Page 11 of Small Town Shy Omega (Applewood Falls #1)

“It’s only a gun,” Josh growled, his voice deep and gritty. His green eyes flickered. “That’s it, Layla. Okay?”

“I’m scared,” I whispered, turning my mauve-and-sparkle eyes up to him. “Guns scare me. Don’t they scare you?”

“No,” Josh whispered, rough hands now moving up to my jaw. Cupping it. “They protect us, baby. Do you really not know people who use guns?”

“G-Grandpa kept one in his bedroom, but he never used it,” came my mutter.

Josh nodded, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

“While we’re with you, nothing can hurt you. Your three Alphas know how to use weapons, and they’ll use them to protect you.”

“If someone comes in the middle of the night,” Blake growled, his brown locks blowing in the wind, “we’ll grab that gun, and pop five bullets in their gut.”

My gaze widened in its voyage over to Blake. “Really?”

“Yes,” Blake said again, taking my hand in his. “You have nothing to fear, Layla. You’re safe.”

I hated to think this, but I almost told Blake: I wasn’t in danger anyways.

But I bit my tongue… Because even though I lived in Applewood Falls, and even though I’d never had an intruder in my life, that didn't mean I was safe.

The past wasn’t indicative of the future, though, so knowing I had three strong Alphas to protect me was amazing.

At the farmers’ market the next Saturday, I watched Blake slice peaches with hearts in my eyes. He fed me peaches, and Josh bought me an outfit I liked while Dreydon picked up a pound of mutton.

He slung the mutton over his strong shoulder, and I watched the way he masculinely barged toward my car, chucking the mutton in the passenger seat.

“Bye,” I whispered, Dreydon driving off in a cloud of dust.

“He’s getting the mutton to your freezer,” Blake growled, and I nodded sucking on a peach.

While the farmers’ market was in full swing, Blake sat me on his lap. “Mmmm,” Blake said, sliding the peach knife over my tender wrist. “Open wide, sweetheart. For a peach.”

I opened my fingers. “A-A peach?”

“I want to put a juicy fruit in your palm,” Blake growled, and I did as told—at knife point.

Three ripe, juicy peach slices were deposited them in my palm, and I ate them greedily like I was a feral.

“Oh, Omega,” Blake growled, laughing as he balanced me precariously on his lap. “Look at you go… Such a healthy appetite.”

I moaned, attacking the fruit. All my senses were attuned to this fruit. And I desired it, the peach scent was overwhelming.

Blake sold some fruit to paying customers. I ate my fruit in secret, then I turned around and sunk my lips in his neck.

“Mmmmmm,” I whispered, and Blake growled as he tugged me away.

His eyes bore into mine.

“What the fuck, Layla?”

I blinked.

Then I moved back, panicking. “What’s wrong?” Didn’t know what was the matter.

Blake huffed, frowning at me. “You can’t just bite me.”

“I only grazed you with my teeth,” I muttered, unable to look him in the eye. “Not an actual bite.”

“Still, Omega!”

“I really only wanted a kiss,” I pouted, tears welling as my glasses tumbled down my nose. “Josh kissed me. And I kissed Dreydon. You? You’re impenetrable, Blake.”

“Oh, I’m the impenetrable one.”

“Then kiss me,” I whispered, gazing into his eyes. “Do what Josh did… Kiss me.”

“I can’t,” Blake growled, turning his head away. “You’re… our Omega, Layla. You’re not ready. They shouldn’t be kissing you yet.”

Lifting my hand I rubbed my sticky fingers on his cheeks. “Please.”

“No.”

Firm, low, and decisive, Blake’s tone told me I was beating a dead horse.

He won’t kiss me, I thought with sadness, my heart cracking.

“Then I’ll kiss Dreydon again,” I said, feeling my heat cycling up…

Normally, Omegas went through heat once every six months. My last was five months ago, and I could tell it was almost time. Time for my next heat. It would occur just shy of the May blossom fest, though now I wondered if it wouldn’t arrive even sooner.

My pink raspberry perfume was likely imminent, if not here already. I never started perfuming until just before my heat started. I wondered if I was scenting already. If Blake could scent me.

If my heat-snap was already here.

“You know what, Layla?” Blake snarled, looking straight past me. Like he didn't see me… like I didn't even exist. “You do what you have to do, okay? Jesus, fuck.”

That night, I went to Dreydon.

He was asleep, his door slightly cracked.

I crept into his room, and while the tattooed Alpha snored, I rested my head on his chest.

He growled, fingers wrapping around me. And though he didn't wake, he grabbed me.

Pressed me to his chest, holding me tight.

I felt so… vulnerable in that moment, so liable to crack. Any wrong move and Dreydon would break me.

In the middle of the night, the great beast awoke.

Dreydon peered down at me… and I leaned up, and I kissed him.

