Talk About… Rivalry (Rockwood Valley Omegaverse #2)

7. Leo

Leo

“ W e did it, Grandpa Harvey,” I said to myself as I signed the final papers that I needed. This place was officially mine after years of saving up and hard work. I had an inheritance that I’d honestly rather not have, but it only covered a portion.

My grandfather and I were close. Even though I had great parents, there was just something about him that made him my person .

He would spend countless nights telling me stories about his life and his travels, and he always talked about this one speakeasy that he went to. It was in this little old town, nestled between some of the bigger cities in New York.

He hated everything about the city, so I wasn’t surprised he found some way to avoid it.

That little place won him over and by default, me as well. He’d show me the pictures and talk about how he always wanted to open up his own. Maybe it was odd to plan to open up a lounge with your grandson when he was barely in high school, but it had been my dream from that day going forward, too.

We always planned to match funds and go fifty-fifty. We’d open it together, making it everything he dreamt of.

Over the years we’d made business plans, sketches of the designs, and even a few mock menus.

But he died before we could make it happen.

If not for my best friend, Taylor, I wouldn’t have made it through the pain of his loss.

After that I drifted away from my family. Grandma would tell stories of him that would break my heart all over again and it was too much to handle.

I just wasn’t ready to let him go and remember the good times.

She always said Grandpa Harvey and I were twin souls. We even looked similar. We both had the same brown hair that lightened in the summer and sharp-green eyes.

We shared the way we talked and laughed, though that might have been learned from spending so much time with him growing up.

Thankfully, my parents never took offense to the time we spent together. My mom loved that her son and dad were so close. She always talked about how he’d always wanted a son, too—not that he ever treated her any differently, but that I was the son he never had.

After I left the title office with my keys in hand, there was a bittersweet smile on my face. Instead of heading straight for the building, I pulled out my phone to call Taylor. He was the only person who could ground me on days like this when the memories were stronger.

“Is everything squared away?” he asked, instead of giving me a greeting.

“I closed on both the house and the shop today,” I said, letting some of his excitement build mine.

“That’s amazing! Are you heading there now? You better swing by for me, I know you aren’t going without me,” he accused.

Everyone always thought it was strange that we were so close without anything going on between us. But everything between Taylor and I had always been strictly platonic. His scent wasn’t unpleasant; he smelled like pineapple and sugar with a little bit of palm and sage in there to round it out and cut into the sweetness.

His scent was familiar and smelled like home, but it was never anything that caused a reaction in me.

I had a strong feeling we were pack, just not scent matches. He never really believed me. All because of one night on my twenty-first birthday.

We took an omega home with us and it ended in pure disaster.

Taylor was already reluctant because she wasn’t his usual type, but the omega was gorgeous and persuasive… that and alcohol didn’t always lead to good decisions.

When the omega pulled out blindfolds and a cock cage, Taylor was out. He grabbed his clothes, threw them on, and bolted out of there like his ass was on fire.

I chuckled to myself, remembering the shit we gave each other after that incident.

Taylor gasped on the phone, a reminder I was supposed to be picking him up, not daydreaming of failed flings and packs.

“Yeah, I’m heading there now. Are you at The Landing or at home?”

“I’m at home today. I had the day off.”

“On my way,” I said, hanging up and climbing into my black Tahoe. He always teased me that everything I had was “the bigger the better”—a big car, always wanting a big house, a big pack.

Maybe it was because my family was so small growing up. It was just my alpha grandfather and omega grandma, and then my parents. My mom only had two mates, and I always dreamed of a big family—surrounding myself with a mate, a couple of packmates, and hopefully a couple of kids in the future.

But, I was getting ahead of myself. I needed to focus on one thing at a time, and right now, that was picking up Taylor so I could see the spaces that were officially mine.

The keys in my pocket felt weighted; I could feel them almost searing against my skin as I drove.

I don’t think I’ve ever anticipated something quite as much as this. This moment was years in the making—a tribute to the man who meant so much to me.

Taylor was already waiting outside when I pulled up to the apartment complex. He grinned and jogged over, climbing into the passenger seat. He was all smiles and curly brown hair. His scent was a bit sharp today with anticipation. He knew what a big deal this was to me, and as my best friend, he was just as excited.

“Which one are we seeing first?”

“I was thinking the pack house.” His smile faltered as I watched him out of the corner of my eye, before it was back in place. He didn’t want me to see it, but there wasn’t much about him I missed.

He could deny we were pack all he wanted, but I knew the truth. I just had to find the right omega to bring us together.

“I asked an omega out on a date,” he blurted out. If I wasn’t such a controlled beta, I might have swerved. As it was, I turned and narrowed my eyes at him.

“You can’t just blurt shit like that out. Now give me the details.”

