Page 3 of Billy and Cord (Omega Hearts #1)

“Sitting close to someone and you like that scent enough to ask about it?” The attractive blond tapped his chin, and then his eyes widened. “Hang on a minute.” Holding onto Cord’s arm, he turned, scanning the crowd. “Tristan. Tristan, come here quick.”

Another small man with a mass of blond curls ducked around the dancers, coming closer. “What’s up, Cece? Why are you hanging onto that alpha as if you’re scared he’s going to run off? That’s not how mating works.”

“No. No. He’s not mine. I don’t think he’s yours either.

Stand next to me, shoulder to shoulder.” Tristan stood at Cece’s side.

They were of similar height. “No, the other side.” Rolling his eyes, Tristan ducked around Cece’s other side.

“Now sniff in between us,” Cece ordered, pointing between himself and his friend as though it wasn’t obvious enough.

Cord leaned forward in Tristan’s direction, wondering if he was about to be hit over the head, or if this was part of some hazing ritual he’d never heard of before.

Not him. Then he checked Cece’s scent again.

Not him, either. Then Cord focused on the scent where the two men’s shoulders were rubbing together.

His wolf jumped forward so fast that Cord had to step back.

“That one,” he stammered, waving his hand up and down in the air. “Bullet, I need a hand here.” Despite the merriment going on obliviously around them, he didn’t have to yell. “Bullet?”

“Right here. Stand down. Settle.” Bullet’s hand landed solidly on his shoulder, giving Cord the grounding he needed. “What’s up? You got a scent?” He looked between Tristan and Cece. “Which one? Both of them?”

“No. No. No disrespect, but no.” Cord shook his head. He couldn’t believe the sensations running through his body. “The third one. The one in the middle.”

Okay. That probably sounded like Cord was totally spaced out because Bullet, Cece, and Tristan all laughed. “If you’re talking about a third person in the middle, they must be really, really tiny,” Bullet said when he’d recovered. “Do I need to take you in to get your eyes checked?”

“He means Billy,” Cece and Tristan said together, clasping each other’s hands as they started to dance around. “He means Billy. Billy. Billy. Billy, yay. Billy.”

“Great. So we have a name,” Bullet said quickly, “but where is your third friend, if you don’t mind me asking? Can we meet him at least? You know, before my friend falls out of his clothes and into his fur?”

“Ooh. Good point.” Tristan looked over to the far corner of the room, standing on tiptoes to see over the crowd.

“I think he’s gone already.” He ducked, first on one side and then the other.

“Yes, his chair is empty. He must’ve left.

” Tristan turned back and shrugged. “Billy does that. He never stays at these things for long. We had to drag him out of the house to get him to come at all.”

“Couldn’t your friend be dancing? Gone to the bathroom or something?” Cord started scanning the crowd, although his mysterious Billy could be anyone.

But Cece and Tristan were both shaking their heads. “He never stays longer than an hour,” Cece said, “and we’ve been here over two hours already.”

“I think he said he was going to shift this evening before heading home,” Tristan added.

“Shift?” Cord’s ears pricked up. “Where? Perhaps I can find him.” His wolf was keen.

But it was Bullet who was shaking his head this time. “You can’t do that. Not tonight. The Omega Hearts Foundation doesn’t allow that sort of thing.”

“Tell me you’re kidding me.”

But no. Bullet was still shaking his head. “You have to take him out on a date first.”

“I haven’t even met him yet.” Think. Think.

Omegas were cherished, cared for, protected.

Cord inhaled slowly, held his breath to the count of five, and then let it out again.

“How do I get in touch with Billy’s parents?

” he asked the blond duo who were watching him closely.

“Isn’t that how alphas arrange a date with an omega? He is another omega I take it?”

“He is, and it is, usually.” But Cece was exchanging glances with Tristan, and they both looked worried. “Billy doesn’t live with his parents,” Cece admitted just as Cord was ready to storm off and do some hunting of his own and rules be damned.

“He’s in a halfway house?” Cord and Bullet looked at each other. They both knew what those places could be like.

“No,” Cece said quickly. “Not that it would matter if he was in the one in Frankton, as that place is one of the better ones. But no, Billy looks after himself. He works and rents his own small house in town.”

“Great. That’s great.” Cord could work with that. “Where does he work? I can go and meet him tomorrow after his workplace opens.”

“That won’t work, either,” Tristan said. “We’re not trying to block your buzz, man, but Billy is unique. He works as a freelance coder online, so he works from home.”

Nooooooo. Cord already knew asking for Billy’s address would be a waste of time.

“We can do the parent thing,” Tristan said, grabbing Cece’s arm. “Face it, we’re the only friends Billy has, and we look out for him. That’s got to be like family, right?”

“Yes. Yes.” Cece seemed excited about the idea, too. “I can organize a date for Billy. Tomorrow, for lunch, yes? At… at…”

“Paradox,” Tristan said firmly. “No, Cece, I know you were going to say Bojangles, but that’s not right.

Billy won’t feel comfortable somewhere so upmarket.

Paradox means his alpha can spoil him without Billy worrying he’s not good enough to sit at a table or that the servers are looking down their noses at him. ”

“This is a mate situation,” Cece hissed. “It should be Bojangles – the prices there are eye watering.”

“Billy wouldn’t like it.”

Watching them argue the merits of two restaurants Cord had never heard of, he was struck at how “parent-like” the two men were. They clearly cared for Billy, and wanted the best for him – with differences.

“It would take a week to get a reservation at Bojangles,” Bullet broke in suddenly. “I don’t think Cord can wait that long. His wolf is already eager to track the young man down. Waiting a week or more wouldn’t be fair on him.”

“Fine. Paradox it is,” Cece said with a gorgeous pout. “But you’d better take a really expensive gift for Billy to make up for the mid-range restaurant.”

“I can buy a gift,” Cord said cautiously. “I’m not sure what to buy as I haven’t met Billy yet…”

“The power bank,” Tristan said excitedly, digging into his purse for his phone.

“Billy has been saving up for this for ages.” He tapped on his screen a few times and then shoved the screen in Cord’s face.

“He gets power cuts sometimes, and if he’s in the middle of a project, he can lose all the work he’d done since he saved the file last.”

“Yes, yes.” Cece seemed to think it was a good idea, too. “It’s sitting in the window at Hammond’s Electrical store. You can buy it in the morning before we meet up for lunch.”

“We?” Cord was rather hoping to have lunch with Billy alone.

But of course, that wasn’t to be. “I’ll escort these two gentlemen to lunch. I already know Cece’s parents and Tristan’s brother, so I’m sure they won’t mind,” Bullet said with a grin. “We’ll get a table close by so Billy feels safe, but you have some privacy as well. Does that work?”

I think you’re all enjoying this far too much, but Cord nodded, resigned to waiting another twelve hours before he could meet… his future? …his mate? Both of those things, and maybe more, but for now, Cord settled on getting through a first meeting with Billy.