"That's it. You fucking take it so well. That's my Omega. So perfect. All mine."

  I don't know how much of what Zeke is saying is true given the intense pleasure rolling through us at the mate bond connection. That's the only thing to explain what just happened. We scented one another, completing the bond and unifying us as mates.

  My Alpha continues to take advantage of my fluid state. He bends me and molds me until I'm just right, my legs raised, and my back arched to give him the best position. I feel his cock swell just as he warns me, "I'm about to come."

  The next few minutes are flashes of intense euphoria as his cock slips all the way inside me and settles to give his knot room to grow. And grow it does! The bulbous part of him fills me up, locking us together as he releases deep inside me.

  I wonder if I'll get pregnant right away or if it will take time. Some couples live in a constant state of fertility, while others find it harder. I've never cared much about it before since I hadn't found my mate, but now I'm curious to know how things will progress. I can picture little dark haired mini-Zeke's rushing around in tiny suits chasing their dad to demand he come to board meetings.

  The vision has me laughing, to which Zeke asks, "What's so funny?"

  I grin up at him as I allow all the affection I'm feeling to shine through. "I was just thinking of the future."

  "Oh. Was I in it?" I nod. "Then it sounds perfect to me."

  It takes a while for the knot to go down, and by the time it does I'm utterly exhausted and wishing the games were on Friday so we could sleep in tomorrow. When I mention it to Zeke he laughs.

  "We've always done Thursday since Fridays are usually date nights or family nights for most people. It's easier to coordinate and convince people to come out if you don't interfere with their routines."

  "That makes sense," I agree around a yawn. "Tell me more about yourself, Mr. Medina."

  He smiles down at me. I'm currently wrapped around him like he's a body pillow. Since he's showing no signs of discomfort, I don't intend to let go anytime soon.

  "You know most of it already. I work for the company. The end goal has always been CEO. It came quicker than I intended, but it's been a good experience to learn as I go. I help with the basketball team and occasionally spend my time volunteering at the shelter. They prefer Omegas to work there though, so it's not a place I go to often."

  "Do you think they'd mind if I helped out? It would be nice to find a way to give back to the community. Basketball isn't really my thing though." I grin at him. "There is zero athleticism here."

  He runs his hand down my spine as he takes me in. "I don't know about that. Your stamina earlier was pretty good."

  "That's different," I reply, a blush tinting my cheeks. "Besides, there's not a sex sport I could compete in. Not that I'd want to anyway. What were we talking about anyway? I think I've lost the plot."

  My Alpha shakes with laughter. "You might have. No sex sports for you, mister. Not unless it's with me and in private. I refuse to share you."

  I warm at the possessiveness in his tone. I've never wanted to be someone's property, yet every time I picture Zeke claiming me as his I get all mushy inside.

  "Let's sleep. Tomorrow will be a busy day, I'm sure."

  It's not until I'm at work that I realize what Zeke meant by busy. He hadn't indicated work would be the thing to keep us occupied. It was more the gossip and interrogation from coworkers that had me always the focus of someone's attention.

  "Let the man breath, people. He's going to be here for a while so just wait it out," Ezra eventually says with a huff to get the crowd to disperse.

  As soon as they are out of hearing range he looks over to me with a smirk. I shake my head at him then mouth Lunch? at him. He nods quickly, then pulls out his phone.

  Ignoring the morning interruptions, I focus back on the Spring line. Things are coming together more and more each day. I love seeing my idea develop, and having a supportive team to work with is literally the dream.

  "Did we get any of the new container samples in?" I ask Maeve as I review the inventory sent.

  She shakes her head. "Not all of it. There's still that one company you wanted to work with that hasn't responded. I don't know if they're on vacation or what, but the guy just never replied."

  I pull up the email to see which one she means. My groan is audible once I recognize the name. It's the company I was most hopeful to work with. They have a unique portable design that would give us yet another avenue to pursue for the Omega line here at Medina Manufacturing.

