Hello there

JUNIPER.

The sound of whimpering coming from the alley causes shivers to run down my spine. My heart slams violently against my chest as my feet remain rooted to the floor. 

I can't decide what to do. To enter the alley and see if someone is hurt, or to run and pretend that I didn't just see two men running out of the alley with bloodied baseball bats. 

When the sniffles and the whimpering becomes louder, I decide to take a look, afraid that someone might die. Slowly, and with my knees feeling like jelly on a hot day, I stagger into the dark alley, almost bumping into some trash cans. 

I move closer to where the whimpering is coming from, desperately hoping that it is something or someone I can deal with. But what I did not expect was to find the hottest man I have ever seen, sitting right by the dumpsters and clutching his bleeding arm. 

I freeze for what seems like an eternity, my heart racing at the sight of the disheveled man in front of me. His wet, tousled, jaw length hair is scattered on his face, his grey strands barely visible. I can’t help but gawk at his chest through his open shirt, his toned abs staring back at me. 

“What do you want?” His voice comes, like sin wrapped in steel, jolting me from my thoughts. His voice makes my heart dip, instantly making me feel warm despite the winter cold.

“Uh..” my gaze snaps to his face, taking in his gorgeous features. How can a man be this good looking? And how on earth am I attracted to a man who is twice my age? My throat runs dry when he glares at me, and instead of fear, I feel turned on. 

“You're hurt.” I turn my attention to his bleeding arm. His body and clothes are drenched with his blood. “Let me help you.” 

“I don't need your help little one, get going.” His tone is cold and dismissive, making my heart miss a beat. There is something about the old hottie, something sinister. Why did those men attack a man like him? 

“You're obviously not okay.” I shake my head, inching closer, but he throws me a glare that keeps me rooted to that spot. 

“Leave, or I won't be nice next time.” He warns, looking away and struggling to get to his feet. 

Refusing to leave the struggling old hottie alone, I briskly walk over to him, holding his arm and helping him up. Instead of accepting my help, he slaps my hand away, gently pushing me off. I furrow my brows and place my hands on my waist. 

“Why won't you let me help you!?” 

“I don't need help. Go trick or treating or something.” He scoffs and I roll my eyes heavily, wondering if he has lost his mind. 

“That's Halloween, grandpa.” I drawl, my eyes still moving down to his body even when I didn't want them to. I can't help the twitching in-between my thighs. His arms suddenly look like the safest place on earth. 

“Grandpa?” He asks, his face twisting in disgust. “Do I look like a grandpa?” He finally manages to stand on his feet. 

“You may be attractive, but you're still an old man.” I snap without thinking, and instantly regret it. 

A smirk plays across his plump lips, his expression dark and playful at the same time. “Attractive huh?” 

My cheeks flush, I can feel the heat rising to them. “I didn't mean it that way. Just let me help you with your wound, I'm a nurse..” I pause and chuckle, raising my hand to scratch the back of my hair. “Well, I'll be a nurse in a few months.” 

“Good for your little one,” his smile fades, almost like it was never there. “But I can take care of my own wounds.” He looks down at his bleeding arm, acting like it is nothing. “This wouldn't be the first time.” 

“What? Are you some sort of criminal? You don't look like one.” I move closer to him again, gently lifting his arm to take a look and he lets me. “You have a rich people aura.” 

He chuckled at that, the growl that follows taking me by surprise. It is too similar to an Alpha's growl, but that was not possible. If he is really an Alpha, he will not let me come anywhere near him, let alone touch him. Maybe anyone else, but not an Omega like myself. 

“What do you intend to do with my arm?” He asks, and I look up at him, meeting his gaze. I melt into his seductive honey brown eyes, unconsciously biting my lip to stop the heating stirring within me. 

“I'll give you first aid,” I finally answer, “the wound is not too deep.” 

“But you have to follow me out of this creepy alley, there's a bench not quite far from here.” I take his hand in mine, leading him out of the alley and he follows without a protest, but I can feel his gaze burning into my back. 

I pull my little first aid box out of my large box as we settle on the bench. It's late, and there aren't a lot of people on the road because the snow is getting heavier. I clean out the wound first, then I apply some ointment and bandage the wound properly. 

“There, all done. You'll probably need to visit a hospital soon to get the bandage changed and checked for an infection.” I say proudly, putting my box into my bag. 

When I turned to face him again, he was leaning in, so close that he left me breathless. I hate that an older man is making me feel this way, a pulling connection that I never felt with my cheating ex boyfriend. I snap out of my thoughts and scoot back.

“What are you doing?” 

“Giving you what you want.” He replies quickly and my brows knot in confusion. 

“What I want?” 

“You helped me , and now I'm going to help you. You look like you haven't gotten any action in a long time.” He says, unfiltered, staring down at my boobs and then back at my face. My heart starts to race, not out of fear, but out of desire. 

He is right, but I will not let him think he is. “What is this? I just helped you!” 

“Come on, little one..” he draws closer, his giant arm sneaking around my waist and pulling me closer. A gasp tears from my throat, and I freeze at his touch. “You know you've been thinking about me between your legs since you set your eyes on me.” 

I push him away and rise to my feet instantly, anger surging through my veins. “You're sick and creepy! I'm young enough to be your daughter!” 

He just grins, like a psychopath.

“I should have let you bleed out.” I mumble and grab my purse, leaving in a hurry and flagging down a taxi. 

Even as I make my way home, I can't help but think about the old hottie, and how much I want him to wrap his arms around me again. Well, thank the goddess that I won't be seeing him again, these stupid feelings must be contained for good. 

…

“Bestie!” Adelaide squeals into the phone, forcing me to move the phone away from my ear. “My dad and I are finally on our way to your house. We'll pick you up and head to the airport. We'll be traveling by private jet.” 

I am nervous about meeting Adelaide's dad, and even more about spending the holidays with her family. She is the absolute love of my life, and she has been begging me to leave my lonely life in the suburbs and spend Christmas with her family for almost five years. 

Being an Omega and an orphan came with disadvantages. I have worked so many part time jobs to survive, lost all my boyfriends to prettier, richer girls, the most recent being the one that hurt the most. He fucked his whore in my room while I went to pick up groceries for us! 

I couldn't take it. I would have ended it all if Adelaide hadn't shown up to stop me. I finally accepted to spend the holidays with her to take my mind off my sad life, but I was starting to regret it. I enjoyed my own company, being in a house full of people seemed like a nightmare. 

Two hours passed, and I am sitting in my sad excuse of a living room, staring at the wall and waiting for Adelaide to arrive. 

When a car finally pulls up in front of my house, I take a deep breath before stepping out of my house. A neat, tinted McLean is parked right outside, and when the windows roll down, Adelaide's smiling face comes to view. 

“Bestie!” She steps down, running over and throwing her arms around me. I giggle and hug her back, like we didn't see each other yesterday.

“Come, I want you to meet my dad.” She joyfully exclaims, dragging me over to the car. 

I lower my head to greet her father, but when I see who is sitting behind the wheel, my heart leaps into the pit of my stomach. 

No! 

“Dad!” Adelaide screams, “this is my best friend, Juniper.” 

The man I had escaped a couple of hours ago! He raises his bandaged arm to wave at me, the same psychotic grin on his face. 

“Well, hello there Juniper.”