5. Chapter Five
Chapter Five
T he buzz of students talking amongst each other and getting ready for their day blends with the hiss of the coffee machine as Izzy froths milk and prepares coffee orders.
“One latte, decaf, skim milk?” I confirm before ringing up the order and taking payment. I offer the customer a sweet from the skull head bowl at the register, grinning as they select a gummy eyeball .
Izzy and I have been working at Sip ‘n’ Study since our first year at Linnara University. It’s a flexible job, allowing students to fill shifts between their scheduled classes. I enjoy it so much—the people and the atmosphere—that I’ve worked my way up to shift manager.
No one else is waiting to place their order, so I jump in next to Izzy, filling another jug of skim milk and placing the steam wand inside, beginning to heat the milk.
“Half an hour to go, Izzy, and you're off on a tropical getaway. Why aren’t you excited?” I know my beta bestie almost as well as I know myself, and something is up. This getaway has been all she can talk about for months, so eager to chase the sunshine and warmth for longer now that fall is here, but suddenly she’s clamped up, her excitement all but gone.
I’ll never truly understand her desire to chase the sun. I freaking love fall. The cooler weather. The colours and the way the leaves change and fall, blanketing the ground. Just the vibe in general.
And come on, who doesn’t love Halloween? In charge of decorating this year, I made sure the cafe looks like a pumpkin, ghost, and spider threw up all over it.
Izzy worries her lip as she glances up at me, her baby blue eyes barely meeting mine from under the cafe branded cap before she refocuses on the coffee orders .
“It’s nothing, I—”
“Don’t bullshit a bullshitter Iz, what’s wrong?”
“It’s stupid,” she sniffles. No, it’s fucking not. I haven’t seen my best friend this toned down in a long time. She’s normally so bright, bubbly, the life of the party. My omega whines, the instinct to nurture her, taking hold. I have to hold myself back from tugging her into me and wrapping my arms around her while working with the hot milk.
She takes the jug of skim milk from me, making the decaf latte quickly and handing out the last coffee order with a forced smile before turning back to me. I couldn’t be more grateful for the lull that is 10am on a Monday morning.
“Please tell me, Iz, I’ll worry about you the whole time you’re gone if you don’t.”
“Fine,” she says, blowing out a breath, her eyes darting around to see who might be nearby. Sip ‘n’ Study is deserted, just the two of us remaining as those on campus start their first class of the week. “It’s Damon, the alpha I met at the Lion’s Halloween party. Fuck, Saylor, I really like him. We just met, and now I’m disappearing for a week. What if we lose our momentum?”
My brows shoot up at her admission. Izzy must have fallen hard and fast if she’s this invested already. She’s not usually one to worry about guys or relationships. We’re a lot alike in that sense. Strong, independent woman who don’t need anyone to look after us.
Though I guess sometimes that might be nice.
“Izzy, babe. You’re a fucking catch. If this Damon can’t wait a week for you to return to get his dick wet, then he doesn’t deserve you. If the chemistry is as strong as you say it is, he’ll be waiting for you when you get back. I’m sure of it.”
“You’re right. Fuck, you’re so right,” she breathes in deeply, closing her eyes and collecting herself for a moment. “A week will be fine. I’ll be fine. I just need to enjoy myself and deal with this when I get back.”
“Exactly, babe. Whatever will be, will be. And if the asshole doesn’t wait for you, I’ll key his car and bring home your favourite ice cream and movie and spend hours ranting about what a jackass he is.”
Izzy’s laugh rings through the cafe and she wraps her arms around me before stepping backwards and removing her cap.
“Thanks, Saylor. I love you. I have a tutoring session in fifteen minutes. You good here?”
The door opens, the little skeleton bell ringing as someone enters the cafe. Izzy’s eyes widen as she looks over my shoulder to see who it is, before a massive grin breaks out across her face .
“Oh, you’re more than alright,” she laughs, her usually spark reigniting as she tosses her cap at me and skirts around the counter. “I want to hear all about this later. Call me.”
“About what? You know I can’t call you,” I shout after her. I lost my phone when I snuck out of the safe haven the other morning, and Izzy knows it. She just laughs, running out the door and leaving me to deal with our new customers, confused as fuck.
Shaking my head, I turn my attention to the counter, freezing at the sight of the two men—clearly alphas—standing and waiting patiently.
