Chapter Two
“And that’s a wrap,” Bree calls out, and I let out a sigh of relief. “Come on, Evie, it wasn’t that bad.”
I smile at the nickname. “No, it wasn’t, but I hate feeling like I have to be on, you know? Also, don’t start calling me that again. You’ll end up messing up and saying it on camera or around the suitors. I want them to choose their own nicknames for me, not steal yours.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Bree rolls her eyes as Reginald, and I stand up. “Come on, let’s get set up near the driveway. The first suitor will be here in five. Don’t stress out too much about this. Remember that if something happens, we don’t have to wait until the rose ceremony to send someone home. We, of course, want to attempt to do that, but our omega’s safety is our number one concern.
“And everyone has been tested for any STDs, so you don’t have to worry about that. As an omega, you can only get pregnant during your heat, so you’ll just need to get your birth control shot before then. We’ve put all the male and female suitors on birth control as well, just to be on the safe side.
“As we know, alpha and beta women can be impregnated at any time, and I’d hate for something like that to happen by mistake. And if there happens to be any omegas, they’ve been put on suppressants, as well as birth control. I made sure to make this as safe of an environment for you and the suitors as possible.”
I laugh, shooting her a thankful smile as butterflies dance in my stomach as I lay my hand in the crook of Reginald’s elbow, allowing him to lead me down the stairs and up the path to the driveway. The cameras are already set up; the crew milling around as we approach.
Reginald pats my hand before stepping away from me. “I’ll be right over here to do my thing, and Bree will be wrangling the unruly suitors once you’ve met them.”
“I’ve got this,” I tell him, reassuring myself at the same time.
“Welcome back, viewers.” Reginald smiles at the camera, which will remain focused on him throughout the introductions. “We’re standing outside of the mansion, awaiting Evangeline’s first suitor. In fact, I believe they’ve just turned up the driveway. It won’t be long until we get to meet them.”
Geez, thanks, Reginald.
Like I need the reminder that I’m about to meet my first suitors. I lift my chin as the limo appears from between the trees, heading toward us. While I’m certainly nervous, there’s a good bit of excitement at the journey I’m beginning.
The limo pulls to a stop in front of me, and the door slides open almost immediately. I bite my bottom lip as I await the reveal of my first suitor before promptly releasing it. Don’t want to mess up my lipstick, after all.
My mouth falls open when the woman steps out of the limo. She’s breathtaking. Her shoulder-length hair is loose and seems to be somewhere between black and dark brown. Her skin is pale and her eyes an ice blue as they meet mine. A smile lights up her face before she turns back to the limo and leans back inside.
Oh! My first suitors are a pack? That’s exciting!
Another woman steps out of the limo before they shut the door and begin walking toward me. They both wear deep red dresses that look amazing against their differing skin tones while accentuating their bodies. The second woman has warm amber skin, her hair in a blown-out afro that’s a lighter color than the first woman’s. The curls are gorgeous, just like the woman herself.
“Wow. They started out strong for me, didn’t they?” I say as the two of them reach me, smiling as my eyes continue to trail over them. “I’m Evangeline, obviously. Who might you pretty ladies be?”
I sniff the air, trying to latch onto their scents. My eyes fall shut, and I practically purr as they finally reach me. They’re betas, telling me they’re unbonded since betas can’t initiate bonds. One of them has an amazing scent of peach, lily, vanilla, and… is that cashmere? Damn, that smells good. The other scent is cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla. They pair well together, and I smile. I’m a unique omega for more than one reason, but one of those is that I’m attracted only to food scents. Weird, I know.
The first woman holds out her hand to me. “I’m Skylar Garrison, and this is Cora Cassidy. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Smirking, I shake the petite woman’s hand. She’s barely over five feet tall, if I had to guess, so I tower over her. She might be a beta, but she holds herself like an alpha. It’s clear that my height doesn’t phase her. Turning to Cora, I take her hand as well. “It’s nice to meet the both of you. Why don’t you tell me a little about yourselves?”
Skylar runs a hand through her hair, flipping it to the side. “I’m forty-two and a doctor. An OB-GYN specializing in reproductive endocrinology and infertility. Like yourself, I put work first because all I’ve ever wanted to do is help others have babies—if they want to, of course.” She rolls her eyes, glancing toward the gates. The protestors must be out there again. “I’m also bisexual.”
“I’m a lesbian,” Cora says with a grin. “I’m just going to start there. I know in a pack situation, I’m likely going to need to see penises. I just don’t want them near me or in me.”
The three of us laugh together. Any tension that might have been there is now long gone.
“Beyond that, I’m thirty-three and a flight attendant. I love flying and getting to see different parts of the world.” She reaches down to lace her fingers with Skylar’s. They’re closer in height to one another than to me, but Cora is probably about five-four or five-five. Neither seems deterred by my height, which I appreciate. Yes, I’ve had women who have said I’m too tall for them.
