Blizzards and Brews (Holiday Hollow Omegaverse)

Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Adam

T he sound of Lindsay being fucked senselessly was etched into my brain. My cock had been hard the entire time and I was on edge enough my teeth were gritting.

“I think it’s over,” Dustin said as he took a breath. How he figured that out from scenting the air was beyond me. It was thick with sex and their combined scents.

Unless it was because of his previous experience with Lindsay, though he was always the most sensible with our triplet senses. I was too stubborn to catch the small nuances that he did even with my alpha senses.

We’d been there as support for Ollie during his heats before and I had to admit that having Spencer here changed the game. We couldn’t offer more than food and water and contribute to building his nests.

As an alpha, feeling helpless was the worst thing ever. Well, just short of the love of your life believing that she wasn’t enough. Every time Ollie left one of the clinics with an empty expression in his gaze after riding it out with strange alphas, I could see a piece of him disappearing. And as his triplet, it killed me. When he hurt, we hurt.

Spencer could meet his feral needs in ways we obviously couldn’t. It was a missing piece and I was mature enough to admit it.

Even though I was jealous as fuck. He’d not only had Lindsay within a day of meeting her, he was fucking her relentlessly this week while I stood out here wishing it was me.

The sounds she made were going to be burned into my mind for eternity and I was waiting for the day I could be the reason behind them.

For now, the room had gone quiet and I could hear Ollie snoring again. The door creaked open and Lindsay stumbled out, followed by Spencer.

“It’s over,” Spencer said. “He’s resting now but we need to get him home.”

“I want to go home and shower,” Lindsay said. She looked like a mess. There were dark circles under her eyes and she looked ravaged. Her lips were swollen, her movements stiff, and her words slurring slightly.

“You can’t drive yourself,” I said as I steadied her.

“I won’t argue that,” she sighed. “But I want to go in alone. I need to sleep, process, and recover. This whole week was unexpected.”

The words felt all wrong to me, like a step back from where she should be. Yet somehow, they were still logical. She went from our conversation together and being snowed in for a blizzard to unexpectedly going through a heat with Ollie. And from the bite she was sporting on her neck, things had gotten intense.

“I’ll drive her,” Spencer said as he glanced back at the room. “He’s back in his head and already knows she needs a little time. Can you take care of him and get him situated back at your place while I take her?”

“You should join us after,” Dustin said. Spencer nodded.

“Of course. I’ll come straight over once I make sure Lindsay is safely home,” he promised. “And make no mistake, angel. I’m respecting your decision now, because I know this was a lot for you, but it changes nothing between us. You know who you are and what you mean.”

I wouldn’t let him drive her if he didn’t seem so awake. And judging by his words, he was fully aware of what our beta was doing.

“Don’t run from us, firefly,” I found myself saying before I could stop the thought.

“I’m not,” she promised, giving me a tired but cautious smile. “Just need to recover.”

She squeezed my arm once before heading to the door.

Spencer started to follow her but stopped long enough to meet my eyes, speaking to me softly.

“She bit Ollie.”

“Holy shit,” I breathed out as that sank in. She’d claimed him? She couldn’t blame heat fog, she had done it on her own.

Did this mean?

It had to mean she was ready.

Letting her walk away wasn’t quite so hard now and I shared a grin with Dustin who had been watching the whole exchange with a pensive expression.

“Come on, let’s get him home. We’ll have to hire a hazmat team to tackle this bar before we can open again.”

“I’ll make a call once we get home,” Dustin said, the two of us walking toward the storage closet to get our other third.

As soon as we got near the room I was hard all over again. Lindsay’s iris and amber scent was everywhere, the smell of sex heavy in the air.

Ollie was sitting against the wall, surprisingly dressed and looking fondly over at the completely wrecked and mostly deflated air mattress. That nap hadn’t lasted long. His hand stroked the nape of his neck and I knew if he lifted it I would find what Spencer confessed to me.

Lindsay’s bite.

The dopey smile on his face and the tender expression he wore made my heart ache for my brother. Never, not even once, had I seen him like this after a heat.