  "Let me see if I can find anything else out. Maybe they'd be willing to sell the design blueprint and we could make it ourselves," I tell her.

  "Sounds good to me. If anyone can convince them, it's you. And if they tell you know, just tell Zeke. I'm sure he'll go all big bad Alpha on them until they agree." She snickers at her joke even as I roll my eyes.

  An hour later Ezra comes over to pull me away from a debate with Copper about color schemes. "Enough from you two. We've got a lunch to get to."

  "Bring us something back on your way. We'll hold down the fort." Ezra salutes Copper's demand as he leads me through the building and out to his car. We drive the few blocks over to the diner and grab a lucky seat at the window.

  Taking a look around town, I'm amazed at how much Shelter Falls feels like home. My old life is nothing but a distant memory now. I'm not sure if it's the people, the area itself, or the fact that my mate is here that has me feeling content.

  "Beautiful, right? I've always loved it here. Something about the small town just does it for me," Ezra teases.

  Before I can reply, the waitress comes over. I order the lunch special, fried fish and fries, while Ezra orders soup and a salad. It all sounds delicious, and I pledge to come out more often for meals. Hopefully I can convince my Alpha to join me too. He works so much that I don't know if he actually gets to enjoy himself outside of the basketball nights. And even then, that's still kind of work.

  "What are you thinking about over there? You're awfully quiet?"

  I shake my head at Ezra. "I was just thinking of Zeke. Does he ever just enjoy himself? Like go and have fun that's not work related?"

  The man across from me turns to look out the window, his gaze unfocused. "He used to. Now he spends most of his time taking care of other people."

  "But who takes care of him?" I ask.

  Ezra turns from the window to smile at me. "I was hoping that person would be you. Listen, I didn't bring you to lunch to gossip or to cause trouble. Zeke is my friend and has been for ages. He might technically be my boss at the factory, but when you've known someone as long as we have it's hard to change the dynamic."

  "Ok. I get that. Then why'd you ask me to lunch?"

  "Because I need to know if you're all in this with him. He's your mate. I knew it that first day and you walking in this morning smelling like him only confirmed it. But like with Zeke isn't always rainbows and sunshine. He does have responsibilities that make it harder for him to connect like other relationships might."

  I don't understand what Ezra is hinting at, but I nod anyway to let him know I'm in. "There's nothing he can tell me that will change my mind. I've always loved the Medina brand and knew I wanted to work there. That was the entire reason I came to Shelter Falls was to get a job with them. The fact that my mate works there is a bonus. And honestly, I don't know of anything that would change my mind about the man I've come to know. He's a walking green flag."

  Ezra barks out a laugh. "Yeah, I could see how you'd say that. I've seen him go through too much to not get his happy ending, hence this lunch. I'm glad he found you Rylan. I think you're just the kind of Omega he needs."

  "I hope to be," I admit just as our food arrives.

  We eat our lunch with ease as Ezra tells me more about the town. He gives some backstories about the diner and the surrounding stores as well. It feels like I've gone to one of those storybook times at a library by the time we're done. So many stories, and yet, that's only the beginning. I know there are more people to meet around town and more things for me to learn as I get settled in.

  "Let's get you back to the office. I'm sure your Alpha will be looking for you soon," Ezra says as he grabs the to-go order for the others and pays the bill. I tried to fight him, but he told me he had to pay since it was his idea.

  We get to his car and as I buckle up I hear my phone chime. Looking down at it, I see a text from Zeke.

  Zeke: Where are you, Omega? I need to feel you.

  Rylan: I'm on my way back from lunch.

  Zeke: Great. Come straight to my office when you get here. I might not be able to knot you, but I need a taste. Won't make it to the end of the day.

  I shiver at the way his words light me up. I'm more than ready to get back to the factory, not just for my work but also because of him. My Alpha needs me, and I won't dare make him wait.

