“No,” said Thomas. “I’m surprised you do.”
“I care for him as a person,” said Connie. “And I know it can be dangerous for an unbonded omega – especially one as young as he is – to be out after dark alone. And his house is on the other side of town, Thomas, what’s he going to do to get there? Walk? Anyone could pick him up.”
Thomas was inclined to agree with her.
No, he told himself firmly.
“He’s not worried,” repeated Thomas stubbornly. “And therefore, we shouldn’t be either. And he’s not that young. Now, I’m going to drink my brandy and go to bed and he’ll be here tomorrow to fetch Jessie from the bus. Have a little more faith, sis.”
“Hmph,” said Connie, crossing her arms, but she didn’t stop him from going upstairs with the snifter of brandy.
Once in his room, where no one could see him, Thomas drowned the brandy in a single gulp. He brushed his teeth, already feeling the light-headedness caused by the alcohol, and by the time he crawled into bed, all he could feel was the comforting warmth of it through his limbs, the softness of the sheets, the dark room crowding around him.
Kieran would be fine. Kieran didn’t need Thomas’s help to get home. Kieran probably wouldn’t have accepted it anyway.
And that was fine, Thomas told himself, and turned off the light to go to sleep.
Chapter Four
When Kieran was five, his older brother Desmond had showed him how to climb up onto the roof. It wasn’t hard; there was a window, just outside their shared bedroom, that led onto the roof over the porch. From there, if one was tall enough – or had a taller older brother – it was easy to shimmy up the drainpipe onto the main roof.
“It’s reinforced best by the chimney,” Desmond had explained, and that was where the two boys sat, on fine nights over the summer, looking up at the stars. There weren’t very many – the city was too bright for that – but once in a while, after a summer thunderstorm, there was enough of a power outage that the sky would be covered in small white pinpricks of light.
“That’s the Milky Way,” said Desmond, pointing out the brightest section, a splash of light of closely placed stars. “And Orion, and the Dippers, and the Virgin, and Sagittarius, and….”
Kieran didn’t even care that he knew Desmond was making it up. He knew the names of the stars and the constellations, even if he didn’t always know how to find them. And in the end, Desmond’s alpha taught astronomy at the local college. He undoubtedly knew them now.
Probably conceived their daughter Mary while reciting them, thought Kieran, smiling to himself as he walked home from the Whittakers. He’d been able to see the stars a little bit on the neighborhood roads closest to the Whittaker house, but here on the main road, where the streetlights were close together, it was impossible to see anything in the sky but the moon.
Kieran thought his first day nannying had gone pretty well. Jessie had been well-behaved, Connie had been polite and helpful. His only responsibility – for now – was to take care of Jessie. Eventually, he’d have to heat up meals and maybe cook something, if he wanted to try – but there’d be a housekeeper coming in every week to clean and take care of laundry. It was a pretty sweet job, really. And it did pay a lot more than The Coffee Pot.
Even if it hadn’t, it’d still have been worth it to get away from the customers, especially the alpha octopus. Particularly since Thomas Whittaker didn’t seem one iota interested in Kieran.
That was much more of a disappointment than Kieran would have guessed. It wasn’t that Kieran hadn’t ever been attracted to male alphas before. It was only that with the exception of Vera (and Vera was an exception in just about all ways possible), all of his experience with alphas had been either with family – who would see him as a child when he was fifty – or in the scope of the coffee house, where mostly they made nuisances of themselves and had the uncanny ability to grow extra arms when Kieran’s back was turned.
Thomas Whittaker wasn’t like that. The man could barely string two sentences together when Kieran was in the room, and he acted like Kieran wasn’t even there the rest of the time.
The only bit of humanity Kieran had seen from him had been the conversation right before he’d left. All of that not all alphas are assholes about consent.
Funny, thought Kieran, how Thomas assumed that was Kieran’s issue with close proximity to an alpha.
All the same, Kieran liked Thomas Whittaker. He wasn’t entirely sure why. But he did. Enough that walking under the stars, and thinking of Desmond, Kieran was hit with such a wave of homesickness that it ached. He wanted to sit up on the roof and tell Desmond everything about the day, from the way Jessie pulled him this way and that, showing him everything in the house in case he’d forgotten in the year since he’d been there… to the way Thomas Whittaker had looked standing in the doorway, afraid to step into the same room, yet clearly unwilling to move further away.
Desmond would have an opinion on that. Kieran could even guess what it was.
His fa hadn’t said how far along Desmond was, except that it was still early days. And Mary was only three, so Desmond couldn’t have had more than two or three estruses since weaning her. Still, Desmond would be excited, and anxious, and probably feeling a bit sick – he hadn’t felt well the whole first trimester when he’d been pregnant the first time. Or the second, or the third, or….
Kieran took a deep breath. It’d be all right. Desmond would be fine. And now that Kieran was making more money with the nannying, he’d be able to pay back what he owed, and come home that much faster. Maybe before the new baby was even born.
Kieran noticed the men following him as he turned the last corner. He was tempted to pick up the pace, but The Coffee Pot was only a few storefronts away, and he doubted the guys following him knew that was his destination. Easier to keep his regular pace and not alert them that he was about to slip out of their grasp. They’d be tempted to pick up their own pace otherwise.
