Chapter 4
Beckett
S he said ‘okay’ like she agreed, but her pretty blue eyes were swirling with uncertainty. There was hope mixed in, like she was begging me to help her embrace this.
That I could do.
We had a week to show her we could respect her while also forming this pack properly. The moment Hailey and Nolan were off on their honeymoon, then the real fun begins.
My fingers itched to pull out my phone and make the call but she looked so damn fragile I didn’t dare move, yet.
“Before we unload, should we walk around a bit, check out the venue?”
She nodded numbly. “I’m supposed to send Hailey some pictures and figure out these last few things.”
“We also need to check in,” I reminded her. I’d slip a bit of money to the receptionist if I could snag us a room side by side. If I had my way, we’d share one room.
“Good thing my bags are in the trunk. We can leave the decorations a bit longer,” she said with a shake of her head.
“Just give me one moment,” I said, stepping away and calling Spencer and Cade, lighting a fire under their asses to get here as quickly as possible. It was a short flight and I trusted they wouldn’t waste time.
The walk around was quiet, both of us just soaking in the feeling until she seemed less likely to bolt and I was soaking her scent in.
When we entered the dining hall an hour later, a waiter offered us a few snacks. I embraced every distraction to simply spend more time with her and waste time until they arrived.
When I shrugged out of my suit jacket and rolled up the sleeves of my button down she watched, eyes glued to my forearms as her tongue darted out.
Oh, this was going to be fun.
“Should we check out the grounds now?” I offered, brushing a crumb from her cheek. She inhaled sharply, but nodded.
Fuck, she was going to be the death of me.
We’d just finished the tour when I got the text they were getting the rental car. How hours had passed was beyond me. It felt like seconds while I was so infatuated with my girl.
“It’s warm. Maybe we’ll have to take a dip in the lake while we wait for the others,” I teased. Her eyes flickered to the lake with longing. Sweat was dripping down both of our faces. The sun was out at full force already and thanks to the swirl of pheromones, we were already boiling.
“That sounds nice,” she agreed. Then I watched as my perfect omega straightened her spine and took a breath. I could recognize an internal pep talk when I saw it. Something Spencer, my beta packmate, specialized in.
They’d be perfect together.
“I dare you to swim with me, Grace.”
Who even was I? This was not the kind of behavior I indulged in anymore. Yet, here I was, offering to let everything go for this omega I just met and finding no regret.
She looked like she could use the fun and I was happy to provide it. I’d give this omega the world if she gave me half a chance.
“I’m not used to this kind of thing,” she admitted. “Going all in is insane. We just met.”
“Finding scent matches is rare and intense, I’m not backing away, Grace,” I promised. She swallowed hard and nodded. “But we’ll take things at your pace. You call the shots.”
“I don’t want to back off, either.” It was a whispered confession. It seemed my girl was ready for us to break the mold. That was something we could definitely do.
There was a sitting area just inside the building that overlooked the docks. We could leave our clothes right here on the table near the back doors.
She ripped her sundress off, showcasing her soft, creamy skin and a bright bikini that I wanted to tear off of her and claim her here and now.
This would be a lesson in self-control.
I busied myself stripping down to my boxers. They’d have to do for now. At least they were black.
“You coming?” I asked, breaking her free from her trance as she watched me undress. She blinked those blue eyes at me then the most devastatingly beautiful smile took over her face. There was playfulness and excitement there.
Fuck, I was already gone for this girl.
“Race you out there!” she yelled before pushing through the door and tearing down the grass. I didn’t hesitate to follow, claiming this moment in time with her before my pack got here.
Spencer
“I told you I could handle business for a day, Beck,” I said drily as I picked up his call. I’d missed the first so he just called again and likely would continue until I answered.
“I found her.”
“Who?” Something about his tone had me spinning in my chair, away from my triple screens, to listen more intently. He had my full attention.
“Our mate.”
The words hung in the silence between us, sinking into my brain that seemed to be moving slow for the first time in my life.
“A scent match? At the lodge?” My mind was now back to speed, spinning around the possibilities of who this mystery omega was.
Did she work there?
“It’s more complicated than I thought. Delegate what you have lined up, postpone what you can’t, be here as soon as you fucking can.”
