No Reservations, Part One by Viola Grace
Chapter One
Olly looked at the note on the kitchen counter. “Lara, what the hell is this?”
Her sister came in and said, “Oh, the Henwells called. The hotel for Adra’s wedding had a water main break, and every B&B in the area has been contacted.”
“Tough. I am not hosting anyone.”
Lara chuckled. “Good thing they called me, then. When I told them we were closed for family business, they doubled our rack rates. We only have one guest coming, and he has two pets. I have a list of requirements that he sent on. Raw meat for the animals. He arrives in four hours.”
“Well, are you going to shop for them?”
“Of course not. I have to get ready for the party. Call in the order, and it should be here by then.”
Olly looked at her. “No. Absolutely not.”
“Aw, come on, Olly. You won’t even know he is here. He’s coming in, going to the party, and staying for the weekend. You will hardly see him.”
“Why is he bringing animals?”
“He can’t find somewhere to board them. The estate was going to house them, but with the others coming, it isn’t considered wise.”
Olly muttered, “My heat starts this weekend, sis. There is a reason we were closed. Now you aren’t going to be here, and I am going to have to make breakfast for this guy? You are fucking thoughtful.”
“Don’t pout. The Henwells would have taken him on if they could. They ran out of space.”
Olly picked up the phone and called the butcher shop and ordered the incredible amount of meat that was on the list. Whatever the animals were, they were big.
The delivery would arrive in two hours, and she could turn over the largest room in that time.
Her sister was a smug beta who was technically in charge of the family business. Technically, because Olly did the majority of the work to upkeep the cute and adorable bed and breakfast. “Right. I have to make up the shed, too.”
Lara snorted. “Your heat won’t start until after he is long gone. You don’t need to worry about it.”
Olly knew that tone. “You are storing stuff in there, aren’t you?”
Lara chuckled. “I have been getting fifty bucks a month for it as a storage shed. It’s housing fishing gear from Ander’s outfitting company.”
“Of course it is. If I need to, I will hide at the main house then.”
Lara made a face. “Ew, and get your omega stink on everything? I don’t think so.”
Olly nodded. “Right. I will figure something else out.” Her sister paid for her upkeep, and that was the end of things.
Being stuck as an omega meant she wasn’t a person. Not in the true legal sense. Her father had even told folks that he sent her to the Omega Centre, and she came back as a defective, but he had just beaten her every time her pheromones let go until she could hide the signs for everything except two days of her heat. It was not a technique she recommended.
The first surge was about to start, so she quickly got to the building, changed the sheets, fluffed the pillows, and put fresh flowers on the table. It was a guy, and some guys liked flowers.
Olly finished up the room, prepped the keys, and penned a note, leaving it under the keys, just in case he came in late and she wasn’t around to show him in. She turned on the exterior lights and went to take care of the rest of the chores around the place. She hauled herself onto the riding mower and started to tidy up the yard and keep her bed and breakfast’s picturesque standards. The Victorian home was lovely and took a lot of time to maintain, but she enjoyed it. The ranch house was where her family had lived, and now that her parents were gone, it was where her sister lived. Olly lived in a tiny room off the kitchen in the Victorian.
Working for the family business had been the only thing she was allowed to do. When her omega nature became apparent during her fifteenth year, her family took steps to try and make her appear to be a nice, normal beta... with occasional heats that made them lock her in a small space where her scent wouldn’t cause them any distress or distaste.
She bit her lip as she finished her two hours of mowing, nodding to the delivery truck as it brought the meat to the back of the B&B. She parked the mower in the shed and walked over to bring the order inside.
Robert waved at her and drove off. She looked at the sections of beef and groaned. She hadn’t realized how big they were. Well, waiting wasn’t going to get them stored. She hefted the first segment of bone-in meat and walked it to the walk-in fridge. Then, she did it four more times.
When the meat shelf was groaning with the order, she stumbled out and heard the purr of an engine. She looked down and groaned, then peeked out the window, willing Lara to come. No luck.
She pulled on a sweatshirt to absorb a bit of her scent and stayed in the fridge until she heard the bell.
She answered it. Conditioned response. “Good afternoon. You are our emergency guest, I guess.”
