Chapter 10
Laurent
I sigh as I lean against the back wall of the elevator. We had practice today before God was even up for the day. My hair is still damp from the shower, but I want to meet Rowan Hart. My little sisters are obsessed with her channel on ClipStream.
I might be a little obsessed, myself. She’s stunning. I watch all her videos. It’s my guilty pleasure. My teammates would never let me live it down. Neither would Xavier, gruff bastard.
When the door of the elevators slide open, the smell of honeysuckle and peaches hit me in the gut like a punch. When I smell the wild honey, rain, and a hint of vanilla mixed in with it, my cock tries to punch a hole in my pants. I’m rock hard when I walk into Massimo’s office.
The office is a mess, like a hurricane went through it. Cole’s got a bruise forming on his jaw. Xavier’s eye is nearly swollen shut. And Massimo’s hair is a mess. His tie is loose. The top few buttons of his crisp white shirt undone.
“What in the hell happened here?” I ask.
I step farther into the office, taking in the chaos. Massimo stands off to the side, his usual composure gone, his hair tousled like he’s been running his hands through it a hundred times. He catches my eye as I take in the scene, and for a moment, everything is still. The heavy mix of scents, honeysuckle, peaches, wild honey, and vanilla, has my head spinning.
“Laurent,” Massimo says, his voice gruff, though there’s an edge of concern. He doesn’t mention my obvious physical reaction. It seems like everything is more important than that right now.
“What happened?” I ask again, my tone flat but laced with confusion. Cole’s bruised face catches my eye again. I can’t help but wince, but his glare sends me back into place.
Xavier, looking like he’s about to rip someone’s head off, just shakes his head. “Pack shit,” he mutters under his breath, his voice sharp with frustration.
I blink, trying to make sense of the words, the scene, and the way my body is responding to the lingering scent. This... this isn’t right. I try to focus on the conversation, but I can’t stop thinking about the scent and the way it invaded me the moment I stepped off the elevator.
“What the hell happened here?” I ask for the third time. My tone is sharp now. The confusion is too much, the scents too overwhelming, and I’m not getting answers fast enough.
Massimo just looks at me, his expression tight, like he’s trying to piece together his own thoughts. Then he answers, but his voice is too low, too careful. “It’s... complicated.”
I blink, my mind still trying to process everything happening around me. The scent is what’s really throwing me off. The sweet, burnt peach cobbler mixed with honeysuckle. And something else; rain, honey, vanilla, and that sharp undercurrent of musk. It’s too familiar now, and I can’t ignore it. I need answers.
I take another step forward, my frustration mounting. “Who the hell is that smell from?” I ask, my voice tight with impatience. “It’s... too familiar. And why is it so... damn strong?”
Massimo’s eyes flick to me, and his shoulders drop a little, the weight of it all pressing on him. “Rowan Hart,” he says, his voice more resigned than I’ve ever heard it. “She’s the one we were meeting today.”
Rowan? That’s not possible, she’s a Beta.
“Is anyone going to tell me what the fuck is going on? I’m about to bark at someone. Just fucking tell me!” I demand.