Chapter 9 #3
The table goes dead silent.
Mason’s brows shoot up. “Holy shit.”
Dylan lets out a low, impressed whistle. “That wasn’t casual listening.”
Jasper’s mouth curves, slow and sharp. “You didn’t just remember that. You felt it.”
Slater doesn’t move, doesn’t blink. His gaze tracks the flush spreading across my chest. “Great memory.”
I lift my gaze, pulse thundering. “Hard to forget when it hits that deep.”
Dylan laughs outright. Mason mutters something under his breath that sounds like “Fuck.” Jasper leans forward now. “So tell me, Anita. When a voice gets under your skin like that… how hard is it to ignore?”
The heat between us tightens, coils, snaps.
I smile slowly. “Depends on who’s using it.”
For the first time, Slater’s control slips just a fraction as his breath catches. And every Alpha at the table studies him for a brief moment.
The tension shifts, sharper now. More charged. Suddenly, all four men turn toward me, and I can feel the weight of their attention.
I’m trying desperately to remember how to breathe normally.
More food arrives in another massive wave, saving me from having to respond further. Spring rolls, more dumplings, kung pao chicken, mapo tofu, sesame noodles. The waitress works quickly and avoids any eye contact with everyone, then leaves.
We all dig in with the kind of enthusiasm that suggests they haven’t eaten in days, and I watch in fascination as these four massive Alphas demolish the food at an alarming rate.
Dylan watches me work through a spring roll.
Mason smiles every time I reach for more food.
Even Jasper looks pleased.
And Slater leans forward to grab another serving of noodles, and suddenly his scent washes over me in full force.
Smoked cedar. Sea salt. Bitter coffee.
My thighs clench together. Heat pools low in my belly. And I have to bite my lip to stop any sound from escaping.
What am I doing?
The suppressants should be working. They are working. However, they’re apparently not blocking my ability to be completely overwhelmed by Alpha pheromones. But I have never felt this way around any Alphas before.
“You all right?” Slater asks.
“Fine,” I manage. “Just… you all smell really good. I probably shouldn’t say that out loud, but it’s true.”
All four of them pause their eating, staring at me.
“We like that you said it,” Dylan says, grinning.
“Does that mean we can scent you better?” Mason asks carefully. “I know it’s personal, asking that. But with all the smells in here, it’s hard to get a clear sense of yours.”
“Oh, no,” I say quickly. “A girl never lets an Alpha scent her on a first date.”
“This is a date?” Mason’s eyes light up.
“Well, no. Of course not.” I laugh nervously, heat creeping up my neck. “I’m just saying. That’s personal. You have to earn that.”
“And what would that involve?” Dylan asks, leaning forward.
They’re all watching me like wolves now, and I take a long drink of my beer to cover how flustered I am.
“Tell me about your drawings,” Slater says, mercifully shifting the conversation. “Ash said you do Norse mythology. What’s your favorite story?”
I relax slightly, grateful for the change in topic. “That’s hard to choose. But I love the story of Skaei and Njorer. Do you know it?”
Slater’s eyes light up. “The goddess who chose her husband based on his feet.”
“Yes! Exactly!” I’m leaning forward now, excited to talk to someone who actually knows the stories.
“Her father was killed by the gods, and as compensation, they let her choose a husband from among them. But she could only see their feet. She thought she was choosing Baldr, the most beautiful god, because the feet were so perfect.”
“But she ended up with Njorer instead,” Slater continues, clearly enjoying this. “The sea god.”
“Right. And they tried to make it work, but she loved the mountains and the cold, and he loved the sea. So they compromised—nine nights in the mountains, nine nights by the sea. But ultimately they couldn’t make it work.”
“It’s a story about incompatibility,” Slater states. “But also about compromise and sacrifice.”
“And about how sometimes what we think we want isn’t what we actually need,” I add.
“Most people just focus on the feet thing and miss the deeper meaning.”
“I might need to add that story to my next comic series,” I say, already imagining how I’d illustrate it.
“What’s your current story about?” Jasper asks.
“About an Omega overpowering Loki,” I explain, smiling wildly.
“Like, completely turning the tables on the trickster god. He’s used to being the smartest person in any room, manipulating everyone around him.
But she outsmarts him at every turn. She’s three steps ahead, and it drives him absolutely crazy because he’s never met anyone who could match him so easily. ”
“I’d read that,” Jasper says quietly, and I believe him.
“Draw something for me,” Slater says suddenly, pulling a pen from his shirt pocket and sliding a paper napkin toward me.
I stare at the blank paper, then up at him. “What do you want to see?”
He leans back, a small smile playing at his lips. “Surprise me.”
I consider for a moment, then pick up the pen.
Quick, loose lines take shape on the napkin. A scene from Norse mythology, but with my style… my Omega heroine front and center, powerful and commanding. And the male figure alongside her, tall and broad-shouldered with messy hair and a strong jaw.
I make him look like Slater.
Muscular, powerful, but completely captivated by the Omega standing near him. His expression is one of desire.
“Wow,” Dylan says, leaning over to look. “He has a huge package there.”
They’re all staring now at my quick sketch, and I feel my face heating.
“That’s just a line indicating the—”
“Oh, no, that’s definitely intentional,” Jasper adds.
“Very accurate,” Slater teases, breaking his serious expression with a grin.
I go to scrunch up the napkin, embarrassed, but Slater is faster. He snatches it from me and folds it carefully, tucking it into his pocket.
“Mine,” he states.
The possessiveness in that one word sends a delicious shiver down my spine.
“So, Anita,” Mason begins. “How long are you planning to stay in Mistberry?”
