Page 1 of Omega on the Rocks (Pubbin’ Mates #1)

I've found myself involved in situations like this more than once, and every time I tell myself that it's only natural.

Afterall, straight women notice other straight women, so why would it be too far out of the realm of possibilities to assume that a straight man could look at another straight man and feel something. ...

I didn't want to feel anything and were anyone to ask me if I felt something I would deny it straight to their face.

However, the way that leather jacket wrapped around arms clearly meant for something more than holding a whiskey glass, shot an electric current straight to my blood stream.

His eyes looked black under the heated amber lights of the downtown, middle of nowhere bar-- and I couldn't pull my gaze away as he walked closer to me.

Sauntering as though he hadn't a care in the world.

"Hey there angel."

Without ever blinking I took him in. Now that he was a bit closer, his leather jacket stretched obscenely over large muscles, his pecs bulging. A pair of dark blue jeans looked like they were about to bust on his quads, a man like this wasn't one to be messed with.

"Angel?" Out of all the words that I had in my vocabulary of course the only one that came out was the least important one. Much more important would have been: why he was talking to me, what he wanted, and the list could be continued.

He chuckled. "I don't know if you've ever been around many guys from my side of the tracks, but you look like you belong in heaven and accidentally stumbled upon hell."

I gulped, the sound echoing in the space around me.

Was I that obvious? Sure, I'd been to a few bars - but none as dark as this one was supposed to be, I had thought if I traveled a bit further the chances of me being recognized would be lower, and I wouldn't have to concern myself with crazy people trying to get my attention, or unwanted paparazzi dogging my every move.

I supposed in my button up shirt, and black slacks I probably did look like a preacher in a den of sinners.

"And you'd know this because you've been there?" My smart mouth responded without my brain being involved in the decision making whatsoever.

"Live there everyday." A dark chuckle fell from his lips as he looked me up and down. "What are you doing in a place like this, Angel."

"I'm not an angel." I retort, picking up my shot glass and tipping it back.

I swallowed with a grimace, and motioned for the bartender to bring me another.

Whatever demons had convinced me that being here, now was a good idea, were getting ready to get drowned out with the sour taste of bottom shelf whiskey.

"Here let me buy you something a bit better, get your mind off of whatever it is that’s troubling ya preacher.

" He motioned to the bartender, making some kind of motion with his hands that I didn't quite catch because all I could focus on with baited breath was the way his muscles bunched and flexed under that leather jacket.

To be honest, my thought process took about point zero seven seconds to realize that he had called me preacher.

A nervous giggle left my lips. "I am not a preacher either."

"Could have fooled me. You look like an angelic preacher, like you rode here straight from church. Still didn't answer my question, preacher. What is a guy like you, doing in a place like this?"

The question was a good one. By 'guy like me' he clearly meant gorgeous, good looking, and boasting an angel face to beat all angel faces.

I swallowed the groan that threatened to burst free.

I couldn't afford to make enemies here. He clearly didn't recognize me and that was all for the better.

I had come here sans any type of protection.

"Heard this was where a guy like me could find a sexy woman, a good glass of whiskey, and a what happens in the bar stays in the bar vibe to go along with it." That was as good of a response as he was getting.

"Heard right." He grinned, and my heart plummeted all the way down to the soles of my feet. I couldn't have ripped my gaze away from his face if a herd of wild horses tried to pry them away. He was drop-dead gorgeous and there was no two ways about it.

Nor denying that my body took notice either.

He hopped up on the stool beside me, bracing his thick arms on the top of the bar.

Dark, weathered boots that had seen much better days hauled up onto the foot rail right alongside my stupid black wing-tips that were so out of place in here.

Preacher vibes indeed. I could see it now.

"What's it to ya?" The words came out rather blurted, but at least they made it past my lips.

"Well, usually when a new feller walks into a place like this he has something on his mind that is obvious. You, however are something of a mystery. I take it personally when a man can't keep his eyes off of me." He shoots me a smirk, brown eyes twinkling and my stomach knots.

How did he know? Was I being that obvious? I huff in a breath, and move a little further away from him, pushing myself to the edge of my stool. I had to get in better control of myself. It wouldn’t do for men to notice I was looking at them. Period.

"Don't worry about it none preacher, I won't hold it against you."

A man with long blonde hair, and bright blue eyes plops a glass of whiskey in front of me.

"Here ya go sir." I give him a once over, noticing that his white t-shirt is spattered with something that looks like beer gone haywire, and he is broad chested.

