it, looking around to find my family still watching me like hawks.

Me: Depends on the torture, but food and drinks sound great. You’re

the chef, so you pick.

OmegaChef34: Sounds good. When are you off next? I’ll have my

sous chef take over that night.

Me: I’m not off until next Wednesday.

OmegaChef34: Then it’s a date.

Me: I look forward to it, Harley.

OmegaChef34: And I look forward to meeting you. I’ll shoot you

the restaurant name and address later tonight.

Me: Great !

Shit, did that seem too eager?

When we signed off, I walked back to where everyone was sitting and watching. I couldn’t wipe the huge smile off my face despite knowing I was going to get tons of flack for it. Great! Even Stix showed up, and he was almost as bad as Jazz, sometimes worse.

“Well?” they all asked at once.

I sat on the ground, pulled out my smokes, and lit up another cigarette. After taking a drag, I exhaled the smoke from my lungs, dragging out the agony, knowing they were going to burst any second if I didn’t tell them.

“Kingston McLaren! Tell us now!” Stix insisted.

I smirked. “I have a date with OmegaChef34, also known as Harley, on Wednesday night. We’re going out to dinner.”

Everyone moved closer to me. “So… what’s he like?” Blondie asked. “Is he hot?”

“Yeah, he’s gorgeous, and he seems totally chill. He hasn’t dated in a while, like me. We have a few things in common, but I’ll find out more on the date. Harley also has a sixteen-year-old son.”

“Perfect!” Pippin announced.

“Perfect?”

“Yep, you brought all of us strays under your wing and took care of us. No doubt you’ll do the same with his son.”

I raised a hand to stop him. “We’re getting way ahead of ourselves. First, his son is hardly a stray. Second, we haven’t even had a date yet, and you all are already ringing the wedding bells. Let me survive this first. Then we can go from there.”

“It’s fate. I can feel it in my bones,” Jazz said.

“It’s not fate. There’s no such thing, but I am looking forward to the date.”