Chapter 3
Oriana
“ A carnival,” I mused as I looked around at the bright lights, rides jutting into the sky, the crowds, and breathed in the scent of fried food and sweets in the air.
Already, a huge smile was forming across my face; this felt like home.
Rockwood Valley always held the Artisan fair, and it was one of my favorite things to do in high school. My entire family would go together. My dad would make a big deal out of it, and we’d spend all day there. I’d see my friends on and off, spend some time with my family, and we’d buy way more than we ever needed.
Nostalgia was so bittersweet. It made me long for the home I left behind, but I couldn’t be sad when Roman was beside me.
I told him everything that was holding me back, and he took it, even holding me through it. The moment he pulled me into his lap to reassure me that everything would be fine, I knew this was going to work.
Everything just felt a bit too perfect, though. My baggage had dominated the entire breakfast conversation, and when we finished, we headed here.
I was almost afraid to hope, but I had promised him today, and I refused to let my brain ruin it.
How could I truly give him a shot if I held my insecurities against him?
“Are you hungry? Thirsty?”
“I’m still stuffed,” I admitted, “but I could use a drink. I wonder if they have those amazing fresh lemonades around here, the ones where they shake it in the cup.”
“Those are my favorite, too,” he said. Roman didn’t hesitate to curl his fingers around mine and pull me with him through the crowd. Every so often, he would glance back, making sure I was still with him and unbothered.
His protective instincts were strong, and I was finding that I really liked it. It had been a long time since I felt like anyone cared enough to protect me, and here this man was, a stranger less than twenty-four hours ago, protecting me better than anyone ever had.
I couldn’t hold it against Cameron for not being super protective. We were in high school back then. Both still so young, barely into our designations.
Sometimes I wondered what it would be like if he was still around. As soon as I had the thought, I dismissed it. I never allowed myself to dive deeper into what-ifs, they’d only make me feel worse.
“Have you thought about the fact that you might have more alpha scent matches out there?” Roman asked, voice careful but curious.
I shrugged, unsure how to answer. “Maybe at one time, but then it was too dangerous to let myself think about it. Right now, you’re making it feel like it could be a possibility…. maybe it would make heats a little more tolerable.”
“How are you managing heats?” he questioned. There was that adorable concern again. His eyebrows wrinkled just the slightest as he looked down at me, his eyes meeting mine and not bothering to look away.
Once again, I had his full attention. I liked it more than I should. I’d been invisible for too long.
“Suppressors. I actually have an appointment in a few weeks with my doctor to talk about them. I was having trouble, and they weren’t working as well as they should. My heats have been semi-horrible because they were failing. Hopefully, he’s found something else. He did enough labs to make me dizzy from all the blood they took.”
“Do you want me to go to the appointment with you?” Roman asked. Again his voice was cautious, as if he was trying to not overstep. “I know we just met, but as I said, you’re my omega. If it’s stressful, I would love to be there to support you.”
“I think I’ll be fine at the appointment, but if you want to meet me at my apartment after,” I trailed off, barely stopping myself from begging him to be there.
“Of course, anything you need, Ori.” Simple as that. Warmth bloomed in my chest and my omega almost purred in satisfaction.
We started walking again, but this time he tucked me into his side, his arm around my shoulders. Being this close to him, I could smell his soothing tea and honey scent. I didn’t even bother to hide the fact that I was breathing him in, committing it to memory.
“So, you found out all my dirty little secrets. I don’t have anything left. What about you, Roman? What are you hiding behind that smile?”
“I’m a bit of a black sheep in my family. They love me, don’t get me wrong, but I’m the only son who doesn’t have some fancy degree or business to show off. They’ve never outright said that they’re disappointed, but I can see it when we talk about my future or my plans, what I do with my time.”
“What do you do for work?” I asked as I held him just as tightly, showing my support this time.
I couldn’t quite understand how I’d let him in so fast, but I knew better than anyone, scent matches were wild. All bets were off.
Looking up at him, I couldn’t imagine anybody thinking poorly of the beta standing before me. He was well-rounded, kind, caring, and that was just on the surface.
