7. Chapter 7
Ronan
The pack bonds were feeling more alive than usual. I knew the cause - everyone did. That insatiable smell from the gala, that damn perfume that nearly knocked me off my feet and sent our pack into a scramble trying to figure out where it was coming from. But more importantly was who it belonged to.
We really only conversed with two omegas that night, but in reality, it could have been any omega guest. Hunter had been working all morning on scouring the guest list, planning to personally reach out to them and offer a free Bond profile and matchmaking from our company if they wanted.
“There was a grand total of thirty-two omegas last night, and ten of them are bonded,” Hunter said as he held out a sheet of paper, a coffee in his other hand.
“It wasn’t a bonded omega scent; I know that for sure,” I said, and Hunter set the sheet down. They smelled the same thing I did. That scent hadn't carried the settled warmth of a bonded omega. It had been achingly available.
“Once we get the results back, we’ll know for sure if anyone there is a match for us.” He said with certainty.
“About today - do you think it was one of the Carrington pack omegas?” I asked, watching carefully for his reaction.
But even more so, I looked over at Elias.
He’d felt something for one of the omegas last night - I could feel it through our bonds.
Even without their scents available, I knew why he was drawn to her.
He liked her mysterious personality and her interest in scientific research.
I just saw an omega who needed protecting.
I could pick it out like a beacon on a pitch-black night.
The way she carried herself, like she was lost at sea despite being surrounded by people.
That omega needed someone. And a needy omega was like catnip to an unbonded alpha like me.
I’d tried my best not to interfere or get too possessive over the girl, but the way she acted, her look of shocked joy when we’d offered her a seat at our table - it made something primal in me to act up.
And I wondered if that perfume we’d smelled in the hallway could be hers - I was already attaching the scent to her unconsciously, hoping I’d somehow smell it today when we saw her family at lunch.
“If it is one of them, then we struck gold. Imagine,” Hunter said as he paced around the kitchen, “we already have a collaboration with Arabella. She’s perfect, if you think about it. She’d fit into our pack like a missing piece.” He mused. I glanced at Elias.
“You’re right, Arabella would fit in by all usual measures,” he said, running a hand over his slight beard.
“She certainly looks the part. She’s successful, and she looks like a great match for a pack like ours in every way.
And still…” His eyes drifted, and I knew what he was thinking about.
“There’s something about Ivy that just felt like she fit.
I’ve never felt so at ease with an omega.
You felt it too, right?” He looked at me, and I nodded.
We turned to Hunter, who took a moment before shrugging.
“Yes, the girl was like a magnet. Yet I don’t see how she could be a match, in all logical aspects.
From all accounts, she’s not successful or driven.
Her family says she stays in her room most of the time and is extremely introverted.
You know how our pack ranks on those qualities.
” We had all had our genetic and bonding testing run through Hunter’s startup.
Based on our individual and pack qualities, the perfect omega for us would be someone who was happy around others, had a strong creative drive, and a peaceful disposition.
All things that Arabella possessed, from what we knew.
“She’s also quiet - maybe there’s more to her than we’ve seen.
All I know is that we can get our answers once and for all if they agree to get a Bond profile done.
It's either that, or admit we scented someone perfuming and nearly went feral. We can’t very well ask a bunch of omegas to line up and perfume on demand to find her.
” Hunter said. He had a point, though I was ready to do exactly that if it meant smelling that scent again.
“Alright. Let’s hope today goes well. And at the very least, I can talk more with that mysterious little omega.
” Elias said, a smile already forming on his face.
Elias was a true romantic - but he’d better keep it in check until we figured out which of the omegas was our mate.
Because after getting a hint of that scent, I knew that no other omega would ever be right for me.
"Once we have everyone's Bond Profile results, we'll know exactly who we're dealing with," Hunter said, excitement in his voice. I hadn’t seen him this animated about something in ages.
His confidence wasn't misplaced. Before founding Vale Labs, Hunter had earned his degree in business and threw himself into researching genetics, convinced that bonding science could be improved.
Most companies focused on pheromone suppressants or heat medications.
Hunter had wanted something that actually explained why some packs thrived while others barely tolerated one another.
It had become his life's work. And so far, it has helped hundreds of people find their match - but we hadn't found ours yet.
“I don’t think we need a test to know that whoever made that scent is guaranteed to be a good match for us,” I grunted. Elias smiled, already knowing Hunter would jump in with an over-the-top explanation about why data about long-term relationship pairing was important on top of scent alone.
“I agree, but the data can show us a guarantee if it will work out for life…” I let Hunter jump in with his explanation again while I hid a smile.
The man was overly cautious about bonding.
I knew why - we all knew about his family’s past. And I didn’t disagree with him on waiting for a good match.
I was just the type to follow my instincts more than rely on anything else. It’s what made me so good at my job.
Like Elias, for example. I could feel him through the bond as clearly as if he'd spoken aloud. But even if he hadn’t, I could read his body language like a book.
There was excitement there, carefully restrained beneath his usual composure, and I already knew why.
He wasn't thinking about Arabella, our collaborator and the star of the gala last night - I knew he was thinking about Ivy.
He'd tried to disguise it during the drive home from the gala, pretending his curiosity was purely academic, but there was nothing academic about the way his eyes lit up whenever she was mentioned.
I understood his attraction to her. She had an understated type of beauty, as if she were hiding herself.
Some alphas were drawn to confidence, or overt displays of omega fawning.
But me? Give me an omega who looked like she needed someone in her corner, and every instinct I possessed would wake up.
It was simply the way I'd always been wired.
Even before the security firm, I'd been the one who looked after people.
It was who I was. The image of that small, dark-haired woman at the gala kept replaying in my head.
I noticed her hesitation before joining her family, and the surprise on her face when Hunter offered her a seat at the table.
When Elias engaged her in conversation, she looked genuinely shocked that anyone wanted to hear her speak.
My instincts had been screaming at me to protect her, make sure she had a voice - which was ridiculous.
I barely knew the omega. Yet I'd already caught myself wondering whether she'd been okay after leaving us, and whether someone had walked her safely back to her car.
Had she gone home to people who appreciated the brilliant mind hidden beneath all that uncertainty?
“...either way, the Bond match profiles will tell us all we need to know.” Hunter said as I snapped back to attention, watching him sort the guest list with satisfaction.
I let him talk about science and personality balancing, but deep down, I wasn’t too concerned with the data behind it all.
We would find our mystery omega, and I was sure that whoever matched with us would be the owner of that incredible smell.
And I suspected, though I wasn’t sure, that it was in fact Ivy.
Despite everything the data said, my instincts weren't looking for an omega who appeared perfect or presented the best - my desires were telling me to find the one who needed someone on her side. And I couldn’t wait to find her.