Page 14 of Pit Stop

CHAPTER

SEVEN

SKYE

Nox is so nice and personable. If he weren’t Maverick’s friend, I’d ask him to keep his schedule open for when I go into heat. I bet he’d take real good care of me.

As I think that, I glance over at Maverick and see him eyeing me. I lean into Nox and laugh, my second drink hitting me harder than it should. Nox, thankfully, forced me to eat some nachos with drink number one, so at least something is in my stomach soaking up the alcohol.

“You don’t need to flirt with me to get his attention. His eyes are on you anyway,” Nox says quietly.

I snort. “He doesn’t care about me with that guy all over him.”

Nox chuckles and chucks me under the chin gently.

“You are so oblivious.”

I finish off my beer and set it far too roughly onto the bar top. It clatters noisily and Nox grins wider at me.

“I’m off.”

“Where to?”

“To find an alpha that Maverick doesn’t know so that I can get through my next heat without dying.”

My candid comment makes Nox’s brows shoot up. “Ah, right. Good luck with that.”

I shoot him a finger gun, knocking my glasses sideways and stumbling left. I bump into someone and they grumble. But I right myself quickly and scamper off, my eyes roving the dim space, searching for someone Maverick doesn’t know.

Gods, who doesn’t he know?

I’m not sure, but I’ll ask. I’ll lead with that question.

I peer over my shoulder and catch his eyes on me, so I stumble further into the crowd, hoping that eventually he won’t be able to see me. I really don’t want him to see me possibly get rejected.

“Hey!” a familiar voice says. I glance up and see a large man standing before me.

“Uh. Potato?” I ask, and he grins widely.

“Close. Tater. At your service.”

I nod and hold out my hand, feeling suddenly very determined. “I’m Skye.”

“I know. I remember. You had a couple alphas fighting over you the other night. Am I gonna get into trouble for talking to you today?”

I shake my head a little too enthusiastically. “Nope. None of them have any claim over me.”

“Cool.”

“Yes, very cool. And by the way, not to be completely blunt, but I’m looking for someone to help me through my next heat.”

Tater pauses and he cocks his head, a little surprised by how honest I am. “That so?”

“Yep.”

“Want me to help you find someone?”

I sigh and then shake my head. “I mean, you seem nice enough. Would you be up for it?”

He purses his lips. “Depends on when it is. I can schedule you in.”

My face heats and I worry my bottom lip. “I don’t actually know when it’s due. I, uh, had my first one just a few weeks ago…”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, so I have no clue when the next one is coming.”

“Oh, shit.”

“Yeah. I know. It’s terrible. So…I can’t give you an exact date.”

He runs a hand through his hair and blushes. “I’d love to help you, if I can. Let me give you my number and you can call me if you need me.”

“Yeah, that would be great.”

As he takes my phone and enters his information, a wave of disappointment slithers through me. I don’t want to spend my heat with anyone other than Maverick. But apparently that’s not something I can plan for. So I have to make do.

When Tater finally hands me my phone back, I thank him and slip it into my back pocket.

“Call me and I’ll be there if I can. I can’t imagine what it’s like for omegas having to deal with heats all alone.”

“Yeah,” I say, feeling my cheeks blush. “It’s pretty frustrating.”

“I’m sure you know this, but there are stores that sell toys…”

“Yeah, I know. I’m going to grab some stuff just in case…”

Our conversation drifts off and an awkward silence settles between us.

“Want to go play some pool?” he asks after a long, stilted moment.

I nod eagerly, happy that we’re no longer talking about how weak and lonely I am.

We walk to a pool table currently being used by a few bikers and wait our turn.

Tater makes easy conversation with everyone in his vicinity, which tells me that if I did decide to use him for my next heat, it wouldn’t be a bad thing. He seems like a genuinely nice guy.

And he doesn’t seem to know Maverick. Or at least they’re not close, so I wouldn’t be interfering with anything. I’d hate to be the one who ruined friendships. I’ve already managed to strain the one he has with my brother.

I hate that I’ve been reduced to this—a person searching for someone to fuck me out of obligation and not because they actually want to.

I honestly have no idea if Maverick even wanted to fuck me while I was in heat. He probably felt obligated to since his cock and his pheromones were the ones that put me in overdrive.

“We’re up,” Tater says, pulling my mind from my spiraling thoughts.

“Great,” I manage to squeak out.

Tater doesn’t seem to notice, just hands me a pool stick and starts arranging the balls. The men who were playing earlier linger, chatting with one another and Tater, but not with me. I feel so out of place.