Not an alpha, if his scent were anything to go by—likely a beta working for his living under an alpha that runs the joint, if I had to wager a guess. "And for you sir, whiskey over rocks?"

"Same as always Kenzie, stop acting like you ain't never seen me before.

" The man beside me growls out, clearly aggravated by the smaller man.

The omega in me stirred, and I almost shot straight out of my chair.

It wasn't that I wasn't used to my omega urges, or the instincts inside of me, but he usually stayed pretty well docile.

It was strange for a man to be an omega, and I didn't go around telling people about it.

Usually men were either alphas, betas, or loyal pack members.

Omega status being reserved for the females of the pack.

As such, I wasn't a member of any pack. When I had presented, my pack had all but kicked me out saying I was an abomination against wolfkind.

The Alpha of the pack had informed me that no alpha in his right mind would breed me, and even if they did - It would be for naught.

I'd seen every wolf doctor in the entire United States to no avail.

None of them had seen anyone like me. I was an abnormality and there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it.

I'd tried to join another pack, and been laughed out of the entire meeting room. What wasn't to be, wasn't to be and that was that. Whatever genetic deformity had occurred had pretty much made me the ultimate unwanted of our society.

"Yes sir, one top shelf whiskey on the rocks coming right up!" The beta stepped away, and I blinked. I'd forgotten where I was for a moment, lost in thought. In the past that I wished would go away as quickly as my attention span did at times.

"Names Kieran, what's yours?" I jerked to attention, my gaze flitting back to the forbidden fruit.

I couldn't sense anything about him, but my omega stirred again within me. I wish he'd stay dormant, I didn't like it when he moved around a lot, or started putting stuff into my head. Didn't like when he spoke to me, his existence had ruined everything I wanted for myself.

That may be, but my existence is what keeps you alive, keeps you sane, and put you on the path you're on now. Stop acting like I am the unwanted part of you. I am you.

If I could smack him I would, but unfortunately I could not. Leave me be.

I considered my options, if I gave Kieran my name, would that give away who I was? I really didn't want to deal with that tonight. He seemed innocuous enough, aside from the fact that my body was attracted to him when it shouldn't be.

Who gets to decide who you should and shouldn't be attracted to. You can be attracted to men if you want.

My omega had a point. I preferred to sleep with women though.

And you know this how? How many men have you slept with when I wasn't looking? He chuffed quietly.

"I'm Malachi, my friends usually call me Cai." I nod in his direction, before picking up my glass and taking a sip. It burned, all the way down. I blinked back the water that sprung into my eyes.

Leather creaked, as he moved, a chuckle filling the air around us. "Malachi huh, guess that angel nickname isn't too far off then." He shot me a wink, and I swear the temperature in the bar had to have shot up 10-15 degrees.

"I actually don't know what you mean." I manage to force out, curious what about Malachi signaled angel.

"Malachi is hebrew for messenger, or angel depending on who you ask." He shook his head, and nodded to the bartender who had dropped off his drink. "Thanks Kenz."

Stupid ass beta.

I blinked. What was that? He hadn't ever had loud opinions before, what was different now? I decided to ignore it.There was nothing good going to come from his loud opinions butting in unwanted.

"So, which woman have you been eyeing? I can try to put in a good word for you, being from these parts I know most everyone around here."

I almost blurted out that I hadn't even noticed any women because all I had been doing was staring at him, but wisely kept those words from leaving my lips. "I hadn't had a chance to look around much, yet. Which ones are nicest?"

He shifted to face me, dark eyes boring into mine.

A smirk tilted up the corners of his lips, as though I had said something amusing.

I fidgeted with my glass, trying to ignore the fluttering feeling in my stomach that had resulted from having his attention fully on me.

I was straight, and I'd do well to remember that.

"None of them are nice. Every woman in here will rip your heart out, stomp on it, and have you for dinner if you'd let her. This isn't the place to hangout for nice."An amused chuff escaped him, despite his obvious attempt to hold it in. “You are in the wrong place.”

A fan kicked on somewhere behind him, I heard the whirring of the motor, then got blasted in the face with a whoosh of air as it started circulating.

"Getting mighty hot in here, as summer starts to kick up, more people climb in this place, the hotter it gets." Kenzie gripes as he wipes down the bar. "That fan will help, I hope. Sorry if I caught you off guard there, preacher man."

His words barely penetrated as a scent unlike any other filled my nostrils.Smooth, worn leather mixed with cinnamon, black pepper, and the tiniest hint of clove hit me like a ton of bricks.