Omega’s Pretend Mate by Lacey Daize

Chapter 2 - Christian

~April~

My brother-in-law Alex passed me a cold beer, then collapsed onto the beach chair next to mine.

“How do you manage all the fun in the sun?” he griped. “I’m exhausted.”

I opened the beer and took a drink. “I do work, you know. I just took the week off to spend with you all.”

“I don’t know what’s worse,” he said. “Living in a place like this and having to work, or dealing with this sun.”

I laughed. “Believe me, come summer I’m ready to stay holed up in my air conditioned office and away from all the tourists. You all made the right choice to come during spring break and not for summer. Besides, it’s not even all that hot right now.”

“The heat isn’t the problem,” he sighed. “It’s the dang sun.”

I turned to him. It seemed early in the year for sunstroke, but there were cases reported every summer.

“What?” Alex asked after I studied him for a minute.

“Making sure you’re ok.”

He laughed. “I’m fine, or did you forget that I’ve been chasing kids around for an hour?”

“Don’t you mean chasing your husband around while he chased the kids?” my brother Liam asked, walking up with a passed-out two-year-old slumped against his shoulder.

I held my arms open, and Liam deposited my sleeping nephew, Trent, into them with a relieved sigh. He then plopped onto a beach towel.

“You look good with him,” he said after a minute. “Ever think about getting some of your own?”

I chuckled. “I’d want myself a handsome omega to go with the kids, and I keep striking out.”

“You better get a move on,” my other brother, Philip, said as he walked over with his mate Benjamin, and they sat on a towel. “You’re already in your forties. They’ll barely be graduating high school when you’re ready to retire at this rate.”

I sighed. “Mom and papa already nag me enough you guys. I don’t need it from you too.”

“There’s gotta be somebody you’re interested in at that law firm of yours,” Liam said. “Or do they not believe in hiring omega lawyers?”

I chuckled as thoughts of one young attorney came to mind: Gabe Everest. He was the kind of man I’d go after if I was a decade younger. He obviously had the brains to get into a top law firm, but had a gentle demeanor that made him easy to talk to. He was also just my type in the looks department: slender with black hair and grey eyes, plus he was the perfect size to tuck into my arms and still feel the heft of a man there.

“There is somebody!” Philip said. “It’s all over your face.”

“Lay off guys. There’s a younger associate who I think is handsome, but I’m too old for him. He’s only in his early thirties.”

“That’s not that bad,” Benjamin said. “There are far worse age gaps.”

“He may even like older men,” Alex said.

It was four against one, and I was on the losing end of the argument.

Four against one, something about that stuck in my mind.

I paused and looked around. “Wait, if all the adults are here… who’s watching the kids?”

“Faith’s in charge,” Benjamin shrugged.

I relaxed. “Ok.” For being only thirteen, my niece was extremely responsible when it came to her siblings and cousins. “She’ll make sure everybody’s safe.”

There was a general nod of consensus.

“I know it’s a bit early still,” Philip said. “But is she showing any signs of presenting yet?”

Liam shook his head. “No, but given her demeanor I’d be shocked if she wasn’t an alpha. She’s just such a take-charge kind of girl.”

“She’s also the second-tallest in her class,” Alex added. “And is strong like an alpha too.”

“Lord help us if she takes after mom though,” I said with a laugh. “I don’t know if the world is ready for two Jeffries women alphas.”

“Davis,” Alex corrected.

Both Liam and I laughed.

“Last name doesn’t matter,” I said. “Her birth certificate says Davis, but she’s a Jeffries girl through and through.”

Alex shook his head, then propped his feet up on Liam’s thighs.

“Excuse you,” Liam said, pushing his husband’s feet off.

“What?” Alex asked innocently.

“You don’t get to both hog the chair, and use me as a footstool.”

“So I can use you as a footstool if I let you have the chair?”

“Maybe.”

Alex stood, picked up Liam, who squealed in surprise, plopped my brother on the chair, then laid down on the towel and lifted his legs so that his feet rested in Liam’s lap.

Liam scowled at his mate, but the rest of us burst into laughter.

The noise woke my sleeping nephew, who looked up at me in surprise. “Unca?”

I chuckled and ruffled his hair. “Hey there kiddo. Have a good nap?”

“Hungy.”

I grinned and dropped him on Alex’s chest. “Your kid wants a snack.”

“You’re closer to the cooler than I am,” he protested.

“I also didn’t wake him by putting my feet up in my brother’s lap.”

Alex sighed, knowing that he’d been beaten by his own shenanigans. “Fine.” He turned to the rugrat. “Whatcha want kiddo? Does juice and crackers sound good?”

“Actually,” Benjamin said. “I bet they’re all getting a bit hungry. Let’s break out the real food instead.”