She came around the corner and was pinned by the brightest green eyes under the slash of dark brows and a sexy mop of midnight hair, decorating caramel skin and delightfully full lips. She caught his scent. “Oohh.”
His lips quirked. “Afternoon, Miss. Sorry, I’m early. The roads were better than I thought.”
She swallowed when the casual alpha pheromones struck her. She dug her fingers into her palm to stop her reaction and swallowed her whine. “Please, sign the guest register, Mr...”
“Denler. Argus Denler.”
She nodded, and the name reverberated in her memory. “You are Paul’s cousin.”
He blinked and smiled. “Yeah. Are you a friend of the family?”
“Um, not really. They are friends with my sister, Lara, though.” She smiled brightly.
Argus smiled. “Are these my keys?”
“Yes. The message I got said you have animals?”
“Yes, can I bring them in?”
“Sure. When do they need to be fed?”
“They are nocturnal for the most part, so I can feed them when I am back from the party.”
He left, and she waited, expecting large, pampered canines. The two black jaguars that came in at his side were as gorgeous as their owner, and he had a light grip on their leashes.
The two lifted their heads, scenting her, and they pulled him toward her with surprised steps. “Guys. Come on. Don’t scare the nice lady.”
The large heads scenting her groin and butt were nearly as wide as her hips were and the same weight as an adult beta male.
“Can I pet them?”
Argus blinked in surprise. “Uh, sure.”
She dropped her hands near them, she felt the snuffling at her digits, and then, she stroked their heads, and a heavy purr emerged.
Her knees nearly gave way. She clenched and kept her slick from emerging and gave them both light pats. “Pretty. Boys?”
He was looking at her, confused. “Yeah, Romulus and Remus.”
“If the party runs long, when should I feed them?”
“Uh, you would do that?”
“Sure. They are well-behaved guys. I think we would get along.”
“You have livestock?”
“Yeah, but knowing what these pretty boys are, I will go and mark them, so they won’t consider them prey.”
He frowned. “How do you know that will work?”
She shrugged. “I am going on instinct, but it’s gonna be hard to rub on all the chickens.”
He burst out laughing. “Please, tell me you will do that before I leave for the party.”
“Oh, definitely not. There is only so much dignity I can lose in a day before it starts to sting.”
He chuckled. “Fair enough. They like to sleep during the day, but they will be active at night. Do you have an enclosure for them?”
“I have something, but it won’t keep them in. It might give them the idea of where confinement should be, but they have a few sturdy trees to climb. You think that will satisfy them?”
He was looking at her, slightly dazed. “Right. Satisfy them. It should. I will leave you my number. Call me if they get out of hand or anything.”
“Sure. Just write it down. I will use it if I have to.”
He smiled. “I can just put it in your phone.”
“I don’t have one. Landline only here.” She shrugged helplessly. Lara wouldn’t get her a phone. She didn’t want her to make friends outside the house.
“Your room is at the top of the stairs. It is a large suite, so there should be room for the boys. You are staying two nights?”
He nodded. “Unless something else needs to be done while I am here. Bailing out the groom might be on the agenda.” He laughed, and she saw the sharp teeth that were part of the mark of an alpha. Lara didn’t let her near alphas, and if they were all this pretty, she knew why.
He frowned. “If you aren’t here and I need something?”
She pointed to her belt. “I have a pager. I come when you call.” She clamped her hand over her mouth when she realized what she had said.
His eyes went wide and then heated. “Excellent. Where is the number for that?” He was chuckling.
She pointed to the cards on the desk. “The number for the pager is on there. I am not nocturnal, so it takes me a while to answer after eleven in the evening.”
“Fair enough. What is your name?”
“Olly. Uh, Olivia.”
“Pleased to meet you, Olivia.” He extended his hand in a nice, normal handshake.
She extended her hand and clasped his. He nodded and smiled encouragingly.
“I hope you enjoy your stay.”
He grinned and shifted the leash. The large cats left her, and she felt vulnerable when they headed up the stairs. She chuckled as they looked back. “See you later, guys.”
Argus turned to her, and there was a smouldering expression.
She blinked, blushed, and bolted. She had chickens to mark.
