Page 4 of A Real Alpha
“Of course,” he said gently. “There's no rush. Stay as long as you want.”
I nodded, relieved and watched him walk back to his spot behind the register, wondering if it was obvious that I was down on my luck. I sighed and allowed myself to relax again. And sleep.
A while later, when I opened my eyes, there was a glass of water in front of me and a chocolate chip cookie.
When I glanced toward the front counter, no one was paying any attention to me, but the kindness of the gesture spread warmth through me.
Strange to think an alpha could actually be nice... but I wasn't going to count my luck. Instead, I just reached for the cookie, hungrily devouring it.
Chapter 2
Oscar
“He's definitely homeless,”Sage said under her breath.
I glanced over at him again. He was fast asleep again, his chin bowed down to rest over the bundle that was his tiny baby.
“I don't think so,” I said. “He doesn't even have a coat... Not to mention how clean he is.”
She snorted.
“Wow, Oscar,” she chuckled. “Way to discriminate. You saying that homeless people stink?”
I rolled my eyes.
“You know what I mean. His clothes are all in one piece, his hair is brushed?—”
“And he's sleeping at one of our tables in the middle of the day. What happened to our shop being for customers only?”
I shrugged, feeling my cheeks heating.
Truthfully, I'd gone over there to say something along those lines, but then he'd looked up at me with those wide, worried eyes and I'd forgotten all about kicking him out or insisting he order something. Instead, I'd gone over there with a drink and a snack because I knew breastfeeding made omegas tired. He needed the energy if he was going to get out of whatever situation he was in.
The glass of water was empty, and the cookie was gone, and I wished I'd taken him a sandwich instead.
I couldn't do it now without Sage giving me some serious side-eye though.
Igor lumbered up behind us, checking what remained in the food display with his notepad in hand, offering a much-appreciated distraction.
“You about to head home?” I asked.
“Yes, leaving in a minute... I'll make more of the scones tomorrow,” he said, jotting it down.
I nodded. “Especially the blueberry ones. They've been popular.”
He made a noise in agreement, and Sage went to clean tables. For a while, the topic of the omega sleeping in the corner was forgotten. That was, until the baby woke up.
His dad must have been deeply asleep because he didn't stir for a minute. When his little one amped up the volume, he startled in his seat.
The omega tried to shush him for a moment and then stood and took him to the washroom, presumably to be changed.
Poor guy looked stressed as hell.
When he returned, he looked just as tired and worn out, his dusty blond hair ruffled as though he'd been pulling it. The baby seemed happy, though, and even started to make happy cooing noises when his omega daddy was chatting with him.
“You're staring again.”
I started and glanced at Sage who had returned while I’d been distracted watching the pair together.