I take a sip of my beer, using the time to think. “I’m not sure yet. Depends on how things go. I’m pretty flexible with my schedule since most of my work is remote.”
“What kind of work do you do?” Dylan asks. “Besides the comics?”
“Graphic design, some freelance illustration. Boring corporate stuff mostly.” I’m dancing around the truth again, giving just enough information to be believable. “Nothing as exciting as running charter boats.”
“You’d be surprised how boring boats can be some days,” Slater says dryly.
“Don’t listen to him,” Jasper interjects. “Boats are never boring. Slater’s just grumpy because life didn’t come with a mute button for the rest of us.”
“That would be a useful feature,” Slater admits.
We keep eating and talking, and I’m aware of everything.
The way Slater’s sleeve brushes against my arm when he reaches for food.
Dylan’s laugh is loud and genuine and has me joining him.
Jasper watches me with those intense eyes.
Mason keeps glancing at me from across the table.
And his feet keep bumping mine under the table.
Their scents are everywhere, wrapping around me, and I find myself leaning slightly toward them without meaning to. Wanting to be closer. Wanting—
“So you like it here so far?” Mason asks.
“I love it,” I admit honestly. “It’s so different from the city. Quieter. More personal. Everyone seems to know everyone.”
“That’s small-town life,” Dylan says. “Can’t sneeze without someone asking if you’re coming down with something and offering you their grandmother’s secret remedy.”
“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”
“Both,” all four of them say in unison, then laugh.
The waitress comes by to check on us again, and I notice how she’s given up on Slater entirely. She barely glances at him now, just does her job and leaves.
We keep eating and talking, and I lose track of time completely. The restaurant is emptying out around us, but we’re in our own bubble.
At some point, Mason orders another round of drinks. Then Dylan does. Then Jasper.
I’m feeling pleasantly buzzed now, warm and relaxed in a way I haven’t felt in months.
“This is nice,” I say without thinking. “All of this.”
“We think so too,” Mason says. He’s watching me, and the expression on his face is so open, so genuinely happy, that it tightens my chest.
They’re all studying me like that, I realize. And I don’t know what to do with that.
The waitress brings the check, setting it down with a polite smile, and Slater grabs it before anyone else can.
“Time to go,” he announces.
“Already?” I’m surprised by how disappointed I sound.
“It’s almost midnight,” Mason says gently. “And we should get you home.”
“I’m walking her,” Jasper says immediately.
“We’re all walking her,” Dylan corrects.
“I can walk home by myself, you know,” I point out. “I’m a grown woman.”
“Not happening.” Slater’s voice is firm. Absolutely final. “You’re in a town you barely know, it’s late, it’s dark, and there’s still snow on the ground. You’re not walking alone.”
They stand, and I realize arguing is pointless.
Outside the restaurant, the cold collides into me immediately. The snow has stopped, but everything is covered in a fresh white layer that reflects the streetlights and makes the whole town look like a postcard.
Slater heads to a massive four-wheel drive parked down the street, black and intimidating. “Get in,” Mason says, already taking long strides for the passenger’s side.
“I’m literally fifteen minutes away walking,” I protest.
“I’m walking her home,” Jasper reaffirms, sticking by my side while the other two join Slater.
The others get into the car, surprisingly without more argument. And suddenly I’m alone with Jasper on a quiet, snowy street.
Just the two of us with the occasional car driving past.
My heart thunders in my chest, loud enough that I’m sure he can hear it. Every nerve ending sparks from our close proximity. And my panties are soaked, heat pooling between my thighs with an urgency that’s almost painful.
What is happening to me?
His scent is devouring me, consuming every rational thought. The sandalwood, pine, and molasses combined are so powerfully alluring, so masculine, and I can’t get enough.
We start walking, and I’m acutely aware of everything. The crunch of our footsteps in the snow. Our breaths creating clouds in the cold air. How he shortens his stride slightly to match mine. The protective way he positions himself between me and the street.
“Tonight was good,” he says after a moment.
“Yeah,” I manage. “It’s been a while since I had such a fun night.”
“You fit.”
I glance up at him, breath hitching. “What?”
“With us.” Jasper isn’t looking at me, but there’s a flush high on his cheeks. “You fit well. It’s rare. Finding someone who just… clicks with all of us. Especially with Slater.”
My pulse stutters at his implication. “I had an incredible time,” I murmur, but the words come out breathier than I intended. Too soft. Too honest.
“Perfect.” He finally looks down at me, and it burns. The heat in his gaze curls through me, fierce and focused, like I’m the only thing in his world right now. “Because we should do it again. Soon.”
Oh.
Oh, no.
My head nods before my brain can catch up. I want to say yes. I have said yes. And now my body is thrumming with the anticipation of a future I was never meant to have.
We walk in silence, but it’s not comfortable anymore. It’s charged. Every step echoes with tension. His arm brushes mine, and it’s electric. My skin tingles where he touched me. I swear I can still feel it minutes later.
I shouldn’t be here.
I shouldn’t feel safe with him. Or warm. Or giddy like I’ve just been asked on my first real date.
Because none of this is real.
I’m lying to all of them.
And yet… I lean just slightly toward him. I catch his scent and let it linger. I imagine what his mouth would feel like pressed to mine, what it would be like to fall into that reckless comfort and let someone else hold me up for once.
I’m getting too close.
I’m already too close.
This will blow up in my face. I know it will. I’m not here to find comfort. I’m here to find dirt. To finish what I started. To expose exactly the kind of privilege these Alphas might embody without even trying.
I can’t afford to want him. Or them.
But I already do.