Page 34 of One Wild Omega

“I told you! It’s not a date,” Bellamy hooked a thumb over his shoulder. “He’s just a friend I met at work. He’ll be here in a moment, so you can finally meet him.”

“The infamous Fitz I keep hearing about.” Tanner eyed Raimy. “An alpha’s been hitting on him during their lunch hour for the last few months… and they’reonly friends,” he added the last bit with an eyeroll.

“Oh yeah,” Raimy said. “Because alphas and omegas are oftenjust friends.”

“Stop it, you two. I’ve told him he’s not the one, and he says he understands.”

“Sure he understands,” Tanner said. “And convinced you to come out on a date with him.”

“It was just dinner and some drinks. Fitz works with someone in this band that’s playing here tonight and promised to stop in and listen to a few songs. He asked me to hang out with him so he didn’t have to come alone,” Bellamy said.

Raimy laughed out loud. “He wants in your pants.”

“Of course he does,” Tanner said, grinning.

“It’snotlike that!” Bellamy cried. “I swear.”

“I don’t mess with alphas,” Tanner said. “Too tricky. Betas make better bedfellows. You don’t have to worry about getting pregnant.”

“Yeah, but betas can’t do the same things alphas can in the sack,” Raimy said, waggling his eyebrows. “An alpha in your bed will definitely curl your toes a lot faster than any beta.”

“Alphas are too… I don’t know…too much,”Tanner said. “I like being more in control.”

“Yet you’re still longing for that alpha you once met,” Raimy said, his voice low and close to Tanner’s ear.

“What was that?” Bellamy asked, smiling.

“Nothing!” Tanner yelled, thankful the band began inside and the volume rose on the patio, too. It was too loud for him to be expected to answer. He glared at his bestie and then turned back to Bellamy.

Bellamy chuckled, before looking past Tanner and waving at someone.

Tanner glanced over his shoulder—and came face to face with the last man he’d expected. He watched as the alpha brought Bellamy a drink, sidling up close before turning to look at him and Raimy.

Tanner couldn’t breathe. His heart slammed into his chest.

Hisalpha was there… on a date…

With Bellamy.

A faint buzzing that had nothing to do with the hum of conversations and music going on around him sounded in Tanner’s ears. It felt like the world was turning upside down and he was the only one noticing.

“Guys? This is Fitz Walker.” Bellamy spoke loudly to be heard over the band tuning up inside. The sound of strumming flooded outside the open double doors. “Fitz, these are a couple of my friends—Raimy Kellum and Tanner McCreary. Tanner is my roommate, for lack of a better word.”

Tanner swallowed back the bile rising in his throat. He focused on the only thing he could.Fitz. My alpha’s name is Fitz.

A numbness stole over him, feeling like the physical manifestation of the buzzing in his ears.

“Nice to meet you.” The alpha shook Raimy’s hand before turning look to Tanner, a scowl on his face. As he stared, Fitz’s frown grew deeper. “Nice to meet you,” he repeated, but there was an icy change to his tone.

A guarded shift to his demeanor.

Does anyone else hear it? See it? Or am I imagining it?

It was obvious by the look in the alpha’s eyes and the barely-there offer of a handshake that Tanner wasn’t imagining anything. Fitz Walkerwasn’thappy to meet him. Not at all. Just like the first time they’d come face to face, it was obvious the alpha was not impressed.

Tanner went through men like tissue. He fucked who he wanted, when he wanted, and never looked back. None of them had hurt him, yet this alpha and his dour look had broken him.

Twice.

---