“Works for me,” Philip said. “I didn’t want to say anything, but I’m starving.”

I laughed and stood. “Why don’t you all prep the food, and I’ll go retrieve the kiddos.”

It was good to see my brothers and their families again.

∞∞∞

I smiled as I walked into Mitchell’s. I loved my family, but I needed a break after spending a week with four adult men and seven kids.

I made my way to the bar and took a seat.

“Hey Christian,” Randy, my favorite bartender said, wiping out a glass. “Haven’t seen you in a few days. What’s up?”

“I’ll take my usual beer,” I said, getting a nod in return, then answered his question. “My brothers and their families came into town for a visit. I’ve been playing tour guide all week. What are you doing here so late? I thought you worked the lunch shift.”

“Both Beau and I were asked to work late. One guy’s on vacation and another called in sick,” Randy said, settling a glass under the tap and drawing my beer. “Taking a break from the family then?”

I laughed. “No. They all piled into a couple vans this morning, headed back to Mountain Springs. I’ve spent most of the day cleaning up from having them all.”

“Is that where you’re from?”

“Yep. Little town in the mountains… obviously.”

Randy chuckled and set my beer in front of me. “Glad you clarified. I thought it was a suburb of Atlantis.”

“Smartass.”

Randy grinned. “Better a smartass than a dumbass, or so my dad always said.”

I shook my head. “I think every alpha parent says that.”

“Then it must be a good bit of wisdom.”

I laughed as Randy turned away to help another customer. I took a drink of my beer, then a familiar scent hit my nose.

I looked around and finally spied Gabe Everest sitting alone in a corner, slumped and looking absolutely miserable. He also appeared drunk, which was never a good look for an attorney.

Getting involved was generally a bad idea, but I couldn’t stand the thought of seeing the handsome omega looking like that and not doing anything. Maybe it was the fact that I’d admired him for years, but I had to find out what happened.

I caught Randy’s eye and motioned with my head that I was relocating. He nodded, and I carried my beer over to Gabe’s table.

“This seat taken?” I asked.

Gabe’s head lolled up, and he was definitely drunk. He squinted at me. “S’yours.”

I’d never seen him so disheveled or miserable-looking. His black hair was mussed, and the red tint to his  grey eyes told me that he’d probably been crying. For a man who normally maintained a flawless appearance, it was disconcerting. He was normally so reserved that I couldn’t imagine what had led to this, and it made my heart break.

Gabe picked up an empty glass, raised it to his lips, then glared at it as if it had personally offended him when he got nothing out of it. He lifted it to signal for another, but I pulled his hand back down.

“I think you’ve had enough Gabe.”

“Cause I’m omega?” he accused, slurring his words.

My frown deepened. “No. Because you’re drunk and you’re going to regret it in the morning.”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“Yes it does.”

“I’m irresponsible,” he spat. “I’m giving them something to say I’m irresponsible about.”

I was confused, but knew I wasn’t going to get anything coherent out of him until he sobered up.

“Stay here Gabe” I said. “I’m going to get you some water.”

“You’re not my alpha!”

I growled. “No, but I am your friend.”

“Oh.”

“I’ll be right back.”

“Kay.”

I walked over to the bar again and got the other bartender, Beau’s, attention. “Hey there. Can we get a glass of water for my friend? He’s sloshed.”

Beau looked over and sighed. “Damn it. I told Gabe he should back off.”

“You know him?”

Beau nodded. “He lives several houses down from me. We’ve only talked a few times though.”

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. “Look, I don’t think he should be alone tonight. Something seems off. You’re not going to call the cops if I take him with me, are you?”

Beau narrowed his eyes. “I dunno. How do you know him?”

“We work together.”

“Yeah? What do you do?”

“Gabe’s a lawyer, so am I. Same firm”

“He’s cool,” Randy said, having caught enough of the conversation to chime in. “They’ve come in together for office parties. And I’ll vouch for Christian. He’s good people.”

Beau looked between us, then nodded. “As long as Randy vouches for you.”

I dug out my wallet and handed Beau a business card. “My phone number. Feel free to give me a call in the morning to check in on Gabe.”

He accepted and pocketed the card. “I’ll be right over with some water. I agree that given his state, he shouldn’t be alone.”

I walked back over, and sighed when I saw that Gabe had finished my beer.

“Beau is bringing some water,” I said.

“They’re gonna take it away…” he sobbed.

I blinked as his rambling took a new, confusing turn.

“Nobody’s taking anything away,” I said.

“But they are!” he wailed. “They’re gonna take my house away.”

I didn’t even want to try to figure out why he thought anybody was going to take his house away.

Beau set a glass of water on the table, and I grabbed his arm before he could walk away. “Can you get me both his and my tabs so I can pay and get him out of here?”

“Sure.”

“Thanks.”

