Chapter 15 - Hale
FIFTEEN
Hale
This must be what alphas mean when they say their lives change the moment they find their omega. I don’t know whether to be thankful to Ezra for bringing Victoria here or confused because of the mess this has gotten us into. Her being a student is less than ideal for him.
I knew knotting her was the best and worst idea I’d ever had.
As soon as we kissed, I knew she was mine.
Hell, I even half-tried to back away, sensing that this is something we should talk about first. But how could I deny my scent match when she was pining?
Her captivating blue eyes cracked my soul open, staring up at me, filled with a pain that only I could take away.
Her scent is intoxicating, and the sex… Holy shit.
It was beyond words. It’s the kind of connection I’ve only heard about.
A connection that alphas and omegas spend lifetimes trying to find.
Although I never thought Ezra—fuckboy of the century—would be the one to have found her and brought her here. Fate works in weird ways.
She senses our connection too, I’m sure of it.
I detected the shift in her body language.
During sex, the sounds she made, how her body bended to fit with mine, and the way she melted into my arms when we were done.
But from her quickness to change the subject, her inability to meet my gaze, and the way she apologized for her own natural instincts, it’s clear she’s reluctant to face it.
Her situation is complicated. While I want to ask a zillion questions to find out everything about her—not just the big stuff like why she has a fake pack but the small stuff too, like what toppings she likes on her burger—I have to go slow.
She’s obviously not ready, and with a connection like ours, it’ll be worth the wait.
Still, it took all of my self-control not to declare my undying loyalty to her while we were knotted together. If I say too much, I’ll scare her away. And we can’t lose her.
Moving slowly to not wake her, I slide out of bed, bending down to tuck the covers up under my sleeping omega’s chin to keep her warm. A small smile crosses her lips as she snuggles down into my pillow, breathing in deeply before settling into a sleep, like my scent is helping calm her.
Her scent has dulled a little, hinting that her heat may be dying down or that it could have been a heat spike rather than a true heat.
However, we can’t take any chances. My alpha instincts have gone haywire, catapulting my desire to protect her, to care for her, and to give her everything she needs.
I tiptoe to the door and through to the kitchen, where Ezra is unpacking a bag of groceries.
“I got everything you’ll need.” He’s unloading special omega protein bars and drinks. “I’m going to head back to—”
“You’re not going anywhere,” I growl.
I can tell he’s taken aback. Usually, I don’t like giving orders. Though I’m their leader, I want my pack to make their own decisions. However, while our omega is so vulnerable, he’s not going anywhere. What if she needs us again?
Ezra frowns. “What do you mean?”
“Things have changed.” I run a hand through my messy post-sex hair. “Are the others back?”
“Riven won’t be long, but Calder’s still tied up at the office.” Ezra tilts his head. “What’s wrong? Is she okay?”
“She’s my scent match.” I feel it deep in my bones. “Our scent match.”
Ezra recoils like he’s been kicked in the gut.
“You don’t get out much.” He laughs nervously, clumsily shoving items onto the wrong shelves. Ezra doesn’t know how to handle emotions. He pretends he doesn’t care because it’s easier for him. “Having good sex doesn’t mean that she’s your…” He winces. “Scent match.”
“You feel it too, Ezra.”
“She’s…” He blows out his cheeks then exhales in a huff. “Different. But that doesn’t mean she’s our scent match. You’re getting ahead of yourself.”
“I’m not.” I cross my arms. “I can feel it. The protective buzz in my veins tells me she’s ours. Or she will be.”
“You don’t even know her.” He hisses the words like venom.
“Besides, have you even spoken to her about how she feels about packs? Because I have.” His jaw hardens.
“She doesn’t want one. She doesn’t believe in designation bullshit.
That’s probably why she was pretending to be with those other jerks.
She’s so desperate not to have a pack that she’ll fake it with anyone. ”
A lead weight drops in my stomach. “Scent matches aren’t the same, though.” I counter, more for my benefit than his. “They’re inevitable.”
“I’ve spoken to her more than you have.” Ezra slams the fridge door closed, making it rattle. “She’s strong-willed. You won’t change her mind, so just forget about it, okay? You had good sex and helped an omega out. Why does it have to mean more?”
“She’s our omega, Ezra,” I lean toward him, enunciating every word. “I’m telling you, I can feel it.”
