His Prairie Omega Box Set

by MacKenzie Wilde

  As he was towelling off, the Omega let none of his insecurities bleed into his conversations. Holding his toothbrush between his molars, he playfully invited Jake to a moonlight hike along the Bow River. A few moments later and his lover rakishly replied, “Sure thing. R U ready for dessert?”

  Kyle rolled his eyes but smiled. It felt so good to be wanted again.

  “We’ll see. Can you pick up some sticky buns on the way over? I like ‘em firm and sweet.”

  A few moments later Jake replied. “Careful what U wish for!!! <3”

  Kyle cringed at the Alpha’s textspeak, but otherwise allowed himself a sigh of contentment. Wiping the humidity away from the bathroom mirror, he began to trim the edges of his beard. He wanted to look his best tonight, for their after-dinner rendezvous. Just to be safe, he dropped the towel. No reason that his trusty waterproof electric razor couldn’t take a detour down south – or any reason that Jake couldn’t either. He smiled and did a silly little dance in the mirror. Tonight was going to be a night to remember.

  Eighteen

  When Kyle finally heard Jake’s pickup ease up to the Daniels farm, he found himself bouncing from foot to foot. Jess gave him a bear hug before wishing him luck. In true den-mother fashion, she stuffed a handful of Alpha-sized condoms into the pocket of his faded denim jacket. Before he could even respond, she leaned in and whispered to him.

  “Hush, just take them and go. I… don’t want dad to know that I’ve got like a jillion of these things. They’re Costco, they work, and don’t make a face.” She squeezed his hand one last time as she beamed for his date, and pushed him out the door.

  Truth be told, he felt good. On some level he knew that he’d have to return home one day and had stepped up his workout game. His morning routine had swelled to nearly forty-five minutes each morning just a few months after arriving in Toronto, and it showed. He was slim and trim, with boyishly cute features and a dark, well-groomed beard. Kyle tried to dress as casually as possible without sticking out like a sore thumb. Locals could easily pick out the out-of-towner who tried to dress like a native yet strolled into down in a Gap cowboy hat and pre-ripped designer jeans with exceptionally high thread counts. His dark jeans and weathered leather shoes may have marked him as someone from the city, but the faded denim of his jacket and his sun-worn cowboy hat clearly established him as a one-time son of the soil.

  The Omega was damned cute and he knew it. It lent him a bravado as he walked, and seemed to lighten each step he took. All of that, however, seemed to melt away as Jake’s truck rumbled to a stop. The heavy door slammed shut and time seemed to slow as he saw his man rise tall and walk past the hood. And goddamn if the Alpha didn’t clean up nice.

  He wore a tight black shirt that ably showcased his massive shoulders. Its v-neck permitted the faintest teases of the short, dark hair that played across his wide chest. His denim was faded from actual days in the sun and nights in the rain, and gave him a handsome, rugged air. Between Jake’s icy blue eyes and the three day stubble that graced his powerful jaw, Kyle felt his heart skip a beat.

  “Evenin’ sir.” Jake smiled as he walked over to the speechless Kyle.

  “H-hey.” The Omega was stunned. He knew that Jake had looked good last time they went to McRorie’s, but he had no idea just how serious the Alpha could be with his game.

  Ever debonair, Jake went in for a simple and respectful hug. It allowed Kyle to feel the strong heat and animal passion of his lover. The faint scent of fresh Ivory and charcoal competed with an equally potent musk of heated desire. It was admittedly a smart move, probably to let Kyle know what could be his at the end of the night. The Omega’s eyes fluttered happily at the thought as he reluctantly ended the hug and stepped back.

  “So, let me just get it out there – you smell really good.” Kyle nervously smiled.

  Jake laughed a little as his hand went to the back of his neck, somewhat distracted. “I’ve been told that I clean up pretty well.”

  “Yeah, I’d say.” Kyle ran a playful hand along his man’s forearm as he locked eyes with him. It was a little tease to even the playing field.

  “So, where are we off to, mister?” Kyle knew full well but was in a playful mood.

  “…oh, well, uh, didn’t we agree to…you know, McRorie’s?”

  “I’m kidding. It’s pretty much one of the only reasons that I’d come here.” He smirked as he hopped into the truck.