“How did the two of you meet? How long have you been together?”
The women look at one another, smiles lighting up their faces before they turn back to me. Cora is the one to speak. “On a flight, actually. It was about eight years ago. She was flying to Japan for a conference on the fertility crisis. I was working in first class for that particular flight, and the minute I saw her, I just knew.”
“While I took longer to come around to the idea,” Skylar says with a laugh. “But Cora can be very convincing when she wants to be. By the end of my flight, she had my number and a promise of a date when I was back stateside. Dating a flight attendant was hard at first since she was away so often, but it was totally worth it.”
I sigh at their story, wanting my own story like that with someone. “What made the two of you decide to come on the show? Not that I’m not glad you’re here, but it sounds like the two of you are happy together. With Cora not being interested in men and the fact that you’re betas, I’m surprised.”
Skylar nods. “That would be because of me. Cora might not like men, but I do. Our relationship has always been open. We love one another, but sometimes there’s more than love that we need in a relationship. I was raised in a pack, and I always wanted one. I’d pretty much given up on the idea of ever having one, but when they announced that there would be a bisexual omega this season, we knew it was meant to be. This was our chance to find a pack.”
“And it’s not that I don’t want a pack,” Cora adds. “There’s a comfort to being a part of a pack. Knowing that no matter how busy we all get, there will always be someone there for us—that we can be there for them. I don’t have to like dick to want to be a part of that.”
“I guess you’re right,” I say with a shake of my head. “I never thought about it like that.”
Reginald waves at me, telling me our time is over. I lean over to press a kiss to each of their cheeks.
“I’m so glad that the two of you are here, and I’m looking forward to getting to know you better. But I do have two more suitors to meet tonight, and apparently, the next one is almost here.” I pause. “Also, the two of you smell amazing.”
“Us?” Cora huffs. “What about you? What is that? Blackberry… and what is that?”
“Cinnamon and cloves,” Skylar supplies, and I nod. “It’s a unique and amazing scent, omega. Just like you.”
My cheeks flush, but I refuse to hide it as I return their smiles. “Thank you. I’ll see you soon.”
As the two of them sashay over to where Bree waits for them, I let my eyes fall on them once more. Damn, they’re hot. I knew the show was good at choosing attractive men, but I wasn’t sure about women. After these two, something tells me I have nothing to worry about.
It doesn’t take long for the next limo to arrive, pulling to a stop in front of me once more. I’m practically bouncing on my toes as I wait to see who my next suitor is. When the door finally opens, my eyes flutter.
Holy shit.
The man shuts the door, a smirk on his lips as he starts toward me. He’s around six feet and hot as sin. I’m pretty sure he’s in his twenties and knows just how hot he is. His sandy brown hair falls in waves almost to his chin, and his gunmetal blue eyes dart around, taking in everything around us. He’s not wearing a tie with his suit, revealing tattoos on his chest and neck. A glance at his hands shows more tattoos there. I wonder how much of his body is covered in them. A smirk rests on his lips as he comes to a stop in front of me.
Yum.
Before he can speak, a breeze lifts up around us, filling my nose with his poignant scent. Blackberry, waffles, and maple syrup—damn.
“You’re an omega,” I say with a grin. “And a yummy smelling one at that.”
He chuckles, his voice husky. “I am, but so are you. It’s nice to meet you, Evangeline. My name is Koda, and as you discovered already, I’m an omega. I’ll be turning twenty-seven next week, actually.”
“Ohhhh, assuming you’re still around then, we’ll have to make sure we do something special for you.” I reach out to take the hand he’s offering me, completely lost in his eyes. Currently, we’re practically the same height, and I can’t seem to tear my eyes away from his. A shiver runs through my body as our hands meet, and my eyes fall shut.
“Wow,” he murmurs. “That’s something I could get used to.”
His words have my eyes popping open once more. “You felt that too?”
“Oh, yeah, baby. I definitely did. I knew coming on as a suitor was the right call.” Koda keeps his eyes locked on mine as he lifts my hand to his lips. Slick gushes from me, my perfume spiking as I lick my lips. My eyes widen when I realize I’ve made him perfume as well. Both scents are filling the air in a way they shouldn’t, considering all the procedures the show has in place—including the damn scent-canceling panties I’m wearing that aren’t working a damn bit. “Well, shit.”
“Well, shit is right,” Reginald says as he approaches the two of us. “I’m glad to see that the two of you are hitting it off so well, but even us betas are struggling against that double whammy.”
Bree suddenly appears at my side, glaring at Reginald. “You act like the two of them can do a damn thing about it. It’s in our nature, and sometimes, there’s just nothing we can do about it. Leave them alone and get back to your spot. You’re mated, asshole, so I know you’re just fine. If any of the crew needs to duck away, now’s the time to speak up.”