“I’m an art teacher,” he admitted. “I actually go to a nursing home about twice a month to do a class for the seniors. Some of my kids show up, and they love it. It’s this huge community-wide thing, and I absolutely adore it.”
“That’s amazing. How could they not be proud of that?” My voice rose with indignation on his behalf and he gave me a sad smile.
“Money,” he shrugged as if it didn’t bother him, but I saw the shadows coloring his silver blue eyes now. “I’m an art teacher. I make enough to support myself and my apartment, but I’m going to have to step up my game to help support you. They’ve always told me that it wouldn’t last once I found a pack.”
Fuck that. He was absolutely not giving that up for me.
“We’re pack enough for each other, and we support each other. You already know what I do; I can support myself. I don’t need you to pay my bills, Roman. I just need you .”
The way this entire man’s demeanor changed at my fierce words, his smile was back, the light flaring to life in his eyes. Even when I realized what I’d said, that I’d all but claimed him as pack, I didn’t want to take it back.
Oddly enough, I meant it.
He pulled me into a hug, his nose nuzzling into my neck again as he breathed me in.
“How can you be so perfect?”
“I’m so sad that my simple acceptance is enough to make you think I’m perfect. I’m sorry that they couldn’t see how amazing your passion is. I think I’d like to come with you next time. My art skills are terrible, but I’m a great organizer. I can pour paint, wash brushes, whatever you need.”
“You want to come?” His voice was so full of awe, and one hand slid over my cheek, resting there like he couldn’t believe I was so precious.
My stomach dipped, everything in me swooning for this beta.
I’d always said I never wanted to be one of those couples that people cringe at, but damn it, in that moment, I didn’t care. He was all that mattered.
It was far too fast. But I wasn’t young and dumb anymore, I’d learned to read people out of necessity, and this man was already someone I could trust.
Deep down, I was proud of myself. I never thought that I’d be able to tell anyone as much as I told him.
It was starting to feel like I could let go of that storm that hung over me for years.
We stood like that in the middle of this carnival, staring into each other’s eyes, his hand on my cheek, and our emotional bond building between us.
It was crazy that one minute you could be walking down the street, enjoying the rain, and the next you’d find a scent match, and everything would change.
My life was forever altered now, and I knew there was no looking back. Maybe this right here was the reason Cameron pushed me away. I never would have found Roman otherwise, and I couldn’t find fault in that.
Our moment was broken as someone bumped into Roman. He quickly circled his arms around me to keep us from falling. It was like everything came back into focus then: the noise, the crowd, the scents. Everything was all of a sudden so much more . For a short time, it had all faded into the background as we lost ourselves in each other.
“Let’s go before someone throws food at us for being disgustingly cute in the middle of a crowd,” I joked, hooking my arm through his and leading him this time. It didn’t take us long to find the lemonade stand.
Despite my protest, Roman paid.
“I asked you on the date. That means it’s my treat.”
“Fine, I’m claiming the next date.”
He flashed his teeth at me in a wide grin that time, his eyes crinkling around the edges. I loved that, how easily his emotions filled his face, that it shifted with each one, brightening even further at the idea that there’d be more dates between us.
He might have had to beg me to meet him again, but now that I had… I couldn’t seem to stop myself from craving more.
I took a few sips of my lemonade as we continued through the crowd. I’d been so caught up in my own pain and then building my career, working and building my life, that I hadn’t had much time in the last thirteen years for any kind of social life.
The most socialization I did was spending my Thursdays with Vinny.
“This is nice. I’m glad you brought me here. It reminds me a lot of home.”
“Do you miss home?”
There was no point in lying to him. “I do. Everything about it. My omega dad, Brandon, is amazing. We were really close. My other dads are great, but they’re both alphas, and very overprotective. Brandon is the omega of their pack. My mom is a beta. She’s always been really work-focused and never wanted the whole housewife thing. I think she loves me in her own way, but she and I are not close. We just never really connected. My grandma was an omega, though, and she was amazing. I miss her a lot.”
