Aaren breathed out a sigh. At least now he could stop worrying about disappointing his boss. He trudged deeper into the shadowy house, bracing himself for—
“The fuck was that?” Ballus growled, emerging from the bedroom like a monstrous cave slug. “You couldn’t walk home yourself? You had to let your boss drive you here to show off his new car?”
“My feet hurt,” Aaren said reproachfully.
“Suck it up. Maybe if you lost some weight, your feet won’t hurt at all.”
Aaren gritted his teeth. “You could be nicer about my weight. It’s not that easy to lose, and it’s not like I want to lose it. You’re my alpha. Alphas should be nice to their omegas.”
Ballus sneered, looking him up and down. “Be grateful that I’m letting you live here. With looks like yours, no other alpha would even bother with you.”
Not for the first time, Aaren regretted everything. He regretted not listening when Emmy said to be careful who he read a pickup line to. He regretted being so desperate for an alpha that he didn’t wait for a better one to come along.
Now, Ballus’ name was in Gran’s contract alongside his own, and twelve months felt like an eternity when they were to be spent with this alpha. So far, Aaren had only made it through six.
The only comfort he had, was that Ballus had not threatened him with his fists.
“Move aside,” Ballus said, shouldering past Aaren on his way to the front door. He stepped into his work boots. “I want a steak dinner waiting for me when I get home.”
Thankfully, he did not want a kiss before stepping out and slamming the door.
Aaren shuddered and shook his entire body like a dog, trying to get rid of Ballus’ bad juju. At least he had the house to himself now.
He took a shower and washed off the smells from the Wine Shack’s kitchen. He turned on all the lights too, unearthing from the closet a small, soft blanket that smelled only like himself. Then he curled up on the couch and queued up a few episodes of Mansion MD.
Mansion MD was one of Aaren’s favorite TV shows. It was about a dragon shifter who worked as an ER doctor, and who lived in a mansion. The costumes were odd, but Aaren enjoyed watching someone else struggle with their problems instead of his own.
Knock, knock!
Aaren jumped. “Who’s there?”
It couldn’t be Ballus. Aaren would’ve heard his truck, and Ballus had a key anyway. But it was also 4 AM. Who hammered on doors this early in the morning?
He crept to the window next to the door, peeking out carefully from around the curtain.
The porch light had been broken for weeks. All Aaren could see was a large, dark shape on the doorstep.
“I know you’re in there,” a deep, rough alpha voice said. “Saw your shadow moving in the window.”
Aaren jerked away from the curtain, his heart pounding. “Fuck!”
The man kept talking. “I’m not going to hurt you. You were the cook at Rizz Razz up in Mount Hood. Best damn burgers I’ve had in my life. Then you upped and left, and that place is no longer the same.”
Aaren blinked. And panicked more, becauseno oneknew about him being a cook at Rizz Razz. How had this alpha known? Was he a stalker? He was, wasn’t he?
“All I want is another burger. Please. I’ll pay for it, and I’ll pay you for your time.”
Oh.
That... was not something Aaren had ever seen on TV.
Quietly, he crept to the front door. “You’re not here to kidnap me?”
“No,” the alpha said. “I just really missed your food.”
Aaren gaped. Things like this didn’t happen in real life.
One thing was for sure: This alpha was a lot more polite than Ballus.
