Chapter 3
TRAVIS
I watch Blair head into the back a little too long, taking in her image.
She’s wearing that damn short skirt again, and it’s driving me nuts.
Her golden hair cascades down her back, and my fingers twitch with the urge to run my fingers through the strands.
But she’s not my Omega. She’s my friend at best, my coworker at worst.
“Oh, shit,” the annoying customer says, and I catch him watching Blair walk away as well. “I didn’t realize she was yours. Sorry, man.”
My chest tightens. There are so many things wrong with what he said, but I simply reply with, “she’s not.”
“Is she single, then?”
The nerve of this fucker.
Snapping his fingers at her, talking about her like she’s some object to own…
It’s becoming more and more difficult not to break his wrist.
“No, she’s not,” I lie, snarling my answer, and the asshole raises his hands in surrender, his eyes widening.
“Fuck, sorry,” he mutters. “Whatever. I don’t need a fucking drink from this shithole anyway.”
I continue to glare daggers at him until he leaves.
Prick.
Blair always seems to take it in stride whenever customers treat her like that.
The comments don’t bother her. Instead, she usually fires back with some quip or insult so subtle that the asshole doesn’t even realize it’s aimed at him, and I end up chewing the inside of my cheek to keep from grinning like an idiot.
She’s clever, smart as hell, and determined.
“I didn’t realize she was yours.”
She’s not.
I want her to be, though.
But this crush, as my packmates would call it, is one-sided. She’s made it clear in off-handed comments that she has no interest in dating.
So, I silently pine after her, like a lovesick idiot from some cheesy romance novel.
I let her tell me all about her rescue, holding on to every crumb of information she gives me.
I take pictures of any cats I see just to have a reason to talk to her about something.
I look for any reason to be near her and her delicious scent.
She’s all violets and sugar, like a sweet, forbidden bouquet.
The worst part about all of this is that I’ve never scented someone as mouthwatering as her. My inner Alpha wants to be around her at all times, even just to share the same space together.
Scents is always filled with a cocktail of different aromas from the staff and customers, so I’ve never been fully able to just inhale pure Blair.
A nagging suspicion has been in the back of my mind for a while now, but I try not to think about it too much.
Blair has made no indication that she suspects it, which tells me that it’s just a one-sided feeling.
My packmates know about Blair, but I give clipped responses when they ask about her. The brothers have scented her on me before, but only after she’s the last person I’ve seen for the night. They find her just as mouthwatering as I do, but there’s been no talk of scent matches with them.
Ryland and Rowan haven’t inhaled her like I have.
They haven’t had their cock twitch at her aroma then have to fight down every feral instinct in their body.
I head into the back of the building, giving Blair a quick nod while I grab a cup of water. She’s sitting at a small table and scrolling through her phone.
“You didn’t have to do that, you know,” she says. “I had it handled.”
“I know.”
“I can take care of myself, Travis. It’s not your job to protect me.” She says it kindly, but it still doesn’t make it any less painful to hear.
I want it to be my job, I think.
“I know,” I grumble.
“Now, if he put his hands on me—”
“He wouldn’t.”
She turns to me, setting her phone down on the table. “If he did—”
“It would never happen.” My chest rumbles, a growl threatening to let itself out.
But she’s not mine to protect, even as my inner Alpha howls in despair.
It doesn’t matter that I would have ruined that man’s life if he tried to touch Blair.
We’re not mated.
We’re not even dating.
We’re barely friends.
She holds my gaze, her face softening. A flicker of sadness shows in her eyes, but then it’s gone. “I appreciate it, though. Too bad we don’t have protection like that at the rescue.”
“You have problems there, too?”
“Not normally. But occasionally, we get a weirdo that isn’t there for the animals.”
I frown. “You should have security,” I mutter.
At that, she smiles. “Are you volunteering?”
Yes.
I shrug. “If you need me.”
Her smile grows, and my chest tightens. “I’ll let you know. I think we’re good for now. The last annoying guy we had, Piper’s pack set him straight.”
A flicker of rage builds inside me.
She had someone else’s pack protect her?
She should have her own Alphas, not rely on others.
I could protect you.
Please, let me protect you.
I nod. “Good. I’m glad. But I’m happy to kick someone’s ass if they’re bothering you.”
She snorts. “I’ll keep that in mind, Trav.”
Normally, I hate that nickname, but when Blair says it…
It feels right.
I walk her to her car, like I do after every shift we have together.
I do it for all the bartenders but I infinitely enjoy my walks with Blair more.
I greedily inhale her aroma, wishing that the both of us weren’t so covered in different scents from the bar’s patrons.
If only I could be alone with her, truly alone with just her company, maybe I could get that ridiculous hope out of my head.
Just so I can finally put my thoughts to rest and assure myself that she isn’t my scent match.
But I don’t know how the hell to do that unless I ask her out on a date, and she’s made it clear that that’s not what she wants.
