“Billy, it’s rare for you to sleep in,” Troy remarked. The other Omega took a step back so Billy could examine the tomato soup he was making. It wasn’t perfect but it was acceptable by his standards.
“I overslept,” Billy said a little crossly.
Troy wisely didn’t say anything else. Billy regretted his actions immediately. He woke up grumpy today.
Most likely he’d remain that way until evening. Billy just needed to get through this one day. Tomorrow, he’d feel differently. Billy buried himself in his tasks. Cooking always soothed him. He let his hands do the work, while he gave Troy and Mila orders.
The three of them moved like clockwork. Since he started working there, the lodge had gained massive popularity. It wasn’t just the guests who ate at the restaurant. Locals started coming up here for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
That was a surprising move, Billy knew. Not long ago, the Griffin brothers didn’t particularly have a stellar reputation.
The staff liked to gossip. Billy might not like to indulge in it, but he had ears. Grizzly Mountain Lodge had started as a run-down business. A couple of local even made bets it would fail. In a few months, it had become a popular tourist destination spot.
“Wait, what’s that?” Billy demanded, stopping Gary.
The Beta waiter gripped a plate of ham omelet anxiously. Billy knew he wasn’t like other typical Omegas. The ideal Omega was supposed to be meek and submissive. Billy was the exact opposite. The kitchen staff was downright terrified of him.
He wasn’t a bad or mean boss, but Billy prided him on running an efficient kitchen. The Griffin brothers hired him for a reason.
“A customer sent it back, said it was too salty,” Gary said, swallowing as Billy glowered at him.
Did he hear Gary right? He dropped his spatula. Mila quickly took over the stove and to make sure his sauce didn’t burn. Neither Mila or Troy dared to meet his eyes.
“No one sends back my food. Ever,” Billy stated. He clenched his jaw. He’d been featured on several food magazines. Every food critic who came to the lodge had nothing to complain about. Billy eyed the plate critically.
“Maybe the guy’s a picky eater,” Gary said quickly. “Don’t take it too hard, Billy.”
“He only took one small bite,” Billy said.
He seldom ventured out of the kitchen. Billy usually didn’t let his emotions get the better of him. Right now, he wanted to confront this guest and have some words with him.
“Which guest is it? Point him out to me right now.” Billy demanded.
Billy started for the doorway that led to the restaurant but Gary quickly blocked his way. He narrowed his eyes. Billy knew picking a fight with a complete stranger, a random customer wasn’t the wisest idea. He was on fire. Billy wanted, no needed to yell at someone.
“Get out of my way, Gary,” Billy warned.
“Billy, let’s be rational about this. Actually, I think the guy already left.” Sweat gathered on Gary’s brow. The waiter sent a panicked look at Troy and Mila. Both his assistants, wisely resumed their tasks.
“Why are you covering for him?” Billy asked. Anger bubbled inside him. “Do you know him or something?”
“What’s going in here?” Interrupted a new voice.
Logan stepped inside the kitchen. The giant werebear Alpha took up a lot of space, easily making his presence known.
Troy gulped when he sighted Logan. The Alpha was shirtless and he still holding his ax. Logan and his brothers scared off most people, but Billy wasn’t the least bit intimated.
Good. Logan appeared. He had someone to fight with. A worthy opponent. He snatched the plate Gary was still holding and stomped up to Logan.
“Do you see this?” Billy demanded, thrusting the plate at Logan.
“Yeah?” Logan gave him a quizzical look, then said to the others, “Carry on.”
Gary looked relieved to be dismissed.
“A customer returned my omelet. Said it was too salty. Can you believe the prick?” He asked.
Billy became intently aware they were standing too close to each other. A foot. Maybe less. He could touch Logan’s massive chest from where he was. It would be too easy for the Alpha to fist his shirt and steal a kiss from Billy. A kiss Billy had dreamt of for ages.
Logan frowned down at him. Then the werebear tore a chunk of his omelet with his dirty hands like some savage. The Alpha swallowed the piece and seemed to consider him carefully.
