Candy Kisses for the Omega: Mountain Springs Omegas Book 3 Read online

  Candy Kisses for the Omega

  Book 3 of the Mountain Springs Omegas Series

  Lacey Daize

  Copyright © 2019 Lacey Daize

  All Rights Reserved

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage or retrieval system without permission in writing.

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Amazon.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, places, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.

  Find out more about Lacey at http://www.laceydaize.com/

  ~NOTE~

  This short story is intended for mature audiences only. If you are under 18 or the age of consent for your country, or are offended by adult material please turn back now.

  This story contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1 - Mason

  Chapter 2 - Devon

  Chapter 3 - Mason

  Chapter 4 - Devon

  Chapter 5 - Mason

  Chapter 6 - Devon

  Chapter 7 - Mason

  Chapter 8 - Devon

  Chapter 9 - Mason

  Chapter 10 - Devon

  Chapter 11 - Mason

  More Books by Lacey

  About Lacey Daize

  Chapter 1 - Mason

  I sat at the kitchen counter and picked up the newest edition of Mountain Springs’ bi-weekly newspaper. Given the overall state of the print media industry, I was glad to support the town paper and they did good work. However, the headline on the front page made me scowl: Arsonist Continues to Elude Fire Investigators.

  The news made me worry for two reasons. The first was that it meant there was still somebody out there setting fires with no clear motive. The other was my friend Liam. The first incident had been a stand of bears set aflame in front of his parents’ gift store, and though the arsonist hadn’t targeted any single place twice, it couldn’t be ruled out either. It was stressful enough already, but Liam was pregnant on top of that.

  I skimmed the article, but wasn’t too hopeful about finding anything of use in it. The title seemed to sum it up pretty well.

  I picked out a few more articles to read while I drank my coffee, then it was time to get ready for work. As the town’s chocolatier, one of my busiest seasons was upon me and I had orders to make.

  Eleven months out of the year I loved my work. I got to be creative, making new shapes and flavors of treats for the various holidays. Rose and lavender infused chocolates for Mother’s Day, beer and whiskey for the dads. My white chocolate green caramel eyeballs were Halloween favorites, and I’d had lines before Christmas for my chocolate-coated gingerbread men.

  But the next holiday was the one I wished I could shut down the store for. Each chocolate-dipped strawberry and heart-shaped confection was like a dagger in my soul. Every one a reminder of the betrayal I felt.

  Maybe I’d hire and train a new employee over the summer so they’d be ready to take over the following February and allow me to go on vacation—preferably somewhere warm and where I could avoid all the couples kissing and being lovey-dovey.

  I headed to the bathroom to brush my teeth, and studied my beard in the mirror. I’d need to trim it soon or the health inspector would insist on a net for it. I liked the length, especially in winter, but the nets were uncomfortable and it was better to keep my facial hair neat than have to constantly be dealing with the net while trying to work.

  I ran a comb through my beard to be safe, and made a mental note to book an appointment with my barber. Then I headed downstairs from my apartment to the kitchen of Mount Chocolate.

  One of the nice things about running a candy store rather than a bakery was that I could keep slightly more normal hours than a baker would, at least most of the time. But today the sun had barely cleared the horizon when I walked in and flicked on the lights, which reflected off the stainless-steel work tables.

  Even when I hated the holiday, I never hated the sight of my passion ready for me each morning. In a few hours those same tables would be filled with confections in various stages of making, the scent of chocolate filling the air.

  I wandered over to my calendar and compared the schedule with pre-order quantities, trying to decide if I needed to shuffle anything. Chocolate-covered strawberries were flying off the shelf, but I couldn’t start on the bulk of the orders for them until the thirteenth so that the fruit remained fresh on the big day. Which meant it was other chocolate and gift basket prep with things that could last the week until February fourteenth.

  Satisfied that my schedule was still fine, I started gathering my ingredients. First up was a big batch of red chile chocolates. They’d been popular the year before, and I decided to spruce things up with special boxes that read ‘Hot Stuff for my Hot Stuff.’ The special box meant that a number of people had ordered them, and as it would be shelf-stable longer it was a good choice to get a head start on.

  Soon I was fully immersed in the work, tempering the chocolate to glossy perfection and mixing in the spicy chile. I then spread it to cool before breaking it into bark-style pieces.

  I’d been so immersed in my work that I jolted when I heard the little bell over the front door chime.

  “Mason?”

  I breathed out a sigh, calming my nerves. It was just Andrew. He’d breezed into town the month prior, but had only been working for me a week, since a receptionist job fell through almost immediately after they’d told him he’d been hired. But he’d shown himself more than capable of the work and a trustworthy employee.

  He’d also fit right into my circle of omega friends, and after a love-at-first-sight romance was mated to a local alpha and had announced his pregnancy a few days before.

