Chapter One
Pierce
Hitching my bag higher on my shoulder, I left the bus terminal. The sun was warm and soothing after the chill of the air-conditioning. The bus driver had been a heavyset woman probably in her midfifties. Maybe she had the air cranked because she was having hot flashes or something. Who was I to judge? It could easily be me suffering from out-of-whack hormones one day in the future. I was a solar eclipse omega after all.
It’d been a long ride, and my back ached from the crappy seat. I scanned the row of parked cars where people waited to pick up their loved ones. Colin had told me his car was a red four door, so I scanned the parking lot for a vehicle matching that description. Someone waving at me caught my eye. My stomach sank when I recognized Colin’s alpha, Riley. I’d assumed Colin would come and pick me up, not his alpha.
I stepped into the street and weaved through the cars toward Riley. As I neared, he smiled and held out his hand. “Is that your only bag?”
“Yeah.” I let him take it from me.
I’d met Riley when he and Colin came to the compound in the mountains to give birth to their baby boy, Garrett. I’d known Colin from before, but Riley I was still trying to get used to. He seemed pretty cool as alphas went. But I didn’t trust alphas.
Riley closed the trunk and walked to the driver’s side as I climbed in the passenger door. “Colin planned on picking you up, but just as he was walking out the door, Garrett threw up on him. It was like something out of The Exorcist.”
I grimaced. “Eww.”
“That’s toddlers for ya.” His cheek curved in a smile. “How was your trip?”
“Oh, you know, they were the typical bus people.”
“Were they wearing slippers and mumbling to themselves?”
“Pretty much.”
“Tinfoil hats?”
My lips twitched. “It’s like you were there.”
He chuckled. “Colin is so excited that you’re coming to stay with us. You should have seen him. It was like the queen was visiting.”
I shifted to where I could see him. “How about you?”
He frowned and gave me a quick glance. “What do you mean?”
“You have two weeks off from your tour. Maybe the last thing you needed was a houseguest.” I fiddled with the little pine tree air freshener that dangled from the rearview mirror. “Just for the record, I wanted to stay in a hotel, but Colin insisted I bunk with you guys.”
“I know and I’m glad.”
“Right.”
He sighed. “I don’t have a problem with you, Pierce. I feel like you think I do.”
“I doubt you’re fond of me.” I clasped my hands in my lap.
He laughed gruffly. “I actually like you when you’re not glaring at me and making snide comments.”
“Which is kind of never.”
“I keep hoping you’ll warm up to me.”
“You seem too good to be true.”
“I’m not. I’m merely a regular guy who’s doing his best. I love Colin more than anything in this world. I’d never do anything to hurt him. Never. I know you’ve had some shitty encounters with alphas over the years. But I’m not them.”
“We don’t have to talk about this.”
“I don’t mind.”
“Colin would probably hate that I’m not playing nice with you.” I sighed. “He always wants everyone to magically get along. Personally, I think he’s dreaming. The world isn’t like that.”
He hesitated, as if considering his words carefully. “I guess what I’d hope from you is that you give me the benefit of the doubt. If I screw up, then hate me.”
I felt a little bad I was giving him such a hard time. He’d never been anything but respectful to me. He’d even stood up for me once at the compound when an alpha had gotten too aggressive. But I’d never had positive experiences with alphas. Everything was always about them. Even the ones who’d seemed nice at first had turned out to be assholes when they were alone with me. I shivered, pushing thoughts of the past away.
I exhaled roughly. “Look, I’ll try harder. I’ll be out job hunting most of the time anyway, so hopefully I won’t be underfoot too much.”
“I want you underfoot. I want you to spend as much time with Colin as you can cram in. You understand what he’s feeling better than me, since you’re both solar eclipse omegas. He needs an omega friend to talk to. We’re on tour a lot, and he doesn’t get to see Blade as much as he’d like.”
“You do know when omegas get together, they talk about alphas, right?”
“I’m secure enough that I don’t care. I want Colin happy.”
My chest tightened at the sincerity behind his words. If he was a fake, he was the best damn fake I’d ever met. “How’s Garrett doing?” I decided to change the subject since we’d kind of hit a wall.
He smiled immediately. “He’s great. Growing like a weed. I can’t believe he’s already a year old.”
“Me either. It seems like you two were just up at the compound having him.”