  CHAPTER 7

  ZEKE

  Today is the day. I'm going to introduce Rylan to my dad as my mate.

  I wake up feeling invigorated at the thought. It's one thing to claim him for myself. Sharing him with my family is another. I can't wait to see how dad reacts to him.

  He's been having more bad days than good lately. Sometimes it's only flashes of moments where he recognizes me. Then, in an instant, it's gone, and he thinks I'm his brother Tracy again.

  "You're really going to do it?" Oz asks when he arrives to watch dad for the day.

  I nod. "Yep. It's time. I've been with Rylan for two weeks now and there's no signs of us stopping. Plus, I kind of want to move him in here. It feels soon, but..."

  "Hey, you don't have to justify it to me. I've seen mates meet on the street and move in the next day. It's not all that odd given our biology. The longer you're apart, the harder it is for you to get stuff done. Right?"

  "You're right." I wonder for a moment if it was like that for him and Johnathan's father. He never talks about that time in his life, and since it was while he was away from Shelter Falls for school we have no way of knowing who he was.

  "Damn right, I'm right. And don't you forget it." He winks at me as he moves past me to go make breakfast.

  I take a chance at peeking in on dad before I leave. He's usually up by now, which has me a tad bit worried.

  "Dad? You ok in here?"

  Through the crack in his door, I can see the light is on. Pushing it open a little further, I'm surprised to see him sitting in bed. His gaze faces the wall where pictures are hanging up. Some are memories he recalls with ease and others are things he sometimes has to question more than once for them to make sense. I keep patient through it all because I know none of it is his fault. The changes in his mind aren't something he can control.

  When he turns to me, I see tears tracking down his cheeks. "She's gone, isn't she?"

  It's only then I notice the photo frame in his hand. It's a family photo from when I was five or six. Dad, Mom, and I are all standing in front of the world’s largest rubber band ball. Mom always thought random things like that were cool, so we'd take a couple of weeks off in the summer to drive around to find as many oddities as we could. We'd take pictures, then reminisce over them weeks later.

  She died when I was in high school, and it nearly tore my dad apart. Some days he remembers her alive and well. But others, days like today, he struggles with the memory. It's as fresh for him as the day we lost her. I hate it. More than anything I want to take his pain away, so he doesn't ever have to feel it again.

  "I'm sorry, dad," is all I can say as I approach the bed to hug him. He accepts my hold with open arms.

  Together we remember the woman she was and the impact she had on us. We didn't get her for long enough, but I'm thankful for every second. She wouldn't have handled dad losing his memory well. It would have hurt them both if he'd forgotten her time and time again.

  When his tears have dried up, he turns to me with a weak smile and says, "Don't let me keep you, Zeke. I know you've got a lot more to do than sit around with a sad old man all day."

  "Hey, now! I quite enjoy spending time with that old man - sad or happy." Oz stands in the doorway, his hands on his hips.

  Dad chuckles. "Good to see you're just as feisty as ever Osvaldo. Is that bacon I smell?"

  "Sure is. If you two are better now, then we can all go eat. And don't tell me you don't have time now, Zeke. I already called Jasmine to tell her you'd need an extra couple of hours to come in." His gaze tells me he also told Rylan, which is good since I'd gotten so caught up in dad's pain that I didn't think to text him I'd be late.

  "Let's get going then. It's not every day I get to eat with two of my favorite men." Dad pushes me away so he can climb from the bed.

  I laugh as I follow Oz from the door. "It holds less meaning when you tell the others the same thing, dad. You love to play favorites, but you really have four. Don't lie."

  "Who said I was lying? I simply said two of my favorites, not that it was limited to you jokers." He sticks his tongue out as me once we reach the kitchen. Oz outdid himself, as usual. There's food piled high and my stomach grumbles in response.

  "Dig in. It's going to be a busy day."

  I do as he says, then wonder if now is the best time to bring Rylan around or not. With dad mourning his own mate, would seeing mine only make things worse?

