Starry Skies for My Omega

by Marianna Forrest

  Starry Skies for my Omega

  Forrest Marianna

  Contents

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Epilogue

  Excerpt

  Copyright © 2020 by Marianna Forrest

  All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

  For permissions contact: MariauthorForrest@gmail.com

  Created with Vellum

  Acknowledgments

  First off, I want to send out a big thank you to everyone who helped in the making of this book! Ya’ll are saints, each and every one of you!

  To C.W. Gray: Thank you for introducing me to this genre! Let it be known that you have been a huge inspiration to me since the day we met. Thank you for all your pointers and words of encouragement!

  To my editor, Beth: Thank you so much for all your hard work! I’ve learned a lot from you, and it is a pleasure to work with you!

  To Chris: Thank you for your time, tips, and tricks! Without you, my hands would have remained idle, and this Omegaverse world would have never come to fruition. You rock, man!

  And finally, a big thank you to, well… you! Yes, you, the reader! You’re as much a part of this story as the people listed above! Thank you for picking this book up, and I hope you enjoy it!

  * * *

  Much love,

  Marianna Forrest

  Chapter 1

  Warmth. He felt warmth. Another person nearby, perhaps. He felt light touches across his body, cool against his flesh. Strong arms drew him close, framing his head as a masculine body scattered with tattoos and scars seared against his own skin. Just a little more and–

  “–morning, good morning, good morning, Boston!”

  An excessively jovial voice on the radio echoed throughout the room, jarring Lukas from his dream. He felt a light sweat covering his body. Sunlight peeked through the slits in the curtains, making the room even warmer than it already felt.

  He threw his arm across his eyes and groaned. As he turned off the alarm and tried to move his legs, he realized too late that he had disturbed someone’s rest. A disgruntled meow came from the depths of the warm quilt.

  “Oh, Miss Mulberry, please forgive your careless butler,” Lukas chuckled as he reached out to pet the fuzzy creature hidden beneath the quilt. He heard purrs coming from the darkness near his legs as he stroked his fingers through her soft fur.

  Lukas was grateful for the tiny creature that was holding his legs hostage. This little gray and white ball of fluff had been clawing her way into his ice-cold heart over the past five years and had helped him through some rough days.

  “Do you remember that day as well as I do, Miss Mulberry? It started out as a rough day for both of us, but by the end of it, everything turned out well. Never in my life did I think I would go job hunting and end up getting adopted by a cat,” he laughed.

  He felt the bundle of warm fur move up his legs before her adorable, scrunched-up face appeared at the edge of the quilt, staring out at him.

  “You were such a tiny, feisty little thing, covered in muck and fleas, defending your turf from anyone who tried to get near. Remember that one guy? You gave him one hell of a scratch, you know. He called you a damn cat and everything, but you weren’t no damn cat. You didn’t run from me, did you? Not when I came back with that nasty-smelling cat food.”

  All seemed to be forgiven as Miss Mulberry crawled from underneath the quilt to stretch, rubbing against Lukas’ back before hopping onto the windowsill nearby. She beckoned her butler to open the curtains further.

  Lukas stood from his bed and stretched before granting her wish, taking a look outside himself. The ivy-covered buildings across the street reminded him of just where he was now.

  “It’s beautiful, isn’t it, Miss Mulberry?” He sadly scratched her chin. “You know, you would have loved it back home. Lots of space and sunshine, and tons of mice in the fields.”

  Mornings in Boston were much different than mornings back home. Whereas in Boston, he saw buildings outside his bedroom window first thing in the morning, he saw dew-covered fields and colorful sunrises in his little community of Bellcrest. It was one of the many things he missed about living in North Carolina.

  Sighing deeply, Lukas stretched his arms high over his head, blowing a stray curl of hair out of his face. He turned away from the window and walked over to his dresser, checking his phone before looking at his reflection in the mirror.

  Yeesh. He really needed a haircut. His dark, curly locks were starting to get a bit unruly. Running a hand through his hair, he paused. His skin was beginning to take on a dark caramel tone from his work in his garden, making his green eyes stand out.

  “Oh damn, I’m turning into Pa.” A small smile tugged at his lips. He turned from the mirror, made his way downstairs into the kitchen, and started a pot of water.

  Walking over to the pantry, he braced himself as he picked up a bag of cat food. At the sound of mana falling into her dish, the bundle of fluff came sprinting from the stairwell meowing expectantly before promptly skidding on the tile straight into his legs. Like clockwork, every morning.

  “Well, Miss Mulberry, let’s say hello to our dear friend, Mr. Rogers,” he muttered to himself, turning on the TV in the living room. The smiling faces of William Rogers and Cathlene Sanders, heads of the local news station, appeared on the screen, their trademark voices sailing smoothly across the room.

  The drone of the news anchors always became white noise to him as he focused on his breakfast. Sports, trade market, world news… always the same news.

  He was startled as a sudden moo blasted through the living room. He turned, seeing a panning shot of a large farm located in Tennessee. Countryside Cherubs, the headline read. Oh, my heart. It was baby-season, alright—calves, ducklings, a couple of foals, and piglets dotted the screen as the farmer showed them off.