Even if I kept a calm mask in place, my heart was pounding in my chest, sweat starting to break out on my palms. Not that I didn’t want an omega of my own, but I knew damn well if he found one that called to him enough to ask on a date, then this might be it.

She might be mine, too.

And fuck, I just bought a new house that’s completely unfinished and a shop that’s gutted and in serious need of some TLC.

“Okay, well, let me just preface this by saying that I’m about to go on a ramble,” he said, settling back in his seat and letting out a long sigh. Leave it to Taylor to give me a warning label before he unloads everything on his mind. Like I haven’t listened to his brain dumps before—I knew how he worked.

“So, there’s this omega that comes into The Landing. One of those types that doesn’t even know she’s gorgeous. She works on a ranch, so she’s always in boots and faded, dirty jeans, but God, if you could see the way she smiles—it stops your heart.”

“Really?” I asked, a bit surprised. That didn’t sound like Taylor’s type at all.

“I know what you’re thinking. She’s nothing like anyone that I’ve dated before; she’s unique. She’s so smart and sassy and strong, but then there’s a side of her that seems so fragile. Not fragile as in weak, but vulnerable, like she never lets anybody see. It’s only in these moments where she thinks she’s alone that you can see the cracks in the mask, you know?” He turned his gaze on me. “Kind of like you, beta.”

Fuck, my best friend sure knew how to hit me where it hurt.

He’d been one of the few people in my life who saw past my mess. Family aside, of course. I knew that I had to make money and as quickly as possible, so my grandpa had time to enjoy our dream.

I spent every day, from the time I graduated high school until now, working my ass off. I didn’t rise up in finance and snagging influential packs by being a gentle beta; I did it by being a take-no-shit kind.

I was stoic, always had a mask on that let nothing slip past it. It was well practiced, and it worked for me. I was serious, strong, controlled, and determined.

I’d made enough money to buy both of these buildings without the bank batting an eye. Grandpa Harvey and I were still going in fifty-fifty, even if he wasn’t here. Nothing was about to change that now.

“You need to meet her, too,” he said, his voice careful. “Would you hate me if I said I was terrified for that to happen?”

“Why?” I questioned, then let out a little laugh before connecting the dots. “Oh, this whole you’re-not-pack thing?”

“No, it’s not that. She’s just… complicated.”

“What does that mean?”

“Well, she doesn’t have a scent.”

I shot him a look. “As in she takes scent blockers?”

“Maybe, but she’s never reacted to me any sort of way like she recognized my own scent, and I overheard her and her friend talking about scenting issues, so I just genuinely don’t think she has one.”

“But she agreed to go on a date with you, so maybe there’s something there you just don’t know.”

“Well, ‘agreed’ is a bit of a stretch,” he started. Clearly, there was more to the story than I realized. It took me a few minutes to put the pieces together, but I realized that Taylor was more worried that I would see her, realize that she had no scent, and then reject the notion altogether.

“Scents aren’t everything,” I said with a shrug. “There’s always a choice. If you think she’s the omega for you, then I say go for it.”

“If she ever agrees. She gave me her number, so I feel like there’s hope. I’ve been texting, and it seems like things are going well. She’s just…” He shrugged, let out a breath, and ran a hand through his curls. “Complicated. Beautiful, but complicated.”

I swear that was his new favorite word. How complicated could one omega be?

“After all this is said and done today, we can go over ways to woo your omega.” He shook his head at me but looked relieved.

“I should have known not to worry about telling you,” he said. There was a moment of hesitation before he finished. “I just didn’t want you to walk away from her before even giving her a chance.”

“Oh, oh, wait! What’s that?” I teased, flashing him an over the top smile. “Was that you admitting to us being packed, my friend?”

Taylor huffed and shoved me, even though I was driving the car. I didn’t swerve at all, just shot him a glare.

“Don’t be insufferable,” he grumbled. Thankfully, I had just pulled up in front of what I hoped would be our future home.

Taylor was out of the car before I even shut off the ignition. I had a feeling the view was hitting him just as hard as it hit me.

Nothing quite made a backdrop like the mountains.

This wasn’t exactly a sprawling ranch, but the old owner had plenty of space. They cleared out the trees, and a creek ran just behind the house. Off to the side, they had partitioned off a garden.

And the house itself? It was perfect.

The old farmhouse was huge, and it had character. Sure, the white paint was fading, the roof needed work, and I knew the inside was going to be a mix of terrible wallpaper and plenty of fixer-upper projects.

But the moment I saw this house for the first time, I just knew in my bones that this was it. I also knew that Taylor would see the potential just like I did. I may not seem like the typical dreamer, but at heart, I always had been.

There was always a plan underneath the productivity—a determination that had always simmered in my bones to achieve this life. I worked hard so I could be here one day, and this was the beginning of that new chapter of my life—of our lives.

“I really just can’t believe you’re back in Rockwood Valley. I never thought I’d see the day.”

