Chapter 3
“Did he forget I’m pregnant with triplets and can’t actually get on a horse right now to teach you?” Charlotte asked, pulling me into her new ranch house after I told her Tyler had finally agreed to me taking riding lessons if Charlotte was the one who taught me.
“I chose not to remind him.” I laughed, absolutely giddy.
“I don’t want you to get in trouble.”
“Let me worry about Tyler,” I insisted.
“Okay. I’m happy to hang out during your lessons so it’s not a total lie.”
I squeaked and hugged her from the side to accommodate her belly. “You’re the best! Who’s my actual teacher going to be?”
I knew who I hoped it would be, even though I definitely shouldn’t push that boundary. Tyler refused to pack up, and just because I had been mentally creating my fantasy pack over the years, it didn’t mean I had ever taken a step toward that.
“There’s three teachers besides me. Dylan handles most of the kid classes, but he’s flexible. Otherwise Leo and Jax are teaching the adults.” Charlotte’s eyes gleamed. “Leo said he’s open to private lessons. Unless you’d rather a group class?”
A shiver rolled through me. I had only met Leo once at Charlotte’s birthday, and not even for that long before Tyler had thrown a fit.
One picture on horseback with him had been enough to spark a ridiculous crush.
Charlotte had sent me the photo of Leo and me she’d taken before Tyler had demanded we leave, and I kept it in a secret folder on my phone.
Months later, I still remembered the gentle way he’d helped me on and off the horse, how he’d looked at me like I was beautiful.
His touch on my waist was a memory I couldn’t—and didn’t want to—be rid of.
“Private lessons feel less embarrassing.”
“I’ll message him. We could go over. He’s probably at the arena right now.”
“I don’t want to take you away if you’re busy.”
Charlotte laughed. “Hanging out with you was my plan for the day.”
“Well, in that case.” I grinned. “We can swing by the arena, get a nice treat after, and then we can stop in at Best of Nests to pick out more cute things for the nursery!”
“Sounds like a perfect day.”
I drove and Charlotte comfortably stretched out in the passenger seat.
She didn’t live too far out, just enough to make you forget Las Vegas was right there.
We pulled into the staff parking outside of the arena and navigated our way inside.
A few of the alphas who performed at Night of Knights, the show run by Charlotte’s alphas, were there taking care of their horses.
Leo was the first to greet us, opening the door for Charlotte before he caught sight of me, his gorgeous smile and the look in his eyes sending a wave of heat washing over me. His soft curls shone in the light, setting off his strong jawline and cheekbones.
“Hey there. I thought you’d never come back.”
My heartbeat ran through my whole body. He’d been waiting for me?
“Finally convinced the jailer to let me out for a bit,” I said lightly, but Leo frowned.
“We were hoping you’d have space in your schedule for a private lesson,” Charlotte told him. “I would teach her myself, but…” She gestured to her stomach, looking ready to pop with three babies almost fully baked in there.
“It’s okay if you’re busy,” I added hastily. “I don’t want to impose.”
He looked me dead in the eye, making all of my omega instincts flare. “You are the furthest thing from an imposition. I’m happy to make time for you.”
Butterflies went wild in my stomach.
“Why don’t you come meet the horses with me, and Charlotte can rest?” Leo suggested.
I looked back at her. “Are you okay with that?”
“You two go right ahead.”
“Chico’s in the office. I’ll let him know you’re here,” Leo told Charlotte.
“Thank you.” She settled down on one of the arena seats to await her mate’s arrival.
Leo offered me his arm and I hooked mine through it, letting him lead me to the stables after a quick stop to knock on the office door. “Our queen is in the building.”
Chico popped out, greeting us briefly, then bustling away to see Charlotte.
Leo drew me deeper into the stables. “Have you ever ridden a horse?”
“Nope. Sitting on the horse with you was the first time I’ve been on one.
” Standing this close to him let me catch a faint snippet of his scent—mulberries and lavender, fresh and earthy.
I hadn’t been able to smell him the last time, but now?
A craving for him sank straight into my bones, leaving an indelible mark.
I stopped moving, and Leo paused, looking at me curiously.
My stomach clenched, my breath shortened, and my heart raced.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“Great,” I squeaked. Except I wasn’t. What the fuck was going on with my body? This was only supposed to be a harmless indulgence of my crush, so why was every inch of me tingling? “Were you on blockers last time?”
“Yeah, I stopped taking them a few months ago and switched to a neutralizing wash. Why?”
“Just curious.” God, I wanted to climb him like a fucking tree. I’d never strayed past flirting out of respect for Tyler and his demand for me to be a one-alpha omega, but damn if I wasn’t tempted right now. “Could you excuse me for one quick second?”
“Sure?”
I sprinted away, racing right to where I had left Charlotte.
Her eyes widened. “What’s going on? Are you okay?”
“I don’t know if I can trust myself around Leo,” I hissed. “I feel super weird.”
“Take a deep breath and sit next to me,” Charlotte instructed. I complied, still staring at her like she might have the answers I sought. “What are you feeling?”
