Chapter 5 Eli
ELI
Holy shit. She’s an omega and my scent match.
That has to be what that feeling was. I never felt anything like it before.
It wasn’t just scent compatibility, been there done that—this was on another level.
Driving home is a blur as so much is running through my head.
I can’t wait to tell the guys. Actually, that probably isn’t a good idea.
We’re all still healing from the disastrous courtship we had a year and a half ago.
Most of us, I think, are doing okay but the rest…
I don’t think telling them the news that I found a scent match would be the best.
Oh Gods, what if she’s not a scent match with all of us?
We can’t go through anything like that again.
Not after what Amber did to us. Thea doesn’t seem like she’s anything like Amber thank the Gods.
It was actually cute how whenever she got flustered or embarrassed, she would default to being professional.
I wonder who she’s met. I know she’s met Ben since I talked to him about her earlier after I found out she’s working at the lodge.
He must not have caught her scent when they met.
I can’t be sure but she had to have been wearing descenter.
I was too. I didn’t want my scent to linger in a house we’re renting, and that’s just standard practice.
But I get the feeling she is purposely hiding her scent.
Oh Gods and her scent—it’s so sweet but with a campfire wood smoke tinge to it.
When I scented her as we were unloading her car, it took everything in me not to lean closer to her.
I wanted to be surrounded by it. How am I not going to tell the guys?
Micah definitely isn’t in the headspace for this kind of news.
Maybe I should talk to Liam, if anything to confirm she’s my scent match.
I don’t know anyone who has a scent match.
Honestly, I thought it was more of a myth at this point since it’s so rare.
I can’t think of what else it could be. I know it in my bones she’s our omega.
The most beautiful omega by far. Her smile this morning made her whole face light up.
I just wanted to make her smile more. When I saw her, I couldn’t help but admire how beautiful she is, wearing jeans and knit sweater that still showed off her curves.
I need to find more ways to see and get to know her.
But how? It’s not like my job will intersect much with her.
I actually have to fly out in two days to go check in on our latest property build downstate.
And well, Ben did say she starts on Monday at the lodge so she’ll be busy too.
I’ll think of something for when I come back.
Now I just need to make it through family dinner without any of my pack noticing how happy I am or why.
“Eli?” Micah asks. I was thinking about possible ways to run into Thea again once I’m back from my trip.
Everyone else was talking and catching up over dinner.
We started making it more of a priority to have pack dinners as often as possible throughout the week.
It helps us reconnect and check in with each other, at least that was Ben’s main argument when he brought it up over a year ago.
I look at Micah, who has his dark red hair perfectly styled with his trimmed beard.
He never looks disheveled, even as a kid he was always making sure he looked presentable at all times.
His brown eyes are boring into me, waiting for my response.
“Mhm, what?”
“I asked how did the showing go? Do we have a tenant for the house finally?” Micah asks with a slight edge. He’s always two steps away from a tantrum in my opinion. I’d actually like to see him blow up since he bottles up everything. It’s gonna happen sooner or later.
I look over to Ben, surprised he didn’t mention it to Micah. I mean they work in the same building, and their offices are right next to each other. I shake my head at the nonsensical men in my pack. “Yup, she signed the lease. The house will officially be rented for the next year.”
He nods. “Good. If she doesn’t renew we should sell it. It’s empty more often than rented.”
Most of us don’t want to sell that property for varying reasons. It’s not going to happen but I say, “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
“Who rented it? Anyone we know?” Parker asks.
“A couple of us know her, Thea Fera. She was hired as the head housekeeper at the lodge.” I pointedly look at Ben. Everyone, even Jake, looks over at him.
“What? I didn’t know she was meeting with Eli to rent the house. It was a coincidence,” he rushes out, sounding flustered. Maybe he did scent her too.
I look around the table and a few reactions surprise me.
Parker looks excited and Keelan is looking at him with a thoughtful expression.
Thea, who in my pack have you met already?
Jake, of course, is entirely unbothered and goes back to eating.
Micah, well, looks like Micah, the grumpy bastard.