“You’re a romantic, Hale.” Ezra’s nonchalance is really starting to piss me off, and I don’t get mad often. “She won’t be interested. Not in us. Not in a pack.”
“You don’t know that for sure.”
Ezra raises an eyebrow. “Have you told her your theory yet?”
“Well,” I splutter, “not yet.”
“Wouldn’t you have told her if you were really convinced this was real?” He paces away. “If I’m under house arrest, I’m going to do some lesson planning.”
I’m hot on his pursuit, following him into the hall, fists clenched by my sides.
“So that’s it?” I snarl. “You don’t even want to try?”
Sure, Victoria may have issues, but isn’t it our job as alphas to support her? To be there for her? To help her?
“What’s going on?” Riven steps into the apartment, pulling his giant headphones off his ears. He sniffs the air, then a smile breaks over his face. “Why does it smell like her?”
Ezra and I both freeze, turning to say in unison, “Her?”
“The girl I met last night.”
“What girl?” Ezra’s eyes narrow. “You don’t meet girls, Riven.”
“I do,” he grumbles, putting his headphones into his backpack. “Sometimes.”
The last date Riven went on was a few years ago. His family tricked him into it at his mom’s birthday party. Needless to say, it did not go well. So ever since then, he’s refused to attend any special occasions for fear of it happening again.
“I’m talking about real-life girls,” Ezra says. “Not the ones you play games with online.”
“Ignore him, Riven.” I glare at Ezra. There’s no reason for him to act like such an ass. “When did you meet this girl?”
“Last night.” Riven grins. “Stargazing.”
I scratch my head. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
Riven doesn’t interact with many people outside the pack. He’s very shy and chooses to avoid social situations. The thought of him going stargazing with a girl feels as likely as him being abducted by aliens.
“It wasn’t a date or anything like that.” He shrugs like it’s nothing. “It just happened.”
“Well, it’s probably not the same girl.” Ezra looks at me. “What are the chances of that?”
As if the stars have aligned, my bedroom door inches open and Victoria steps into the hall. She’s no longer naked—unfortunately—having wrapped herself in one of my T-shirts that swims on her. The sight of her in my clothes makes me want to ravage her all over again.
When she sees Riven, her eyes widen before she blinks several times. “Riven Grove?”
“See?” Riven declares triumphantly. “I told you I smelled her. Although…” His nostrils flare. “You smell…” Realizing the source of her stronger scent, he looks down at his feet, a blush coloring his neck and cheeks. “Ohhh.”
She paces down the hall to join us.
“Riven’s in your pack?” Victoria’s jaw drops. “Pumpkin star boy?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I squint at her in confusion. “But yes, Riven is in our pack.”
She nods but chews on the inside of her cheek, clearly as surprised as we are.
“It’s nice to see you again.” Riven’s voice is deeper, like he’s trying to impress her.
Shit, he likes her. Ezra’s shoulders visibly tense, telling me he notices too. I can’t help but grin. For Riven to pay more attention to a person than the stars basically means that he’s in love. This proves my point; she’s ours. I can feel it in every fiber of my being.
“Are you hungry?” I offer. “Maybe you could use some food? Or something to drink?”
“How about hot cocoa?” Riven blurts. “It’s my favorite.”
“Actually, that sounds great.” She smiles. “Thank you. I could use the extra sugar.”
He flashes his pearly whites before hurrying off to the kitchen.
“How are you feeling?” I approach her, brushing a strand of blonde hair behind her ear.
“I think it was only a heat spike.” She yawns and stretches, the pulled fabric showcasing her hard nipples and making my cock twitch.
Obviously, it’s taken a lot out of her. “My temperature seems to have come down, so I should be okay to leave soon.” She casts a glance out of the window at the setting sun. “How long was I asleep?”
I check my watch. “It’s 8pm.”
“8pm?!” she shrieks. “I’ve been gone all day! I need to text my friends, they’ll be worried.” She darts back into my room, closely followed by the sound of objects and fabric hitting the floor. “Have you seen my phone?”
“Not that I can recall,” I reply. “But I think your purse is on the couch.”
As soon as I say it, she’s racing past me. She pounces on her purse, rummaging through her bag like a wild cat descending on a huge ball of wool.
“I can’t find it!” Her face crumples. “They’ll be so worried.”
“Why don’t you give me your number?” I’m, hopefully, the voice of reason. “I’ll call it.”