“Yeah.” He got off the freeway and after about half a mile turned onto a treelined street with sprawling mansions on both sides of the road. He pulled up to a house surrounded by gray walls, and he stopped at the tall iron security gates. He pushed buttons on a small electronic box on his side of the car, and the gates slowly swung open. He accelerated up the long driveway, then parked in front of a large, two-story Mediterranean-style home. He climbed out and I followed, trying not to feel intimidated by how fancy the house was. He beat me to the trunk and insisted on carrying my bag.
I followed him up the travertine steps, and when the door opened, Colin stood there, holding Garrett. “Pierce, I’m sorry I wasn’t at the bus station.” He gave me an enthusiastic, one-armed hug, while Garrett stared at me curiously, only inches from my face.
“It’s fine. I heard you had a good reason.” I tickled the baby’s cheek, and he blinked at me, giving a half smile. “Hey, Garrett. Remember me?”
“He probably does. You babysat him enough,” Colin said. “How was the trip?”
I met Riley’s gaze and laughed. “It was fine.”
“What’s so funny?” Colin squinted.
“Riley and I were discussing bus people earlier.”
Colin smiled. “Oh, good. If you were picking on them, you probably didn’t have time to rag on Riley.”
With a grunt, Riley headed up the sweeping staircase. “I’m putting your bag in the guest room, Pierce.”
“Thanks.” I was glad he didn’t tell Colin I’d given him a hard time. I had to grudgingly respect him for that. Glancing around the marble-decorated foyer and up at the enormous chandelier that hung above us, I gave a low whistle. “This place is… wow.”
“It takes some getting used to. I know exactly how you feel.”
“I’m surprised you don’t have a butler.”
He winced. “Riley actually did have one before I moved in. But I wasn’t really comfortable with that. Now Charles is only here if we put on a big event. I know how to open a damn door.”
I chuckled, pleased that Colin was the same down-to-earth omega I remembered.
Colin squeezed my arm. “It’s so good to see you.”
“Is it?” I grimaced. “Are you sure it’s not an imposition?”
“Not at all.” He moved toward a side room. “Let’s sit on the patio and talk about life.”
“It will have to be your life. Mine is pretty dull at the moment.” I followed him, admiring the sleek chrome decor, big white leather couches, and enormous rosewood entertainment center. “Jesus, people really live like this? I still had a tube TV up at the compound.”
“I’ll tell you one thing, it sure makes a nice change from the tour bus.” He opened the french doors, and I slipped past him.
There was a huge, glistening pool and a clear view of the Hollywood hills. Off to the side was a separate barbecuing area with built-ins and a shiny grill that looked big enough to roast a pig in. A bright red umbrella shaded expensive-looking teak patio furniture, and nearby a fountain trickled serenely. Everything was so immaculate and high-end, I immediately felt even more out of place.
“Is this lifestyle really you?” I glanced at Colin.
“This is how the one percent lives, Pierce. Might as well enjoy it while you’re here.”
“Yeah, but don’t you feel weird in this environment? I mean, with your income, you live high enough without all of the extra stuff. Doesn’t this seem all too much? You have three people in the house, but you could fit a soccer team.”
“Riley worked hard to get to this point. He should get to enjoy the best life has to offer.” Colin’s voice was gruff and protective.
I shrugged. “Sure. Whatever.” I sat awkwardly in one of the chairs.
“Would you like iced tea or lemonade?”
“You mean you don’t have the nectar of the gods for me to drink?”
He frowned.
“Iced tea, please.”
He handed me Garrett, and I took the baby happily. I held the child so his feet were on my thighs, and I smiled at him. “You’ve got strong legs.” The baby bounced up and down smiling. “Is he walking yet?”
“He could, but he won’t do it without holding my hand.” He studied me with the baby. “I’ll go get the drinks. Be right back.”
I stood and circled the pool, pointing out to the baby all the pretty little yellow flowers on the hedge along the fence. He was very curious and wanted to touch everything. “I remember when you were first born. You were a big surprise to your daddies.”
Garrett mumbled a string of almost-words as he slapped happily at the vines.
Colin came back outside carrying two glasses of tea and a sippy cup. He set everything on the table, and I moved back toward him. Colin took Garrett from me and gave the baby the plastic cup.
“Isn’t Riley going to join us?” I sat and took my glass from the table.
“He has a practice. He’s adding some new songs to his show, and he wants it to be perfect.”
“That’s convenient.”
Colin frowned. “Meaning what?”
“Maybe he’s trying to avoid me.”
“He’s not. But could you blame him if he was? You’re kind of hard on him.” Colin sipped his tea, pinning me with his astute gaze.