Though I’d almost say he looks suspicious.
Parker being him brings up something completely off topic and Thea is soon forgotten about. So now I need to talk to Ben, see if he scented her, possibly talk to Parker and see why he was excited and then finally ask Liam about scent matches. Easy.
“Who’s on dish duty tonight?” I ask, interrupting whatever conversation is currently going on.
Liam looks at me, annoyed. It must’ve been him that was talking. Oh well, he’ll get over it. We’re all pack, brothers in nearly every sense—well Parker and Keelan are literal brothers, but that’s beside the point—and we work our issues out and move on. That’s especially true since Amber happened.
“You and I are,” Ben says.
Yes, I got lucky. Now I just patiently wait for everyone to finish.
Come on people, it’s a Friday night. Don’t any of you have anything better to do?
My knee is bouncing up and down as I listen to my pack talk.
I love them, I really do but there’s a major development happening and I don’t really care about Liam’s latest medical gizmo he bought for his office.
“Before we break, I just wanted to let you all know I’m planning to take some extra shifts the next couple weeks so I may not be at dinner much,” Jake says, his dark blue eyes looking down at his plate nonchalantly.
That breaks me out of my thoughts. He’s doing the thing where he pulls away and acts like he’s not a member of the pack.
He started doing it more in the last year.
I curse that woman for coming into our lives.
I’m really not a person who likes to hate or be negative but that woman was awful.
Even more reason I know I need to tread carefully on the news surrounding Thea.
“No, you’re not. We all agreed to prioritize pack dinners as much as possible throughout the week,” Micah says sternly.
Jake rolls his eyes. “It’s only for a couple weeks. I’ll be sure to make at least one dinner.”
“Why?” Keelan asks, surprising me. Jake even looks surprised he was the one to ask.
Sighing, Jake says, “It’s a work anniversary from my time in the bureau.
Well, more like the anniversary of the case that made me leave and finally move up here.
Just need to be busy the next couple weeks.
” We all know how much working at the FBI drained him.
He was so burnt out when he came up here.
It was clear whatever his last assignment was, it was rough.
He doesn’t talk much about that time in his life.
It used to be because it was all confidential but now I think it’s more like picking at an old wound.
When he joined the forest rangers it seemed like he found a purpose again.
Plus, he loves being outdoors. He’d probably love to go live off the land somewhere.
The thought makes me laugh since he was born and raised in and around New York City.
His accent has been watered down over the years. His own doing, I think.
“Let us know when your shifts will be and we’ll make sure to send leftovers to the station,” Parker says, breaking some of the tension. He’s always been good at that.
With that we all begin to clear the table.
Ben and I go to the sink as everyone brings in the dishes.
I start cleaning as I hear everyone leave to their respective areas of the house, while Ben puts the food in containers for lunches tomorrow.
Double checking it’s just us, I ask, “So, what do you think of Thea?” I hold back a laugh as he nearly drops the bowl he’s holding.
He looks over at me nervously. “Rebecca was impressed when she interviewed her. I only met her once during her tour of the lodge. She seemed nice.”
“Ben, come on you’re the one pushing us to share our feelings. You obviously have more to say than that.” I feel slightly guilty pulling an honesty card when I’m not but it’s for the pack’s best interest.
He sighs. “It’s nothing I just think she’s…” He mumbles something under his breath.
“She’s what? I can’t hear you.”
“She’s gorgeous okay?” he nearly shouts. My smile must be so big, because he looks more annoyed at my reaction. He takes his glasses off and cleans them with his sweater. He’s definitely flustered by the situation.
“Did you scent her?”
He looks offended. “Of course not. I can be professional. I’m her boss, I can’t be attracted to her.”
Ahh that’s why he’s freaking out. It’s a good thing he’s attracted to her.
I know she will be a scent match for all of us.
The universe would not be so cruel as to have her matched with some and not all.
Not after last time. Granted it wasn’t a scent match, just scent compatible but it still did a lot of damage to our pack.
“There’s no law saying you can’t be attracted to her.”
“Actually there is. Many, in fact.”