My vision turned blurry as I tried to get a handle on my emotions, going from aroused to emotional in an instant.

Heats really were a trip even if you weren’t actively participating in them.

Dustin and I looked at each other, wordlessly communicating on the game plan. While I went and unhooked the lights and pulled down the white drapes, he took a seat next to Ollie and slung an arm around our brother, encouraging him to drink some more and have a snack.

He definitely needed a real meal, but we’d have to settle that when we got home. But for now, I was content to watch Ollie lean against Dustin with that dreamy look on his face.

“She bit me,” Ollie whispered into the air. “She actually bit me.”

“Of course, she did,” Dustin said. “It was only a matter of time.”

Ollie sighed. “It was such a long time, I’d begun to lose hope. And now? Now that’s all I feel.”

I did as well, but I knew it wasn’t going to be an easy road in front of us. A heat and normal everyday life were two very different things, and while Lindsay had agreed to give us a chance, I knew it was a precious, fragile thing.

Being worried for years that you weren’t enough or that you were going to ruin a decades-long friendship didn’t go away overnight. We were going to need to approach this with care and give her the time she needed.

Of course, that didn’t mean we wouldn’t reinforce the fact that this was meant to be. That our pack was exactly what each of us deserved.

I loaded everything from the storage room into the trunk, knowing that Ollie probably wanted to immediately commandeer it for his own nest. It wasn’t long until we were home and Dustin was making a call to an industrial cleaner while I hovered outside the bathroom while Ollie showered.

Once again I was thankful that I didn’t hear any sobs this time. In fact, when he came out his eyes, while tired, were bright and clear.

Relief unfurled in my chest and for the first time in a long time, I indulged in that hope Ollie was always feeling.

“Spencer texted and he got Lindsay home safe and sound. He just hit a drive-thru and should be here soon.”

I nodded in acknowledgement. “I guess this means you’ll be wanting to make him a room.”

“Well, I don’t exactly think I can sleep alone right now after all of that, but yes. He’s not going anywhere, Adam. He’s my mate,” he said as his brows furrowed in concern. “Please don’t go all alpha on me.”

I held my hands up. “I’m not. I’m going all brother on you right now. I’m not discrediting who he is to you, Ollie. I’d never do that, especially after how he stepped up. It’s just a big change and I didn’t want to make any assumptions.”

“Yeah, I get that. You can be an ass enough on your own,” he deadpanned.

“Who are you and what have you done to my sweet brother?”

He had the decency to blush. “I’m still me. Just don’t poke me about him or Linds. It makes me feel all possessive.”

I totally knew how he felt…for one of them at least.

Spencer showed up not long after that, armed with large bags of one of our guilty pleasures.

Ollie perked up again, throwing himself at Spencer. The alpha shifted the bags to one hand so that he could hold my brother in the other.

“I guess this means you like cheese curds?” Spencer chuckled.

“I like you,” Ollie corrected. “But I like cheese curds too. This is one of our favorites.”

Spencer hummed under his breath, toeing off his boots. He carried over the bags and set them down on the coffee table. He pulled Ollie down against him before looking at me and Dustin.

“I wasn’t sure what y’all liked, so I got a bit of everything. And by ‘bit,’ I mean a lot. I know it’s not a home-cooked meal but once I have a solid sleep I’m more than happy to cook something real. Thank god for good generators.”

“This is great, man,” Dustin said, reaching over to start searching through the bags. “Thanks for doing this.”

“My younger sister Alexandra is an omega,” he said with a fond smile. “I used to be the designated food getter. She always said she wanted something cheesy and greasy after, well once she bathed for like two hours and napped.”

“It’s the same for Ollie,” I said, offering him an olive branch. “You did good. Thank you.”

My words were sincere and I hoped he knew that I meant it for more than just the food. It was clear to see how much he genuinely cared for Ollie and Lindsay. Even if I was still jealous that their relationship had progressed before ours, I was thankful that he was in a position to take care of them both.

