CHAPTER THREE - Mariska
It was a little cowardly of me to use the distraction of the other person to slip away from Balthazar, but the longer I was around him, the more I wanted to touch him and let him have his way with me.
No way. Not happening. No Alpha would have that sort of control over me again.
I wouldn’t repeat what happened two years ago with Jack.
Besides, I was leaving for California on the twenty-seventh.
No one, especially not a Christmas tree farming Alpha, was going to stop me from chasing after my dream.
I followed my friends’ footsteps in the snow, but I would have heard them even if there wasn’t any obvious path where they went.
Artemis loped along beside me, still energized by the sled ride.
She liked it more than riding in a car. I would have to consider getting a bicycle with a trailer for her after we moved.
Miss Eloise was instructing the girls to shake off snow from the branches of some trees when I rounded a corner and found them. There were five other trees free of snow and forgotten behind them.
“This tree has the right height, but this one has better branches.” Miss Eloise knocked a few icy bits off one branch and tested its springiness.
“I like the bushy one.” I motioned to the one on the left.
They all turned and smiled. I let go of Artemis so she could run up and greet them.
“Hello, dear. You do walk a fast mile.” Miss Eloise examined the one on the left. “It is a very nice tree, but I don’t think it’s the right tree.”
Lyla shared a knowing smile with me and gave a tiny shrug of her shoulders. All the firs looked basically the same to me in terms of being a Christmas tree. It wasn’t as if we were going to see much of the tree underneath the mound of decorations that would be put on it.
“Maybe you should use some of your Christmas magic, Miss Eloise. Put all your holly jollies into the snow, and wherever it lands, that’s the tree we take home.” Emberlee bent and picked up a handful of sparkling snow. She tossed it into the air and let the wind toss it around in a dramatic swirl.
Scooped up by a gust, the snow did a cartoonish twist and turn. I spun around to see where it hit and my jaw dropped.
Oh no.
Balthazar swiped a hand over his face which glistened with what remained of the magic snow. His piercing green eyes met mine, and he grinned.
“Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry!” Emberlee’s face went bright red, and she attempted to hide it behind her scarf. Lyla patted her back and barely held back a laugh.
He followed me. My stomach flipped and twisted. I bent to grab Artemis’ leash, but she already bounded up to Balthazar and licked the hand that wasn’t holding the saw. Traitor.
Miss Eloise, smiling as my dog greeted the Alpha, didn’t hold back her laughter.
She chuckled and walked right up to Balthazar.
“Well, you aren’t quite the perfect Christmas tree, but since Artemis has given you her approval, you’ll do to help us cut one down.
I’m Eloise Koch, and it’s a pleasure to meet one of the farm’s lumberjacks. ”
Balthazar scratched Artemis’ head before shaking hands with Miss Eloise. “The pleasure is mine, ma’am. Artemis loves me because I just gave her the sled ride of her life. Along with Mariska there.”
All my friends’ gazes turned to me. I curled my fingers up in my gloves and pressed my nails to my palms to keep from blushing. Yeah, the sled ride turned out to be a lot of fun, but he would never get me to admit it.
“So you didn’t walk.” Miss Eloise raised her brows at me with a look that said we would be talking about this situation later.
She didn’t lose her smile though, and motioned to each of us as she introduced us.
“These are my charges. You’ve met Mariska, and that’s Lyla in the reindeer sweater and Emberlee who threw snow in your face. ”
“I really am sorry!” Emberlee turned redder than her hair.
“Don’t worry about it. I got more snow blown into my eyes riding my snow machine here.
The beard helps with the cold.” Balthazar gave his black beard a stroke, and while he was trying to soothe Emberlee with this fatherly act, something in me warmed in a very non-parental way.
“It’s nice to meet all of you. I’m Balthazar Cole, one of the owners and operators of Silver Tree Farm.
I’m happy to help you find the exact tree you want. ”
Lyla and Emberlee gave a little ooh at hearing he was an owner.
Miss Eloise pursed her lips. “You know, I thought I recognized you. You’re the spitting image of your father, except he had started to go gray.
I knew your parents. Well, I knew them because my family and I came here every year to get a tree.
You’d be just a boy then. Liz, that’s your mom’s name, right? ”
Artemis returned to me, and I took hold of her leash.
