Chapter 4 Theo
THEO
What the fuck? I was in deep trouble. The hottie sitting next to me wasn’t even my type, all bald-headed, with bulging muscles that strained against his tight t-shirt and a plethora of colorful tattoos decorating his arms. He was all alpha, sexy and dangerous, exuding an aura of raw power that made the air around us feel charged.
Yet my cock was just as hard now as it had been when I’d been gawking at the hot guy in the kitchen earlier this morning, pressing uncomfortably against the zipper of my jeans.
Maybe the day had been harder than I thought it was.
It had been long, and shoppers had filled the shop.
Gamers mostly, but some obviously non-gamer types who were looking for gifts for loved ones.
I’d answered a lot of newbie questions about games and game systems, my voice growing hoarse from the constant explanations.
Maybe I was just tired, my senses heightened by exhaustion.
I couldn’t believe I’d gone from being practically asexual to getting horny for not just one man, but two.
My life couldn’t get any more complicated.
The alpha’s musky, woodsy scent overwhelmed the diner’s usual comforting smell of coffee and fried food.
Figuring out what was happening with my body would be even harder because the alpha sitting next to me was putting out so many pheromones I could practically feel my heat coming up on me, and it wasn’t due for another two weeks.
My skin tingled, feeling too tight, too sensitive.
The timing was lousy, to say the least, considering it was my busiest time of year and I couldn’t afford to close the shop.
People were counting on it being open for holiday shopping.
If worst came to worst, I’d have to call in my cousin to man the store for me. I hated asking, but I knew he’d be up for the challenge if needed. Quint was good that way.
I needed to figure out why the hottie sitting next to me had me so flustered.
It wasn’t normal to go from zero interest in sex to desiring two completely different guys, was it?
I had no clue. The things I was feeling right now were new and strange.
Exciting, but strange. It had me questioning everything I thought I believed about myself.
Before today, I’d have said I was a firm “team monogamy” player.
Now, I’m wondering how a threesome would work.
The images in my head were so hot my dick got even harder, a bead of sweat rolling down my back.
I’d never been so turned on in my life, my body thrumming with unfamiliar desire. How was this even possible?
I’d never thought of myself as the slutty type, but right now I wanted to curl myself up on the big brute’s lap and purr like a kitten, marking my territory by rubbing myself all over him.
I could almost feel the heat of his skin, imagine the roughness of his stubble against my cheek.
It was a little embarrassing to see where my thoughts were going.
It was unfamiliar territory, and I wasn’t sure I liked it.
“Can you pass me the sugar?” The alpha’s voice was deep and rumbled like distant thunder as it startled me out of my head. I’d been so focused on what I was thinking, everything else fell away until there was just us, the background noise of the diner fading to a dull roar.
“Su… sure,” I said, my voice sounding strange, wispy and full of want even to my own ears.
I handed him the sugar, surprised by the zing of awareness that went through me as our fingers touched.
It only lasted for a second, but I knew he had felt it too by the way his eyes widened when the heat from our fingers met and lingered before he jerked away, the sugar dispenser rattling slightly in his grip.
“Thank you, omega,” he said, a harshness in his tone that made me think he didn’t want to acknowledge this attraction any more than I did. The words hung in the air between us, heavy with unspoken tension.
It was a sticky predicament. Especially when the object of my attraction from earlier this morning walked through the kitchen door.
He stopped short when he looked my way. Or the hot alpha’s way, more likely, because when he looked at the man’s face, a look of pure longing and heartache filled his face.
It was almost painful to see. I wanted to wrap my arms around him and tell him everything would be okay.
Which was stupid because I didn’t know either of these guys.
“Dalton.” The man next to me stood. He skirted the counter like he was afraid the other man, the one he’d called Dalton, would spook if he got too close.
He rounded the counter and pulled Dalton in close until the two of them were touching from their foreheads to their hips.
As soon as the alpha’s arms wrapped around Dalton, his whole body relaxed as if he was finally home. They were so obviously a couple.
My appetite gone, I ripped out my wallet and threw some bills on the counter next to my plate.
Suddenly, I wasn’t in the mood for my favorite meal.
The only thought in my head was the desperate urge to flee.
It figured that for the first time in my life I was having a sexual awakening and both of the objects of that awakening were obviously a couple.
Not wanting to go home after leaving the diner, I headed to the only place that always gave me solace.
My game store. I busied myself sorting inventory and re-shelving misplaced games.
The activity kept my mind busy so I wouldn’t have to think about anything.
Not about why I was such a freak. Not about why I was suddenly interested in two men when I’d never even desired one.
Not about why the first stages of heat were coming weeks earlier than expected.
I stopped shelving games when I put a PlayStation game on the shelf with the Nintendo games.
Apparently, I couldn’t shut my mind off and shelving games was useless if I was going to move them from one wrong spot to another.
I went to my office and sat down at my computer, my fingers hovering over the keyboard.
How do I even ask Google for answers when I wasn’t sure what the questions were?
