Jed
The drive to the country club is quiet, but my mind is very far from it.
Every time I take a breath, my lungs fill with the scent of orange blossoms. Bright, sweet, crisp, and currently driving my alpha totally insane.
I nearly turned around and walked right out of Aiden’s apartment when he opened the door and his scent hit me for the first time, because my god…
if I was having a hard time maintaining a professional distance when he was wearing blockers, it’s become basically impossible now that he’s not.
And that’s not even mentioning the fact that he looks good enough to fucking devour tonight, his pants accentuating those strong thighs, and the fucking glasses…
At least it’ll make pretending to be his boyfriend a little easier. Maybe too easy, because I’m almost starting to forget that this isn’t a real date.
My mind is still half-stuck back in his apartment, compulsively drifting to the way his body unraveled against mine.
I thought I could handle a simple scenting, but the second his neck got within biting distance, my self-control vanished into thin air.
Experiencing his raw omega scent, feeling him shudder against me, and hearing that helpless, breathless whimper as he came in his pants right before going down on me...
Jesus Christ. It had taken every ounce of willpower I possess not to say “fuck the party” and drag him into his bedroom for the rest of the night instead.
It’s just biological friction, I tell myself, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter as I try to pull my head out of the gutter.
It’s a strong omega scent, a hot guy, and a fun favor.
That’s all. I don’t do attachments or second dates, and I sure as hell don’t catch feelings over a little heat-of-the-moment adrenaline.
Really, this is no different from any other casual date.
I’m just playing the part, helping out a friend, and enjoying the fringe benefits. Simple.
But even as we step into the party, it’s hard to get my head screwed on straight.
The country club is decorated in white linens and filled with decidedly polite-looking people, and to say that we both stick out like a sore thumb is an understatement.
I’m the only alpha here with any visible tattoos, for one thing, and I can see why Aiden felt out-of-place growing up, because every omega we walk past is tiny.
Like, put them in your pocket, they sleep in a shoebox, levels of petite.
I can practically feel Aiden trying to shrink next to me.
I slip my arm around his waist instinctively, and when he leans into my side I tell myself it’s just to keep up appearances, even if the sour edge in his scent dulls right as my hand settles against his hip.
And the spike of pride that has me curling my fingers that bit tighter around his waist?
That’s just for show, too. Or a side-effect of the way my scent is still clinging to every part of him, maybe.
Before we can even navigate to the bar, a young omega woman in a stunning rose-gold dress spots Aiden.
“Aiden!”
She hurries over, her heels click-clacking against the marble floors. She has Aiden’s gray eyes and dark, wavy hair. This has to be Lucinda—Lucie, his sister. She throws her arms around Aiden’s neck, and though he stiffens for a second, he quickly relaxes, squeezing her back.
“I’m so happy you’re here, but also freaking that you’re late. Dad’s on the verge of making the transition from disgruntled father to homicidal maniac.”
“Good thing it’s not Dad’s party, then,” Aiden mumbles.
When she pulls away, her eyes lock onto me, and a massive grin spreads across her face.
“And who is this?” she asks.
“Lucie, this is Jed,” Aiden says, his voice tight with anxiety. “Jed, my sister, Lucie.”
“Congratulations, Lucie,” I say with a warm smile, holding out a hand. “It’s great to meet you.”
Lucie ignores my hand and pulls me into a quick, enthusiastic hug. “Oh, thank goodness,” she whispers before stepping back. “I was beginning to think Aiden made you up.” Aiden flashes me a panicked look, and I bite back a laugh.
“Mom!” Lucie calls over her shoulder, beckoning over an elegant older omega woman. “Mom, come here! Aiden’s brought his boyfriend!”
“Jesus,” Aiden mutters under his breath. “Jed, this is my mom, Eleanor.”
Aiden’s mom has a gentle floral scent and eyes that soften the moment she sees her son.
“Aiden, darling,” she breathes, smoothing a hand over his cheek before turning to me.
“It's so wonderful to meet you, Jed. Aiden’s told us nearly nothing about you—he keeps his personal life so guarded, we were beginning to worry he was spending all his time in that gym.”
“Well, to be fair,” I chuckle, looping my arm back around Aiden’s shoulder and pulling him flush against my side, “that’s where we met. I’m one of the trainers there.”
Lucie gasps. “Wait—how long have you two been together?”
“Four months,” Aiden says immediately.
“Six months,” I say at the exact same second.
A beat of silence falls between us all. Aiden stiffens next to me, his citrus scent spiking with panic. I keep my grin totally relaxed.