  “Back here,” I called.

  Andrew came back and smiled. “Where do you need me today?”

  “Hop on the register until Daniel comes in, then you can come back and start prepping the hot stuff boxes.”

  “You got it,” Andrew said as he grabbed an apron and a little candyman hat. A minute later I heard the sound of bills being counted as he prepped the register.

  I had to admit, the other omega had come in at just the right time. I’d steadily been getting busier and with the dreaded holiday only a week away it was time for all hands on deck to push through.

  I just had to hope he’d be willing to stay after February. He’d mentioned that he preferred office jobs, and was considering going back to school, but having him even on a part-time basis would be great.

  I got the second batch of chile chocolate cooling and started on another specialty, Love Bites, which were small chocolates with a hot cinnamon kick.

  Soon the sounds of customers drifted in from the front: people placing orders for gift boxes, excited children squealing with delight, and the sweetest of them all was the compliments as people tasted my creations.

  Daniel came in around noon, which gave me a chance to head to Glen’s Diner and grab lunch for the three of us. Then Andrew and I spent the after
noon filling boxes and bags of candy while Daniel sold it out the front almost faster than I could make it.

  Finally it was closing time, and after Daniel cleaned up the front he joined Andrew and I in the back on the assembly line. Soon we had stacks of boxes and gift baskets ready for both orders and regular store stock.

  We were wiping down the tables when we heard the blare of sirens, followed by the low blast of a fire engine’s horn. The three of us ran to the front and out the door, eyes tracing the direction of the emergency lights until we saw black smoke rising from the direction of the community center.

  “Think it’s the arsonist again?” Andrew asked quietly.

  I nodded. “It’s a reasonable bet.”

  Chapter 2 - Devon

  My heart dropped as soon as the call went out over dispatch. A trailer outside the community center was on fire. Since the only trailer that was supposed to be there was full of decorations for the high school’s annual Valentine’s dance fundraiser, it was immediately clear that our little firebug had struck again.

  I’d hoped that I’d been wrong until then. The attacks had seemed random at first: the bears in front of Liam’s shop, a food delivery that had been unloaded but not all taken into a restaurant yet, another outdoor display of gifts

  Even then, when the little fires were coming at one or so a week and seemed to just be crimes of convenience, I’d had the feeling there was something deeper going on.

  My first real clue to the pattern was the day after the theater changed the posters for upcoming movies. They’d been expecting two new romantic comedies and were doing a ‘most romantic movies’ event for Valentine’s Day, but no sooner had the posters gone up than somebody broke the enclosures and torched all of the posters. The non-romantic posters had gone up too, but newly installed security cameras across the street caught the culprit igniting the romantic posters first, then seeming to think about it before lighting the others.

  It was the first time that the arsonist had needed to do anything more complicated than leave a few matches around, and I was finally able to see some of the bigger picture.

  The bears were a specialty of Liam’s shop, brought in every year as a combination souvenir of the shovel races, and romantic gift. The restaurant was one of the more popular date spots, and was forced to close that evening. The other display also had gifts that tended more on the amorous side.

  After the posters, the arsonist seemed to feel emboldened and had struck several times over the past few days. The skate rental stand for the winter skating rink was destroyed, as was the decorative location marker of the town’s requisite romantic overlook.

  We’d told the paper that no connection had been found between the targets, because technically that was true. But once I’d seen the pattern it was clear as day. The arsonist, who appeared to be in their late teens or early twenties, was hitting anything romantic that they could, and with the ‘romance holiday’ quickly approaching it was hardly surprising that the attacks had become bolder.

  Despite that I was already supposed to be off for the day, I grabbed my investigator jacket, got in my car and headed towards the community center.

  Sure enough, as soon as I arrived I saw the smoke coming from the rear of the building. When I pulled around water was dripping off the charred remains of a little tow-behind trailer. A couple teens who must have lived nearby looked on from outside the perimeter, a girl obviously close to tears.

  I stepped out and made my way over as the guys were putting away their gear.

  “Hey Devon,” the incident commander said as I walked up.

  “Mike,” I acknowledged with a nod. “Our firebug again?”

  He looked over at the destroyed trailer and nodded. “It would be my guess, and it fits the pattern.”

  I looked at the teens, the girl I’d noticed earlier was openly sobbing against a boy’s chest.

  “Interview the kids?”

  Mike glanced over, then nodded. “I asked if they saw anything, but they said that they only came running over when they noticed the smoke.”

  “I see. Be right back.”

  “I’ll be here.”

  I walked over to the teens, noticing the boys had mostly started rough-housing, while one still held the crying girl. They settled some as I approached.

  “Hey there,” I said as I stopped a few feet away. “You guys mind if I ask some questions?”