Kieran’s heart still pounded in his ears, though.
By the time Kieran reached the door, he had the key out and ready. He didn’t look behind him; he just worked the key into the lock and twisted until he heard it catch. Push it open, spin inside, and shove it closed before he could even take a breath, then slam the lock closed again, leaning against the wood as he breathed heavily against it for a moment.
He thought he could hear footsteps as they went by, and the sound of men talking. They didn’t stop, but Kieran stepped quietly away from the door, careful not to make a sound, hoping his scent didn’t linger by the door and draw them back. The door would hold them, but he didn’t like the idea of them waiting for him to come out again.
The narrow hall was dark, but Kieran didn’t need the light. It wasn’t as if he could trip over anything, anyway; he worked his way back, fingers trailing on the wall, until he reached the staircase that took him upstairs to Cameron’s apartment.
That door was unlocked. Kieran frowned, almost envious of Cameron’s disregard for personal safety. But then, she was an alpha. It didn’t matter so much to her.
He still locked the door behind him when he went in. The apartment looked the same as it always did, that blend of homey and messy, and the lights were especially bright in the kitchenette, just off the entryway where Kieran stood.
“Honey, I’m home!” he called out as he took off his coat.
“Fantastic, I’m making pasta, are you hungry?” called Cameron from the kitchen.
“No, they fed me. Apparently I eat with the family,” said Kieran, as he joined her. “But it smells good, what is it?”
“Penne arrabiata. Here.” Cameron handed him one of the small tasting spoons she kept in a cup on the counter. Kieran dipped it into the sauce and licked. The kick of pepper was sharp against the warm brightness of the tomato sauce.
“Not bad,” he said. “Is there enough for lunch tomorrow?”
“Should be.” Cameron glanced at him. “So. Eating with the family?�
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“The sister insisted,” said Kieran, shrugging. “I don’t know if it’s permanent.”
“Hmm.” Cameron kept stirring the sauce. “You like it?”
“Yeah. Jessie’s a good kid.”
“They’re paying you well?”
“More than you,” said Kieran, and grinned when Cameron snorted. “I can pay you rent now, if you want.”
“Fuck off,” said Cameron without feeling. “And don’t think you should give the extra to your parents, okay?”
Kieran frowned. “The sooner I pay them off—”
“And then what?” demanded Cameron. “You really think they’d just ask your opinion before setting you up with Vera again?”
Kieran glared. “That’s not what—”
Cameron shook her head, breathing out. “No, no. I’m sorry I brought it up. I don’t want to have this argument again.”
Kieran bit his lip and watched as Cameron struggled to pull her anger back into herself.
“I just don’t know why you’re so anxious to go back to them,” she said finally.
Kieran breathed out. He didn’t want to tell her, if he could help it. “They’re my family.”
“They still want you to bond to Vera.”
“It’s got nothing to do with Vera.”
Cameron snorted. “It’s got everything to do with Vera.”
“Desmond’s pregnant,” blurted out Kieran, and then slumped back against the counter, immediately wishing he could take the words back, especially when he saw the way Cameron went so still and quiet.
“Oh,” said Cameron finally, faintly. So soft and wounded, and Kieran wanted to kick himself. “Is he…?” Cameron took a deep breath. “How far along?”
“I don’t know. Not far. Fa told me on Saturday, said he wasn’t clear of the danger period, but that Desmond wanted me to know.” Kieran paused. “It’s not about Vera. But I can’t see Desmond until I pay back that money, Cam.”
Cameron snorted. “Only because you’re being stubborn, nitwit.”
“Still,” said Kieran, with a shrug. “I just… I want to see my brother without this whole thing hanging over my head.”
“Yeah,” said Cameron shortly. Her movements were choppy as she reached up for the colander to drain the pasta over the sink. “Can you put the cheese on the table? I’ll be out in a minute.”
Kieran couldn’t see her face; he didn’t think he wanted to. Instead, he pulled the block of Parmesan cheese from the fridge, grabbed the grater from a drawer, and left Cameron to have her moment alone in the kitchenette.
The dining room table was set for two people. Kieran set the cheese and the grater down, a bit chagrined, and turned to look at the photographs on the wall instead.
Of course, the first photograph he saw was of the three of them: Cameron, and Desmond, and Mavis. All young and smiling, arms around each other. The best of friends, the three inseparable musketeers. Nearly every one of Kieran’s memories of Desmond growing up had either Cameron or Mavis or both in the background. The photograph was ten years old, at least – Desmond probably hadn’t even presented yet.
An unpresented male omega playing with two alpha girls? No raised eyebrows - not in the modern day - but plenty of adults wondering which one would bond with him in the end.
“Here we are,” said Cameron, startling Kieran, and he turned around to see Cameron holding two plates, one heaping with pasta and sauce, and the other much, much smaller. Barely more than half a dozen bites. “I served you up a little bit, so you could taste it fresh and tell me how compares to being reheated tomorrow.”
