The Alpha’s Mistake

1

Zeke

Mia is being fussy as I carry her around the cafe. I’m not in the best of moods myself but I can’t show that to anyone, gotta keep the game face on.

Wes is at home ill. He looked horrible this morning, but we can’t both stay at home today. Someone has to run the cafe, so I’m at work and I’ve got Mia and Evan with me. Luckily, I was able to get Tim to come in early.

We’re minutes away from opening the doors and are still busy setting everything up, putting out menus, making sure all the tables have sugar and all the other things that need to be on there.

Then I smell something and Mia pulls a face too. Oh, great.

“Tim,” I sigh.

“Yeah?” He doesn’t look up, just keeps working, his movements efficient.

“Can you open the doors and keep an eye on Evan? I gotta get to the back for a moment.” I undo the wrap that I carry Mia in, already starting to walk.

“Why?” Then he looks at me and pulls a face. “Ah, yes. Sure.”

“Thanks.” I go to the back, grab the diaper bag from the staff room and then go into one of the changing rooms. “Did you have to do this now, little lady?”

I put her down on the changing table. But it seems that now she’s emptied herself, she’s in a much better mood and starts to babble back at me, mimicking my tone.

“Was this what was getting to you the whole time?” I grab the box with wipes and a new diaper. Then I start to undo her of her old one.

For all the smelliness and everything, I hate it, but a part of me also checks that ‘yep, everything looks as it should’ when I close the diaper before throwing it away. It’s gotta be a parenting thing or something…

“Well, lucky me, because I think that just one of us in a bad mood is enough. Don’t you think?” I tickle Mia and she lets out happy sounds. Then I put the clean diaper on her and I smile at the beautiful girl as I get her properly dressed again.

She holds out her hands and makes the sign for ‘down’. “Do do.”

“You want down? Want to walk yourself?” She’s been wanting me to carry her all morning, but I’ll be glad if she wants to walk by herself now.

“Yea! Do!” She makes the sign again and I can’t help but laugh.

She’s so independent, but she also wants to be carried a lot. I guess it’s a thing for her, she’s always been wanting to be close to people. Since she was born, she wasn’t happy unless someone was holding or carrying her.

“Okay.” I put her on the floor. “Just let me clean up and we can go back to the cafe.” I repack the bag, putting everything back in nicely.

“Dada.” She pulls on the leg of my jeans. “Dada. Up.” She’s been referring to me as Dada lately, not all the time, just sometimes, especially when Wes isn’t around.

I’m not sure if it’s because she feels like I’m actually her father or if it’s just that she calls both of us that because we’re both Omegas. Evan also does it, he started trying to say my name, but he’s been calling me Daddy too lately.

Though both Josie and Oliver call me Zeke, but they were already older when I met them. They probably only see Wes that way, not me. Which is fine, he’s the one who gave birth to them, they’re just my step-children, I guess. Are they? Hmm.

I look down at Mia. “You want up again?” She nods, bouncing her little head, and I pick her up. “You want back in the wrap?”

She shakes her head. “No.”

“Okay. Just let me put the bag back in the room and we’ll get to the cafe.” I fling the bag over my shoulder and check the changing room one last time.

Then I put the bag in the staff room and, as I walk back to the front of the cafe, Mia starts wiggling in my arms and I put her on the floor.

She immediately starts running, well, bumbling, to the main area of the cafe and I follow her, making sure she doesn’t crash into anyone or falls over. But she makes it to the play corner without any trouble and flops down next to Evan, who is playing with blocks.

She looks at what he’s doing for a while and then looks around, bored. She crawls over to a stack of books and grabs the top one, opening it and looking at the pictures inside. She’ll be fine.

I take a deep breath and as I look up, I find Nathan staring at me, and my heart skips a beat. Fuck. I did not expect that. I can’t help the smile that tugs at my lips and go over to him. My whole body starts buzzing, but I don’t want to appear too excited, desperate.

“Good morning.” I take the notepad for orders from my pocket. “Coffee?”

He grins, leaning in a little. “Large, black. Thanks.”

“Will do.” But before I can turn around, he grabs the back of my shirt, and I turn back. “Hmm?”

“How are you?” He looks really interested in my answer.

“I’m good. Thanks for last night. I really enjoyed myself.” I try to keep it a little vague, since we’re out in the open and all. “How are you?”

“I’m good too. Does Wes have the morning off? Or is he in class?”

I swallow hard, not wanting to say what I know I’ll have to tell, especially since I finally got the whole situation out of my head. “Wes… He’s at home. He fell ill last night.” I still can’t believe I hadn’t realised that he didn’t come to bed. If I had, I could have prevented all of this, probably.

“Oh, no. What’s wrong?” I look up and see the worry in Nathan’s eyes.

I shrug a little, worry settling back in my stomach too. “He’s got a fever. Seems he overworked himself. He’ll be fine with some rest.”

“I hope it wasn’t because of me? I don’t want to get him in trouble.”

“No. He’s just been working himself a little too hard.” I step back. “I’ll get you your coffee.” I go to the counter and start making Nathan’s coffee.

I know that something has been bothering Wes since we met Nathan and since he asked us out. But Wes won’t talk, and with him working here part-time, going to classes and having to look after the kids… He’s been doing way too much, and I knew it would catch up with him at some point.

But for that to be now… That, I hadn’t expected. Out of all the times…

I bring the coffee over to Nathan. “Here you go.”

“Zeke…” He reaches out, but doesn’t touch me this time. “If I can help. Please, let me know.”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry. He’ll get over it soon.” I shrug, trying to not think about it.