  “Right. Any other reasons that you can think of beyond Shale River’s premiere cookhouse?” Walking around to his side of the truck, Jake followed him into the pickup. The cab shook as the door slammed.

  “Oh, and my family. And the scenic beauty. Almost forgot that one.” Kyle playfully counted off with his fingers.

  “Anything else?” Jake leaned in close. The handsome man was clearly amused by their little game.

  “Not that I can think of. But, um, care to remind me?”

  Before Kyle could even finish his thought Jake gave him a long, slow kiss. His powerful arm reached out and delicately grasped Kyle’s shoulder. The Omega drank deeply of the Alpha’s powerful, smoky scent and felt his blood begin to pump. If he weren’t certain that his family were watching them from the Bay window, he could’ve done anything that the Alpha wanted at that very moment. But tonight was special, he wanted to slow down, to give Jake the chance to chase him, to earn his prize.

  Kyle reluctantly pulled back from the kiss. “…well, there is that.” He gave the Alpha one little kiss more as his fingertips to played along Jake’s neck.

  “Good, I needed you to know that this place has a lot more to offer than pub grub and scenic views.” The truck’s engine started up with a rumble as Jake shifted into drive. Within seconds the tires were scouring along the patchwork gravel that served as the Daniels farm’s driveway.

  “We’ll see, big man. We’ll see,” Kyle teased. Peering back he saw his sister’s nose pressed up against the glass. She was making rude signals with her hands and apparently found herself quite funny. Kyle rolled his eyes and waved her away. She clasped her fingers in a little heart shape and waved the two of them off.

  It was sweet of her, almost to a cavity-causing level. Kyle felt somewhat bad that he was back in town so briefly. It made his mind drift to uncomfortable thoughts about what would happen between he and his Alpha a few days from now when the time came to board a plane headed back to Toronto.

  “Somethin’ on your mind, bud?” Jake asked as they wheeled along the twilit gravel road.

  “Oh no, nothing at all. Just wondering how much they’ve changed up the menu since I was last there. I mean, last-last time.” He engaged in the careful work of a white lie.

  Jake smiled a toothy grin. “I thought you weren’t that drunk last time. You really don’t recall a lot, eh?”

  Kyle stuck out his tongue playfully. “Oh no, I never said that! Let’s just say that I was… a little preoccupied with something tasty that wasn’t on the menu?” He gave his lover a wry grin and pocketed his phone.

  “Ah, so I hear.” Jake tried to keep his eyes on the road as the two of them passed another moonlit cornfield.

  “Yeah, you’d love it. Big, beefy, and smoked to perfection.”

  “Well now, that does seem appetizing. But honestly bud, what I’m in the mood for is hot, spicy, and so very sweet on the tongue. Something that you’d really want to take your time with, to enjoy, and carefully unwrap…” Jake blushed red. While he wasn’t the type that would go for dirty talk, he found himself pushed forward by the powerful pheromones that the Omega was bathing in. It set the Alpha’s predatory blood on fire.

  “Oooh, damn, that sounds fine. Do you think that I could get some of that?” The Omega was only half kidding. He was too turned on but knew that he’d need to scale back with some jokes or else they’d get in trouble. Truthfully Kyle hadn’t planned on being so flirty with Jake, but being alone with the gorgeous man had caused him to drink deeply of the Alpha’s intoxicating scent. Try as he might
, Kyle found himself squirming in his seat and becoming more adventuresome and risqué with his words. When he found that the Alpha was more than happy to keep up, he wondered if they’d be taking a rain cheque on the dinner and instead pull into an old tractor spill-off, or park behind someone’s shed.

  The pair of them kept the banter light and frothy for the remaining trip to McRorie’s. While things nearly got out of hand during their third round of ‘truth or dare,’ both were happy to see the familiar lights and sights that was Shale River’s premiere cookhouse. A few moments later and the truck’s hot engine was cooling nicely in the late summer evening. Two doors slammed and the Alpha and Omega stepped out onto the sun-bleached concrete of the parking lot. Crammed into an aged strip mall, with its closest neighbour being a tractor dealership, it was an unlikely place for such a kick-ass bar. The patio out front was cottage couture meets country, and was bristling with wild, loud, and brash partygoers eager to forget their troubles. The occasional bellow of vape mist or cigarette smoke snuck past the wide Corona umbrellas. The taps must’ve been flowing as hoots, whoops, and hollers were rising above the sunshine-and-steel-guitars of Lady Antebellum’s Downtown.

