Page 15 of Blizzards and Brews

“Slow down there, buddy,” I said, shaking my head.

I tried to ignore the heat that built up in my core from the surety of his words, his absolute conviction, but, with his scent in my lungs, it was hard.

It was hard to come to terms with the fact that this alpha wasn’t going to let me push him away. The others had. Was that actually what I needed and I just didn’t realize it?

“Whatever pace you need, angel. Like I said, I’m not going anywhere.” How did he know exactly where my mind was going?

“I’m going to go get Ollie,” I said, excusing myself to the back room where I knew I’d find him.

Sure enough, he was fiddling with the seasonal stock we’d canned that was just missing labels. His eyes were far away as he worked and I knew he was lost in his own head.

I came up next to him and pulled him into a hug, his whole body relaxing into mine instantly as he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me tight.

Ollie was a snuggler, probably something to do with his omega tendencies. Over the decades we shared growing up together, I’d realized it was the quickest way to calm him down. Whenever he was troubled or stressed, that little dip between his eyebrows furrowing, I tried to pull him aside and reassure him that everything was going to be okay.

I think we both needed that right now.

“You smell like him,” he said, breathing me in. “The scent mixed with you is…”

On instinct, I dipped my head between our joined bodies and breathed in deep. Spencer’s earthy scent was there but it was now complemented by Ollie’s caramel and marshmallow. My body lit up with the combined scent and my head spun.

Fuck, he was right.

“Intoxicating,” I concluded his earlier thought with a surprised chuckle.

“Yes,” he agreed, his arms tightening like he was afraid I’d run again. My chest tightened at the thought. I’d not just pushed them away, I’d worried Ollie that I might never give in.

And maybe there was a sliver of truth in that. I’d always known I wasn’t what they needed. I couldn’t give Ollie a knot.

But Spencer can.

My mind was an asshole but she wasn’t wrong. It felt like something had been missing all along and we just couldn’t or didn’t want to see it.

However, the point still stood that Adam would never have an omega if he chose me. I was only a beta. I wouldn’t be able to handle or satisfy his urges. I wouldn’t be able to take his knot and milk it until he was satiated.

“Hey, none of that,” Ollie whispered, his lips brushing over my ear and sending a shiver through me.

While Ollie spoke more from touch than anything else, he’d been good about respecting my boundaries. But more and more,I noticed him seeking out my touch, seemingly innocent gestures that got under my skin and drove me crazy. More than once I’d had to take matters into my own hands after work.

“Spencer wants to talk to you,” I reminded him.

Vibrant blue eyes blinked up at me as he pulled out of my hold. I knew that look and groaned out loud, knowing damn well what he was about to ask.

“Will you talk to him with me?” he asked anyway as he ran his hand through his silky, brown hair. His nerves were clear as day and I couldn’t deny this omega anything.

“Sure,” I relented. “I promise he’s not scary… just pushy as hell.”

For Hollow’s sake, ‘pushy’ might be an understatement. But I certainly wasn’t complaining last night. I was just surprised as hell to see him today. Even more surprised when he’d all but told the triplets that he wasn’t leaving me alone and was here to stay.

“Maybe that’s a good thing,” Ollie mused as he hooked his arm through mine. “Where are we chatting?”

“We’ll grab a table,” I promised him. “Come on, let’s do this before Leander comes in to prep for opening. You know how he and Beatty gossip, we’re better off handling this ourselves.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Ollie muttered under his breath as he tapped out a staccato rhythm on his leg. His nerves were bad if he was doing his old habits. It had been a while since I’d seen him this twitchy.

“Hey, I’m here,” I reminded him as we walked through the doors.

Of course, Spencer was already waiting at a table in the back. I avoided eye contact with Adam and Dustin behind the bar as I led Ollie over.