  A pang of homesickness washed over him. He missed his old farm so much. He missed all those critters, and he longed for the calm countryside he used to see outside his bedroom window. The hardest part was how much he wanted to see his family again. Every day he craved his Ma’s cooking or his Pa’s stupid jokes, maybe even his older brother’s teasing.

  He jumped as he felt Miss Mulberry rub against his leg, begging for some of the ham he had sitting out to fry. Of course, he would have to give her a piece. After all, he knew he was at her mercy at night after he fell asleep. He felt a smile tugging at his lips. At the very least, he wasn’t alone in Boston.

  His thoughts drifted to his schedule for the week. Aside from work, he had to get fertilizer for his plants, cat food, and snacks, and he had to be sure to send some flowers to his neighbors, Andre and Dahlia.

  Lukas sighed, tapping his pen slowly on the notebook. It had been a few days since he heard Andre’s old car roll down the road. Since Dahlia’s surgery, he had refused to leave her side to come home even for a minute. It was an unbearable silence, a reminder that some of his favorite people needed a bit of that famed Southern Hospitality right about now.

  “Yeah, maybe make some meals, so Andre doesn’t have to worry about cooking for a few days while Dahlia recovers,” he mumbled to himself.

  He scooped the poached eggs and ham onto a plate and sat at th
e table to look at his planner. And I’ll have to stop by that quick stop shop and pick up some more bottles of scent blocker.

  The smooth voice of the weather anchor rattled Lukas from his thoughts, letting the fine city of Boston know another perfect sunny week was on the way. He smiled, thankful for the clear weather for the next few days. He would have plenty of time to fix up his garden now.

  Finishing his breakfast, he put away his dishes and stretched. I’ll take my tea in the garden, good sir. Mm-yes. Thank you. He snickered.

  Lukas shuffled his way upstairs, a glass of iced tea gripped carefully in his hand. He grabbed a small bucket from the nearby broom closet, his own little toolbox, full of everything you need to be a successful home gardener.

  Pushing open the door to the roof, he stepped out into the early-morning sun, letting the cool morning breeze flow across his face and shoulders.

  As he rested his elbows on the railing and sipped his tea, his gaze drifted down the street. When he’d first moved to Boston, he definitely hadn’t done his research. All he knew was that his Ma had once owned an old townhouse in the area. Honestly, he had expected tall buildings and parking lots without a hint of green within the city limits. Imagine his surprise when he found out the Boston Public Gardens were right down the street from his home! I’ll have to set up a get-together with Eliseo and Sawyer soon. Maybe a picnic or something once it warms up a bit more.

  Lukas chuckled as he remembered how quickly he had become friends with Eliseo and Sawyer. All it took was some good food, and he had them in the palm of his hand. Seems to be a running trend, now that I think about it.

  Eliseo was a bit easier to get to know. As an outgoing fashion designer, Eliseo was always talking, laughing, and smiling. He often carried around a sketchbook, ready to jot down any notes for his future patterns and designs.

  Sawyer, on the other hand, was a bit harder to read. He was quiet and thoughtful, never really saying much until he got to know Lukas. He owned a flower shop and often preferred to enjoy the calmer moments of city life, wherever they could be found.

  Lukas let out a weary sigh and scanned the streets below. As he stared at the blossoming flowers and vivid green trees down the street, he felt his eyes slowly becoming unfocused. He ran his fingers across the iron railing, trying to block out the sounds of the city to home in on the birds nearby. All that was missing was the scent of the morning dew and the livestock, and he would almost believe he was back home.

  The sound of a neighbor slamming their car door snapped him back to reality, and he was once again on his roof, staring out at the shimmering waters of the Charles River. Sighing, he sat on his nearby wicker bench. More people were waking up now, eager to start their days.

  He had heard city people never adhered to any schedule, believed that their days were always different. Still, time and time again, he saw the same people pass by his home each morning, each with the same routine. People really were creatures of habit, even surrounded by an ever-moving concrete jungle.

  Spotting Ms. Karson leaving her home, he realized just how late it was getting. He quickly sipped the last of his tea, checking hurriedly on his plants before rushing back down the stairs. He heard a clamor in the bedroom, a telltale sign that Miss Mulberry was about to get into some trouble.

  Lukas rounded the corner just in time to see Miss Mulberry miss the jump to the windowsill from his dresser, slipping with the grace of a free-falling elephant right into a basket of clean clothes. He barely held back a laugh when she looked around and settled down in the basket as if she had meant to fall into it.

  “And thus, the weekly Christening of Fur has been completed. Thank you, Miss Mulberry,” he smiled as he herded her out of the basket. He heard his phone go off on the dresser, his boss asking him to grab a coffee from Rufio on his way to work. That could only mean one thing.

  “It’s gonna be crazy when I get there. He must be running behind this morning,” Lukas groaned.

  His boss might own the best diner this side of Boston, but even the top dog himself had to admit that Rufio’s coffee cart sold the best in Boston. Lukas personally didn’t enjoy coffee, but he had heard the word around town.

