Omega House Books 6-10: Alpha Omega MPreg Romance Box Set Page 8

People are in a hurry as they head to work or drop off their kids at school. They're taking shortcuts and rushing about without really being aware of what's around them. I hate having to be on the lookout for other people's mistakes. It makes driving a nerve wracking experience.

  At least I don't have far to go for the first leg of my journey.

  As soon as I get Seth in the car, I know a lot of my nerves will be soothed.

  I pull up to the curb outside of Omega House and text Seth to let him know I'm here. There aren't a lot of people moving around yet, but it looks like a pleasant enough place. I've thought about volunteering here since it's such an important place to Seth. I just don't know what I can do for them. Computer work maybe? I'm not sure if a place like this even really uses computers all that much.

  I'm still contemplating how I can help out when I catch sight of Seth leaving the building. There's another omega trailing after him with a look of exasperation on his face.

  Seth stops short and turns to face the other omega. They look like they're having a really intense conversation about something. I roll down my window, but I can't hear what they're saying from where I’m parked. I can only tell that the other omega is agitated, and Seth seems to be frustrated about something.

  Part of me wants to scoop my omega up and carry him away to safety. The rest of me is unsure of how to proceed. This is supposed to be a safe place for omegas, and I'm not sure how they'd feel about an alpha charging up the driveway to whisk one of their own away.

  So, as hard as it is, I sit tight and watch their exchange. I'm here if Seth needs me.

  Finally, Seth turns to leave, but the other omega catches his arm. Before Seth can react, the other omega presses a kiss to his lips.

  My heart freezes in my chest.

  Seth pulls himself away from the other omega, clearly disturbed by his actions. He backs away several steps, keeping a wary eye on the guy. A moment passes, and then the other man turns and flees back into the house.

  I release a deep breath as Seth opens the car door and climbs into the seat.

  "Is everything okay?" I ask him, afraid to hear his answer.

  He's clearly upset by what just happened and shakes his head in response. "Just drive, please."

  17

  Seth

  How the fuck could Jason do something like that to me? In front of my alpha of all people.

  My ears are burning the rest of the way to wherever we're going. I don't even really take in my surroundings as I stare out the window. I'm still trying to process everything that happened in the driveway with Jason.

  He confessed his love to me.

  He told me there's no one who cares about me more than he does and that we belong together. I tried to explain the whole fated mates thing to him, but he wouldn’t listen. He still believes it's just a myth. Eventually, I stopped trying to change his mind about it. Most people can’t understand until they wind up in that situation for themselves.

  I'm still turning it over in my head when Zach brings the car to a stop. He's brought me to a little breakfast place on the other side of town. I've never eaten here before, but I've heard others say it's really good.

  "Come on," he says, reaching across the center console and patting my knee. "Let's get you some coffee."

  That’s exactly what I need right now. Coffee sounds amazing, and my mood picks up several notches as I unbuckle my seat belt and climb out of the car. I can already smell the wonderful breakfast smells before we even get indoors. With one glance at my alpha, I grin.

  He knows breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. I’m sure that's why he picked this place.

  We head inside and get a booth. When we're finally seated, he reaches across the table and takes my hands in his. "Do you want to talk about what happened?" His voice is calm and soothing to me. He didn't poke or ask questions the whole way over here, and I'm grateful to him for giving me a little while to work through my thoughts. I'm sure he must be incredibly confused by what he witnessed.

  I know I am.

  "First, I need you to know that it didn't mean anything for me." I look down at the cup of coffee sitting on the table in front of me.

  "Don't worry about that." He gives my hand a little squeeze. "All I want to know is if you're okay."

  I offer him a half smile, and he releases my hands. I close them around my coffee cup and take a moment to savor the warmth before I continue. "The omega you saw me with is Jason. We've known each other for a couple years." I take a deep breath and consider the best way to say this. "He's carried a torch for me for a really long time. I knew he did, and there was a little while where I liked him back." I shake my head and look out the window beside us. It's still very early in the morning, and it looks like there's a threat of rain in the sky. What a dreary sort of day for this conversation to happen on. "A couple weeks before you moved in, I realized I just didn’t have the emotional connection to Jason that I need from a mate. The two of us sat down and discussed our feelings like adults. I told him I couldn't return his affections, and he seemed to take it all very well. I thought that was the end of it. He stopped flirting with me and even started pursuing other people."

  "I guess he wasn't really ready to let you go after all." Zach sighs and clasps his hands together on the table. "I know I wouldn't be able to if it were me."

  "I'm a little sad for him. He's been my friend for a long time, and the fact that I've found someone to be happy with while he hasn't makes me feel awful." I knit my brow and look at Zach longingly. I can't even believe how much I've missed him. It hasn't even been a full twenty-four hours since I saw him last, but it feels like an eternity.

  "Anyway, I was really happy to get your text this morning." I try to change the subject to other things. I know Zach didn't ask me out to breakfast simply because he wanted to see me. He could've just taken me home and cooked something for me there. The fact that he brought me to an actual restaurant means he's got something important to say. Being out in public is his way of showing me just how serious he actually is.