  At the office, my mood barely brightens. I'm swarmed with thoughts of how it would go if I invited Rylan to have dinner with us. Will he judge the situation? Will he be a trigger for dad? There's so much unknown that I feel like planning in this state is foolish.

  And yet, I know if I don't just get it over with, I run the risk of it being an issue later on. I'm already falling in love with my mate. He bewitched me from day one. Every second I gain in his presence is a gift that I cherish. I want more of them. Really, I want them all.

  I want to wake up with him, to go to work with him, and to return home with him.

  "Are you ok?" Rylan asks me when I drag him to my office for lunch. Ezra kept giving me strange looks each time I passed by their department. I know how weird it is for me to hover, but the pacing helped me think and now I feel like I know the best course of action.

  "I am and I'm not. I need to talk to you about something. Please keep an open mind and listen to the end. Can you do that for me?" I plead.

  My mate nods quickly, his eyes wide with confusion. "Yes, Alpha. I can do that."

  I sit in my desk chair, then pull him down to my lap. Once we're both settled I explain everything to him.

  "Since I was in high school it's just been me and my dad. My mother passed away, leaving us kind of floating around without knowing what to do. Dad focused on the company, while I went to school to prepare to take over one day. I was working in the various departments around here when I started noticing dad would forget something important. It started as little things like where his keys were. But then it grew. Now, there are some days where he has no clue who I am or what year it is. His Timer's Disease is progressing rapidly enough I have to have Oz stay with him during the day."

  Rylan's eyes fill with tears. "I'm so sorry you've both had to go through this. It must be terrifying."

  I nod as I pull him closer. He's a comfort to me, even as I discuss the horrible parts.

  "The disease will one day steal it all. He'll have to be told his own name and where he is. That is, of course, if he lives that long. The statistics don't look all that good, but there are treatments on the horizon. We'll have to wait to see if any of them work."

  Even as I say it, I can hear the doubt in my own voice. The things I've seen to help with TD usually cause problems of their own. None of it would be easy.

  "I hope they find it and your dad can be around for many, many memory filled years to come."

  "Thank you, Omega. That means a lot to me. I'm sure you're wondering why I brought this up." He nods, so I continue. "I'm mentioning it today because I'd like to invite you to dinner at my place tonight. Dad would stick around this time, which would give you a chance to see him in action. I'd also like you to consider moving in with me if tonight goes as well as I hope."

  He shakes his head as he grips my shoulders. "Tonight, could go good or bad and I'd still choose to stay with you. I want to be yours all the time, Alpha. Besides, the one time I met your dad, he was a blast. I can only imagine what he does when his memory changes, but I can assure you that first meeting will hold true no matter what."

  I kiss him then, my heart so full from his understanding. Fate knew I needed someone like Rylan to support me. I've never felt so blessed as I do with him in my lap telling me he wants forever with me.

  "Let's get back to work then. The sooner we're done, the sooner we can get home." He hops off my lap at the news, then kisses me quickly before rushing from my office.

  We manage to finish the workday a little earlier than planned. Rylan was so eager to come see dad that he motivated the office to wrap up projects quickly. Everyone agreed once we finished the day, and with my promise to pay for the full shift, they headed out early for us to close up. The streets of Shelter Falls will be busy tonight since they gained an extra two hours of freedom.

  "Here we are," I tell him once we're parked and heading to the door.

  I slide the key in the lock, then let us inside. It's quiet for a moment before a loud roar tears through the space. Rylan giggles since the sound is clearly human. When we turn the corner, we find the living room is a disaster of blankets and toys. It looks like someone made a fort, but it's seen better days.

  "What in the world is going on here?" I call out since I can't see anyone else in the room.

  Like some kind of choreographed comedy sketch, Osvaldo, Johnathan, and my dad all pop out from the back of the fort. Their eyes widen as they take us in, then they stand to their full height.

 

1 2 3 4 5 6