Chapter 4 #2
As I pull up, I notice that Elijah’s car is here already.
Well, so much for being early. At least we can get this over with and I can start moving everything inside.
The front door is open as I walk in, finding him sitting on a bar stool at the kitchen island.
It’s suddenly hitting me that after all that shopping I didn’t even think about getting food to stock the kitchen.
I have no idea what time the local market closes probably early given my luck.
Takeout for tonight isn’t the end of the world.
What kind of takeout does this town even have?
He must hear me come in because he turns his head in my direction.
He’s wearing a pair of glasses he didn’t have before.
A small smile stretches across his face as he sees me and I can’t help but return it with one of my own.
I swear other than my customer service smiles which absolutely do not count, the amount of smiling I’ve done since yesterday is more than this whole year.
“I have everything all set on the tablet if you want to read over it before signing. Once signed you’ll be emailed a copy for your records,” he says matter of factly.
Walking over, I stand opposite him on the island and begin to read it over.
Everything looks fine and normal. It’s a one-year lease, and I’m hoping I’ll be here in a year once the lease is up.
Then I get to the price. It’s five hundred dollars less than advertised.
I’m not going to complain about it being cheaper to rent but why the change?
I shouldn’t ask. I know I shouldn’t, but it’ll bother me until I know the reason.
“Um, Elijah, why is the rent five hundred less?”
He nervously fiddles with the buttons on his shirt.
“Oh that, we decided since you’re working at the lodge we’d lower the rent as a courtesy.
” I’m looking at him skeptically, because people don’t just do something like that.
There has to be a catch. He also said “we.” Did he discuss it with his whole pack?
“Why?” I say without thinking.
A confused look crosses his face. “I just said why. There’s no other reason than that.”
“What if in six months I work somewhere else, will the rate increase to the original amount?”
He clearly didn’t expect me to push back on this.
I don’t even know why I am other than knowing there has to be another reason they’re doing this.
“The amount is stated in the lease, once signed it can’t be changed until renewed in a year.
I just thought it’d be a nice gesture.” He rubs at the back of his head nervously, and now I feel like a jerk.
“Okay, sorry, just wasn’t expecting it. Thank you, I appreciate it,” I say softly. “I don’t plan to leave the lodge anytime soon I was just wondering if this was a conditional thing.”
He shakes his head as he rushes out, “It’s not, you don’t have to worry.”
I nod and go back to the tablet and quickly sign it and hand it back to him.
He checks it over then looks up as he pulls keys from his pocket.
“Here you go, the keys to the house. Here’s my number as well, call if you need anything.
” He then hands me a business card with Eli written on the back along with a phone number.
As I’m looking at it, he says, “I wrote my cell on the back. I travel for work but if there’s ever a problem and I’m out of town, you can still get ahold of me and I’ll let one of the guys know. ”
“Thank you, Elijah.”
“Eli, call me Eli.”
I nod in response. Gods I feel so awkward. I start to head towards the door and he follows me out. I open my car trunk and stare at the pile of items. Now it’s time to figure out the best way to get this all inside.
“Wow that’s a lot of stuff. Would you like some help? I mean it’ll go a lot faster with two people,” he offers.
I go to refuse but looking back to the car quite literally packed to the brim and back to Elijah—no, Eli. Screw pride. “That would be great thank you.”
We both move to start pulling the TV box that’s laying on top of everything when he suddenly stills and, oh Gods, did I hear him inhale?
Damn it. I didn’t put more descenter on after loading everything into the car.
I was a hot sweaty mess by the time I finished, no doubt my scent is slipping out now.
Just ignore it, don’t acknowledge anything.
I move to pull the box completely out and bypass him, which seems to catch his attention.
I can’t begin to decipher the look he’s giving me so I just start carrying the box towards the house.
“Wait,” he says, startling me. “Let me carry that in. What room do you want it in?”
I let out a breath, relieved he’s not commenting on my scent. There’s nothing against an omega renting any type of space but I have been trying to let people think I’m a beta. “The bedroom to the left, off the kitchen.”
Time passes quickly as we find a rhythm of unpacking the car and bringing everything in.
At one point it just made sense to put all the bags from the store in the kitchen and I’ll go through it one by one.
The totes that were buried underneath all my shopping went right into my bedroom.
We both seem to have broken a sweat with everything, but it went a lot faster than if I did it myself.
“Thank you for helping with this. I’d offer you something to drink but I realized I forgot to go grocery shopping, not that anything else would’ve fit in my car.”
He lets out a laugh at that comment. It really was packed full. “Anytime. If you need help with anything else let me know, I’d be happy to help,” he says with a soft smile.
I doubt I will take him up on that but it’s nice of him to offer. “Well, I should get started on unpacking. I also need to run by the BNB and grab my things before checking out.”
Taking the hint, he starts to move towards the front door, and I follow to walk him out.
That’s when I catch it, just like yesterday with Parker, it shocks me, his scent.
Crisp apple. I can’t even figure out the emotion that’s overwhelming me right now.
It feels so foreign to me at this point in life, I didn’t think I’d actually experience it again—joy. What the fuck is happening?
Eli looks back at me as he reaches the door.
I’m standing there frozen like an idiot.
Pull yourself together Thea. I can fall apart after he leaves.
Snapping out of it, I walk up to the door and say, “Thank you again for your help today.” Fall back on your professionalism, that seems to be engrained in me. Gods why can’t I be normal.
“Of course, and I meant what I said earlier if you need anything call.” I nod in agreement and he heads towards his car.
Closing the door and sliding down to sit on the floor against it, I feel so…
confused. Connor is the only one whose scent elicited any type of emotion.
Almost like there was another layer to his scent and it was a feeling or emotion.
Now I’ve met two alphas in twenty-four hours that are basically doing the same thing.
I don’t have the energy for this. I just need to not be found by my stalker and stay off the radar.
That’s it, nothing else. Definitely not scenting delicious smelling alphas.
And Ben’s scent…Maybe it’s their pack? I just need to avoid them.
Well, as much as I can since they are now my boss and landlord.
Groaning, I bang my head against the door behind me.