“Six months since I started trying to convince him to let me take him on a date,” I clarify seamlessly, giving his shoulder a squeeze that I hope comes across as affectionate. “Four months since he finally agreed. He made me work for it.”
Eleanor laughs, clapping her hands. “Oh, that sounds just like him!”
“So where was the first date?” Lucie asks, leaning in.
“A diner near—” Aiden starts.
“We saw a movie,” I say.
Lucie blinks. Eleanor raises an eyebrow. Aiden clears his throat, his jaw setting. “We... saw a movie and then went to the diner after,” he stammers.
“We couldn't agree on the vibe,” I add, stepping in before he spirals. “So we compromised. I bought the food, he brought the sarcasm.”
Eleanor chuckles, patting my arm. “Well, I’m glad someone can see past that grumpy exterior to the Jed we know underneath.”
I look over at Aiden. He’s looking away, but a deep pink is dusting his cheekbones, his weight still warm against my side.
“Speaking of grumpy,” Lucie mutters, her eyes flicking toward the far side of the room. “Dad’s coming over.”
The warmth vanishes instantly. I feel Aiden’s muscles turn to steel. His sweet scent dampens as his father, a tall, gray-haired alpha in a sharply tailored tuxedo, approaches. He’s got the kind of heavy mahogany, classically alpha scent that’s trying far too hard to assert dominance.
“Aiden,” his dad says, his voice clipped. “You made it. And only,” he checks his watch, an ostentatious, expensive-looking lump of gold, “half an hour late. I was beginning to think this was another family function you were going to skip.”
Aiden’s jaw clenches. “Hi, Dad.”
“And who is this?” he turns to me, giving me an assessing look that’s clearly meant to be intimidating, pushing out a wave of alpha pheromones that sends a streak of something territorial straight through me.
I force myself to maintain my sunny smile and pull Aiden impossibly closer. “Richard Fraser.”
“Jed Harrison,” I say, taking his hand. I hold his grip firmly.
“Jed is Aiden’s boyfriend, Dad,” Lucie interjects. “He’s a trainer at Aiden’s gym.”
“A trainer,” Richard repeats with quiet disdain. “I see. Well, I suppose that explains it.”
“Explains what?” I ask smoothly, irritation already prickling under my skin.
“It makes sense that someone who spends all day in a gym would be able to tolerate Aiden’s… unique stature,” he says with a thin smile. “He’s never quite fit the mold of a proper omega.”
It feels like someone has sucked all the air out of the room.
The other guests continue to chatter around us, oblivious to the conversation happening in their midst. Eleanor looks at the floor.
Lucie is quietly fuming. A glance at Aiden tells me he’s already mentally checking out, most likely resisting the urge to bite back out of respect for his sister.
“You’re right, in a way,” I say, grinning through my teeth and pushing down the rage threatening to boil over.
“I’ve rarely seen an omega or an alpha with as much raw physical talent as Aiden in all my time as a trainer.
Not even when I was boxing at a professional level myself.
I guess a lot of alphas are intimidated by that kind of power.
” I lean into Richard’s space, giving him a wry grin.
“Not me. His strength was what attracted me to him in the first place.”
Richard blinks, his upper lip curling like I’ve just spat in his whiskey. Aiden’s scent warms, his posture straightening just a little as his arm snakes around my waist. Eleanor smiles politely, and Lucie’s eyes are darting between me and her father like she’s watching a high-stakes game of tennis.
“It’s a shame none of that talent can amount to anything more than a hobby,” he says curtly. “From what I understand, there’s not a weight class in omega boxing that would accommodate an omega of Aiden’s size.”
I nod slowly. “It’s still a pretty outdated sport, in a lot of ways.
But rules are made to be broken. There wasn’t a featherweight class in alpha boxing until the late 90s.
We’ve been thinking about starting a new omega division, actually, hosting fights at the gym.
It wouldn’t be pro-level, yet, but if it gained enough traction,” I shrug, grinning across at Aiden, “who knows. Maybe eventually Aid could go pro.”
Lucie clasps her hands together in delight. “How exciting!” she chirps.
Richard’s lips draw into a tight, thin line, his scent flaring combatively.
“Now,” I say, breaking the tension before I say something else I might regret, “if you'll excuse us, I promised Aiden a drink.”
I can feel Richard’s eyes on our backs as we walk away, but when I glance across at Aiden he’s actually smiling for once.
“Holy fucking shit,” he mumbles, the grin threatening to break his whole face apart. He looks fucking radiant. “You didn’t need to say all that.”