“Good idea,” agreed Kieran, and sat down. Most omegas that Kieran knew would never have willingly gone to live with an unbonded alpha. But Kieran had never once doubted that Cameron meant him no harm.
After all, she was still in love with his brother.
“Hand me the cheese,” said Cameron, and Kieran did.
* * *
There was an unexpected afternoon rush on Tuesday afternoon, and Kieran kept one anxious eye on the clock, and one on the tables that just kept filling with more people. He had no idea where they were all coming from, and he couldn’t catch Cameron’s attention to indicate that he really needed to go if he was going to be on time to pick Jessie up from the bus.
“Kieran? Are you still working here?”
The sound of his real name instead of the one on his nametag brought Kieran up short; the surprise in the voice made more sense when he turned and saw Connie standing near the bar. She didn’t look angry – just startled. There was a beta man standing behind her, wearing fatigues and a heavy, green, camouflage coat with an olive green beret on his closely shaved head.
“I couldn’t leave Cameron hanging,” Kieran explained. “It’s just mornings, when you don’t need me – and I should have been off an hour ago, but—” He glanced around the still crazily busy coffee shop with a shrug.
“Power outage at the base,” explained the man behind Connie, and Kieran thought given his clothes, he’d be the one to know. “Can’t do much until it’s fixed – I guess everyone else had the same idea I did.”
“That explains it,” said Kieran wryly.
“This is Brent, my intended,” said Connie, and Kieran caught the pride and excitement in her voice, and grinned.
“Nice to meet you,” said Kieran. “I should be on time, Nessa’s coming in at three—”
“It’s okay,” Connie reassured him. “How about you just meet me at Jessie’s bus stop?”
“Great idea,” said Kieran, relieved. That would give him time to wash up and change into something that wasn’t splattered with coffee. “Find a table, I can bring you both something to drink. On the house.”
Connie glanced at Brent, a half smile on her face. “Actually, I think we’re going to get some coffees to go—”
“Not a problem,” said Kieran firmly. “Be right back.”
Kieran watched Connie and Brent out of the corner of his eye as he made the drinks. Brent was tall and handsome, and muscular enough that he could have been mistaken for an alpha – though that might have been the bulk to his coat. He certainly was tall enough for one. And the way he looked at Connie – as if the entire world revolved around her.
Connie was looking back at him with the same expression. There wasn’t any hint of shyness or coquettishness there, and for a minute, Kieran envied a beta’s ability to skip all the ridiculous hormone-induced mating rituals.
Kieran had a pretty good idea where Connie and Brent were going with their coffees. He was surprised they even came out for them at all, for that matter.
Kieran was just snapping the lids on the paper cups when he saw Brent reach out to touch Connie’s cheek. Just the slightest brush of his hand against her skin, but it made Kieran’s stomach twist pleasantly.
Just once, he thought, it might have been nice to have someone he liked so overcome with affection that they had to touch him so gently and carefully and reverently. In public. Where everyone could see.
Not likely to happen, though, reflected Kieran, and he went to deliver the coffees.
“Here you go,” he said, cheerfully, and Brent stepped back from Connie, his cheeks a bit pink. It made him look a bit more innocent than the clothes suggested. “Thanks for the extra time, Connie – I’ll see you in about an hour?”
“Don’t worry about it,” Connie said, but she was still focused on Brent, and Kieran took a moment to watch them go.
Sally dropped a plastic bin on a nearby table, jerking Kieran out of his reverie. “Reflecting on the unfairness of life?” she asked cheerfully, reaching for the discarded plates and cups.
“How so?” asked Kieran.
“Betas getting mated, while you’re left alone,” said Sally.
“Couldn’t care less,” said Kieran, turning to help her with the dishes.
“Keep saying that, sweetie,” said Sally sympathetically. “You might start believing it eventually.”
* * *
Kieran saw Connie waiting at the bus stop before she saw him. Brent was nowhere to be seen – more than likely gone back to work – but there was an expression of deep contentment on Connie’s face that confirmed Kieran’s earlier guess about what they were going to do with the surprise hour.
“Thanks for the extra time,” said Kieran as he approached. “Cameron says thanks, too; she sent some cookies for you to try.”
Connie grinned. “You can work there every morning, if it means cookies in the afternoon.”
Kieran laughed. “Brent seems like a nice guy.”
Connie’s expression softened again. “Yeah. He is.” Something caught her attention behind Kieran; he turned around and saw the bus heading down the street finally. “What about you? Weren’t you engaged to be bonded when you babysat for us before?”
Kieran’s stomach dropped. “Didn’t work out,” he said shortly, keeping his focus on the bus, because it was easier than looking back at Connie. Besides, Kieran had the idea that Connie was very good at ferreting out more information than anyone wanted to give. “Anyway, she’s not really in the picture anymore.”
“So you’re not attached to anyone?” asked Connie. Kieran wondered why she didn’t sound so surprised so much as… thoughtful, really.
“No,” he said shortly, grateful when the bus pulled up and effectively ended the conversation.
A stream of children came pouring out, dispersing in every direction. Jessie was one of the last kids off, and flung her arms around Kieran, before handing her backpack to Connie with an imperial air.
The Omega Nanny Page 6