I should never have gotten on the back of Maverick’s bike and let him bring me here. Did he do it so that I’d see the cute guy he’s with? Is he sending me hidden messages? Is he trying to hint that he’s not into me?

I don’t fucking know. It all messes with my mind and I play horribly.

One of the guys pushes off the wall, his boots hitting the floor next to where I’m standing and he gestures to me.

“Let me show you how it’s done.”

I hand him the stick, but he just shakes his head and spins me around so I’m facing the table.

Tater chuckles and a few of the guys lingering do the same. My face flames as he bends me forward, leaning against my back as he does. He envelops me, his alpha scent wafting up to me. But it’s not right. It’s all wrong.

Suddenly, the man moves away from me, and I glance over my shoulder. Maverick is there, his face set in a frown.

“I think it’s time to go.”

I glance at the twink sidling up next to him and feel my cheeks heat. He can’t just tell me what to do, not when he has a sidepiece.

“Can I speak to you?” I say, pointing at the door and then adding, “Alone.”

Maverick nods and moves toward me, growling slightly as he moves past the men in my vicinity, his muscles flexing as he brushes past Tater.

Gods, this man.

When we step outside, it has started to drizzle but I barely notice it as I face off with him.

“Maverick, honestly, you have to let me be.”

He huffs and turns his gaze away. “I don’t fucking like it.”

“I know, but you told me we couldn’t do anything again. I get it. I do. But when I try to make friends…”

“They don’t want to be friends.”

“I know, but my next heat is coming up and I need fucking options, Mav. But I can’t have those if you keep interfering!”

It comes out as a shout, and Maverick has the decency to look guilty.

“And plus, you shouldn’t even fucking care. You have someone. Apparently.”

Maverick frowns. “Owen isn’t anything to me.”

I grumble under my breath. “Sure seems like it.”

“Skye,” Maverick says and then sighs, his words falling away. “Let me take you home.”

“I don’t think I will.”

Maverick’s bones crack, his teeth grinding. “Skye-light.”

“Don’t you Skye-light me.” I shake my finger at him and then huff and puff before laying in on him again. “You don’t even like me. I mean, you barely even look at me when you come over to the house.”

He opens his mouth and then closes it, not interjecting.

“Anyway, it shouldn’t matter who I’m with. We’re nothing. We can’t be anything. You said so yourself.”

Maverick runs a hand down his face. “Please, Skye. Let me take you home.”

“No. I have to fucking survive this next heat. Let me fucking do what I need to. Please .”

He looks forlorn, his face drawn, his hands clenched at his sides.

I wait for him to say something, anything, but he doesn’t.

He just lets me turn around and walk back into the dimly lit bar.

My clothes are a little wet from the rain and I end up shivering, but I don’t want anyone to touch me, to help me.

So I just stew in silence until I feel I’ve finally had enough, and I call a rideshare to pick me up.

I have several numbers from other alphas who I met while playing pool saved on my phone.

I have options for my next heat. And I really shouldn’t be thinking about Maverick.

He doesn’t care enough to fight for it, for me.

And it can’t happen anyway.

I’m resigned to it.

Even though those numbers sit on my phone, I still make my way to the local sex shop to buy myself something to help me get through the beginnings of it alone. Maybe I won’t even need those phone numbers. Maybe the toys will be enough.

As soon as I walk into the store, the worker behind the counter clocks me as an omega.

“Hey there! An omega right?” she asks.

I sigh and nod, pushing my glasses up my nose. I’m sure my face is bright red. Never in a million years would I have thought I’d be in this position right now. But I am. This is my life. I need to get used to it.

“Yeah. I have a heat coming up. Need things to help me get through it.”

“Oh, no alpha?”

“Yeah, something like that.”

“Right, got it. So let me get you a basket, you’re gonna need it.”

I follow her around the store while she piles things inside. Several knotted dildos, a pump that expands, several vials of ethically sourced pheromones from alphas, and a fluffy, weighted blanket. Apparently, it helps.

I don’t know. At this point, I’m desperate.

As I make my way from the store, bag in hand, I run right into one of my older brothers, River, who is striding down the sidewalk. His eyes light up when he sees me and a mischievous grin pulls his lips up.

“Skye! What are you doing outside a sex shop?”

Damn him and his keen eyes. He’s the biggest himbo on Earth and yet he notices everything.

“Nothing that I’ll ever tell you.”

His eyes land on the bag dangling from my hand and he grabs for it. I try to wrench it away, but he’s bigger than me and stronger.

“Give it back, River. Gods, you’re so annoying. Have you grown up at all since you moved out?”