Chapter Three
Anathea
It had been a week since I heard from Teri, but from my nervousness, it might have been only a few minutes ago. I hated what that pack still did to me. I stayed nervous until I got the text and then spiraled until the month after.
Their power they had over me was gross, and no matter how hard I tried to outthink the danger, my mind thought it was there.
I’d dusted everything in the store and even ran the carpet sweeper when no one was in. I loved that thing. Morgana had a personal vendetta against all electric vacuums, saying they were no longer made well. One day, she threw ours out and got a cheapie twenty-dollar carpet sweeper from some store.
It was the best thing she’d ever bought. Using it was like raking sand in a meditation circle.
“Good evening,” I called out, hearing the chime of the bell over the door as someone came in. I put the duster away and turned to see a young man and woman browsing the crystal selection.
“Good evening,” the woman responded in a chipper voice. She bounced up and down in front of the extensive array of crystals and stones and put her hands on either side of her face. “I don’t know where to start.”
Another thing I’d learned from my boss: how to let customers find their way. Unless they expressly asked for help, we let them explore and follow their intuition.
And as much as I intended to follow that tenet, I couldn’t seem to keep my eyes off the man that came in with the effervescent woman.
Goddess, he was magnetic. Warm brown eyes. Longer curly hair down to his shoulders. He wore the simplest of outfits, a white T-shirt and jeans along with basic tennis shoes, but somehow the ensemble was made for him. Broad shoulders. Built, but not in a bulky way.
The sweetest smile ever.
He was clearly in love with the woman with him. The way he smiled at her made me jealous of their connection.
They picked up several crystals and stones but put them back. The woman pulled her phone out and took pictures, probably using the search engine to find out what the crystals did.
And as she did, the man and I exchanged glances.
It felt wrong, like he was cheating and I was helping him, but also, it also felt very right.
I fought against a shiver as the heat between my thighs grew. Goddess, this was wrong. He was taken.
I had sworn off alphas.
When the woman turned and waved me over, I almost died inside. Please, body, don’t betray me now.
I took heat suppressants, and Morgana helped me with herbs to control my scenting and perfuming, but they weren’t foolproof. They also weren’t as dangerous as the stuff they handed out at the omega clinic.
Calm down. It’s just a dude. And he has a girlfriend or a mate or even a wife.
No. There was no ring.
That didn’t mean anything.
Oh, I was so fucked.
“What can I help you with?”
“I’m Jasmine. I’m a painter. I wanted to get an opal.”
No wonder she couldn’t find what she was looking for.
“Oh, well…” I made the mistake of looking at the alpha.
Now that I was near him and could smell the heady musk he was giving off, I was sure of it.
My words got caught in my throat, and I pulled a tiger’s eye from the selection and rolled it around in my palm for strength.
“The opals are in the glass display. This way.”
They followed me to the counter near the register. Some people thought the more expensive crystals and stones were kept here but actually, the most powerful ones were. Morgana said we couldn’t have just anyone touching them.
Boss’s rules.
“Here they are. Would you like to hold them and see which one you like best?”
Jasmine nodded and clapped a little. Her enthusiasm was contagious.
I forced myself to look at her instead of the man next to her. Hardest thing I’d done in my life.
Jasmine decided on a large opal and a selection of incense, and the alpha paid for her purchase after some lighthearted arguing.
Gosh, they were cute together.
“Have a good evening,” I said and held myself together until they were out of sight.
Then I withered. sagging over the counter. My breath fogged up the glass, and I closed my eyes, letting the lingering scent of the alpha lull me.
I had no business doing that, but damn it, it felt nice to be held, if only by his scent and ghost of a presence.
This omega was tired. And terribly lonely.
Not a good place to be.