A little omega whine slipped out. “I was fine until I caught his scent.” I growled, frustrated with myself and trying to formulate enough words to explain.
Charlotte and Chico shared a knowing look. What the hell did that mean?
“You didn’t catch Leo’s scent the first time you met?”
I shook my head. “He said he used to be on blockers.”
Charlotte scooped up my hand. “I’m going to say this with so much love because I know it’s probably going to cause a lot of chaos in your life.”
“So comforting,” I said with a nervous laugh. “Go ahead.”
“Do you think Leo might be a scent match?”
I stared off into the middle distance, another whine sneaking out. Was that why I’d been crushing on him after one brief interaction? Why I craved throwing myself at him in the stables? “That’s not fair. Tyler doesn’t want a pack.”
“Maybe it’s time to start considering what you want,” Charlotte suggested gently. “I wasn’t allowed to pack up when I was with my ex-husband. It’s one thing if you don’t have the inclination to build a pack, but I’m not sure that’s what’s happening here.”
I flinched, panic gripping my chest. “Tyler won’t be okay with it. I can spin a lot of things to get him on board, but not a scent match. He’d never feel secure about that.”
I shook my hands, trying to dispel the nervous energy.
Fate was cruel. All this time I had been envious of Charlotte finding her scent matches, and if Leo was one of mine, there wasn’t a fucking thing I could do about it.
Being with Leo meant leaving Tyler. How could I throw away a decade-long relationship for a fated mate?
Goddamnit. Why couldn’t Tyler be on board with packing up?
He could go on his business trips and wouldn’t have to hear a single complaint if I had someone else at home.
I slammed on the mental brakes. I didn’t even know if Leo was actually a scent match, let alone if he would want to do anything about it.
“How do I know for sure if Leo is a match?”
“I’m not sure if you don’t already know,” said Charlotte. “I knew instantly when I caught their scent.”
“Could you go off your blockers?” Chico asked. “He can’t scent you right now, but his reaction would probably give you a good indication.”
I whimpered, twisting myself up inside in anxious knots.
Knowing for certain would be better than wondering, wouldn’t it?
I’d already resigned myself to a packless existence either way.
Tyler had given me so much and I felt disloyal each time I thought about having a pack.
I still wanted one, but I’d accepted years ago I couldn’t have one.
“Yeah. I could do that.” I buried my face in my hands. “Why is fate so mean?”
Charlotte laughed and hugged me. “It seems mean at the start, but when you look back, everything that happened was for the best. Whatever happens, you know I’m here for you.”
“Leo probably thinks I’m a total wacko running out on him. I literally sprinted away. What the hell kind of impression does that make?”
“You had already made a first impression on him the first time you met,” Chico reminded me. “It’s all going to be fine. Take a few deep breaths and get back to your lesson when you’re ready.”
I gave myself another couple of minutes to wallow before pulling myself together and returning to Leo. He was standing inside the stall of a beautiful black horse, scratching the underside of its long muzzle.
His face brightened when he noticed me. “Everything okay?”
“In theory. Just had a moment. I’m fine.”
He raised a questioning eyebrow. “We can hit pause on the lessons if you’re not feeling up to it.”
I stepped up to the stall door, leaning on it to watch him absently stroke the horse. “It wouldn’t be fair to waste your time.”
“Spending time with you wouldn’t be a waste,” he insisted.
My heart did a stupid flip. “So, what’s this beauty’s name?”
“Eclipse. He’s a ten-year-old Andalusian and the best boy in the stable.”
“Can I pet him?”
“Absolutely. He loves attention. Come in slowly and stay where he can see you.”
I slipped inside and Leo reached out, his palm on my waist guiding me to a safe spot.
My body reacted to that single touch as if he had pinned me to the wall, goose bumps dancing over my skin and my breath coming short.
I laid both hands on Eclipse, stroking his glossy coat.
Leo was so close, and it took every ounce of my willpower not to lean into him.
His scent was faint, but this close, it was like huffing perfume.
The scent of rich mulberry and earthy lavender wove through me, stitching itself into the fabric of my being.
My willpower faded quickly, the contact of my back to his chest making my stomach clench. Okay, maybe Tyler wasn’t too far off in not wanting anyone but Charlotte to teach me. Leo was warm against me and he didn’t make a peep about my increase in contact.
“How long have you had Eclipse? His whole life?”
“Pretty close. I got him as a yearling and trained him myself. Charlotte adores him. I’ve been thinking about letting him retire early to go live on the ranch with her.”
“That’s so sweet. What would you do for a horse if he retired early though?”
“Ride one that the arena owns. I don’t have to worry about it right away. He’s one of our best performers and does a lot of lessons, so he’ll be here for a few more years at the very least.”
I swallowed hard, catching our reflection in Eclipse’s eye. I was going to have to get myself together before I went home. If I was weird at all, Tyler would sense it and I wasn’t looking forward to the fight it would cause if he found out I had a potential scent match here.
“Think you’re ready to ride?” Leo asked.
The man or the horse? The answer to the first was a lot closer to yes than it should have been. “I’m ready.”