The first is tall, solid as a rock. Despite the cooler weather, he’s wearing a ‘Rhys’ Gym’ singlet, his bulky, defined arms on full display. His hair is dark, shaved close to his head, and his dark brown eyes capture mine. It feels as though I’m falling into the abyss as I stare into them.
Blinking rapidly to break the connection, I turn my gaze to his partner. The second alpha is shorter, though not little by any measure. His blonde mop of hair looks somewhat familiar, his bright green eyes piercing in the morning light. He’s dressed in a campus security uniform, and I think I might have seen him around campus, though I’ve never met him before .
A hazy memory tugs at my consciousness, flitting through, but gone before I can grasp and focus on it.
Something pulls me forward, toward the pair of them. A feeling wholly separate from the need to do my job, instinctual in nature.
My omega is already screaming at me to get closer to the two of them when their scents hit me, the ceiling fan blowing them straight into my face. The richest, creamy scent of a latte made with the highest quality beans, better than anything we serve in Sip ‘n’ Study, assaults me first, followed swiftly by the deliciously sweet scent of toasted marshmallows.
A rush of emotion runs through me as my heart races a crescendo. My core pulses, a gush of slick soaking my panties and causing my cheeks to flush. It’s laundry day tomorrow, and I didn’t have any scent blocking underwear left.
How fucking embarrassing.
There’s no time to dwell on it as the larger alpha’s gaze locks with mine with an intensity that should scare me, but instead causes me to clench my thighs together as another gush of slick threatens to escape me.
Mate.
What the actual fuck? I’ve heard of packs making scent matches, of the intensity and life altering occurrence that is scent sympathy. But I never thought for one second it would happen to me.
“Hey, Pumpkin,” he says, the deep rumble of his voice sending a shiver of pleasure down my spine. “I’m Noah, and this is my pack mate Corey. Do you remember us?”
“No, I… I don’t remember you.” I barely manage to scrape the words out. It’s taking every ounce of control I have not to run at them and beg them to take me, mark me, claim me. My eyes dart between the two of them. There is a familiarity there, but I can’t place it. That’s when my eyes land on the bundle in Corey’s arms. One I hadn’t noticed straight away, but Izzy clearly had.
“Why do you have my costume? Oh, you’re the safe haven alphas? Do you have my phone?”
“Sure do,” Corey says with a smile that absolutely lights up his face. He pulls it out of his pocket, handing it to me. Our hands brush as I take it from him, the touch sending a thousand zaps of electricity pulsing through my entire body. A wave of heat crashes over me at the feeling. My pussy clenches and I perfume, my pumpkin spice scent filling the space.
“Th…thank you,” I stutter as both alphas inhale deeply. Noah stiffens, as though holding himself back. I kind of wish he wouldn’t.
“We are the safe haven alphas. Why did you sneak out? ”
Frowning, I shrug my shoulders. “I don’t really have a reason. The night before was blank. Clearly, I drank too much. I couldn’t remember what happened or how I got to your house, and so I ran.”
Corey frowns, but nods as Noah says, “Tell us your name. You weren’t in any state to share it the other night.”
He doesn’t bark but the command—the dominance—is there anyway, and I answer without thinking.
“I’m Saylor. Thank you for taking care of me. And thank you for returning my things.”
“You’re welcome, Saylor. There was something else we wanted while we’re here.”
“Shit, sorry. Did you want to order something?” Their combined scents have me so frazzled I forgot where we are and the job I am currently supposed to be doing.
“No, not unless you’re on the menu.”
“Noah!” Corey berates his larger counterpart, slapping him on the shoulder and offering him a death glare. A small snort escapes me, and Noah grins, his whole face lighting up and causing my nipples to harden against my work shirt. Fuck, the effect these guys are having on me. I kind of regret sneaking out. If their scents can affect me like this, imagine what their touch could do.
The thought has more slick pooling in my already soaked panties, and Noah’s grin widens .
“What my partner meant was, would you like to go on a date with us? Get to know us? Your scent is fucking incredible, like a siren call, and we’d very much like to spend some time with you and explore whatever this is.”
It’s my turn to grin like an idiot as I nod. What’s the worst that could happen? The way their scents call to me feels like a sign, a good omen. I want to explore it further and see if there’s a genuine connection beneath the lust.
“I get off in an hour. Meet me by the lake?”