  "I don't think I can go another night without you in the house," he blurts. His expression looks like that of a man who has just had a massive weight lifted off his chest. He looks at me with sincerity in his eyes. "I spent all morning going through my client lists so I can expand my business and bring in more work. If I can get a couple more good contracts and pull in some repeat clients, I should have enough to at least get the most serious repairs started."

  My heart soars as he starts rambling off the list of things he's done to try to scrape together the money to get the wiring fixed. I know he's doing this all for me. If it were just him, he would've spent the next several months saving while keeping his work level about the same. The fact that he's going above and beyond, while pushing out of his comfort zone, makes it obvious to me just how important this is to him.

  Besides, I can't exactly go back to sleeping at Omega House now. It’s easy enough to avoid Jason during working hours, but our rooms are right across from one another. It's inevitable that we'll bump into one another on the way to the bathroom or when we're heading down to breakfast. He'll never have the chance to heal if I'm there as a constant reminder of his pain.

  "Zach," I say his name as gently as possible as I lay my hand on one of his. Our eyes meet, and my stomach tightens. "I slept like shit last night. I'm dying to come home and be with you. It's all I could think about the entire time I was gone."

  18

  Zachary

  I can't wipe this stupid grin off my face as I'm brushing my teeth in the upstairs bathroom.

  Tonight, we're going about our nightly routine as if nothing happened. I can't even begin to describe how happy I am that we can just pick up where we left off. There's a deep satisfaction in my chest knowing that we're going to be okay.

  Of course, I've saddled myself with a ton of extra work, but it's going to be worth it if I can give my omega a home where he feels safe and secure. I got way more replies to my
ads and inquiries than I was expecting. It's going to take me a little while to go through them all, but if everything goes according to plan, I'll be booked out through the end of the year. There won't be a lot of downtime, but with all the down payments I'm bringing in, I'm hoping to schedule the rewiring project in the next month or two.

  Right now, I'm more focused on spending a quiet evening at home with my omega. He's downstairs right now, making himself a cup of hot cocoa. He enjoys drinking it right before bed and claims it helps him sleep better. I think he's just addicted to the taste of chocolate, and I tease him about it constantly. But that's all just part of the routine we've fallen into. It works for us, and I wouldn't change a thing about it.

  I duck my head to rinse out my mouth.

  "Zach! Zach, come down here quick!" Seth's shouts send my instincts into overdrive. There's fear in his voice. I've never heard him yell like that before, and a dozen different scenarios flash through my head as I dart out into the hallway.

  I nearly trip as I fly down the stairs, but I manage to keep my balance. As I slide to a stop in the living room, I see Seth standing in front of my work area, staring that the computer screens.

  "What's going on?" I ask him, panting for breath as my heart hammers in my chest uncontrollably. I glance at the computer screens and immediately see what the trouble is.

  The readouts have all been replaced with a string of numbers, this time different than before. 7135, 7135, 7135, 7135.

  "I was getting ready to head upstairs. The screens were all normal, and then it just suddenly started doing this…" Seth grabs my hand and looks up at me with worry on his face. "I don't know what I did. I'm sorry. I didn't touch anything, I swear."

  "Hey, hey, don't worry." I gently pull him into my arms. "They've been doing this on and off since I moved in. I think it's some sort of error code, but it's not one I've ever seen before." I've spent countless hours over the last several weeks trying to figure out what caused the previous incidents, but nothing ever came of it. "It may have something to do with the wiring. Maybe they're not getting enough power or something like that, and it's causing the machines to throw errors like this."

  It's not a very good theory, but it's the best one I've got so far. I gently move Seth to one side and proceed to switch off all the computers. Once everything is powered down, I turn back and reach for Seth's hand. "Let's go to bed."

  No sooner have the words left my mouth than the lights go out. The computers all come back to life, and the numbers begin scrolling across the screen. The only light we have to see by is the firelight on the far side of the room and the glow of the computer screens.

  "I thought you turned them off…" Seth whimpers as he shrinks away from them, receding into the shadows where I can't see him clearly. "Zach, how did they come back on like that?"

  "It's the power," I tell him as the lights flicker back on and then off again. "They're still plugged into the house power. It's got to be messing with them." I can feel his fear in the air, and it's getting to me. As much as I'm trying to stay calm, I can't help but feel like there's more to it than my simple explanations.

  I don't have time to worry about it though. I need to do what I can to assuage my omega's fears. I quickly pull the power cords from the walls, switching off the computers once more. That's one problem dealt with.

  The lights continue their flickering, but at least I can mostly make out where Seth is now. I go to him and pull him into my arms. "I'm gonna get the flashlight from the kitchen and go shut off the breaker in the basement," I explain as I try to shield him from the strobe-like effect of the overhead lights. "Stay by the fire and don't move. I'll be back in a minute."

  Just as I turn to leave, I feel a breath of warmth from behind.

  I spin in place in time to see the fire flare up, larger than I've ever seen it. The flames are licking at the hearth, and I feel all pretense of bravery leave my bones.

  "I can't…" Seth pulls away from me and runs toward the front door. He grabs his keys from the hook, yanks open the door, and darts out into the night.