One of the cameramen raises his free hand, the other covering his tented pants. “I’m sorry, Bree. I just…”
“You don’t have to explain. Go. I’ll get someone else out here.” Bree shakes her head, lifting her hand to her earpiece. “I need a new cameraman. Preferably one who’s mated. We have some potent omegas this season, and they’re perfuming through all the scent-canceling products.”
I flush, glancing up at Koda with a smirk. “Sounds like the two of us are going to be trouble this season.”
Bree spins to me, hands on her hips. “Stop it. I can’t use any of this with me in the shot. Hold all your one-liners and quips until we have someone to man the camera, please.”
I bite my lip to keep myself from laughing, having to turn away from Koda as he tries to hold back his laughter as well. I turn toward the mansion, needing to keep myself focused on something else until Bree is ready for us. It’s hard not to think of Koda when I want nothing more than to climb him like a tree.
“Damn it, Evangeline. Whatever you were just thinking, don’t.”
I snicker, nodding my head. “I’ll try, boss lady, but no promises.”
Bree mumbles under her breath. I’m not able to catch everything she says, but I definitely hear something about smartass omegas.
It’s another ten minutes before another cameraman has joined us, and we’re ready to go again. Bree shakes her head. “It’s going to be clear that something happened, and we wouldn’t cut it anyway, so just do what you want, but try to keep the perfuming to a minimum.”
When I turn back around, it’s to find Koda’s blue eyes dancing with amusement, a smile on his lips. “So that just happened.”
“It sure did,” I say with a laugh. “Nothing like throwing the whole show into a tizzy. It’s clear that we’re both happy to meet one another, but why don’t you tell me a little about yourself? Besides the fact that you’re an omega.”
“Let’s see. What’s the thing that always surprises people the most? Oh, right!” He holds up his hands so I can see the tattooed backs of them. “As you can see, I’m tattooed, but I’m also a tattoo artist.”
“That’s amazing,” I say, reaching for his hand but coming up short. “Maybe touching isn’t a good idea.”
Koda’s head falls back as he laughs, and for a moment, I get lost in his beauty. I know it seems like a weird thing for me to say, but men can be just as beautiful as women, and Koda definitely is.
Finally, he calms down and nods. “That’s probably a good call.”
“Are any of these your designs?” I ask, eyes roving over the back of his hands.
He shakes his head. “No, sadly not. It’s really hard to tattoo yourself, and I wouldn’t be able to do the whole piece. So I found someone I trusted to do it for me.”
“The piece? How much of your body is covered in tattoos?”
Koda smirks. “I guess you’ll have to wait and see, won’t you?”
The idea of pulling off Koda’s clothing to inspect him for tattoos sends a rush of heat through my body, slick spilling into my panties again as I perfume. Koda huffs in my scent before perfuming himself. I shake my head, almost choking on our combined scents.
“Yeah, I think I will.” I make a face. “It’s probably a good idea to stop this for now. I’m sure the next suitor will be pulling up any moment now, and well… we keep perfuming.”
Koda laughs. “That’s probably a good idea. I wonder what it’s going to be like when we’re inside and not just outside. It could make for an interesting night, huh?”
His lips brush against the corner of my mouth before he steps back and walks away. I spin around to find him walking backward, a smirk on his face. Our eyes meet as I perfume again, and I can practically see the stress rolling off of Bree. I shoot her an apologetic smile and turn back around. Reginald is laughing quietly, and I flip him off. I’m glad someone is entertained by my inability to stop perfuming for another omega. I’m meant to perfume for alphas, not omegas. And yet, Koda had me perfuming all over the place.
Reginald sobers up and joins me. “We had the limo pull over not too far from here—well before the area the protesters have set up in. Bree just let them know to head this way, so they’ll be here in just a few minutes.”
“Thanks, Reginald.”
“I know I was laughing, but I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I know you can’t control your perfume. I am surprised that we could all smell it through the scent-canceling undergarments, the scent-canceling body wash, and the spray, but I know that’s nothing you chose to have happen. Tyler would kill me if he knew I made you uncomfortable.”
I smile, shaking my head. “No, you’re fine. I won’t go complaining to Tyler, I promise. I appreciate the apology, though.”
With one more smile, he makes his way back to his mark. “After a little bit of drama, our last remaining day one suitor is just about to arrive. It’s already been an eventful first day, and not everyone is here. Something tells me this season is going to be good if tonight is anything to go by. Oh, and here comes the last limo of the night.”
Forcing myself to turn away from Reginald, I watch the limo come toward me. The door opens before it even fully comes to a stop. A large man steps out, his silver hair slicked back. He doesn’t smile as he moves toward me, which I don’t mind. He has a short, trimmed beard the same color as his hair, and his eyes are a majestic ocean blue. What is with all of these suitors with pretty blue eyes?
