Page 3

CHAPTER 3

ZEKE

I feel like a teenage Alpha all over again. Having my Omega close by but being unable to touch him has me damn near losing my mind.

There's something I have to do first before I can talk to Rylan. I know the scents of the factory masked my Alpha scent for him. It's a good thing they did too, because if he even remotely reacts the way I have then we're going to have to find a private place fast. That or we'll have to deal with Riggs giving us tickets for indecent exposure.

I rush through the office to the human resources area. With us being a small company, there's less a department and more a single person handling this area.

Knocking on Irene's door, I don't wait for an answer before stepping in. I see she's on a call, but she begs off of it the moment she sees my face.

"Zeke? What's wrong? Is it your dad?" She asks cautiously.

I shake my head quickly. "Nothing like that. It's not bad news. Well, not necessarily. That depends all on what you tell me."

She leans back in here chair, her eyes looking me up and down. "You're not making any sense. What can I help you with?"

"I need to know the policy on fraternization with coworkers." Her eyebrows shoot up her forehead.

"I'm guessing you've found yourself an Omega then. It wouldn't happen to be the cutie Jasmine talked about. The one interviewing for the marketing job."

Nodding my head, I sink into the empty chair across from her desk. I let all pretense of professionalism fall away. This woman watched me grow up, so she knows how I am. She knows I'm beside myself over the arrival of Rylan, even though she's yet to meet him.

Plus, Jasmine's gossiping only solidifies it. Small companies make for easy communication, both the work and personal kind.

Irene pulls out a giant binder of papers. She flips through it, her eyes focused ahead like a woman on a mission.

I wait for her to find whatever it is she's looking for as I focus on not thinking about Rylan down the hall. If I let my mind wander to him, I'll be helpless to stop myself from going back to claim him. I'd hate to ruin his first day with my animalistic instincts.

"Ah ha! There it is. I knew the notes were in here."

"You found something?" I ask as I lean forward in my chair to try to catch a peek at the paperwork.

Irene nods, a wide smile on her face. "According to our manual, fraternization is looked down upon except in the cases of fated mates. Did you recognize him by scent or was it looks that had you foaming at the mouth?"

I roll my eyes at her teasing tone. "Scent. It was like the first whiff of it had my inner beast screaming out to claim him."

She fans her face, then closes the binder and tucks it away. I wait for her to finish since I know she likely has more wisdom to impart on me. My mother passed away when I was young, and though I felt her loss, Irene was quick to step in to help my dad along the way. She's kissed wounds and hugged me when I needed congratulations for a job well done.

Irene is family. That's why it's always a bit of a tossup what kind of advice she'll bestow on me.

"This definitely sounds like a fated mates situation. I suggest you think about the best way to approach him. He has no idea, does he?"

"Not yet, though I'm sure working with Ezra might give him a clue. I know he saw my expression before I rushed away a few minutes ago."

She shakes her head. "Heavens help us then. That boy can't keep a secret to save his life. As an Omega, I will say that it was nice to be able to ease into getting to know my husband. Back then there were rules to courting and we used suppressants to help keep us from going into a heat/rut combo. You'll need to practice the same level of patience with your Omega, especially since the pull is only one sided."

"Yeah. I don't know how that will work either. I mean, my scent is masked nearly all the time given my work here in the factory." Shelter Falls was considered a haven for many because we hid Alphas and Omegas in plain sight. The chemicals we used for our products weren't harmful, but they were durable. It was our intention, though no one ever thought the scent would affect the entire town.

Irene stares at me for several long minutes before she starts laughing. I roll my eyes at her antics as I wait to see what has her so tickled. It could be anything from a random memory of my childhood to something I said.

"You Alphas are so clueless," she says as she wipes a tear from her eye. "The scents will be masked while out and about, but there is one particular period of time in which it's not."

"Showers. Dammit why didn't I remember that." An Alpha is always strongest in scent after being clean. Same for Omegas. It's why so many often showered together before sex. The act of revealing one's scent with your partner is said to be highly erotic.

"I'm glad I didn't have to spell it out any further. Now then, while I've enjoyed this little showcase, I have to get back to work. My boss is a real stickler." She winks at me as I stand to leave.

"Thanks for the advice, though I'm still not sure how I can make it work. How do I get him around me after a shower?"

Irene shrugs as she moves papers around her desk. "I can't give you all the answers. Get creative. I'm sure you'll find a way."

I leave her office with a mixed range of emotions. I'm happy to have a semi-solution for my scent being masked, however, I have no clue how to be around Rylan fresh out the shower. It's not like I can demand he come to my house right when I'm getting out of the shower. That wouldn't work. This isn't some cheesy romantic comedy like Ezra watches.