“I’ll warm up to him eventually.” I smirked. “If he sticks around.”
“God, you’re a jerk.” His smile softened his words.
“I just worry for you.”
“You should be concerned about yourself.” He set his tea down. “Why’d you leave the compound? I thought you were happy there?”
“I was happyish. But I can’t live there forever. Two years was long enough. I need to get back into the real world for a while. I’d been up in the mountains so long, sometimes I felt like I was hiding. I don’t like that feeling. I don’t want to be weak and afraid.”
“There’s nothing weak about you.”
“I guess.”
His gaze softened. “The omegas will miss you.”
“I’ll miss them too. But I felt restless, and that’s no good for anybody.”
“Okay. Fair enough. It’s time for the next chapter of your life.” He smiled.
“Yep.” I was putting on a brave front, but I was also extremely nervous about trying to reassimilate into life here in Los Angeles. The three years before I’d ended up at the compound had warped me and made me far more jaded than I wanted to be. I had emotional walls up that a tank couldn’t smash through. But I wasn’t looking for love, so maybe that didn’t matter. I pretty much considered love to be a joke, especially for omegas. In our society, alphas got everything they wanted, and the omegas had to pop out babies and say thank you for the pleasure of it.
“So what kind of work are you looking for?”
“I like kids, so maybe something like that.”
“You’re good with them too. You’re very nurturing, so long as you’re not dealing with an alpha.” He pursed his lips. “You’d probably be a good nurse.”
I snorted. “Sure. Now all I need is money for nursing school and someone who will feed and shelter me while I go to college for two or three years.”
“Right. So something more immediate.”
“Yes.”
He snapped his fingers. “Riley probably has some celebrity friends who need childcare. I mean, don’t all celebrities have nannies?”
“You don’t.”
“We do on tour. Remember, I’m watching over Riley. We have a girl who travels with us and takes care of Garrett during the shows.”
“Oh, yeah. I forgot you still wanted to work.” I studied him. “Riley’s pretty enlightened for an alpha.”
“I keep telling you he’s different. That’s one more reason I love him. He doesn’t expect me to only take care of Garrett. He knows I love my job too much to give it up, and no one will watch out for Riley like I will.”
I frowned. “I’m not sure I feel right about asking Riley for a favor.”
“He’d be happy to help.”
“Ha. I’m not so sure.”
“Stop that. I know he’d be fine with seeing if his friends need anybody.” The doorbell rang inside the house. Colin frowned. “Who the heck could that be?”
“Don’t look at me. I’m not expecting anyone.”
He stood with a scowl and headed toward the house. “I’ll be back in a sec.”
I closed my eyes and listened to the breeze blowing through the queen palms that surrounded the pool area. The temperature was warmer here than I was used to, and it made a nice change. I heard the french doors click, and voices floated across the patio. When I opened my eyes, I found Colin coming back, but he had someone with him.
The minute my gaze fell on the man with him, I knew he was an alpha. The proud curve of his neck and confident stride made that obvious. He was really attractive with blond, cropped hair and dark eyes. I was annoyed when my pulse sped up as we locked eyes. I reassured myself it was simply my omega instinct and nothing more. Just because I didn’t trust alphas didn’t mean I wasn’t still physically affected when they were sexy like this guy.
“Pierce, this is Seth.” Colin ran his hand over the back of his neck. “He’s a buddy of mine from Shield.”
“Hey, how are you?” Seth held out his hand as if on autopilot. I kind of got the feeling he barely noticed me, until I hesitated to shake his hand, and then he frowned. “I don’t bite,” he said, narrowing his gaze.
“Never know with alphas.” I took his hand in a brief clasp, and a snap of electricity seemed to buzz up my arm. I pulled my fingers away quickly, puzzled by his effect on me.
He gave a funny laugh but then turned his back on me so he could talk to Colin some more.
I stamped down my irritation that he would barge in and take over the conversation, as if the world revolved around him. His behavior was so typical of alphas, it immediately put my back up.
I met Colin’s gaze, feeling annoyed, and maybe he noticed I wasn’t happy because he said, “Sorry, Pierce. Didn’t mean to exclude you from the conversation. Why don’t you come closer so you can hear better?”
Seth glanced back at me as if he’d just remembered I existed. “Oh, yeah. Sorry. This is kind of personal.”
“Okay.” I frowned. Did he expect me to leave or something?
Colin quickly interjected. “Pierce is a good listener. Maybe you should sit, Seth, and start from the beginning.”