It surprised me to discover Miss Eloise had a connection to the farm, and I felt a wave of guilt about not wanting to come here.
She often talked about her husband and son who died in a boating accident a decade or so ago.
Having such a large home and much more love to give, she created Primrose House and became housemother to us Omegas.
“Yes, Elizabeth.” Balthazar nodded. “She’s still around and probably working the shop in the barn right now. I bet Mom would love to see you again. Somehow she remembers everyone.”
“We’ll definitely be stopping in to get some cider and hot cocoa.” Miss Eloise smiled and put her hands on her hips as she turned. “Now, about a tree. I know precisely what we need, but we just have to find it.”
“Tell me. I know every tree on this farm.” Balthazar said it without it sounding like a brag, but there was no way he could know every tree on a seven thousand acre farm.
“We want an eight foot tall Fraser Fir, but with the bushy branches on all sides. I love a Christmas tree I can walk all the way around.”
“Is there one with pinecones still on it?” Emberlee shyly asked.
Balthazar gave her a patient smile. “Not the firs. Their cones ripen mid-October, and anything left, the squirrels hide away for the winter.” He turned and jerked his head to the south.
“I know where to find the perfect tree for you. The south-facing hill here. The bushiest and tallest trees grow where they get the most sun.”
He offered an arm to Miss Eloise and she took it with a smile. At least the Alpha was a gentleman and knew his trees. Points for that. Maybe Lyla or Emberlee might like—
My thoughts immediately came to a screeching halt.
No way was I going to imagine my best friends with him.
I don’t know why it bothered me so much, but I couldn’t do it.
His rich scent of hot chocolate and a crackling wood fire still filled my head.
The first time I smelled him, it immediately reminded me of home.
Not home with my family, but the place I was meant to be.
Like in Primrose House, but that had a totally feminine scent. Balthazar was all male.
Yes, all male. A complete Alpha. He arrived and took control. Fuck that. I gritted my teeth and slammed my internal defenses back up.
Lyla came up beside me and looped her arm through mine as we started to follow them. She leaned in with a smirk and whispered, “So you took a ride with the hot Alpha, hm?”
I quietly shushed her and hoped the crunching of the snow covered up anything we said. “No. I rode on the sled with Artemis. He was being stubborn and refused to let me walk on my own.”
“He seems very nice.” Emberlee still hadn’t rid herself completely of her flushed cheeks. “And he’s very handsome.”
“Smoking hot.” Lyla agreed. “Too bad he kind of smells like a sooty fireplace.”
“Does not.” The words came out of my mouth too fast for me to stop them.
I inwardly chastised myself and ignored Lyla’s probing look.
I attempted to save face. “He’s an Alpha like any other.
He comes walking over and won’t let anyone else be in charge.
I bet he’d tell us where to put every single decoration on the tree if we let him. ”
Lyla snorted with a laugh, and Miss Eloise and Balthazar looked over their shoulders at us. I hid my smile down in my coat’s collar. Between my friends, I was protected from his charms. The Primrose Pack would safeguard me against my own weakness for Alphas built like mountains.
We walked onto a gentle slope with the white afternoon sun blazing down on us. There was less snow here and the bushiest firs we’d seen so far.
Miss Eloise gasped and bustled toward the tallest in the bunch. “This one. This is our tree. Come here, girls.”
Balthazar stood back, but I could feel his gaze on me. Always on me.
“It’s beautiful.” Emberlee cooed and ran to stand in front of the tree, waving the neon flag as if we’d just won a battle.
“Yes, this is the one.” Lyla agreed and shook the remaining snow of its branches.
It was a gorgeous tree. Healthy too. It would be a shame to cut it down. Yet they were all waiting on me. “It’s good. No empty spots and a straight trunk, and it smells lovely.” I inhaled to emphasize the point, but I still could only smell Balthazar’s warm and masculine scent.
“Excellent!” Miss Eloise gave me a squeeze and motioned to us girls as she got out her phone. “Stand in front of the tree. I want a picture.”
Lyla, Emberlee, and I wrapped our arms around one another and smiled.
“I can take a picture of all of you, if you’d like.” Balthazar offered and held out his hand for Miss Eloise’s phone.
“You’re a sweetheart, young man.” She handed him her phone and hurried to get in on our group hug. “I want lots of holiday pictures with my girls since Mariska is leaving us at the end of the month. She’s been with me for over five years, and we’re going to miss her so much.”
