Chapter 5
Chase
The front door opened, and Bear came striding in, wearing only his T-shirt on his upper half, his jacket nowhere to be seen. Putting my phone down, I turned my attention to him. His usually surly face was twisted with some emotion I couldn’t quite put my finger on.
“Flora is being followed—your suspicions are correct,” he said, sounding unhappy as he strode into the center of the room.
Spencer looked up from where he was cooking a packet of ramen. We had an amazing kitchen, but all we used it for was takeout and instant noodles. The whole apartment was open plan so upon entering you could see the entire living space and kitchen-diner.
“Are you certain?” he asked.
Bear nodded. “Yes. I didn’t see them, but it was clear she thought she was being followed and was anxious about it.”
Spencer cursed, setting down his chopsticks. “I knew it was likely, but I was hoping it was a simple misunderstanding.”
“She needs protection.” Bear’s response was simple.
My eyebrows rose as I tried to think of a response. Bear was usually focused on the job, and this omega was not part of our job. Why did he want to protect her? Also, where the hell was his jacket?
“I agree.” Spencer nodded, throwing his noodles haphazardly into a bowl before turning to me. “You’re on watch tomorrow. Bear is with the Garnetts, but I doubt they’ll need him. They’re enjoying the newborn bubble.”
The baby was born a week ago and was hands-down the cutest little squishy in existence.
The pack had been vigilant and protective of their omega in her post-partum period, so we were keeping our distance.
They were a formidable barrier, ensuring her safety with unwavering determination—as part of their security team, I was actually kind of proud of how well they were doing.
But I was secretly looking forward to when I could enjoy a cuddle with the little angel.
“I can do that. Hey, Bear, where’s your jacket?”
My pack mate’s ears turned red, his usual stoic face flushing. Spencer and I shot each other a disbelieving look.
“Bear?” Spencer asked.
“She thought she was being followed. She came to me for safety, asking me to pretend to be her boyfriend.”
She ran to Bear for safety? He was a good choice, far better than most, but women tended to avoid him like the plague due to his scarring. If this little omega had walked up to him brazenly, I was sure he was smitten. His usual demeanor seemed to have softened.
“And your jacket?” I prodded.
“She was cold.”
I bit my lip. Part of me wanted to tease him, and part of me wanted to celebrate. Never in all our years as a pack had I seen Bear torn up about a girl.
Clearly, this omega was something special. Spencer had been focused on her for a few weeks, and now it seemed that Bear had also fallen into her web.
“Okay, I’ll keep an eye on her tomorrow. Email me all the info, and I’ll tail her,” I said, slowly standing and stretching.
“Already done,” Spencer replied. “You really should check your emails more.”
“Why would I do that when I have you to remind me?” I asked innocently, ignoring his glower as I sauntered out of the room to catch a few hours of sleep before I got to work.
I thought surveilling this omega would be somewhat exciting.
She was a student, and by nature, they were constantly on the move.
There’s an energy that comes with being immersed in campus life—running from one lecture to another, grabbing coffee with friends, or diving into late-night study sessions at the library. Flora… just stayed home.
I had spent all morning sitting in my SUV across from her front door. She lived on the sixth floor, according to the email Spencer had sent me. I’d seen the curtains twitch once or twice, so she was definitely in there.
Who spent their entire Saturday cooped up inside?
I understood why the pack we were supposed to be watching did that. They had just welcomed a newborn, and they were completely lost in their baby bubble, learning about bottles and diapers and running on minimal sleep. But a young student who wasn’t settled down or mated? It didn’t make sense.
I had been hoping she would at least visit a coffee shop, so I would have an excuse to stretch my legs and get myself a caffeinated beverage.
Caffeine addiction was putting it mildly when it came to my relationship with coffee.
If I didn’t have several cups a day, I turned into a cantankerous bastard.
Well, according to my pack mates. As much as I tried to convince myself that I could function without it, deep down, I knew that a life devoid of coffee would mean a life shrouded in grumpiness—a trade-off I was wholly unprepared to make.
I was making a mental note to stash a few energy drinks in my car when the door to Flora’s apartment building opened.
I jerked my head up as she stepped out, wrapping a jacket around herself.
Her hair was thrown up in a haphazard bun.
She was wearing simple clothing, a pair of jeans and a plain T-shirt, but the jacket was what caught me off guard.
I recognized that leather jacket.
After picking up my phone, I snapped a subtle picture before sending it to my pack group chat.
Chase:
Look familiar?
Bear:
I told you; she was cold last night. I wasn't going to let her be cold.
Chuckling, I looked away from the screen to keep my eyes firmly on the omega as she moved farther away from me. Once she was a certain distance away, I flicked on the ignition, the engine humming to life, and cautiously eased the car onto the road.
Bear quickly followed up his earlier message with another.
Bear:
She’s wearing it again?
Chase:
I guess she likes your stink.
I suspected that Bear was pleased. Fuck, I was. It wasn’t hard to miss how most women looked at him. The facial injuries he’d received during one of our early security jobs were a turn-off for some, but the way certain women reacted was brutal. They could be downright mean, and that infuriated me.
It wasn’t his fault that a job had gone sideways, and he had permanent scars because of that.
Whatever had happened while Bear was pretending to be Flora’s boyfriend last night, she clearly wasn’t repulsed, given she was still wearing his jacket.
So, at the very least, she was a decent person, and that was enough to grab my attention. If this omega really was being followed, I would protect her simply because she was a good person.
She was adorable in his coat, the fabric swamped her, and she had to push the sleeves up just so her hands were free. It made her look claimed, and for some reason, I liked that.
When she entered a coffee shop, I threw my head back and resisted the urge to pump my fist in the air.
Fuck, yes, caffeine.
After pulling into the first parking spot I found, I slid out of the car and followed her into the whimsically designed coffee shop.
The air inside was filled with rich, freshly brewed coffee and the sweet scent of the pastries in the glass display cases.
Cozy, mismatched furniture invited you to linger and savor the atmosphere.
My excitement was dampened when I saw the sheer size of the line. Flora didn’t seem to mind, though. She hummed quietly to herself as she got in line, me close behind.
I was so near I could smell her rose and honey scent, and my mouth watered at just how amazingly sweet it was. There was no denying that her scent was particularly potent. Subtly, I adjusted my stance, attempting to hide my rapidly hardening cock.
All my careful years of honing my body to have ultimate control as a sniper apparently went right out of the window when I got a whiff of Flora.
The line was moving painfully slowly, but I didn’t mind because I could observe the small omega with ease.
She still hummed to herself, playing with the strap of her bag as we waited what felt like an age for the line to shorten.
Strands of hair were falling out from her bun, framing a long, delicate neck.
I wanted to turn her around to examine the slope of her nose or the round curve of her lips.
Mentally, I was cursing my vantage point behind her.
If Bear’s jacket hadn't been so large on her, I would have had the perfect view of her ass in those jeans.
“Hey! Sorry about the wait,” a bedraggled barista, who had clearly been run ragged for most of the day, said when Flora made it to the front.
“Don’t apologize for being busy,” Flora replied sweetly. “Can I just get a vanilla iced latte to go?”
She paid and moved to the side to wait for her drink while I ordered my own. I opted for a fancy seasonal latte because I wasn’t one of those guys who thought having a fun drink endangered my masculinity.
If I wanted a frilly frothy coffee, I was going to have one.
With my drink in hand and a semi-hard cock, I followed the omega out of the coffee shop, a smile spreading across my face.
I had a distinct feeling that things were finally going to get interesting.