Giving me a wary look, Seth moved to sit near Colin. “I don’t usually spill my guts in front of strangers.”
I gave a stiff laugh. “It’s not like I asked to hear your sad story.”
“I’m sorry?” Seth narrowed his eyes.
“I’m just here to see Colin.”
“Yeah, me too.”
“You’re the one who just dropped by with no warning.”
He gave a short laugh, as if he assumed I had to be kidding. “Is that a problem for you or something?”
“Only because you’re acting like I’m supposed to make myself scarce so I don’t overhear your top-secret conversation.”
Seth frowned. “You’re taking what I said the wrong way.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah. I merely meant I’m self-conscious about talking in front of people I don’t know. Not that you’re the problem.”
I felt a little stupid for having overreacted. “Oh.”
Colin laughed awkwardly. “How about you two start all over again?”
“Fine by me.” Seth stood and held out his hand. He towered over me, and my stomach fluttered at the intensity of his dark eyes. “I’m Seth. Nice to meet you.”
I took his hand and ignored the tingle the firm press of his flesh gave me. “Pierce.”
“That’s better.” Colin smiled. “Now, Seth, go ahead and continue your story.”
Seth sighed and sat down again. “Well, I’m kind of still in a daze. I mean, you can imagine the shock of finding out I have an eight-year-old daughter after all these years.”
I widened my eyes. “Oh, wow.”
“Who was this woman you slept with?” Colin asked.
“Just some girl I had a one-night stand with years ago. Her name was Letty.” He raked a hand through his hair. “We didn’t keep in touch.”
“How did you find out you have a daughter with her?” Colin asked.
“A lawyer called me a day ago explaining that Letty had died in a car wreck and I was the only next of kin for this little girl.”
“How do you know this kid is really yours?” I asked.
He met my gaze. “I took a DNA test.”
“Ahhh.” I nodded.
“I don’t get why this Letty never told you about your daughter.” Colin rubbed his chin, looking muddled. “It couldn’t have been easy trying to raise a child on her own. Why wouldn’t she have wanted your help?”
“We didn’t have a friendship or anything. We met at a party and only hooked up that one time. I’m embarrassed to admit we were both so fucking drunk neither one of us thought about protection.” His cheeks were swept with pink. “It was just sex.”
“And now you have a kid.” Colin sighed. “Wow.”
“The poor kid doesn’t have any other family?” I frowned.
“That’s what the lawyer said. I vaguely remember Letty wasn’t close to her family.” Seth glanced at Garrett, who was sipping from his little cup and dribbling liquid down his chin. “I hate to think that I’m the best that poor little girl has to turn to.”
“What do you mean? You have a good job, and you’re a good person.” Colin studied his friend.
“Yeah, but I’m not parent material.” He chuffed. “You know me, Colin. I’m not looking to settle down anytime soon. I wasn’t planning on having kids until I finally got forced into marriage,” Seth grumbled. “I don’t know the first thing about raising a child.”
“Have you met the little girl yet?” Colin asked.
“Once. But we didn’t really talk much.”
Colin chewed his lower lip. “Perhaps you’ll be a natural at fatherhood.”
Judging by how freaked-out Seth was, that was hard to imagine.
“Maybe if Letty had told me about this kid from the beginning, I’d at least know the child. But I’m a complete stranger to her.” He had a deep line between his brows.
“She’s probably terrified right now,” I said softly. “What she needs is stability and to feel like she belongs somewhere.”
Seth met my gaze. “But how do I do that for her?”
“It won’t happen overnight. She probably won’t trust you for a while.” I sighed.
“Awesome.” He scowled.
“Meet her physical needs first, and gradually the emotional stuff should fall into place. Once she believes you aren’t going to bail on her, she’ll probably warm up to you.” I studied his tense face.
“God, my house isn’t kidproofed.”
“She’s eight, not two.” I smirked, earning a scowl from Colin.
“They’re both equally terrifying to me,” Seth muttered.
“Well, she probably knows not to stick her finger in an electrical socket, but she’ll need help with homework. She might even like boys already. She’ll have completely different needs from a baby.” I’d taken care of all ages of kids up at the compound. I found children easier to relate to than adults, and I tended to get along with them better.
Groaning, Seth covered his face. “This is a nightmare.”
I had a certain grudging sympathy for him. Alphas weren’t made to take care of kids; omegas usually handled that. “You’ll probably be fine.”
He dropped his hands to his lap. “You sound about as sure as I feel.” He glanced to Colin. “I don’t even know where to begin. She’s coming to my house tomorrow.”