I’m not going to push her boundaries—I’m just going to yearn after her like an idiot.
It also doesn’t help that I’m more than ten years her senior.
The last thing she needs is another old man perving after her.
“Am I seeing you tomorrow night?” I ask as we reach her car.
I already know her schedule, but again, it’s just another reason to talk to her.
“Nah. Not tomorrow. I’m getting some well-deserved rest.” She unlocks her door and enters her car. “Thanks for the walk, Trav. I’ll see you soon?” she asks gently.
I nod. “Of course. See you later.” I move to close her car door for her, but she interrupts before I can.
“Hey. Get me more of those cat pictures, too.” Her grin is playful, her voice light and teasing.
I give her a mock salute, completely stone faced, and she laughs as she closes her car door.
I slowly head back into the building, waiting for the sound of her car to start up.
She always takes a minute or two to sit in her car before leaving.
Once I hear her pull out of the parking lot, I enter the bar through the back door, her scent wafting over me.
Violets and sugar.
My body tenses as my inner Alpha roars to life, the instinct to claim fueling the blood in my veins.
I lean against the wall, taking in deep, calming breaths, trying to tamp down my need.
My mouth waters, desperate for more of Blair’s potent aroma.
I want her so badly it hurts.
That scent will be the death of me.
“Fuck,” I mutter under my breath, my hands clenching into fists.
Does she really not notice? Is this all one-sided?
Am I the only one going crazy with the thought that we could be scent matches?
Rylee enters the room, sighing and running a hand through her hair.
“That was crazy for a weekday,” she mutters. “But at least they liked the music tonight.”
Her subtle chocolate scent spreads through the room, overpowering the remaining essence of Blair’s.
I nod at the DJ. “Yeah. Seemed like it.”
“Is Blair still here?” she asks, tying her silver hair into a ponytail. “I wanted to ask her about some cat stuff. Adeline won’t stop throwing up everywhere. She seems to know everything about cats; I figured she’d give me some advice.”
I shake my head. “She just left.”
“Hmm.” Rylee looks at me strangely, her eyebrow cocked. Then, her gaze lands on my hands, which are still clenched into fists.
“Are you good, Travis? You look like you want to punch through the wall.”
I nod. “I’m fine,” I grit out.
There’s no rational explanation I could give her for why I feel like I’m going to burst out of my skin.
I’ve never been the best conversationalist, and I don’t feel like starting now.
Rylee doesn’t care, though.
“What’s going on with you two?” she adds. “Are you into her, or what?”
I narrow my eyes. “We’re friends.”
She scoffs. “That’s not what I asked.”
“We’re friends.”
Rylee holds her hands up in mock surrender. “Alright, sure, fine. But everyone knows.”
I swallow. “They know what?”
I try to keep the scowl on my face, hoping she doesn’t see the unease that’s settling in my bones.
“Your crush is obvious. C’mon.”
I just stare at her.
She clicks her tongue. “Okay, then.” She turns away and grabs her leather jacket off the hook near the sink. “Rumor has it she likes you too, though.”
Rylee is baiting me.
She’s a bit younger than Blair and loves to gossip about everyone in the building, so I will myself to not give in.
She hums to herself as she collects her things.
“What makes you say that?” I mutter, cringing as the words come out.
Damn it.
It doesn’t matter.
It doesn’t matter. Blair isn’t interested.
Rylee shrugs. “She may have mentioned some things. That’s all I’m going to say.”
Mentioned what?
But then she looks to me, a knowing smirk on her face. “Maybe there’s a reason she’s not dating anyone. Maybe she’s waiting for you to make the first move.”
“You’re a little shit starter,” I mutter. “And you don’t know what you’re talking about.”
She sighs dramatically. “If you say so,” she murmurs. “I’m just saying, maybe you shouldn’t ignore what’s already there. Everyone else in the building sees it, even if the two of you don’t.”
Nope. I’m not going to rise to her bait.
I’m not going to do it.
She’s barely older than a teenager, she doesn’t know what she’s talking about…
“Sees what?” I sigh in defeat.
The infuriating little Omega shakes her head. “If you have to ask, then you’ll never understand.”
I let out a long groan. “Okay,” I grumble. “If you’re ready, I’ll walk you to your car.”
It’s just me and the owner, Quincy, closing up tonight.
Even if Rylee was supposed to be part of the closing shift, I would have sent her away anyway.
I don’t have time for childish riddles, nor for someone to try and meddle in my love life.
Or lack of it.
As I escort Rylee to her car, I try not to mourn the loss of Blair’s scent. Rylee’s cocoa and caramel Omega scent has left its mark on the building, and a part of me feels nauseous.
I miss Blair already.
Maybe there’s a reason she’s not dating anyone, Rylee had said.
Rumor has it she likes you, too.
I try to push her words out of my mind, but they play over and over in my head, haunting me.
It almost haunts me as much as the possibility that she’s my scent match.