I inhaled deeply, my heart racing as I attempted to mentally organize the chaos swirling through my mind.
Thoughts flickered chaotically—questions of self, of desire, of this unexpected connection I felt to both Dalton and the alpha who seemed to claim him.
I could still picture the way the alpha’s muscles flexed, how he held Dalton like he was the most valuable treasure in the world.
That image alone sent heat flooding my cheeks, confusion and longing battling fiercely within me.
Before I could let myself spiral further, I began typing. “What does it mean when two men attract an omega?” The query seemed odd and misguided, but I pressed ‘enter’ anyway, desperate for some validation in this storm of feelings.
As the search results populated on the screen, each response only muddled my thoughts more.
It wasn’t just physical attraction. This felt like something else entirely—something with the raw potential to upend my life.
I had always been so careful, so reserved.
Eschewing the idea that my heart would ever sway towards emotional connections beyond mere friendship.
Yet here I was, shaken to my core by two people—one who had already captured my attention in a diner and another who had unknowingly left an indelible mark on my heart from afar.
I grunted in frustration, running a hand through my unruly hair.
A soft knock on the open office door interrupted my thoughts, causing me to jerk back in my seat.
My heart leaped into my throat as I recognized my mother’s familiar silhouette in the doorway.
Panic surged through me as I scrambled to close the browser window, my fingers fumbling clumsily over the keyboard.
“Theo, sweetheart? Are you in here?” Her voice rang out, warm and inquisitive.
“Just a second, Mom!” I called back, my voice cracking slightly as I desperately tried to hide the evidence of my online activities.
In my haste, I knocked over a stack of books on my desk, sending them tumbling to the floor with a series of loud thuds.
Panicking, I reached for them, only to bump my elbow against my cup of pens, scattering writing utensils across the desk and onto the carpet.
“What’s going on in there?” Mom’s voice came closer, her footsteps approaching my bedroom door.
My heart raced as I scrambled to clean up the mess, shoving books haphazardly onto shelves and scooping up pens by the handful.
In my frantic state, I accidentally elbowed my lamp, sending it teetering dangerously close to the edge of the desk.
I lunged to catch it, knocking my chair over in the process with a resounding crash.
“Nothing!” I shouted, wincing at how unconvincing I sounded. “Just… reorganizing!”
Before I could finish, she rounded the corner, a bright smile on her face. “There you are! I thought I’d stop by and see if you wanted to grab dinner…” Her words trailed off as her eyes landed on my computer screen, still displaying the results of my frantic Google search.
I felt the blood drain from my face as her eyebrows shot up, her gaze darting between me and the monitor. “Oh,” she said softly, a mix of surprise and understanding dawning in her eyes.
Mortification washed over me in waves as I sat there, frozen, unable to form words or even look away from my mother’s face.
This was definitely not how I had planned on broaching the subject of my sudden and confusing attraction to not one, but two men.
The silence stretched between us, thick with unspoken questions and the weight of my embarrassment.
My mom’s eyes softened as she took in the scene before her - the scattered books, overturned chair, and my flustered expression.
A gentle smile played at her lips as she stepped fully into the room.
“Oh, sweetheart,” she said, her voice warm and understanding.
“Exploring your feelings is a good thing. It’s normal to have mixed feelings about love and attraction.
I’m here for you, Theo. I know this is a lot to process, but I’m here to listen and support you.
You don’t have to keep it all to yourself. ”
I felt my cheeks burn hotter, unable to meet her gaze. “I… I don’t know what’s happening to me, Mom,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.
To my surprise, she crossed the room and enveloped me in a tight hug. “It’s okay, Theo. There’s nothing wrong with feeling attracted to more than one person.”
I pulled back, blinking in confusion. “You’re not… disappointed?”
She laughed softly, brushing a strand of hair from my forehead. “Disappointed? Honey, I’m just happy you’re finally experiencing these feelings. I worried you’d never show interest in anyone.”
“But… it’s two men,” I stammered, still struggling to process her reaction.
“Love is love, Theo,” she said firmly. “Whether it’s one person or two, man or woman, what matters is that you’re happy and treated with respect.”
I felt a weight lift from my chest, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. “I don’t even know if they’re interested in me,” I confessed. “They seem to be together already.”
Mom squeezed my shoulder reassuringly. “Well, you never know unless you try. Some people find happiness in relationships with more than two people. It’s not conventional these days, but who said you have to be conventional?
Just be honest about your feelings, and remember that communication is key,” she advised.
“And if you need to talk more about this, I’m always here for you. ”
Overwhelmed with gratitude, I hugged her tightly. “Thanks, Mom. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
As we pulled apart, she grinned mischievously. “Now, how about you tell me about these two men who’ve caught my son’s eye?”
I groaned, but couldn’t help the small smile that crept onto my face. Leave it to my mom to turn my moment of panic into a heart-to-heart gossip session. As embarrassing as it was, I felt incredibly lucky to have such an understanding and supportive parent in my corner.