“Zeke.” Nathan’s voice drops and my whole body stands to attention, my focus only on him.

Alpha powers.

I’ve had Alphas use it on me a few times. Even when Alphas and Omegas are not mated, Omegas still respond at some level, but I’ve never responded like this, never this pure focus. A level that only…

No!

My breath quickens and I shake a little. Surprised, stunned. My brain not quite wanting to grasp what’s going on. This feeling not only of Nathan’s Alpha power, but of his emotions, his worry, his fear.

Nathan’s eyes are big too as he stares at me. “Sorry.” He looks away. “I’m sorry. That wasn’t…” He starts colouring a little. “Fuck. Sorry.”

He grabs his things in a hurry and is already out the door before I’m even able to say anything.

On the table are his untouched coffee and his pre-paid card. Fuck.

I sit down in the chair, wrapping my arms around myself, trying to stop the shaking. I didn’t realise what it would feel like, having the force of an Alpha’s power, of his power over an Omega, so focused on me.

Not just any Alpha and Omega, there is only one reason why it would affect me so strongly.

No way.

No.

I shake my head, trying to clear the last bits of the effect from my mind.

“Zeke?” Tim is standing next to me. “Are you okay? Are you feeling ill too?”

I look up, realising I must be scaring him with the way I look. “I’ll be okay in a moment. Don’t worry.”

“Do you need me to write him down?” ‘Write him down’, put him on the list of Alphas that have misbehaved in the cafe and are no longer welcome.

I shake my head. “No. I’ll deal with it. You can go back to work.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.” Neither of us expected this and I know that Nathan didn’t even do it on purpose. He didn’t even mean to use his Alpha powers, but he got worried, he got scared, I felt it. I could feel his fear as if it was mine.

He was really worried about Wes, just like me. He just…

I sigh, pouring some milk into Nathan’s coffee and then sugar. I stir it and watch the milk spread through the coffee.

Every time we’re near each other, our emotions seem to just run wild. Two days ago, last night, just now. It keeps happening.

I’m not sure how to deal with it, but I also know that I can’t ignore it. Just like I couldn’t ignore Wes. And that scares me.

It scares me so much.

Because, unlike Wes, Nathan is an Alpha.

***

“How’s Wes?” I grab Mia before she can make a bad tumble in her haste to greet Aiden.

“He’s doing a little better, slept most of the day as far as I know.” He takes his jacket off as he sits down next to the play corner. Aiden just got back from work and already picked Oliver and Josie up from school before he came over here to pick up the other little ones.

Having multiple adults in a household is handy like that. It makes picking up and taking care of kids so much easier, especially when one of us isn’t feeling too well.

“How have you been?” Aiden looks my way.

I shrug. “Pretty good. Not much happened.”

He nods, then watches Oliver pick up and carry Evan around, as best as he can anyway.

I step back, needing to do something, not wanting to sit still and think about what happened today. “I’ll get you something to drink. What do you want?”

“Same as always.” Aiden smiles and I can’t help but grin. Aiden loves fresh mint tea with honey, it’s his thing.

“Will do.” I turn around, but Oliver grabs my shirt.

“I want hot cocoa.”

“Will you be careful and drink it slowly?” I look at him, and Oliver nods enthusiastically. “Okay.” I ruffle his hair. “I’ll get you a cup if you help me get the drinks for the others.”

“I can do that. I’m a big boy.” He puffs up his chest and puts his fists on his hips, trying to make himself look bigger.

“I can see that. Good.” I smile as I step behind the counter, putting a mug for hot cocoa under the machine and heat up the milk and water that I’ll need. Then I grab cups for Josie, Evan, Mia and Aiden’s son Seb and start filling them.

I turn around and find Oliver staring at me impatiently. “Can you bring these to the table?” I hand him the first two cups and he’s off.

I put cocoa in Oliver’s mug and fill it up with the warm milk, then I put a few stalks of fresh mint in a glass for Aiden.

“Back.” Oliver is standing next to me.

“Two more.” I hand him the other cups. “And I’ll bring your drink right over, you go sit at the table.”

Oliver is off again and I pour hot water over the mint. Then I grab the jar of honey and put everything on a tray that I bring over to the table where Aiden is sitting, with all the little ones. They’re a big bunch, all of them together like that.

Oliver is sitting next to Aiden, way too excited and active. I put the tray down and place the mug with the hot cocoa in front of Oliver.

“Be careful.”

“Of course.” Oliver sounds like I’m saying something that’s super obvious, but he burnt his tongue on a drink last week.

Then I put the glass and the jar of honey in front of Aiden.

“Thanks.” He smiles.

“Do Danny and Mikey need something to drink?” Though Aiden’s twin sons are asleep right now.

“No, thanks. They’re fine. They’ll get their bottle when we get home.” He takes a spoon of honey and stirs it into his drink.

“Okay. I’ll get back to work. Let me know when you’re leaving.” I step back, looking around the cafe and seeing drinks that need picking up or refilling. I need to keep moving.

“Will do.” Aiden leans back, looking out over the kids.

He’s much better with them than I am, but I guess that’s also partially because he grew up in a big family, somehow it gives him a different way to deal with them, something I’m not that good at yet, even after a year.

I start clearing some tables and clean them, greeting customers that come in often and asking them how they’re doing. I like the work, I like the talking to people and learning things about them.

But, in the back of my mind, I keep going back to what happened with Nathan this morning. No matter how hard I try, I keep going back to it. What he did. How I responded…

Just… How?

And why now?