  The kids shook their heads before the one with his arms around the girl piped up. “The other guy asked, but we didn’t see anything.”

  I nodded. “That’s what he said too. But I have some different questions if it’s ok.”

  “Shoot man, we’ll answer if we know,” replied another. “I’m pissed and want the bastard who did this caught.”

  “Thanks.” I took a second to compose my thoughts. “Ya’ll look to all be about junior or senior age, right?”

  “I’m a senior,” a third boy said. “They’re all juniors.”

  I turned to the juniors. “You’ve all been working hard to prep for the dance, right?”

  The boy holding the girl nodded. “We’d finished the decor yesterday, and the trailer was brought over this afternoon.” He paused and dipped his head at the girl in his arms. “She’s on the dance committee.”

  The girl sniffled and looked at me. “The dance won’t happen now, will it?”

  I pasted on a smile that I didn’t really feel. “The center itself is ok, and nobody was hurt. The decorations are ruined, but I’m sure people will understand and still enjoy the dance.”

  “But it won’t be pretty,” she replied, dejected.

  I shook my head. “You’ve got a few days right? Perhaps parents and businesses can donate a few things to make it look good. It won’t be as special as all your hard work, but it can still look nice.”

  She seemed to think about it. “Ok.”

  I reached out, hesitated, then rested a hand on her shoulder. “You and the rest of the committee will figure it out. You might even be able to use the experience in college essays or job interviews. Describing how you overcame a challenge is a common question, so turn this around and prove how strong you are.”

  She gave me a weak smile and nodded. “Ok.”

  I evaluated the group one more time, and my gut told me that none of the kids were the firebug. They looked angry, or sad, not silently enjoying the scene. “No need to stick around. I can tell nothing will be able to be salvaged. You’d be better off rallying everybody to get a plan B going.”

  The boys nodded even as the girl hiccupped another sob.

  “Come on Chelsea,” the boy holding her said. “You’ve got everybody’s numbers. The sooner we get started the better it’ll look.”

  She nodded and I watched the kids head back toward the nearby residential area.

  I made my way back over to Mike. “Anything for me?”

  He shook his head. “Not when it’s already dark. I’m sure you’ll have plenty to go over tomorrow. But for now we’re making sure it’s all out.”

  “Gimme a call if you get anything?”

  He nodded. “You got it.”

  I took out my camera and walked around the smoldering wreckage, taking photos in the dim light. They wouldn’t be as helpful as daytime lighting, but would at least give me something to start on.

  I waved to the guys, then got back in my car.

  Valentine’s Day was a week away, and there was no longer any doubt in my mind. People were in danger.

  My omega was in danger, even if he hated me.

  Chapter 3 - Mason

  “Mount Chocolate, Mason speaking.”

  “Hey Mace,” said a familiar voice, and a quick glance at the caller ID confirmed which of the twins I was speaking to.

  “Hey Evan,” I replied. “Calling from work?”

  Evan sighed. “Yeah. I take it you heard?”

  I nodded to myself. “Yeah. Everything was lost?”

  “The kids are devastated. They’d spent
weeks on the decor, and it was all destroyed.”

  Evan was a good teacher, so dedicated to his students. He tended to hang out with other alphas more than omegas like myself, but he was in my broader circle of friends and I knew he’d give anything to help the kids.

  “What can I do?” I asked.

  “Anything at all helps.”

  I looked over to a tray of chocolate. I was going to have to sell it at a discount because the temper was slightly off. It would taste fine, but didn’t look as pretty.

  “I’ve got some seconds. I can donate the batch if the kids want to hold a little fundraiser with it.”

  “Really? Shit man, that would be fantastic.”

  “I’ll have Andrew drop them by the school in a bit.”

  “You’re a lifesaver.”

  “Are you going to do a raffle? I’ll donate a premium basket as a prize.”

  “I don’t know if we have time, but I’ll let you know.”

  “Ok. I remember what a big deal the annual fundraiser dance is, so I don’t want to see those kids lose out because of some asshole.”

  “You’re good people,” Evan said.

  “So are you. I’ll get those chocolates to you before lunch so you can get the sale set up.”

  “Great. Thank you.”

  “No prob. Now I’m sure you’ve got other calls to make.”

  “Yep, everybody is getting called today. We’re going to make this dance happen come hell or high water.”

  “That’s the spirit. Talk to you later.”

  “Later.”

  The call disconnected and I poked my head out to the front where Andrew and Daniel were arranging a display of gift baskets.

  “Hey guys?”

  They turned to look at me.

  “Let’s weigh and bag the seconds. We’re donating to the high school dance committee.”

  Both men made their way to the scales as I brought out the trays of chocolate.

  “Bag to roughly one and a half ounces,” I said as I set the tray down, doing some rough math in my head. “That will give about a hundred bags, which should do well.”