Not that I’m complaining.
Just from looking at the man, I can tell he’s an alpha. He has a presence about himself that’s hard to hide. He’s much taller than me, even in my heels. At least half a foot over six feet and broad, muscles pressing against his suit as he stalks toward me. It takes me a moment to realize that he’s moving like the black panthers I was obsessed with for years—like I’m his prey. I’m unsure how I feel about that just yet, but I guess we’ll find out in a moment.
His scent is the first thing to hit me as he stops a few inches from me, his eyes locked on my neck—sweet apples, cinnamon, walnuts, and maple. Mmmmm… like a cozy breakfast on a cold morning. I love it.
“Omega,” he growls, his eyes never lifting from my bare neck.
Rolling my eyes, I lift my chin. “Alpha. If you’ve already forgotten my name, all you have to do is ask, and I’ll happily remind you. The only time I like to be referred to as my designation is the bedroom, and this,” I gesture to the area around us, “is not the bedroom. My name is Evangeline.”
He blinks at me, tilting his head to the side before shaking his head. “Damn. I’m so sorry, Evangeline. I don’t know what came over me. Your scent… it’s…”
“You shouldn’t even be able to smell me like that.” I laugh. “I think we got defective products. Let’s just say today hasn’t gone as planned.”
“Wait.” The man frowns. “That’s not just your scent, is it?” His eyes dart over my shoulder, and I assume he finds Koda standing there because he lets out a growl.
“Whoa, buddy,” I tell him, laying my hands on his chest and pushing him away from me. “You need to get your alpha under control.”
He shakes his head again. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m not usually like this. Please don’t hold this meeting against me. I promise I’m usually not so…”
“Brutish?” I offer, and he chuckles.
“Yeah, that. My name is Jagger, by the way. As we’ve established, I’m an alpha, and I don’t think I’ve ever lost control of myself like this before. Not even when I first revealed and went into rut. This is not the first impression I’d like to make.” He runs a hand through his hair, cursing.
I consider him for a moment before nodding. I don’t get a bad feeling about him. Nothing is screaming danger at me. I really am beginning to think there really are some defective products being used. “That’s quite alright, Jagger. I won’t hold this against you, as long as you prove to me that this isn’t usually how you act with our other interactions. Now, tell me a little bit about yourself.”
He gives me a soft smile, inclining his head in thanks. “I’m fifty-three and a physical therapist. I mostly work with injured athletes—college and high school mostly, but occasionally, I’ll get to work with a professional athlete. In my free time, I like riding my motorcycle along the coast and through the mountains. I’ve recently taken up needlepoint.”
“Wait! Did you say needlepoint?” I lift my hand to cover my mouth, trying to hide my snicker.
He quirks an eyebrow as he looks down at me. “Yes, I did. Is there something wrong with needlepoint?”
I shake my head, letting my hand fall away so he can see my grin. “No, but I thought that’s what little old ladies liked to do with their free time. And you’re the furthest thing from an old lady.”
“It’s something that my mom loves, and she is a little old lady. She’s the one who’s been teaching me. She wanted something that we could do together that allowed us to talk. She’s getting up there in age, and she says she doesn’t want to miss any time she has left.”
My heart melts right then and there. “And you love her enough to do what she wants you to.”
“Sure, that’s what it started as, but it turns out I like it. And I’m pretty good at it.” He shrugs. “It doesn’t make me any less of a man, does it?”
“It certainly does not,” I assure him with a smile. “I just love that you have that with your mom, that’s all.”
He nods. “From the way you say that, it tells me you don’t have that kind of relationship with your mom?”
“I’m surprised they didn’t include that in the information packet. No, my parents disowned me when I was eighteen, right after I revealed for the first time, because I’m bisexual.”
Jagger’s jaw clenches. “I don’t know what is wrong with people. Who disowns their own child for who they love? Who stands outside the gates of a private home to protest who someone loves? I thought we’d evolved past this.”
I smile at the outrage in his words. “Sadly, we have not, but that’s okay. I won’t let it stop me.”
“And you shouldn’t.”
“On that note,” I start when I see Reginald gesturing for me to wrap it up, “it seems it’s time for dinner, and I’m not going to lie, I’m starving.”
A growl seeps out of him before he clears his throat as if to cover it up, making me giggle. “I guess we should get you fed then, Evangeline.”
“Let’s do that.”
Walking with him over to where Bree stands with Skylar, Cora, and Koda, the corners of my mouth turn up. It’s the first day of suitors, and I’m already halfway smitten. I barely know these people, and I’m already imagining what our future could look like. I definitely need to slow my roll.
Even as that thought runs through my head, I make a beeline for Koda and link our fingers together. He grins at me but doesn’t say anything as we follow Bree into the mansion.
So much for slowing my roll.