I'll have to come up with something. My Omega is here, and it won't be long before the need to claim him wins out.

* * *

After work I head straight home. I manage to get out at a decent time, so I grab a few pizzas from Don's Pizza Shop before heading to my dad's house. The moment we knew my dad was sick I moved back home, giving up the bachelor lifestyle I'd been sporting to take care of him. Not that the lifestyle I led was much fun. Sitting alone at night eating boring food while I watched whatever sports I could find wasn't the best time.

"I'm home," I call out as I shift the food around and close the door. "I've got pizza."

"Pizza!" Two little voices cry out from the living room.

I round the corner to find Johnathan and my dad sitting at the coffee table playing with coloring books. Both turn to me the second I walk in, offering me bright smiles.

"Uncle Z!" Johnathan rushes over to hug me, his gangly body wrapping me in a too tight hug. I squeeze him back with my free arm, then hand off the pizzas to Osvaldo as he approaches.

"I'll go plate up some food," he tells me before taking off again.

He knows this is always the hard part for me. It's the moment I see my dad after a long day to find out if he remembers me or if I'm my uncle.

"Zeke?" Dad asks cautiously, his face scrunching in confusion.

"Hey, dad. How are you?"

He looks over at Johnathan who does a great job of pretending this is totally normal. Osvaldo is raising a genius, I swear it.

When no one makes a big deal of things he shrugs. "It's as good as can be. Today's a decent day. I've had fun at least, even if it all feels a bit fuzzy."

"Understandable. The doctors said that might happen from time to time. I grabbed pizza on my way." As I say the words, Osvaldo rounds the corner balancing four plates. "Speak of the devil."

"PEPPERONI!" Johnathan launches himself at his father and snatches up a plate. I laugh at the horror my friend wears so openly as his son turns into a pizza monster. Osvaldo’s emotions have always been easy to read, which is why our group has protected him at all costs. He's the sweetheart of us four. We'll be damned if we let someone hurt him.

Dad and I laugh as Johnathan digs into his slice. We take our time eating and talking as a family. It's a weird dynamic, but it's what works for us.

Now I wonder how Rylan will feel about it though. Will he be ok with my dad's condition? Will he judge us and say it's too much work?

Heavens, I hope not. While I'd love to have my Omega, I don't know if I could just give up on dad like that. Not when he's been my rock all my life.

"What are you thinking about so hard over there?" Osvaldo asks me when the two of us head into the kitchen to do dishes. The others stay to watch tv before bath time starts up.

I shake my head. "It's been an interesting day."

"Oh, yeah. How so?"

"I met my Omega."

Osvaldo freezes. Water slides over the plate in his hand as the sink continues to run, yet my friend is frozen solid.

"Your Omega? They're here! Why didn't you bring them home? Or you could have gone with them? I wouldn't mind staying overnight for something like that. This is a huge deal Zeke!"

I laugh at how excited he is for me even as nervous energy moves through me. "It may or may not be. He didn't recognize me."

"From the scents at the factory. You knew that was possible. We've talked about it before."

"Yeah, I know. It was just hard to watch in real time. Hypotheticals are always easier to navigate than the real thing," I tell him.

I'm brought back to the memory of my dad in the doctor's office right at his diagnosis. They told him he would slowly degenerate in memories until the only reality he knew was one many years in the past. That hypothetical was tough to hear at the time, and it's even tougher to deal with now that his memory gets worse each year.

"Don't get discouraged, Zeke. You're going to win over this Omega. I know it. Tell me about him. What's his name?" Osvaldo bumps his shoulder into mine as if to encourage me to speak.

"He's amazing. Handsome and polite. I read his resume, which was a perfect fit for the job by the way. It felt good seeing how far he's come to get here. I can't wait for him to tell me all about what life was like for him growing up."

My friend chuckles as he loads the last item into the dishwasher. "You're already smitten. I love this new side of you. And I'm sure your Omega will too. Just be patient with him. He's likely already nervous about the new job. Add in the fact that you, his boss, is now his Alpha and it's a cause for concern on his end."

"Nothing about our relationship would affect his job though. I wouldn't dare do something like that."

"Oh, I know it. Hell, all of Shelter Falls knows it. But he doesn't. So give him time. And whatever I can do to help, I will. I'm sure the others will too."

Yeah, I knew they would. Our group was close like that. We'd always been there for one another. I had no doubt they'd help me through claiming my Omega too.