“Rockwood Valley has always been home.”

It’s where I first met Taylor, where I grew up until we moved away in high school. Taylor and his family had their dream of opening up the restaurant, and it wasn’t like their family was going to pick up just because ours moved, but we stayed close.

My family moved closer to my grandparents, and it was honestly one of the best things I’ve ever done. My parents always made sure to swing by and pick up Taylor, too. We had our weekend and summer hangouts as often as we could.

Grandpa Harvey knew how much I loved this place. He had his own memories of the Artisan Fair and bringing Grandma down here whenever he could.

“Let’s see the inside,” Taylor said. I had a feeling I’d missed a few comments he’d made, but he didn’t call me on it. He was already bounding up the porch steps, ignoring the creak of the worn floorboards under his feet as he stood next to the door, bouncing from foot to foot, waiting for me to open it up.

I stuck my key in and turned. The old metal groaned, but the door was even louder when I pushed it open—the sound echoing in the empty depths.

The air was musty, both of us wrinkling our noses in unison as it hit us. The weak sunshine streaming in through the half-covered windows was full of dust, and I swear I heard movement somewhere inside. Clearly, the first time I saw this place I was wearing rose-colored glasses.

An apology to Taylor was on the tip of my tongue. I knew that it wouldn’t be pretty, but he was already walking further and pushing past me, a wide grin on his face.

“This is going to be perfect,” he gestured to the right. “Over here would be perfect for a big pack table. I know how you are about family dinners,” he said, offering me a wink before moving further. “Oh man, this is going to fit one of those big sectionals that packs love, and we can mount a big TV right over the fireplace.”

I was struck quiet as he continued walking down the hallway, stomping his foot a little. “Oh, these floors are sturdier. Much better than the porch. I think we’ll be able to refinish them and save tons of money there. Nothing beats old architecture and hardwood flooring. You know I want to keep as much character in this place as we can.”

“I agree,” I said, some of the shock wearing off as I followed him. He didn’t even realize yet that he was all in, but it was glaringly obvious.

Hope bloomed in my chest. Maybe this mystery omega, and the spaces I’d secured, were the key to our pack and we just had to make those pieces fit.

Taylor went room to room, dreaming up the perfect pack house, and I agreed on everything. I was the one who made plans, who made sure things unfolded the right way, but Taylor? He was the one with an eye for making things perfect.

I knew this pack house would be nothing less than perfection by the time we were both done with it.

“You know the best part?” I said, leading him up to the second floor. “Two nests.”

Taylor stumbled a little at the news, and he looked at me with wide, blinking eyes. “What?”

“Look, I know that you’ve always been weird about the nesting thing. Some bullshit stereotype about male omegas not needing one, but you’re wrong. You do need one; you deserve one, and you’ll have one,” I said firmly. “This is the main master, and then on the opposite side is one very similar, just a little bit smaller.”

“This one’s for her then,” he said, nodding his head as if the words were finally sinking in. He didn’t argue with me, but I saw him blink a few times. I clapped him on the back, giving his shoulder a quick squeeze before letting him go and taking over the tour.

You could definitely tell that this house was built for a big pack. Not only were there two nests, but there were six bedrooms in between. The bedrooms themselves weren’t huge, but they didn’t need to be.

“There’s also an attic,” I continued on. “You’ll have to think on what to do with that space.”

“I want to see it,” he said, turning around and looking for the stairs. He opened up the last door to find it, making it halfway up before devolving into a fit of sneezing.

We were definitely going to need to open this house up before we started work of any kind. We probably should have worn masks coming in, but we were both too excited.

“We have enough space for a pretty cozy living room downstairs, but this—this would be a pack space,” he said, shaking his head as if he was agreeing with himself. “The big windows will have plenty of light. There’s enough space for one of those big couches, a bigger TV, a huge rug to cover the floor so it’s a little softer for us, some bookshelves, maybe a couple desks. I don’t know if our pack will be gamers or not, but I know you haven’t dusted off your old PC in a long time.”

He was right. There was a lot I hadn’t done for myself in a long time, and looking at the amount of work in this house, it would be a little longer. But that was fine with me.

“Okay, this has the wheels turning, but I want to see the shop now.”

“Let’s go,” I said, giving him a grin. I was more than happy to show off the next space.

We tossed ideas back and forth the entire drive, but as soon as we stepped through the front doors of what would be Harvey’s Hideaway, he was off again. I’d talked about our plans and shown him pictures of ideas for long enough that he didn’t even have to ask first before he started visualizing what this place could be.

Right now, the white walls and old fixtures left over from the library that was here before me, looked nothing like what I’d always had in mind, but the building itself was perfect.

So was the location. I couldn’t pass it up.

And in just a few short months, I knew that this would be exactly what we’d always wanted—the first steps of making a life for my pack.