Blizzards and Brews (Holiday Hollow Omegaverse)

Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Lindsay

I hadn’t expected my one night stand to show up at work this morning, but maybe I should have.

When I tried to leave earlier, Spencer had called me out, pulling me back into bed and in for another round before he fed me breakfast and left me one satisfied girl.

He challenged me in a playful way I wasn’t used to, and it left me on uneven ground. The alpha had a way of making me feel like I was still in charge even when he was making my mind a pile of goo.

Now here he was, in the bar I owned with my best friends, turning our world upside down.

Part of me had been tempted to call it, I knew the boys would have my back, but I’d overheard the words he’d said to Ollie and I couldn’t bring myself to do that to him.

Not after all of this time.

Plus, it was clear Spencer was very experienced and the right consultant for Holiday Brews. Every question and comment he’d made had been insightful and perfectly on market. As loath as I was to admit it, we needed him.

“So, do you always make a point of sleeping with the owner when you do these consultations?” I asked once the conversation turned away from business.

Adam spit out his beer and I could feel his eyes on me as I wiped it up with a towel and focused my attention back on Spencer. Thankfully, Dustin and Ollie had momentarily stepped away and were in the backroom.

“Fuck, firefly,” Adam growled.

“Hush,” I told him. “As much as you don’t want to hear it, you know you want the answer as much as I do.”

“I didn’t know you were the owner,” Spencer said. “But it wouldn’t have mattered either way. There was no way I was leaving without you, angel.”

His emerald eyes twinkled as his lips quirked up to the side. It was the same damn look he’d given me before he’d spread me out and had me for breakfast after feeding me. Damn it, the alpha was starting to get under my skin.

“It matters to me,” I told him. “I’m not someone to use.”

Thoughts of Jason entered my head, of my current state of fucking homelessness.

A warm hand covered mine, pausing the incessant circles I was rubbing with the towel.

“Lindsay,” Spencer said. “You can push the people you love all you want, but I’m not going anywhere. You’re not someone to use, angel. Well, unless that’s something you’re into. That’s something we can discuss with your pack at a later time if you want to make that happen.”

Adam let out a disgruntled gruff, setting his beer down harshly and leaving the bar.

Clearly, we were all handling this really well.

“Look, I heard what you said to Ollie,” I said, cutting to the heart of the matter. “He’s my family. He’s everything to me. If what you said is true, then I want your word that you’re going to do right by him. Otherwise, I have a collection of bar tools and I’m not afraid to use them.”

“There’s that fire,” Spencer said, squeezing my hand. “I promise you that I only have the best of intentions. You can keep your bar tools handy, angel, but you won’t need them. Make no mistake, I want to talk to Ollie, but I’m also here for you. I’m not going anywhere.”

I blew out a harsh breath, pulling my hand away. “Has anyone ever told you you’re really pushy?”

“I’m an alpha,” he said with a raised eyebrow. “Most people wouldn’t dare. The only time I take advantage of it is when I have gorgeous, blonde betas who drive me out of my head and make me reorganize my whole life.”

“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.

“Everything okay?” Spencer asked me, his eyes holding my gaze for a moment before moving to Ollie and locking there.

“Nervous,” Ollie admitted as he sat down and pulled me with him. I knew how heavy Spencer’s stare could feel, but I was glad Ollie had his head held high.

“Look, I know we’re scent-matched, but I won’t do anything you’re not comfortable with,” he promised as he reached over and placed his hand on Ollie’s. My chest tightened at the sight of them. They looked good together.

Spencer’s rugged frame, Ollie’s lithe one, two sides of the same coin of biology’s design.

“I just…” Ollie fell quiet as he tried to sort his thoughts into words. “I’ve always known I wanted Lindsay. I didn’t expect this.”

“You deserve an alpha,” I said as gently as possible.

“ As well ,” Spencer amended. “He wants you, Lindsay. Don’t downplay your role in this pack.”

My mouth went dry at his words. The way he’d spoken firmly with no room for argument.

“Yes, exactly,” Ollie said, his voice holding a note of desperation. “I wish you could see that you do belong with us.”

My mouth opened and closed as I tried and failed to get the words out. How did I tell him that I’d always wanted him, all of them, desperately? But, I also was practical and knew damn well it wasn’t that easy.

“It’s not that simple, Ollie,” I told him.

“This will be complex,” Spencer said in agreement. “We’ll take it at whatever pace we need. But just know I’m not walking away. From either of you.”

I sucked in a shaky breath. “Really?”

“I’ve been waiting my whole life for you. It doesn’t matter if we need to take it day by day, as long as we’re together, that’s all I need.”

He leveled us each with the same determined look and I felt Ollie relax as he leaned into my arm.

“She means everything to me,” Ollie warned. “This won’t work if she’s not just as important to you as she is to me.”

Spencer’s smile softened and he nodded without an ounce of hesitation.

“Make no mistake, sweet one, our beta caught my eye from the first moment I saw her. Our relationships are separate, though, I won’t complain if there’s a joint one as well, and I won’t ever let either of you feel neglected.”

“This is a lot,” I said as I blew out a harsh breath. They both chuckled and we shared a smile that dissolved the lingering tension. We were hardly comfortable but we also weren’t on the verge of running for the hills.

Although, I couldn’t promise I’d handle it this graciously later.

“I’m going to need your phone to add my contact, Ollie,” Spencer said gently. “I’d like you to be able to call if you need me and maybe text a bit so we can get to know one another.”

“Of course,” Ollie said as he fumbled in his pocket.

“Don’t worry, angel, I took the liberty of adding myself to your contact list,” Spencer added, shooting me a wink.

My jaw dropped and I turned my own phone on, scrolling to confirm what he was saying. Though, I didn’t truly doubt him.

There listed in my phone right at the top of the list was ‘Alpha’ surrounded by a myriad of hearts. It was just as extra as he was and it suited his personality perfectly.

It seemed Spencer wasn’t going to let me escape this. Ollie bit back his own laughter at my expense as he handed his phone over.

“Leander is here, it’s time to get moving,” Adam called over. His voice was still tense, but at least he wasn’t punching Spencer or anything else that would make this moment even more of a mess.

“I’ve got some numbers to run and a proposal to arrange,” Spencer said, waving us off. “Feel free to distract me on your breaks.”

With a grin he sent us off to work. This shift was about to be our most interesting yet.