Page 5 of Alpha's Two Omegas
I didn’t even notice the time slipping by until Ty flipped the light switch and the kitchen was lit up. Only then did I realise that it had got dark outside.
My stomach sank. I hated walking home in the dark.
Still, I’d had a good time talking to Alder. He’d made me feel fascinating and interesting in a way I wasn’t used to at all, and he leaned closer to me across the table.
“Hey, I’d like you to move in, if you like the house. I want to know more about lighting and colour. Ty’s always trying to tell me about colour palettes and stuff but it doesn’t make sense to me.”
Behind me, Ty chuffed softly. I looked round at him. He was leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his chest, looking at Alder with a soft smile.
“Um, are you a photographer?” I asked.
“Nah, I’m a designer. But it’s still a visual medium which is what I’ve tried explaining to Alder.”
I looked back at the omega sitting across from me and he grinned. “I’m really close to understanding! When are you moving in?”
He bounded to his feet as though he was too excited to sit still. I didn’t know what to say. I hadn’t actually seen the rest of the house yet, but I’d relaxed around this complete stranger so I was getting good vibes from him. And Ty hadn’t been a problem, either.
The house looked good so far, the people were friendly, it was within commuting distance from the university… there was just one problem.
“Uh, would the room be available from the end of the month?” I asked.
I asked the alpha – Ty, I reminded myself – but it was the omega who answered.
“Sure.”
“You won’t, uh, rent it to someone else in the meantime? I know it’s a bother asking you to hold it for me for two weeks.”
Alder waved a hand dismissively. “Nah, don’t worry about that. It would take about twomonthsfor us to find someone else to rent it to if you didn’t take it.”
“Really? Why? Is there something wrong with it?”
That would be just like me, to agree to move into somewhere because I was too naïve to notice something that made everyone else stay away.
Ty gave a chuckle and said, “No, there’s nothing wrong with the room. Or the house. Or the neighbourhood. It’s just that Alder is fussy about who he lives with. We’ve gone through quite a few candidates in the last week and he’s not taken to any of them. Except you.”
Ok, that was weird. The omega was the one deciding who they lived with?
I realised I had to say something, but all I could come out with was, “Oh, uh, yeah,” which must have made me sound super intelligent.
Alder was eying me with keen eyes. “So why the delay? If you don’t mind me asking?”
What could I say to that? I wasn’t very good at lying and I hadn’t even thought of an excuse beforehand, so I wasn’t prepared.
“Uh, I, uh,” I began, but Alder cut me off.
“Hey, no worries, I was just being nosey. You can tell me to mind my own business.”
That made me feel bad, so I told him. It came out easier that time.
“I can’t afford to pay two lots of rent. I’ve paid my room until the end of the month and then I can move out and come here.”
Those keen eyes were boring into me and I was sure he was examining me like something under a microscope. Just as I was sure he was going to tell me to get out and never darken his doorway again, he turned to Ty.
“Hey, why don’t you go and measure Ronnie’s wardrobe so he knows how much space he’ll have.”
Ty frowned in confusion. “It’s a standard wardrobe. How big is his current wardrobe that he’s worried he won’t get all his clothes in ours?” He looked at me. “Do you have a lot of clothes? We could probably get you a chest of drawers to go in your room too, if you want.”
I didn’t know what to say to that. I didn’t think I hadthatmany clothes. A wardrobe was going to be fine.