The call ended, our pack alpha expecting us to simply follow orders. With a groan, I stood up and stretched my sore limbs. I’d been at my desk for nearly ten hours already.
When I worked, I’d go into a trance, forgetting to eat, drink, or do much else but hyperfocus until I was forced to snap out of it.
Beck’s announcement certainly did that.
Running a hand through my shaggy hair, I stalked through our loft to find my other packmate, Cade.
He was pouring himself over a canvas, paint streaking his hands and clothes like usual. The beta was pure chaos incarnate. The only time he was presentable was when Beck forced him into business meetings and events.
I wasn’t going to pretend like his creative side wasn’t half the reason PackSense did so well, but we knew better than to let him handle the professional, logistics side of things.
“Cade. We need to pack. I’m arranging a flight now,” I told him. Cade cast his pale blue eyes my way but didn’t speak, simply dismissing me and brushing a streak of silver through the lake in the picture.
He planned to paint a picture of Nolan and Hailey for a wedding present, so he’d been practicing water for months now. Half of his art room was full of different variations.
I walked closer, watching as the silver brought life to the water. “This might be your best one yet. But, I’m serious, Cade. He needs us.”
That had him putting his brush aside, finally giving me his full attention. He ran a hand through his ginger hair as he did, adding silver to the strands. I bit back a laugh and opted for explaining before I lost his attention again.
“Beck thinks he found our mate.”
The words had the beta lighting up. He jumped up and let out a whooping laugh, rushing past me like I didn’t exist in his quest to pack as fast as he could.
“Move it, Spence. I need to meet her!”
Five hours later we were landing just outside of Sterling. The airport had rental cars outside, so we at least had an SUV waiting. One that could comfortably fit us all, because I had no intention of leaving without her.
If all went well, we’d be leaving this wedding with our girl in tow. I could already imagine showing her the city, our work, and spending our nights worshipping her.
The drive was gorgeous, full of winding roads and plenty of trees. I hadn’t realized how much I missed good views since living in a loft in the middle of the city.
“Hurry up,” Cade grunted. “She’s been alone for hours with our alpha.”
I snorted, giving him a look.
“What are you afraid of?”
“Him scaring her off,” he deadpanned. “When’s the last time you saw him take the stick out of his ass?”
He wasn’t wrong. We had all three put our hearts and souls into PackSense. Our scent line blew up in ways even we couldn’t comprehend. Between my investing, Cade’s unique creativity, and Beck’s business sense we were a dream team.
Then, when we found a comfortable place, Cade stepped back for his own sanity. He attends the meetings that matter and always helps with the building of new lines or rebrands.
Most days, I work handling numbers, investors, and deals. But my downtime is mine, and I enjoy it thoroughly.
Beck forgot how to relax years ago. He spent almost every day working and rarely took time to breathe. The fact he was having us come down to meet him was a huge shock in itself.
He hadn’t taken time off in years.
Even his brother, Nolan, couldn’t pull him away for long. It took weeks of begging for this weekend and week ahead.
When we pulled up to Whispering Pines Lodge, a huge smile spread across my face. A full weekend with our mate in the woods?
It sounded like a fucking dream.
Cade barely let me park before he was tearing out of the car. He turned and waited for about a half a second before he was storming inside in search of our mate.
When I properly parked and followed him in, he was standing in the lobby almost pouting.
“I’m sorry, sir, I can’t give out that information. Our guest’s privacy is top priority.”
“We understand,” I interrupted before he could argue more. He was already pouting as it was.
I pulled out my phone and dialed Beck’s number, startling when it rang down the hall. We both were moving without thought, following the sound as he ignored it.
“No fucking way,” Cade said. A laugh barked out of him, echoing off the vaulted ceilings as my jaw dropped to the floor.
Beck’s phone was sitting next to a pale pink purse. There was a sundress folded neatly and his suit next to it.
If it wasn’t for the enormous windows showcasing the lake and the two people standing on the dock, I’d never believe it was Beck.
Beck was in his black boxers, she was in a bikini that was fucking sinful. The pink fabric stood out against all her pale skin and softness. Dark hair was curly and hung around her shoulders.
She was a walking wet dream.