  But first, shower.

  He dug to the bottom of the hamper to avoid the fur-covered clothing. He picked out a faded plaid shirt, jeans, and a clean apron before stepping into the bathroom to get ready for work.

  As he stood under the warm stream of water, he thought back to his dream. He typically only had that type of dream when his heat was close. Usually, he kept a strict detail concerning it and checked it multiple times throughout the months leading to his heat. Had he lost track of the days? He seriously couldn’t forget that blocker.

  “Mmm. Damn if it wasn’t a good dream, though,” he mumbled to himself, sighing as the steam rose around his body.

  He stepped out of the shower and pulled on his fresh clothing before throwing his apron over his shoulder.

  Even though he was a bit early, he could already hear the angry drivers on the roads nearby. Since moving to Boston, traffic had become his worst nightmare. He quickly became thankful for public transportation, blessing the bus drivers for putting up with the demons of the highway.

  “Well, Miss Mulberry, I’m off. I’m trusting you to watch the house.”

  A trill came from the windowsill where the little bundle of fluff was birdwatching.

  Lukas grabbed his old ball cap before he stepped outside, locking the door behind him. It was late April in Boston. The warmth of the morning sun slowly drew people from their homes. Joggers bounded down the sidewalk, passing behind the benches spotted with people enjoying their coffee and chattering about their upcoming summer vacations.

  While it didn’t seem to bother anybody else, the city smog started to make Lukas’ eyes water. Yet another thing he would never get used to. Wiping his eyes, he spotted Rufio down the road selling coffee to some teenagers.

  Rufio spotted him coming and waved as the teenagers walked off. His good mood was always infectious, and his customers always left with smiles on their faces.

  Lukas grinned and waved back, picking up his pace so he could spend a few minutes talking to Rufio before a bus arrived.

  Nearing the cart, he heard Rufio call out, “Oi, Lukas, great to see ya this fine morning! Will it be the usual?”

  “Actually, the boss wants to try something a bit different. He leaves the choice in your capable hands,” Lukas replied, enjoying the smell of the roasting coffee beans.

  Rufio grinned slyly, rubbing his hands together.

  “Hmm, I have just the thing. Watch me work my magic,” he said in a dark tone as he sank behind the cart.

  Rufio reappeared with an armful of fresh ingredients and bottles. With a flick of his wrist and the clank of the bottles, Rufio began working at a speed that flawlessly showcased his years of experience in the barista business.

  Within a few minutes, he presented a rather normal-looking cup of coffee to Lukas. Noting the look of confusion on Lukas’ face, Rufio grinned and explained himself.

  “Now that, my friend, is a cup of mint-infused iced coffee. All it takes is a bit of love, and some of that there minty-fresh goodness, and you have yourself a coffee that will get you through any shite-storm this city may throw at you. It’ll shock the boss-man awake, that’s for damn sure.”

  Rufio crossed his arms and closed his eyes before giving Lukas a curt nod.

  Warily, Rufio’s eyes opened slightly, looking around for anyone within earshot before saying, “I wouldn’t have ever thought about selling something like this in my stall, but I heard it was getting pretty popular. Or so the hipsters I hear nowadays say. I used my legendary stealth skills to steal the recipe from them,” he grinned.

  Lukas wrinkled his nose as a strong scent of mint hit him, “I wonder if Eliseo would like this.”

  “Lukas, that boy loves anything coffee. You don’t have to worry about him. Now me, I would never drink that swill. I’ll just stick w
ith my usual black coffee. Though sometimes, if I’m feeling really good like I am this morning, I put a little bit of my good whiskey in it.”

  A wide smile crossed his face as he tapped a flask hanging from his hip.

  “My old friend here has been with me through thick and thin. Mostly thick, though. Yessir, thick. I mean, just look at me. Obviously, I ain’t one to shy away from my wife’s cooking.”

  Rufio softly patted his belly before a wheezy laugh burst from his timeworn body.

  The sight of the bus coming down the road ended their brief conversation. Lukas quickly thanked Rufio for his time and coffee and passed some bills to the vendor.

  “Now, wait just a minute, Lukas. Take this too.” Rufio ducked behind the cart and pulled out a small container.

  Lukas took the container carefully, eyeing the contents, half expecting something to jump out at him. “Please don’t be a spider.”

  Rufio crossed his arms, grumbling. “Hurtin’ my feelings over here.”

  He was pleasantly surprised by the sight of a baked good tucked safely inside the sealed bowl.

  “Cake? Did you put whiskey in this, too?” he asked the vendor with a smile.

  “Nah. I only got so much to spare. It’s just a little extra gift for you and the boss-man to split. Because ya’ll put up with me so much,” Rufio replied with a toothy grin.

  Lukas hastily tried to dig more money out of his wallet, almost dropping his apron before Rufio stopped him.

  “I said it’s a gift, boy. A gift is free, don’t ya know? Now go on, you’re gonna miss your ride!”

  Lukas quickly thanked the vendor before sprinting to the bus stop. He barely caught the attention of the driver before she pulled away from the curb.