We were hot, the window was shut, and I cupped his beastly cheeks. Better in the dark, I thought, rubbing my body on his.

Rub, rub—and an excitement filled me.

“Dreydon,” I whispered, torturous agony cycling through my being. “I hurt, Dreydon. Need your… scent.”

“Layla?” he growled, and I could tell he was so sleepy he didn't know whether he was dreaming.

I moaned, canting my hips on his… and I felt my night slip pull up, and my bareness was pressed against the bulge in his briefs.

“Feel it,” I whispered, rubbing, just rubbing. “Please, I can take it. Ready.”

“You ready, Layla?”

“No,” I peeped, knowing I was only playing a game. I was not ready: I was a twenty-seven-year-old Omega who’d been through heats before, but not like this.

Never like this, with Alphas who respected me, did my laundry, did shit for me, served me, called me a queen.

They called me a queen, I thought and then I was on Dreydon. I was just rubbing my hips on his, moaning. Moaning as I rubbed against the beastly man I never would’ve glanced at, who I would’ve run from in the street.

In a romance novel, I would’ve swooned over Dreydon—even though he wasn’t the shy, poetic type I usually went for.

In real life? The tall, tattooed ex-military Alpha scared me.

He was scary, brusque, and everything my Omega didn't purr for.

Only… in Dreydon’s case, she did.

For some inexplicable, godforsaken reason, my Omega went crazy around Dreydon.

I latched around him, moaning as I peered at his beastly face.

I put a blanket over his eyes, then just rode him.

Rode the man, the great man covered in tattoos, who could hurt me so badly if he tried. And even if he didn’t.

I latched on his waist, inhaling the deep espresso scent wafting from the Alpha. A cloud of delicious espresso wafted around him, and I knew his suppressants were growing weaker.

I rode Dreydon, and even without entering me, eventually he came. Sneaking off his lap, I stole his blanket.

“ Mine ,” I growled, rushing back into my nest. I shut my door so Dreydon wouldn’t be able to get his blanket back. “Now I’ve got his scent.”

I was a feral.

Oh… no, this was very, very bad.

This had never happened before, but then again no other Alphas had ever affected me… so terribly.

My heat was not yet upon me. It was close, though. Growing closer every day.

My Alphas and I didn't just do tasks around my cottage or visit the farmers’ market. We went into town, too.

Applewood Falls was definitely a quaint little town, buzzing with Omegas and Alphas and cozy activities for everyone.

A movie was actually filmed here, and it was an autumn tradition to camp out in the Public Gardens and watch it.

It was my hometown where I was born and raised, and where I’d spent most of my days, never leaving.

My grandfather bought me a plane ticket once, but I didn't have the heart to get on the plane. Maybe travel just wasn’t for me… Or maybe, Applewood Falls was where I was meant to be.

Safe, quaint, and cozy in my Omega-friendly town, where Omegas could basically live in peace.

“My parasol, please,” I joked.

Blake opened my parasol, preventing my cheeks from burning. “For our lady.”

“Your Omega,” I gritted out, swooshing out my purple hair in the nice shade. “Thank you, kind sirs.”

“Kind Alphas ,” Dreydon growled, his own skin burning while he supported my parasol, preventing even one ray from burning my cheeks. Oh well, he’ll get a tan.

We took the long way to town, stopping to admire the river and prairies. Fish swam in the rapids, dark green and babbling. We skipped some rocks, paused for Josh to use the bathroom, and then continued on our journey.

When we reached the town center, I gazed down Main Street and smiled.

As it was the middle of May, the May blossom festival was in less than two weeks’ time.

I was so freaking excited. Nothing beat the sight of Applewood Falls during the festival, cherry blossoms fluttering in the wind, apple blossoms blowing off trees.

Walk through the Public Gardens, and you couldn’t help but touch a blossom floating right by your face.

A washed-out blue sky arched overhead, and the smell of hay and corn from the surrounding fields greeted us. A few crows flew by, and a tiny propeller airplane soared through the clouds.

This is really a quaint town, I had to admit, and I smiled as my Alphas led me down Main Street.

Applewood Falls had delicious restaurants, and spending an afternoon in the café or grabbing a chicken pot pie at Delilah’s Diner was always a treat.

“A book, m’lady?” Blake growled, rubbing my shoulders. We’d just passed Whimsical Wonders, our town’s sole bookstore.

I devastated him with a glare. “Only if you never call me m’lady again.”

He let out a snort, admitting defeat.

While walking, a pack of Alphas tried to whistle at me.

My pack growled protectively, each Alpha putting a hand on me. “Look away,” Josh growled, his voice deep and low.

Dreydon barked at the other Alphas, veins bulging in his forehead. I saw his biceps flex, and his tattoos did a breakdance.

“ Our Omega,” Dreydon growled, and that was all the offending pack could take. They scurried away like little bitches.