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CHAPTER 1

ZEKE

"Come on, Dad. I can't keep filling in for you like this. You've got to actually get some sleep at night. You're an adult too you know," I grumble at the man sitting in the recliner shoveling sugary cereal into his mouth.

Dad doesn't say a word to me. He's too focused on the cartoons on the screen. It's been this way for the last few weeks. Ever since his prognosis worsened, he's sunk deeper and deeper into regression.

No longer is he the sixty-five-year-old CEO of Medina Manufacturing, our family company. He's simply Mikey, the five-year-old version of himself who loves to play with race cars and watch early morning cartoons.

It's frustrating on so many levels. Most of it stems from the sadness I feel knowing it won't be much longer until he forgets who I am completely. He's already mistaken me for his brother more than once. My uncle passed nearly thirty years ago, but my dad can't remember that with his memory failing him.

Leaving him to watch his shows, I make my way into the kitchen to dial his doctor. It rings twice before the receptionist picks up. I explain who I am, then I'm immediately transferred to the doctor.

Being a Medina in Shelter Falls can be a good thing sometimes. Others, not so much.

"Zeke! How can I help you this morning?" Dr. Carver says, his voice that same cheery tone as always.

I sigh as I rub my jaw. "It's getting worse, Doc. I don't know what to do anymore. He's not getting up to go to work and I've had to send him to his room more than once after he threw a temper tantrum this week."

"That's to be expected, Zeke. His mind is floating between past and present. You won't know which he's in until he reacts to you."

"I get that. I really do. But what the hell am I supposed to do about the company? He was going to retire in a few more years, then leave it to me. Now I'm being thrown into the deep in without a life vest."

The doctor made a soothing sound. "But you do know how to swim, Zeke. If anyone is capable of doing this job, it's you. I've watched you shadow him for years. You’re more than ready for this role. You just need to believe in yourself a little more."

This entire conversation feels like a therapy session. And maybe it is. Maybe I need to find a therapist who can be on call since it's clear I'm struggling to adjust to all the things going on in my life.

"Thanks, Doc," I tell him genuinely. "I've got to go."

"You CAN do this Zeke. I believe in you." With his kind words ringing in my head, I hang up the phone and go back into the living room.

My dad sits there, his bowl of cereal forgotten on the side table as he remains entranced by the screen. He's wrapped the blanket around him like a cape and were this any other scenario I might think it cute. Instead, it pains my heart to see such a strong, vibrant man changing right before my eyes.

A knock at the door pulls me from watching him. I already know it's Osvaldo before I answer.

"Thanks for coming, man," I tell him as we exchange hugs after I swing the door open.

He shakes his head. "No problem, Zeke. You know this is what I trained for. Just because I took some time off for a bit doesn't mean anything is different."

"Where Johnathan? Already dropped him off?" I probe asking about his ten-year-old son.

Osvaldo nods his head as a smile graces his lips. "Yeah, I did. The school has an early morning program available, thank goodness. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to entertain a kid who gets bored every two seconds."

I turn to face my dad before replying, "I think I'm learning."

My childhood friend throws his arm over my shoulder. He squeezes me tightly, then turns me to face him. His hands move to my shoulders before he speaks.

"You listen to me, Zeke Medina. This is merely a new adventure you're going on. Mikey and I are going to have a great time today. There is nothing to worry about. I'll even take him with me to pick up Johnathan later, so you don't have to worry about rushing home. Deal?"

I shake my head at him. "You're too good to us. Thanks for all you do, Osvaldo. I would be lost without you."

"Right back at you. Who was there to help me through childbirth and raising a kid? I was clueless of what to do. You and the others truly got me back on my feet and I can never repay that type of kindness. Besides, your dad was always one of my favorite adults. Now I get to spoil him back for all the times he took care of me."

My laughter roars through the room as I remember all the times my dad did indeed spoil all us kids. There were four of us in my core friend group: Me, Osvaldo, Treyton, and Ezra. Dad treated us all the same, and my friends loved it. Especially since a couple of them didn't have the best home lives.