“Sounds like you have a great family,” he said. “I’d love to meet them someday.”
“They’d love that, too. They’ve been trying to get me to come home and visit for years. I just haven’t been able to face it. But God, I miss Rockwood. The views are amazing, the mountains in the background, the fresh air, the trees everywhere. There’s just something so peaceful about the town. It’s not tiny like a lot of small towns out there, but it feels small. Everyone knows everyone and all the small businesses support each other… or the ones that are left.”
I blushed when I realized I’d just rambled on like an idiot. Roman, however, was hanging on every word.
“You said a lot of the small businesses fell away after the accident?” he questioned, his voice gentle, like he didn’t want to trigger me.
He didn’t have to worry. It was kind of nice to talk about home again. I hadn’t realized how much I’ve been denying myself any kind of outlet or support.
“Yeah, the fairs were huge. We had some pretty famous Artisans from around the world that came in. There was a website that promoted the new and upcoming artisans as well. It was a real community. But after the accident, it all kind of fell away. Somebody, apparently, tried to run it the next year, but it was just so sad and depressing that nobody wanted to come back. It was like one last hoorah, a memorial to the men that were lost.”
“What a nice way to honor their memory,” Roman said with a sad smile.
“It was. The artisan community is really close-knit. They became friends, extended family of sorts, and with that devastating of a blow, it just never really recovered. And without the fair, slowly, the tourists stopped coming, and the businesses found different places to open up. I’m really not sure what’s left of that area of town anymore, either. It’s been a long time since I’ve been back.”
Roman studied me, silver blue eyes studying my own as he tucked a stray hair behind my ear.
“If you ever want to go back to visit, I’d go with you. Where you go, I go.”
It was the second time he’d given that sentiment, and I was really starting to believe it.
Would that mean if I did decide to move home one day, that he would come with me?
I shook the thought off. It wasn’t going to happen. I had enough going for me here, and I couldn’t leave all the clients that I had worked with countless times. Being an independent real estate agent wasn’t easy, but I had my small office space and a client list that a lot of other agents around the area were jealous of. The marketing firm had done wonders with the billboards and posters around the city, and I was getting new clients all the time.
Yet, in that moment, none of it felt important. I was realizing how much I denied myself over the years. I was a shell of a person, barely living, and Roman made me want to be a whole person, one that embraced life and lived in the moment, experienced things.
Roman seemed to notice the weight of my thoughts and nudged me forward, offering a distraction I needed.
“How about the ferris wheel?” Roman asked, pulling me with him toward the line. “You’re not scared of heights, are you?”
“I grew up near the mountains. I spent half my childhood hiking up those things. Definitely not afraid of heights. Though, hiking often required my inhaler.”
“Asthma, noted. I’ll need to know where you keep your inhalers so I can have it handy if you ever need it.” Again, making plans for more than today. I could brush it off, or answer.
“I have a couple in the apartment and always one in my purse.” The line moved forward and Roman pulled me in front of him, his arms around my shoulders, tucking me under his chin as we waited. Every so often, he’d brush a kiss over the top of my head or nuzzle into my neck, breathing me in.
“Just you two lovebirds?” the carnival attendant asked as he waved us towards the four-person car.
“Yes,” Roman confirmed. “Can we sit alone?” He slid the man a tip, and the worker just gave him a wink and waved for us to move in. He locked the small door behind us making the next group wait.
“Thanks for giving this date a chance,” Roman said, his voice a husky whisper as he leaned in. This time he didn’t bother to nuzzle my neck, he just claimed my lips.
One of his hands went to the side of my neck, holding me in place and tilting my head slightly so he could deepen the kiss.
His lips were soft against mine. The stubble on his chin scraped lightly against my face in the best way, sending a shiver down my spine.
My entire body ached for this man. I squeezed my thighs together and leaned in, fingers clenching at his shirt, desperate for more but knowing we couldn’t have it.
At least not yet.
The ride jerked, pulling us out of our moment. I bit my lip and clenched my thighs to hide the effect it had on me as I looked over the horizon.
Maybe the city wasn’t so bad, not if I had Roman.