“Drink the water Gabe,” I said as I took the seat across from him again. “You need to get something other than alcohol in you.”

“Don’t wanna…”

“Gabe,” I warned, a surprising alpha growl to my voice.

His eyes widened slightly. “Yes, alpha.”

The words and the tone threatened to go right to my cock. Luckily I was more concerned with the mental state of the man in front of me than I was getting my dick wet.

Gabe drank the water, but didn’t look happy about it.

I’d deal with him being grumpy later, hopefully the next morning when he was happy that I’d cut him off.

Gabe scrunched his nose. “I didn’t order water.”

“I did, now drink up so I can take you home.”

“They’re gonna take away my home.”

“Then it’s good we’re going to mine.”

“We’re going to your house?” he asked, eyes widening.

“Apartment actually, but yes.”

“I don’t have any condoms.”

It was a good thing I wasn’t drinking anything, because I choked on air as it was. “I don’t think you need to worry about that.”

“I’m not ready to be a papa…”

“Don’t worry. I’m going to be a perfect gentleman. I don’t believe in having sex with drunk men.”

“No babies?” He somehow looked disappointed, despite having just declared himself not ready for kids.

“No Gabe. No babies. Sleep. I’m going to take you home, and you’re going to sleep.”

“In your bed?”

“In my guest room.”

“Oh.”

Once more he looked disappointed, but I wasn’t going to dwell on it. He hadn’t made sense since I’d sat down.

Gabe finished the water, and I helped him to his feet.

“Did he drive?” I asked as I dropped the money to cover our drinks at the bar.

Beau shrugged. “I don’t know, but his car should be ok overnight if he did. Mitchell doesn’t tow until it’s been two full nights.”

“Good to know.”

“Are you ok to drive?”

I chuckled and looked down at the omega who’d mostly slumped against me. “I left my beer unattended near him, and he finished it. I only had a few swallows of it. I’m fine.”

Beau sighed. “I don’t know what got to him, but hopefully you can snap him out of it.”

“The first step is a good night’s sleep. Luckily I have a guest room with a comfy bed.”

He nodded, and I tightened my hold around Gabe’s waist.

“Ok Gabe,” I said, making sure he hadn’t passed out against me. “Time to walk to the car, ok?”

“Car? What car?”

“My car. We’re going to go for a little ride, then it’s sleep time for you.”

“But they’re gonna take away my house.”

I glanced at Beau, who shrugged.

“We’re going to my apartment, where you’re going to take some aspirin and sleep.”

“Ok…” he agreed, pressing his face to my chest.

If he hadn’t been three sheets to the wind I’d have been incredibly turned on by the way he sniffed me. But my protective side was in full control, and I just wanted to get him home so I could take care of him.

I steered Gabe out of Mitchell’s and to my car, holding him up the couple times that he stumbled. Then we took the short drive to the apartment building, and a few minutes later I was guiding him into my apartment, glad I was on the ground floor since I didn’t think he was capable of navigating stairs.

“Where’re we?” Gabe slurred, half-asleep as I opened the door and got him to sit on the couch.

I knelt before him and looked him in the eye, glad to see that he at least recognized me. “We’re in my apartment. I’m going to put fresh linens on the guest bed, then you’re going to sleep. Ok Gabe?”

“They’re gonna take my house away…” he said, bottom lip quivering.

“You said that,” I tried, hoping to soothe him. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow, ok?”

He nodded.

“Stay here. I’m going to get you some water and aspirin.”

“Kay.”

I hurried to the kitchen and grabbed him a bottle of water, then a couple pills from the medicine cabinet. At the last minute I snagged a small wastebasket and liner, just in case.

I helped him take the pills, then left him alone so I could put sheets and a comforter on the bed. While I would have preferred to have had it ready, I’d had to wash everything earlier after having had guests over for the past week.

Finally I declared the bed good enough and headed back out to the living room, where I found Gabe passed out on my couch.

I sighed. This was not how I’d wanted the handsome omega to see my place for the first time, granted, that had only been in my dreams anyway. No matter how attracted to him I was, he deserved a mate his own age.

I walked over, slid my arms underneath him and picked him up. Gabe curled into me, pressing his face to my chest again.

I carried him down the hall, laid him on the bed, and wrestled him out of his shirt and pants so he’d be more comfortable before tucking him in. Then I brought in more water, aspirin and the wastebasket, and was grateful for dimmer switches as I set the light low enough for him to sleep, but light enough for him to see if he woke up in the middle of the night.

Then I retreated to my kitchen, where I poured myself something stiffer than the beer he’d drank.

What had gotten to Gabe so badly that he’d felt the need to get drunk? And why did he keep insisting that somebody was going to take away his house?

Unfortunately, I knew I wasn’t going to get any answers until morning.