  Considering how Kyle and Jake’s night ended last time the two of them had found themselves at McRorie’s, Kyle had high hopes for their evening. He wouldn’t take back a second of the fun that they had during their previous midnight adventures. Besides, catching Jess and Briggs ensured that he’d have that trump card should she ever get a little high and mighty about her comportment with the Sheriff. Kyle had a fantastic time, but what he missed out on the most was the amazing food. McRorie’s was a cut above most standard bar grub, in that it knew exactly what its patrons wanted. It was aware of pretentions and food trends, but simply didn’t give them too much thought. The fare could be best described as what it wasn’t – if it wasn’t deep fried, dipped in melted cheese, given a shot of whisky, or slathered in barbeque sauce, it probably wasn’t on the menu.

  “Looks like we picked quite the night.” Kyle spoke with a knowing shiver of anticipation. From even this far away, the scent and pheromones that were pouring from the sweaty, riotous crowd were almost overwhelming to his keen Omega’s nose.

  A powerful aroma, much stronger than last time. It enflamed the passions, tested the spirit, and rewarded the daring – there may be fights, and some pups may well be conceived that night, but it felt damned good to walk through those faux saloon doors on the arm of his Alpha.

  Nineteen

  It had been all of two days since their last trip to McRorie’s, but the first thing that Kyle noticed was the strange absence of anyone’s scent. Seconds after walking through the door it was like a vacuum, like being disconnected from the lifeblood of his people. While he still held Jake’s strong, calloused hand, his touch felt almost imperceptibly different. Glancing upward, Kyle noticed that three of the powerful overhead fans had been replaced with shiny fittings of dark, matte plastic, with austere bands of stainless steel. Rather than wobbling precariously back and forth every few rotations, these new units hummed silently as a small green light upon the side of each blinked lazily.

  “They’re new. Korean make, I think. Folks over there swear by ‘em. Hopefully means less heads to crack tonight.” The beefy Alpha bouncer smiled at Kyle. Even without the benefit of being able to scent one another, body language reigned supreme. Being silently coveted filled him with both a shame and powerful yearning.

  “Let’s hope they work. Lots of young pups here tonight spoilin’ for a fight,” Jake casually remarked, as he directly addressed the bouncer. Kyle wasn’t sure but he could’ve sworn that his lover had puffed out his chest and somehow stood up even taller while speaking with the bald-headed bouncer. As part of the inexorable body language of Alphas, it was part greeting, part aggression, and part scent, all rolled up into a show of mutual respect.

  The bouncer nodded at them briefly and bade them pass. Before they could enter into the main expanse of the bar, amid a series of hoots and hollers, a young city girl gussied up in cowgirl duds walked past. Young and pretty, Kyle thought to himself, but she was about as authentic as a Walmart poncho. She was probably an out-of-towner who ‘goes country’ on the weekends. The two large Alphas trailing in her wake squarely pegged her as an Omega, as did her soft eyes, hourglass curves, and gorgeous smile. A flirty smirk across her lips established that she was well aware of what she was doing. Kyle felt a pang of regret. He remembered the thrill of being a nineteen year old Omega at numerous bush parties. Fresh in his mind was watching powerful twenty-something Alphas brawl and tussle over him in an attempt to win his heart. None of them realized that all he wanted was to get drunk in a field, flirt, and be entertained by strong-limbed hunks. Seeing someone so young misusing her birthright made him feel bad; for her, the men who were about to pound each other’s faces, and for himself.

  “You okay bud? Kinda spaced there for a moment.” Kyle realized that Jake had been leading them through the bar to a back table booth in the corner. He’d apparently been talking with him the entire time, too.

  “Yeah, sorry. It’s just… an Omega thing,” he offered sheepishly, still deep in thought about the young girl.

  “Well shoot, try me. I’m here to listen.” Jake smiled as he sat upon the comfortable yet ripped cushion of the corner seat.

