Chapter 4
Bear
She felt safe? With me? How could she possibly…?
The petite omega had no idea just how deeply those words hit me, but in the moment, I was meant to focus.
Spencer had been clear: I was here to tail her, not get involved, but there was no way in hell I could walk away now that she was pressing herself against me, the fear of being followed in her eyes.
She’d brazenly walked up to me, took my overlarge, calloused hand in her soft one, and asked for help.
At first glance, this woman, clearly an omega, from her distinct stature and the pheromones she was emanating, believed that I was her ally, someone she could trust. Like I wasn’t—No, I couldn’t think about that right now.
God, what was I doing?
“It’s late, honey,” I said, smiling down at her. “Did you forget your coat again?”
She blushed, her cheeks turning pink as she momentarily looked at the ground, likely relieved and embarrassed she’d somewhat forced me to play this role, and I’d obliged. Did she really think I’d say no? It was obvious she needed help.
Flicking her gaze up to mine, the omega whispered, “Thanks.”
Adorable, that was the perfect word to describe her.
I had observed her from a distance for only a few hours, per Spencer’s orders.
But up close, I could make out the freckles dotted across the bridge of her nose, the way the corner of her eyes crinkled as she smiled, the flushed skin of her cheeks, rosy from the cold. Every small detail captivated me.
She was perfect.
Far too good for the likes of me.
A familiar pang hit me as we stood there, neither of us quite sure what to do next.
It was still a mystery why this omega thought I was a safe option.
I was twisted, dark, and disfigured. There was no way a sweet, beautiful omega like her should feel comfortable with me, willing to pretend she was… mine.
Her scent hit me, the sweetest cloud of delicious, pure omega delight.
Rose and honey.
My mouth watered. Omegas tended to smell good, of course, but this one was something else. It was like springtime and distilled happiness. I wanted the scent wrapped around me like a blanket.
So, this was the omega Spencer couldn’t seem to shake from his mind? I was quickly starting to understand why.
I mean sure, maybe she wasn’t actually mine, but I could sure as fuck play along for a while.
The little omega was wearing only jeans and a university T-shirt. It was too cold for her to be dressed like that. Why hadn’t she brought a sweater or coat or something? A fluffy hat and mittens would be a damn good idea, too.
My chest burned with the need to correct the problem. Watching my omega feeling cold pained me.
Well, she wasn’t my omega, but for the next few moments, she would be, and being out here in the freezing cold in a T-shirt wasn’t happening.
“Babe”—my voice rose a bit, ensuring that anyone in our vicinity could hear me using the term of endearment—“here.” I shrugged off my jacket, handing it to her.
Her eyes widened, her brows shooting up. “Oh! You don’t have to—” Her voice was a hushed whisper again.
“I want to, little omega,” I said quietly, the nickname slipping from my lips with ease, leaning in close and taking the opportunity to inhale that sweet, heady scent again, the one I was becoming scarily obsessed with.
A bit of my alpha voice sank into those words, hammering my point home.
After all, not only was she cold, but there was still the matter of someone following her.
She gaped at me, her pupils dilating as a fresh wave of rose and honey hit the air.
Had I done that to her?
No, there was no way.
Except, there was no one else around that close. So I could reasonably deduce that her intensifying scent had to be because of me. But I also wasn’t that lucky, and I could easily be reading into it. The wind had probably changed direction or something.
Wishful thinking.
My heart ricocheted around my rib cage as I looked down at her, gently placing my jacket over her shoulders.
A deep, primal part of me wanted her covered in my scent, to mark her for the whole world to know she was mine.
I quickly shut it down. I was getting ahead of myself; that wasn’t why I was here.
Spencer had noticed the figure following her, and I was working.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
I smiled at her, swallowing hard before throwing an arm casually around her shoulder and tucking her into me to keep up the act. The ruse would hopefully help her—at least, that’s what I told myself.
If I were honest with myself, I might have said there was something more. But that was insane.
She didn’t flinch or try to move away. No, this baffling little omega pressed herself closer, gazing up at me with a small yet genuine smile.
We started walking, and I let her lead, since I wasn’t supposed to know where she lived, even though Chase had already texted us the address hours ago.
As the cold air swirled around us, I felt her shift against me, and she looked up.
“So… what do you do?” she asked in a quiet voice, making small talk.
I chuckled softly; the irony not lost on me. “I’m a security guard.”
Her face lit up, and a surge of warmth spread through me.
There was something about her smile that stirred up emotions I was hesitant to confront, especially with my arm already around her.
How could a simple gesture evoke such a complex range of feelings?
I tried to focus on her hand touching mine, but it was difficult to ignore the emotions making my stomach turn.
“See!” she whispered. “I knew I picked right.”
Flora looked forward, still leaning against me. She was small, but no longer trembling. Even with the possibility of being followed earlier, she pressed on like it was her typical walk home. Unless this omega was one hell of an actress, she genuinely didn't feel any fear in my presence.