  "Seth!" I call after him and give chase. He's already halfway down the driveway by the time I hit the front porch.

  "I'm going to Sean's house," he says as he fumbles with the lock on his car. "I can't stay here. This house…whatever's going on with it, I just…I can't handle all this, Zach. I just can't."

  I reach his side before he can get the car door open. He's clearly unsettled by everything that's happened. His eyes are wide with fear and doubt. All he wants is to get somewhere safe, and I don't blame him for that. If I wasn't so damn broke, I would've taken him to a hotel right then and there.

  "Go, be with your brother." I tell him as I press a kiss to his forehead. "Just be safe, okay? Do you have your phone?"

  He nods slowly, seemingly surprised that I'm not trying to stop him.

  "Good." I hold him in my arms, hating that I have to let him leave. "Text me when you get there so that I know you're safe. I need to go put the fire out and flip the breaker." I look back on the house with uncertainty. If it weren't for the fact that this was my grandma's house, I would've packed everything up in the car and left with Seth a long time ago.

  But I'm determined to make this house into a home that's worthy of my omega and that will honor my grandma's memory. I'm not willing to give up on it that easily.

  "Be careful." Seth pushes up on his tiptoes and kisses me gently. "There are extra blankets in the closet by the bed…" He looks mournfully back at his car and frowns. "I can…I can ask Sean if—"

  I press my finger to his lips and coax him into silence. "Don't worry, babe, I'll be okay."

  I know Sean would do anything for Seth, and I know he'll be safe with them. As an alpha, however, I don't like the idea of crashing in another alpha's house…and Sean has two of them.

  No, I need to do what I can here. This is my domain, and I'm going to fight for it.

  Seth climbs into his car, and I watch him pull out of the driveway before he disappears down the street. Steeling my resolve, I turn back toward the house.

  I know what I need to do now, and I'm not the least bit afraid.

  19

  Seth

  Morning arrives before I'm ready for it. I bury myself beneath the mountain of blankets Sean gave me and try to block out the early morning sunlight, not to mention the sounds of my brother's household.

  Two broad shouldered, sexy, and downright domesticated alphas clunk through their morning routines without a care in the world. It's not that they don't care that I'm trying to sleep on their sofa, but they've got lives of their own to get on with. Not only that, but there's absolutely no way you can do anything quietly with two newborns to look after.

  It takes a long time for the house to quiet down again. I'm not sure where everyone went, but honestly, I don't really care. I feel like shit, and all I want to do is sleep my way through the entire afternoon.

  I'm only vaguely aware of Sean as he creeps into the living room to check on me. My twin has always been in tune with my needs, and I'm glad to see that hasn't changed much.

  In the blink of an eye, I'm exposed to the cool air of the house as my blankets are ripped away from me. I look up in horror and betrayal and meet my twin's eyes as cackles with glee. Our twin connection has failed me. I didn't see that coming at all.

  "Come on, lazybones," he teases as he tosses the blankets aside. "You can't mope there all day. And don't pretend. I know you weren't really asleep."

  "Geez, Sean, you don't have to be so mean about it. I was warm." I sit up slowly, feeling like my limbs are made out of bricks. I really don't want to get up. Despite that, I'm not actually mad at Seth. I'm glad he's here, and that I'm not alone in this unfamiliar place. I've been to his house before, but there's always something a little unsettling about being left by yourself in a home that isn't your own.

  "Right, well…" Sean's voice trails off, and he drops onto the couch beside me. "I called Zach and talked to him
a little bit. He explained to me some of what's going on, but I don’t really get it. It's not like you to be freaked out by some flickering lights and misbehaving fireplaces."

  I'm a little annoyed that he went behind my back and talked to Zach without asking me first, but I know he did it because he’s worried about me. After all, I did show up at his house out of the blue in the middle of the night and crashed on his sofa without much of an explanation.

  "It's not just that." I flop back onto the sofa so he's sitting by my feet. "There's so much stuff going on. The house, the wiring, the weirdness with the electronics…it's all just…the final straw I guess. There's the crap with Jason that I texted you about. Then there's the fact that I just haven't been sleeping well at all…like for the past several weeks I haven't been able to sleep for more than two or three hours at a time. It's driving me crazy. On top of that, I've got an alpha that I'm crazy for. I know he'd do anything for me, but lately, I've been feeling…this strange intensity in my chest. Like…I need him to do more, but I don't know what that even means. He's already bending over backwards for me. From the sound of things, the work schedule he's laid out for himself is going to work him to the bone. He wouldn't be doing that if it weren't for me. But I feel like I need something more from him. Something important, but I don't know what it is. I don't even know how to tell him I'm feeling this way."

  Sean eyes me quietly for a second, and I'm almost certain he's going to tell me I'm overreacting. I certainly feel like I am.

  "When was your last heat?" he asks me without missing a beat. "Or have you been taking suppressants?"

  I frown at him, slightly embarrassed. "Uh, no. I haven't been taking suppressants. My last heat…was…" My voice fades, and I suddenly feel my chest tighten. There's no way. I can't be…

  "In the bathroom, under the sink, there's a box of tests. Go take one." Sean points down the hall, leaving no room for me to argue with him.