  “You sure? It’s kind of stupid.” Kyle wasn’t sure if he honestly believed what he’d just said, but he felt vulnerable and weak the more he thought about how he’d acted when he was a much younger pup.

  “Naw, you’re the smartest guy I know, couldn’t be stupid at all if you were the one thinkin’ about it.” The Alpha’s strong hand squeezed Kyle’s as they sat at the table.

  “I guess. Maybe we’ll chat about it later.”

  Jake nodded. “Well like I said, I’m here all night.” The Alpha smiled and began to fiddle with the small placard describing the drinks.

  Kyle looked around at the other folks sitting nearby. Den-like in their construction, the booths were filled with pairs, trios, and quartets of bar-goers in their thirties and up. He couldn’t be certain, but each booth seemed to have at least one Alpha, judging by the size and powerful build of many of their inhabitants. It seemed to be a natural hierarchy, with the rowdy twenty-somethings trying to out-muscle one another along the edges of the dance floor, or compete with one another along the bar.

  Around that time a waitress sauntered through the crowd and over to the table. A loose bun held her hair back, and the bags under her eyes only accented her chipped nail polish. Kyle mentally made a note to leave her a good tip. He opted for a pint of Bud while Jake went for a bottle of Rickard’s Red. When she saw them eyeing the menu in response to their meal choice, she suggested that she check back in with them in five. The woman left as quickly as she arrived, a flurry of cowboy boots and stress.

  “Fantastic service as usual.” Jake raised an eyebrow and chuckled to himself.

  “Meh. Maybe it’s been a long day. I mean, this place is always nuts. And it can’t be easy serving the likes of these rowdies.” Kyle smiled sadly, feeling sympathy for the woman.

  He looked over to Jake to gauge his reaction and was surprised to be met with his lover’s melting smile. “I love how you can do that,” Jake beamed.

  “Uh, what… what did I do?”

  “I dunno, it’s just so… you. Like, in a good way. You can take a situation where we got two-star service and spin it around and now you’re makin’ me feel like I need to buy her a drink and cozy up to her life story.” The icy blue of Jake’s eyes observed the Omega with warmth and pride.

  “Oh, it wasn’t anything. I-I mean, I just…thanks?” Kyle immediately blushed. He felt silly and flattered. But he liked sharing with the Alpha, and knew that he could tell him anything.

  A few familiar chords of Neil Young started up to scattered cheers across the floor. Their waitress appeared through the crowd and dropped off their beers with a slight smile. She was about to ask if
they’d made up their minds about food when Jake spoke up.

  “We’ll have the taco poutine platter, uh, with the barbeque pulled pork add-on.” He was almost finished handing over the menu to the waitress when he hastily added, “oh, and a side of deep-fried pickles.”

  It warmed Kyle’s heart that Jake remembered. They were Kyle’s favourite dish growing up, and it’d been far too long since he’d had them. Resto-pubs in the big city had their offerings, but those were usually fried from frozen. McRorie’s used locally brined pickles and dunked them in beef tallow, frying them hot and fresh. A side of lemon and a shot of secret sauce – Kyle suspected that it was mostly mayo, with some chopped dill and a splash of maple syrup – made it the perfect treat.

  The waitress nodded a few times. “Okay, anything else?” she asked as she scribbled their order on a notepad.

  “Just have yourself a great evening dear, please and thank you.” Jake smiled sincerely at the young woman.

  A silly look crossed her face. It was somewhere between embarrassment and humility as she thawed somewhat in the handsome Alpha’s presence. She smiled and left the pair to sip their drinks.

  “That was really nice. You didn’t have to do that.” Despite his words, Kyle was still happy that he had. He reached across the table and softly gripped Jake’s hand.

  Jake played it cool and ran a hand through his hair. “I figure anyone who’s willing to stare down a whole damned bar full of hungry and horny Alphas probably deserves a kind word now and again.”

  Kyle’s eyes twinkled as he watched Jake slowly take a pull on his beer. He wondered if he should say something flirty, or something encouraging.

  “Well, I think that it’s still really sweet.” The Omega smiled and sipped his beer as well. It was slightly flat and someone probably should’ve cleaned the lines in between shifts, but it was still 100% McRorie’s.

  “You know, it’s weird…” Jake began, as he stared off at nothing in particular.