“Have you tasted the food before handing it to the waiter?” Logan asked.
“Why should I? My food is perfect,” he said.
Billy felt stung. Logan usually took his side when there was an annoying customer involved. One time, a particularly persistent food critic got a little handsy with him. Logan had intervened before things turned nasty. The critic ended up in the hospital. Billy was almost sorry for him.
The werebear Alpha always seemed to magically be there whenever Billy needed him. Moments like those confused Billy. They made him think Logan didn’t hate his guts and vice versa.
Doubt crept inside him. Maybe he’d gotten a little arrogant after a few good reviews. Billy set a gold standard for himself. Every dish he made needed to be perfect.
“Here.” Logan tore off another chunk of egg and pressed it to his lips.
“Did you even wash your hands?” He asked.
Billy couldn’t say anything more as he tasted bits of the egg. He widened his eyes and immediately spat it out. Too much salt was right. What was Billy thinking, sending off something like that? No wonder it was returned.
Billy took the plate from Logan and threw its contents in the nearby trash. This never happened to him before. Something was wrong with him. How many bad dishes did he send out this morning? Would their food ratings plummet?
“Billy.” Logan was standing right next to him.
The werebear placed a big hand on his shoulder. Billy jerked, glaring at him. He didn’t know why he acted like this around Logan. Like some kind of skittish kitten.
Maybe Billy didn’t want to admit to himself that he had a crush on Logan. He didn’t know what to do about it. As an Omega with passable looks, Billy never had any trouble attracting other Alphas.
He trusted none of the men he dated in the past, except for Jake. But Jake and he were friends first, before they became lovers. Look how well that turned out. Billy wasn’t ready for another romance. At least not so soon.
“What?” He asked, realizing Logan called his name twice.
“You need a break. Walk with me.” Logan nodded to the backdoor which led to the vegetable garden. Was Logan serious?
“I could use the extra company.” Logan added.
Billy noticed Mila and Troy kept sneaking them looks. No doubt the kitchen staff were going to gossip about them.
“Can the two of you manage?” He asked Troy and Mila. They both nodded. “You guys know my cell phone number. Don’t hesitate to ring me up if you encounter any trouble.”
Billy exited the kitchen. Logan followed suit.
“Give me a quick second,” Logan told him.
Billy nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Was this such a wise decision after all? Billy could feign being sick and stay in his room the whole day. A cowardly move.
It’s only a walk, Billy reminded himself. He was treated to the sight of Logan moving his woodpile back to the shed.
“Can I help?” He asked out of politeness' sake. In truth, he liked watching Logan’s powerful body far too much.
“This will be quick,” Logan said. After Logan kept his ax inside, he returned to Billy.
“You’re not putting on a shirt?” Billy asked, biting on his lower lip. He really should’ve said nothing at all. Now he wanted to punch Logan’s smug face.
“Does it matter?” Logan asked.
“Yeah, you’re distracting.”
“In a good or bad way?” Before he could answer, Logan, snatched his discarded shirt from a nearby tree. Billy should’ve kept his mouth shut. “Better?”
“Yep. We can’t have any guests fainting,” he said in a sarcastic voice.
They started down the garden path, one that led to the woods beyond. The lodge had proper hiking trails for the guests but the Griffin brothers kept most of the place untouched.
They wouldn’t be running into any guests here. A few visitors occasionally got lost but one of the Griffin brothers or a member of the staff would usually sort them out.
“Remember that Omega supermodel who came here a few weeks ago for a photoshoot? He was all over you.” Billy remarked.
“You noticed that, huh?” Logan gave him a side-long glance. “You sound jealous.”
“I’m not.” Billy blurted.
He punched Logan in the shoulder. No surprise the werebear Alpha didn’t even seem to feel the blow. Logan’s entire body must be as hard as a rock.
No many how many times they bantered, Billy always felt comfortable around Logan. He certainly didn’t feel that way with anyone else.
Why was that?
About the Author
Felicia loves writing sizzling MM romances with hot Alphas, male pregnancies and happily-ever-afters.
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Also by Fel Fern
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