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“Hey, uh, shouldn’t you head home?”
Joel, who had been lazily perusing the selection of three-dollar crime novels offered by his local 7/11, turned his attention to the beta staring at him from behind the cash register. “Are you closing?”
“We… we don’t close.”
“Then why should I head home?”
The cashier scoffed—a sound made of half disbelief and half amusement. But then he seemed to remember that whole ’customer is always right’ credo and sobered his expression. “It’s a little late,” he said pointedly.
Yes, it was. Midnight by Joel’s watch. But he’d felt like reading something trashy, had discovered there was nothing to read, and then remembered the neglected rack of books here at the convenience store. Plus he wanted some booze, so why not kill two birds with one stone, as they say? He’d climbed into his sweat pants, zipped a ratty hooded sweatshirt up over his naked belly, and wandered out on Omega’s Eve. Clearly the cashier had figured, by Joel’s appearance, that he had no intention of partaking in the normal activities associated with this particular evening.
“I’ll take these,” he said, ignoring the previous conversation, setting his items down before the cashier.
Outside, the evening air was cool. Omega’s Eves that took place in the winter always held a little more romance, in Joel’s inexperienced opinion: everyone was chilled and wanted someone else to snuggle up against. Well, those lithe young ingenue omegas wanted a big dominant alpha to snatch them up and take them back to a warm apartment with a crackling fire in the fireplace. It was silly. But Joel didn’t begrudge them anything.
Plastic bag in hand, he started shuffling home in his flip-flops (having been too apathetic to find clean socks and not wanting to wear shoes without them). He could hear distant howls and shrieks of delight, but also fear. Omega’s Eve was an odd thing, indeed. Be inside by sunset or any alpha can claim any omega as their mate. Archaic… Am I just jealous? Joel didn’t know the answer to that question. What he did know—that he wasn’t in any particular danger (or demand) had led to excursions just like this one. Almost as if he were flaunting his nonchalance to other omegas…
Well, it was only a few blocks to his apartment. He walked slowly, despite being cold. A police car slowly drove past, the cop’s arm hanging out the window as he no doubt waited for some Omega’s Eve drama to unfold. Not gonna happen here.
Just as he thought that, he smelt alpha. But it was a lingering scent, nothing new, and none of it meant for him. He just kept on his way until he realized the scent—perhaps a different one—was not fading, but was in fact very close. He swung around.
“Whoa! Oh, Joel, it is you. I’d thought so…”
Standing behind him on the barely lit sidewalk was Grant—Joel’s alpha cubicle mate from work. A tall wolf, Grant maintained a groomed personal appearance, with this case not being any different: he was wearing nice jeans on his long legs, and a simple black shirt that clung to his muscled torso in all the right ways. He was smiling too. “You’re out tonight?”
“I wanted something to read,” Joel replied, holding the bag up.
Grant’s eyebrows pinched for a half second, until he seemed to come to some sort of conclusion. “You’re not out for Omega’s Eve?”
Joel snorted. “Would it matter if I was? The result would be the same.”
Cocking his head, Grant replied, “I have no idea what you mean.”
“No?” Joel waved around. “Do you see any wolves sniffing after me? Of course not, not with the well-stocked supply of young, nubile omegas just waiting for their perfect alpha.”
“Wow, Joel, I’ve never heard you be so pessimistic.”
Now, they both knew that was a lie. Joel chuckled.
Grant winked and smiled. “So you’re headed home?” he asked, closing the distance between them.
“Yep, like to join me for a night cap?”
There was a little spark in Grant’s eye as he replied, “I would. But how about at my place?”
“It’s near here?”
Grant nodded down a cross street. They walked in amicable silence for a few moments until he spoke again. “So you come out here on Omega’s Eve, and you get some beer.”
“I don’t make a habit of it, but I don’t hide inside either. Like I said, the alphas don’t really swarm my type, if you know what I mean.” Joel patted his belly affectionately. “There’s a type, isn’t there? Evan from accounting? With the doe eyes and thin wrists?”
“Evan?” Grant replied with a laugh. “Yeah, I guess he’s got a few alphas after him. But that doesn’t explain why you think traipsing around in sweats on Omega’s Eve somehow exempts you from—”
“Whoa, whoa, traipsing? ”
“You don’t want to be hunted? You always made it sound like you don’t want to be hunted. Coming out tonight, alone, is the antithesis of that.”
Grant’s voice had a slight strain of irritation that made Joel scoff with indignation. “Who’s gonna hunt me? I’m telling you, I could walk around completely naked, shouting to the rooftops that I’m a free and clear omega with no mate, and spread my pheromones with an aerosol spray, and still no alpha would come.”
“You’re safe, is what you’re saying?” Grant replied, amusement back and irritation gone.
“Safe as Fort Knox if there was only candy corn locked inside.”
That got a snort—the kind Grant usually paid Joel’s attempt at humor with.
“I’m serious. No, see, watch this.” Joel nodded towards two alphas walking together across the intersection. They were clearly out to find omega mates, wearing nice clothes with sneakers. When they glanced over at Joel, they barely considered him for a second before hurrying on down the street. “Well, usually they don’t run like that, but you get the picture.”
“Yes. I do.”
“How’d you end up out this late anyway?” As he was asking, he realized that was a stupid question. Grant, an alpha, was probably out for Omega’s Eve and hadn’t had any luck. Then he ran into Joel? What a night. Poor guy. “Scratch that. I didn’t realize you wanted a mate already. Aren’t you—what—twenty-five?”