I leaned my head on her shoulder and tried not to let my eyes tear up. “I’m going to miss you all too.”
Balthazar’s smile vanished as he took some shots and then held out the phone for Miss Eloise to take back. “You’re leaving? Where are you headed to?”
Emberlee piped up before I could say anything. “Mari got her dream job in California.”
“Yeah, she’s the brainiac of our group, and she’s going to change the world.” Lyla kissed my cheek. “We’re taking a road trip to visit her next summer. I’ve never seen the Pacific Ocean.”
“I’ve never been outside Wisconsin!” Emberlee giggled.
“Okay, girls.” Miss Eloise stuck her phone back into her coat pocket and tugged us away from the fir. “Give this young man some room to cut down the tree.”
“Thank you.” Balthazar dipped his head to her and waited until we were about ten feet away before approaching the tree.
He knelt down and cleared away some snow from the base of the trunk before he started to saw.
His arm worked back and forth with speed and strength.
Muscles under his coat stretched the fabric and looked almost as hard as his expression.
In a matter of a few minutes, he had cut the tree down and hauled it to the van to lift it onto the roof. Miss Eloise gave him the tethers from the trunk and helped him secure her prize.
By the time it was all done, Balthazar’s face had lost its edge and he was grinning once again. It was one of those grins that said ‘I know something you don’t,’ and every time he flashed it at me, I squirmed with unwanted anticipation.
“Everyone back into the van.” Miss Eloise gestured to us before turning to Balthazar.
“I hear Stan returning with my snow machine. I’ll meet you back at the barn.”
Being an Omega, I easily recognized unspoken talk about propriety.
While I did have my escort here now, the three of us girls were unclaimed.
Having an Alpha crammed into an enclosed space like a van with us was not something a respectable escort would allow.
Despite his grin, he didn’t try to push anything.
“Good, good.” Miss Eloise nodded and slid into the driver’s side. “Thank you for all your help. You’ve helped to make this Christmas extra special for us. Your mom raised a fine boy, and I’m headed to the barn to tell her so.”
I put Artemis in the back of the van and then took my seat in front of her. Emberlee hopped into the seat next to me as Lyla took shotgun. She had the longest legs out of the three of us, so no one ever complained she always got the front seat.
Balthazar waved to us as we headed off. Everyone waved back at him except for me, but I was the only one who turned in their seat to keep my eyes on him as long as I could. Damn, he was insanely good-looking.
When I righted myself in my seat and stroked Artemis’ head as she laid it on my leg, I reminded myself it didn’t matter how hot the Alpha was or if we might even be compatible.
Nothing could happen. Even if I wasn’t leaving Wisconsin, I couldn’t stand to have my life controlled and be made to feel like shit again. I wanted nothing to do with any Alpha.
“Mariska.” Oh no. Miss Eloise sounded like she was about to lecture me.
“Don’t worry.” I knew exactly what she was going to go on about. “I didn’t ride on the snow machine with him. I was on the sled with Artemis. We didn’t even touch. Both of us were well behaved.”
“I had no doubt you would be. I just had to make certain. I didn’t think you might run into an Alpha on the road at the farm.
” Miss Eloise shook her head, more at herself than me.
“He did have his eyes on you girls a lot.” On me, she meant.
“I didn’t see him close to any of you, but the scent test will tell. Anything, girls?”
“Nah. I thought he smelled like a sooty fireplace.” Lyla shrugged and glanced in the mirror back at me.
“I didn’t smell anything other than the pretty trees.” Emberlee tapped on her phone’s screen and wiggled happily in her seat. “Dad has the route planned. He said your idea is good, Mari. He’ll arrive Friday morning to pick me up.”
“That’s wonderful, honey.” Miss Eloise’s face softened, and she turned on the radio to pump ‘Winter Wonderland’ into the van. She and Lyla started singing, and I gave a silent thank you that she didn’t push the question of the scent test to me.
I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. I wouldn’t complain about the Christmas carols at the moment. This would be one of the last days we were all together, and I put my focus on enjoying it.
No way was I imagining those dreamy green eyes and big shoulders, or how easily Balthazar could pick me up and pin me against the wall as he ravaged me.
Nope. Not thinking about him at all.