Chapter Four

Leon

"I…I have to get back to work. It's my restaurant. No one else is going to…oh, you don't care. Thank you. Bye."

What in the world was he thanking me for?

And I did care.

For the first time in a long time.

I called out for him but found I didn't know his name. For all his apologizing and over-the-top groveling, a hey you was the only thing I could call out, but he didn't stop, sprinting to his car and then zipping out of the driveway as though the devil were on his heels. Me being the devil.

Maybe the devil was his embarrassment.

I shrugged it off and walked through the house to shower. While I didn't want to wash away the faint yet lingering scent of the omega who'd just burst into my life, I was covered in hummus. Lemon, pepper, and succulent chicken essence as well, but none of that compared to the scent of the sweet bear who was on my porch.

I wished I'd gotten his name, but I had one consolation: He'd told me he owned the Greek restaurant.

I saw my future self making a lot of to-go orders for the pleasure of seeking out his company.

When I exited the shower, no longer smelling like dinner, the pressure of my lonely house caved in on me. Didn't happen often but when it did, the anvil sat on my chest and barely allowed me to breathe.

I'd bedded omegas over the years, of course, but never found the one who made my heart beat in my ears so loudly I could almost fail to think.

Peace had settled in my heart a few years ago. I would live and die in this house alone but with the time I had, I would make the most of it.

Fate surely hated me or, at least, had turned her back on me.

That wasn't true anymore. I went outside and swept the large pieces of food away and then grabbed the garden hose from the side of the house and sprayed the whole thing down. I really needed to fix that board but, then again, it brought my omega tumbling into my life.

Once that was done, I went back inside and sat at the dining room table, intending to decide on something for dinner but instead, my thoughts drifted back to the events of the night.

The omega apologized entirely too much. We were all human, or, our brains and bodies were part human and thus, susceptible to accidents. Hell, accidents and mistakes happened all the time. Even the worst of them could be worked through, and to me, food spilling everywhere was miniscule in the scheme of life.

He didn't even answer me when I asked him out to dinner.

I set about getting eggs and vegetables from the fridge and heating up a pan. A simple meal would have to do since my energy waned the longer I sat here.

The flame on the gas stove clicked to life when a knock sounded at the front door.

Gods, he'd come back.

On fast feet, I sprinted to the front door and threw it open only to find a teenage boy on my porch with two large bags in his hands. "Leon?" he asked. "I hope I got the right address."

"I am Leon. What is this?"

"Delivery. From the restaurant?"

"Oh." I took the bags from him. "Thank you. Wait right here."

I ducked inside and pulled some cash from my wallet and handed it to him. Tipping was mandatory.

A smile was his thank-you as he bounced down the stairs. I went inside, carrying more food than I'd ordered before.

Once I set the bags on the table, I unpacked a feast fit for a Greek king. My jackal snarled at the spread, wishing my omega was here to share it with.

At the bottom of one of the bags, one carton of food had a note taped to the top.

I opened it with hope in my chest and once I was, I was gifted with a sweet note from…oh, his name was Tobias. A sweet name, fitting for a sweet omega.

Leon, I apologize for spilling food all over you. I'm so embarrassed, I might not ever get over it. I realized I never answered your question.

I would love to have dinner with you.

Tobias.

The food was incredible. I hadn't ordered half of it but tasted every dish anyway. The quality was impeccable. Everything fresh. My jackal could always taste the difference between fresh and frozen food, and there was no hint of anything frozen on my taste buds.

Tobias was talented, or his chef was, something I intended to get to the bottom of when we had our date.

At the bottom of the note, along with his name was his phone number and I added the contact to my phone.

In the morning, I would be messaging my omega.

My omega.

Huh. There was a first time for everything.