"I've got to get to the office. Please don't hesitate to call me if you need something," I tell Osvaldo as I grab dad's old briefcase and head out the door.

He waves me away. "Won't need you unless I want a snack on your way home. Go have a good day. I've got this."

I drive away from the house wondering if I'll ever truly feel normal again. Life has changed so much since dad first started showing signs of being sick. Back then I still worked for the company, but I was more into the marketing side of things. I wasn't quite ready to take on the whole company, so I worked my way through all the parts and pieces to make sure I knew how it worked.

According to the original plan, I still had years - YEARS - before I'd take the helm. Now I was doing it out of necessity.

Just a few months ago I'd accidentally double listed a work position on the site. I'd blamed it on a glitch, but me and the I.T. guy Emil both knew it was more a user error than anything.

How could I be trusted with the entire company? My family's legacy lives in those walls. Generation after generation has worked there, and I'm three breakdowns away from losing it all.

I push the negative thoughts away as I park in the spot reserved for the CEO and head inside. Jasmine, the front desk clerk, greets me with a smile.

"Good morning, Mr. Medina."

"Morning, Jasmine. What's on the schedule today?" While also handling the front desk, she also helps me balance my calendar. I gave her a raise the moment she stepped in to help me in this capacity and I'm thankful for every cent spent.

She flips through the planner on her desk. "Nothing too wild today. You have a new hire starting. Your marketing replacement. Other than that, there are some contracts on your desk and then meetings with department heads."

"Thank you, Jasmine. It's probably best I get started then." I tap her desk twice, then take off for my father's office - my office. God, that's going to take getting used to.

Pushing inside, I find it looking just the way I left it yesterday. Clean and orderly are what keeps me sane, which is why my office looks more like a shrine than something someone uses to work from daily.

I sit in the chair, take a deep breath, and then dive into my day. Email after email, call after call, I push through the tug in my gut that tells me this isn't right. It's the same voice pleading with me to cure my father and set things back to right.

Instead of letting that get the best of me, I focus on making Medina Manufacturing the best it can be. While we're a well-known entity around the world, there has always been room for more growth. My family's philosophy has always been that we'll continue to grow until we can reach every Omega in need of our services.

Omega scent blockers and Omega scent enhancers are the focal point of the company. They provide the biggest income, and they are our most morally invested product.

Providing Omegas the help they need it when they need it most has been our goal. It's why we focus so much on the marketing aspect of the company, as I'd learned with my work in that department over the last year.

There were countries and people out there who had no idea scent blocking was available. For Omegas in rough cities or who were considered as items to be bought and sold, hiding scents could be the thing that saved them from a horrible fate.

The shrill ringing of my phone pulls me from my thoughts of the business's vision. "This is Zeke."

"Hey, Mr. Medina. Your applicant for the marketing position is here." Her voice has an edge to it, almost like she's unsure if she should have called.

"Please walk them up. I'll be ready when you arrive." She agrees, then we hang up.

I clear off the papers on my desk to make it more presentable. While I might love a clean area more than most, I rarely kept it that way while deep in the focus of the day. That's why I always had to end my day with making sure everything was just in its place for the next morning.

I'd just barely finished when Jasmine knocks on the door. "Come in," I call out.

She pushes her way inside, a cautious smile on her features. "Here's your appointment. Call me if you need anything else, sir."

When she moves away, I catch my first glimpse of the person she's brought with her. He is tall and lithe with dark brown hair he's combed back into a neat style. His clothes are a plain button up shirt and jeans.

While he doesn't look anything like I might have dressed, I couldn't disqualify him on looks alone. I walk around my desk as I extend my hand.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Zeke Medina. Thank you for coming in..." I trail off realizing I don't know his name. I was supposed to look before he arrived, but I hadn't had a chance to. His file was right there on my desk. If only I'd taken the time to read it, then I could look less like a fool.

The young man smiles over at me as he steps forward. His hand engulfs mine. I barely hear him tell me his name. My mind is too focused on one this.

Omega. Mine.

Things just got a whole lot more complicated.