Char blinked. “I better sit down for this.” The alpha pulled a chair over from a neighboring table.
“Oh no, that’s really not necessary. You’re working.” My cheeks felt like they were on fire.
Char ignored me and sat down with a satisfied sigh. “I’m tired of working, anyway. You’re curious about heats?”
“Just what it’s like for alphas,” I mumbled.
“Well, I can certainly tell you my goal isn’t tohandlemy omega during a heat. It’s to take care of her.”
I pursed my lips. That sounded like semantics.
“Olive thinks that heats are a big burden on alphas,” Summer said.
I threw her a dirty look, but she was unrepentant.
A flash of shock crossed Char’s face. “Where on earth did you get that impression? Heats are so fucking fun. The sex is amazing, obviously, but having my omega trust me to care for her when she’s vulnerable? There’s nothing like it. We alphas get off on being needed.”
I was back to shredding napkins in my lap. “Is it different for male alphas? Because that’s just… not my experience.”
Char fixed me with her intense gaze until I was forced to look away.
“I’m not one to turn down the chance to insult male alphas, but it sounds like you might have found some particularly shitones in the past. Don’t your three guys know how to take care of you?”
I immediately bristled at her insultingmyalphas. “They know exactly how to take care of me,” I snapped without thinking. My hand flew to my mouth in horror. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean?—”
Char just tipped her head back and laughed. “Omegas are so fucking cute. Tell your alphas what you need from them, and they’ll fall over their feet to make it happen. It’s obvious to see how obsessed they are with you. I’m pretty sure Lars is keeping Beans ‘n Bliss in business with the amount of pumpkin spice lattes he’s consumed since you came into town.”
I wrestled with her words, and she stood up and took the others’ orders.
“How’re you feeling about everything now, Olive?” Ivy asked gently once Char headed back to the counter.
“Better, I think.” Char was right. My guys did know how to take care of me. They’d been with me through my dark days and hadn’t been scared away. Maybe I could trust them to stick with me through a heat... to not reject me.
I took a deep breath. “I’ll ask them tonight.”
Lucy clapped with excitement. “Yay! I’m going to ignore that one of your alphas is my brother and say I hope you have the most fun time!”
Our food arrived quickly and the breakfast scramble I got looked amazing. We all tucked in, but a loud alarm on my phone interrupted our conversation. I fumbled as I pulled it out of my bag. “Storm alert.” I chewed my lip as I looked at the dark red and orange blotches on the weather radar. “I need to eat and get back quickly.”
“You should have the guys pick you up and drive you back to the lighthouse,” Summer said. “It’s really starting to come down.” She had to raise her voice to be heard over the loud pounding of the rain.
“They’re out.” I drummed my fingers against my phone screen before sending a message to my group text with the guys.
Olive
There’s a storm warning. Are you driving? Please stay safe.
“Out wh—” Ivy started to speak but abruptly cut off and whisperedoh nounder her breath. It was obvious to see why—Stanley had just entered the diner and was making a bee-line for our table.
“I’m glad I found you here,” he said, sounding out of breath. His white hair was damp with rain, and he had a slightly wild look in his eye. “The Autumn Harvest Festival is less than a week away.”
“Oh my goodness! We had no idea!” Summer exclaimed, her tone laced with sarcasm. It was impossible to forget the festival with posters around every corner and Stanley tracking us down any chance he got, but I still found myself surprised that it was so soon.
Which meant my birthday was soon.
I hadn’t told anyone it was the same day as the festival. It felt strange to just mention it out of the blue—almost like I expected people to celebrate me. I’d barely acknowledged my birthday over the past five years, and my celebrations with my parents had never been extravagant. My mom would bake me a yellow cake with chocolate frosting, and they would take me out to an early dinner after we finished up on the boat for the day. Money had always been tight, so I’d never expected big gifts. Since they’d passed, birthdays had been quiet days for me, but I always allowed myself to splurge on one new outfit.
I was fine with my twenty-fifth birthday passing me by. I already had more than I could ask for, anyway.