Dustin passed me the bag and I pulled out a sleeve of cheese curds and smashburger for Ollie, passing them over to Spencer with a nod in his direction. He really wasn’t joking when he said he’d gotten a lot of food. There were plenty of options to choose from. I grabbed a couple sandwiches for myself before I sat the bag next to him.

“Are you okay with a burger or reuben? If not I can switch–”

“Those sound great,” he said, interrupting me. “I don’t know if you noticed my dashing physique, but I’m not really a picky eater. The only thing I can’t stand is pineapple, on pizza or otherwise.”

“What about it don’t you like?” Ollie asked, popping a cheese curd in his mouth and humming happily.

“It makes my tongue all rough and hot.”

“I’m pretty sure that could mean you’re allergic,” I pointed out with a raised eyebrow.

It was then that I realized this was a new start for all of us. We had an entire new person to learn about and factor into this relationship if it was going to work.

Honestly, it was a bit odd to see my thirty-something-year-old brother curled up on the lap of another hulking, grown man who looked like a grizzly bear. But, if it meant he was happy, and he made Lindsay happy, that was all that mattered.

We devoured our food after that, trading conversation back and forth. It wasn’t long until we’d managed to demolish all the food.

“I miss Lindsay,” Ollie said quietly with a sigh. “I feel like I just got her and there’s so many things I want to tell her and say to her that I’ve had bottled up all these years.”

“You should tell her,” Dustin said as he spun his lip piercing with the tip of his tongue. It was his tell. He’d spin it when he was anxious, happy, or otherwise. Right now, he was contemplating something and nervous about it. Huh, maybe I am more observant than I give myself credit for. “Actually, I’ve been toying with an idea for a while. Ever since I called the Holloway and took her for a drive.”

“Holloway?” Spencer asked, confused.

“It’s a phrase we use to call a time out of sorts,” I said. “Before Dustin used it the other day, we hadn’t used it in years. Basically if anyone calls it, it’s a promise to pivot whatever we’re doing and take a break to support that person’s wishes. For them, it was a drive with loud music. It varies, though.”

“I like it,” Spencer said, nodding thoughtfully. “It’s smart. Although, wouldn’t Lindsay going to her house tonight warrant a situation like that?”

“It would have if Adam pushed,” Dustin said with a pointed look. “But we try not to call them flippantly. Adam agreed under certain conditions knowing our girl needed some space, so we’re all good there. But back to what I was saying, I have an idea of how to ease Lindsay’s fears and for us all to say what we need to her.”

I leaned forward, all ears. “What?”

“Lindsay loves words, she even has framed song lyrics she displays as art. We should all write her letters and then slide them through her mail slot. That way, we’re still respecting her space to process, but this way, she can have all the facts. It might make it easier in the long run with how her brain works.

“That’s genius,” Ollie said, shooting off Spencer's lap. “I’m going to get the supplies, I’ll be right back. I want her to have them in the morning. I don’t want her waking up after a long rest and not knowing just how we feel.”

Before I knew it we were all sprawled in our living room putting pen to paper. For once in my life I didn’t overthink. I rambled, pouring all my thoughts and feelings on the paper. By the time I was done I had two pages back and front. I could have written even more, but there were a few things I personally wanted to say to her face-to-face.

It was dark by the time we were all finished, but I volunteered to run them over to her place first thing in the morning.

Sleep wasn’t easy but the moment morning hit, I walked down to the kitchen. I’d feed the others then go drop them off. She’d be heading to work otherwise.

Spencer was already starting when I got down and gave me a tired smile before nodding to the door.

“I’ve got this. Go. He won’t be satisfied until you drop them off, none of us will,” he said.

“Thanks,” I said, surprised he was being so reasonable. In fact, it was becoming a lot easier to swallow having him around.

In minutes, I was walking to my car with envelopes in hand and a smile on my face.

I pulled down the drive that led to the piece of property that she parked her tiny home on. For a moment I thought I’d turned into the wrong drive until I saw the lone weathervane sticking up in the yard.

My stomach dropped, churning as I realized exactly why I thought I’d turned down the wrong road.

Her entire home was up and gone.