Colin grimaced. “So soon?”
“She’s been with Child Services while the lawyer contacted me and we did the DNA test. But now the only thing keeping her from coming to live with me, is me.” He sighed. “Obviously I can’t turn away my own child. And frankly, I think I’d have trouble turning away any kid who just went through what she’s gone through.”
His empathy was surprising. I studied his tense features, feeling a reluctant respect that he was doing the right thing. “It feels scarier because you two are strangers to each other. Once you know each other’s quirks, it should get simpler.”
“What’s her name?” Colin asked.
“Emily.”
“Do you have a nanny lined up?” Colin kissed Garrett’s head, as if the conversation made him feel more protective toward his son.
“A nanny? No.”
“Well, who’s going to pick her up from school when you’re at work?” Colin scowled.
He winced. “Crap. I hadn’t thought of that.”
“Seriously?” Colin shook his head. “You do have a bed for her, right?”
“Yes. I have her in the bigger guest room.” He sighed. “Damn. I wasn’t thinking about when I’m not there. She’s not a little baby, and so it never occurred to me I’d need to hire anybody to watch her.”
Colin met my gaze. “Pretty sure it’s not okay to leave an eight-year-old alone for extended periods of time. What if you get an overnight assignment?”
Seth exhaled roughly. “Fuck.” He pulled out his phone and looked up with a lost expression. “Who the hell would I call for a nanny?”
I laughed gruffly. “It’s kind of short notice to try and find someone for tomorrow.”
“Didn’t anyone from Child Services mention you’d need help?” Colin asked.
“No. They mostly just seemed concerned that I was her biological dad.”
Colin watched me with an odd expression. “Well, you’re going to need help. No question about that.”
“Definitely,” I agreed.
Colin gave a gruff laugh. “I think I might have a temporary solution for you, Seth.”
“Yeah?” He looked as happy as if he’d won the lottery.
Colin leaned toward me. “You could watch Emily, Pierce.”
My stomach clenched as they both turned their gazes on me. “What? Me?” What in the hell was Colin thinking? I didn’t want to work for an alpha. I wasn’t even sure I liked Seth.
“Sure. You wanted a job in childcare, and Seth needs a nanny.”
Seth scowled, looking about as enthusiastic about the idea as I was. “Oh, well… I can probably find someone else.”
“Yeah. Please. Find someone else.” I gave Colin an irritated glance.
“By tomorrow?” Colin looked skeptical. “Good luck with that.”
“I can’t hire just anybody,” Seth said.
His comment annoyed me, even though I had no desire to work for him. “Well, I’m not exactly your worst option. It’s not like I’m a stranger off the street. I’m Colin’s friend, and I have childcare experience.”
“Oh, sure. But… you know what I mean.”
I gave a gruff laugh. “Not really.”
He frowned. “Would you want to work for me?” He looked mystified.
No.
“I’m not saying that. I’m just pointing out that I’m qualified and not some pedophile off the street.”
“Okay, but would you want the job?” Seth frowned.
“Not particularly.”
“Why wouldn’t you want to work for Seth? Interviews are drudgery.” Colin grimaced. “Do you actually want to have to go all over town looking for a job?”
“No… but…” I met Seth’s wary gaze. “I don’t know that Seth and I would be compatible as employer and employee.”
Seth nodded. “Yeah. We did butt heads initially.”
“That was just a misunderstanding,” Colin said.
“I guess it would just be temporary.” Seth sounded hesitant. “I do need someone by tomorrow.”
“Hmmm.” I pulled my brows together. “I’m not sure.”
“I know we got off on the wrong foot, but I’m not a bad guy.” Seth shrugged. “Maybe you could fill in for a week, just long enough to give me time to find someone permanent. Then you can go find another job. What do you say?”
It was awkward with both of them staring at me, and I wasn’t sure how to say no without looking like a heartless prick. Stuffing down my frustration, I sighed. “Just a week?”
“Yes.” Seth nodded. “I’ll have someone new by the end of the week, or I owe you an expensive dinner at your favorite restaurant.”
“I don’t need dinner.”
“We can probably put up with each other for a week, right?” Seth laughed gruffly. “I’m desperate, man.”
“Fine. I’ll do it for a week.”
Seth gave the first real smile I’d seen since he’d arrived. My pulse stuttered at how attractive he was, but I squashed whatever those confusing feelings were. He was straight and he was an alpha. Both of those things meant he needed to be kept at arm’s length.