Grant sounded slightly distracted as he said, “What, what? Oh yeah, I am.” He’d dropped his arm around Joel’s shoulders, nudging him onwards towards a red brick apartment building. “Let’s get inside,” he said.
“Sure. Hey, can I spend the night? It’s pretty late and this way we can get wasted.”
Something about Grant’s scent changed—became sharper. “I wouldn’t have let you leave anyway, but thank you for asking.”
“Well, gee, you’re welcome.” Joel replied sarcastically but not meanly as they made their way across the lobby. On the elevator ride up, he asked Grant about what kinda video games he had, or if he had Netflix, or hell, maybe they could pull out a chessboard and play? Grant nodded along, eyes getting darker by the second.
“You okay?” Joel asked.
“I’m fine,” Grant said with a half-grin. He led Joel to an apartment door, and let him inside of what turned out to be a pretty nice place. For such a young guy, and an alpha to boot, Grant had some good interior decorating sense.
Joel was quick to the couch, settling in. Grant was slower, standing over him and staring.
“What?” Joel asked.
“You look comfortable.”
“Oh, uh, sorry, I’ve guess I did just jump on here—“
“No, I meant that in a good way.”
There was a slight tingle at the base of Joel’s skull—a sense that had never really tingled before. He had no idea what it meant, but it felt very similar to the time he’d decided to go bungee-jumping.
And then he truly smelled Grant.
Oh. Oh, shit.
He got up awkwardly, chuckled awkwardly, and started edging for the door awkwardly. “Look, um, I’m kinda tired…”
The hand that gripped the back of his neck was sudden and unyielding. “You think I’d let you go back out there?”
Out of nowhere, cubicle mate Grant who bought hot pockets every day for lunch, was suddenly Alpha Grant. “What—when—why—“ Joel babbled as he was steered back down onto the couch. Grant settled between Joel’s legs and pushed his knees towards his chest so that his clothed ass rested against Grant’s obvious hard-on.
“What? Well, I’m claiming you, as is my right. When? Well, if you mean when did I decide to do this… I don’t have an answer.” Grant leaned forward, grinning as Joel gasped. “And why? Because I want you.”
Joel was starting to pant, his heart racing. He couldn’t grasp the situation at all.
Grant frowned. “Well it’s nothing to panic over. I’ll be good to you.”
“I—I—“ Logically, Joel knew he’d been caught. And this was how Omega’s Eve worked. But?
Grant started rubbing Joel’s chest. “Thinking you’re above the fray just because you don’t look like Evan from accounting is not a valid excuse.”
“Isn’t it!?”
Grant laughed. Then he kissed Joel slowly, as if luxuriating in his conquest. He pulled away and smirked. “I’m sorry, but no. It isn’t. You very stupidly followed a single alpha home and now you’ve been caught.” He brought Joel’s wrist to his lips and kissed the tender underside.
Joel could feel him slowly massaging himself against Joel’s ass. His expression was tight with self-restraint. “Took awhile for you to come out since last time,” he muttered.
What? Thoughts racing, Joel suddenly remembered his drive to the 24-hour diner a few months ago. “That’s how long you’ve been planning to do this?”
“Well.” Grant’s dark eyes focused on Joel. “Longer. If I’d known you’d make it so easy, I would have made my move much much sooner.”
They had been cubicle mates for about a year and a half. Joel could still perfectly remember the day Grant sat down at his desk for the first time, swung around, and introduced himself—his alpha scent hitting Joel straight to the core. And just like always, Joel had acted cavalier: ‘make sure they know I don’t want them before they don’t want me’ and all that. His attitude towards alphas was second nature.
“I need to go,” Joel rasped, trying to push his way past Grant. But he was gently, but firmly, pressed back down on the couch.
“Sorry, Joel—well, no, I’m not sorry. You can challenge the catch tomorrow, but for now you’re staying here.”
Challenge the catch. Joel never thought he would have to wrangle with the stupid Omega’s Eve legal loopholes and red tape. He watched dumbly as Grant pulled out his cell phone, dialed the local OE office and reported his hunt, gave his address, and hung up. “The officer will be here in an hour. Seems like tonight has been busy,” he said, chuckling that alpha chuckle. After dropping his phone on the coffee table, he had his hands back on Joel, exploring without any compunction at all. “Where should I mark you?” he asked almost idly.
“I don’t know…” Joel croaked.
Grant frowned again. He sat back, his cheeks flushed, his wolf instincts clearly near the surface. “Will you challenge the hunt?”
“I should!”
“Why?”
“Because—“
“Was any part of it unfair? You were an omega out on Omega’s Eve and I lured you into my den. Pretty cut and dry, if you ask me.”
“But I didn’t know! I mean, I thought—I thought we were just buddies.”
“Oh.” There was a mischievous glint in Grant’s eyes. “So you’re not attracted to me.”
Joel nearly spluttered, but he didn’t have the chance to as a hand covered his mouth and teeth sank against his throat—painful, but not deep enough to mark. His hips jolted upwards as a choked groan escaped his throat. His dick throbbed.
Without warning, buried needs exploded through his veins: he wanted to tuck himself under Grant, he wanted to spread himself for Grant, he wanted to suck Grant’s cock and be petted by Grant, and whimper for Grant. He whined.
“Shhh…” A gentle hand pushed his hair back. “I’ve got you.” A kiss was pressed against his forehead. Grant tugged Joel’s sweats down. He then said, in a tone that meant he wasn’t actually looking for Joel’s input, “Now, I think we’ve got time for a quick knot before the officer shows up. Don’t you?”