How? I was disfigured. Mutilated. Most women—hell, most people—looked the other way when I was in their line of sight.
Imagine walking into a crowded room and feeling completely out of place, because that was how I was in every room.
Most people didn’t want to see my face; it made them uncomfortable.
Occasionally, someone asked, but it was usually out of morbid curiosity and not genuine concern or care.
“This way?” I said softly, moving in the direction I already knew she was going.
If I let slip that I knew exactly where she lived and the best way to get there, I was afraid she would turn tail and run off screaming, and I was supposed to keep her safe, keep an eye on her for Spencer.
It had nothing to do with enjoying the closeness and not wanting it to end.
“Is he still behind me?” she asked cautiously, a thread of nervousness in her voice now.
With a glance over my shoulder, I scanned the nearby area, pleased to find no one. “No,” I confirmed.
A sigh of relief escaped the omega, and she leaned into me ever so slightly. “Thank you so much for this. I’m sorry, I just grabbed you.”
“It’s all right. You needed help. Do you live nearby? I won’t leave until I know you’re safe.”
We were in a pretty rundown area outside of campus. Budget-friendly was one way of describing it, I was sure, but I was thinking more along the lines of “slum” or “hellhole.”
That blush filled her cheeks again, and this time it was definitely embarrassment. The omega was clearly not at ease with her living situation; her discomfort reflected in her averted gaze.
“Yeah”—she gestured with her head, chewing on her lip—“we actually just walked past my building.”
“Oh. Well, then…” I turned around, pulling her with me gently. “Lead the way. I’ll see you to the door.”
“Y-you don’t have to,” she stammered, shaking her head.
Only, I did. I’d made a promise, but I wasn’t going to tell her Spencer would have my hide if I didn’t make sure she got home safely.
Spencer wasn’t my only reason for hanging around, though.
I wasn’t going to let her out of my sight until I knew she was inside her apartment, where some guy couldn’t watch her every move.
The sweet omega had picked me to keep her safe—Flora had picked me—and I was taking that job very seriously.
“Thank you.”
It didn’t take us long to return to the door of her building, and I escorted the omega in, holding the door open for her.
As I did, I surveyed the area outside. I didn’t want to see any sign of the figure who’d been following her.
If I did, the guy was going to find himself facing a very intense encounter with my fist. With nothing to see, I followed Flora inside.
She strolled confidently through the lobby, coming to a stop in front of one of the doors down the left hallway.
“This is me,” Flora said sweetly, pulling her keys from her bag and turning toward the door. Several large keychains jingled together, making her keys look enormous and cumbersome. The mini strawberry plushie made me bite back a smile as she grabbed the handle.
What was she doing with all of them? Hell, she could use them as a weapon.
Actually, that wasn’t a bad idea. Maybe I could find a way to add something sharp and spikey to that keychain.
“Oh!” The small omega took a step back as the door opened despite her never placing the key in the lock.
“Did you leave it unlocked?” I shifted forward, every muscle in my body stiffening. She was an omega living alone; there was no reason for her door to be unlocked.
“I must have…” Flora trailed off, looking at the door handle in her hand, her brow furrowed.
Her confusion only increased the tension that had my body in a chokehold.
“I thought I locked it. I remember nearly dropping my keys. Oh, well—” She went to push the door open, but I threw out my arm to stop her.
“Not going to happen, little omega. Let me check the place out first.” My voice was firm, brooking no argument. I wasn’t going to sugarcoat anything when her safety was on the line, nor was I about to drop it so easily. If she thought she’d locked it and it was now open? That was not a good sign.
“I—”
“Stay here,” I ordered with more alpha authority than I intended, driven by concern for her safety. I reached into my back pocket and retrieved the small, compact weapon I carried.
“What is that?” Flora reeled back, looking at the item suspiciously, her brows up high.
“Don’t worry. It’s a taser,” I explained.
“Why do you have a taser?!” she whisper-shouted at me, her eyes flaring wide.
Clenching my jaw, I held her back from the door around the corner. “My job. Security, remember?”
“Oh, yeah. Right,” she said. I held out the weapon, gesturing for her to take it. “What? Oh, no. I definitely can’t be trusted with one of those.”
“It's simple, just jab it at the person you want to electrocute and press this trigger,” I said, showing her the little button. If I had anything to say about it, she would never need to use the taser, but I would much rather she had it on her person, just in case. Better safe than sorry.
Everything in me insisted that she needed protection. If I had to go inside to check things out, she needed to have the weapon. I had a gun holstered on my back, under my T-shirt, but she didn’t need to know that.
“I…” She didn’t say more but accepted the taser, and I slipped inside her apartment.
Looking around, the place didn’t seem immediately concerning.
There were no papers flung about or missing TVs.
I took the hallway at the back of the apartment and up the stairs toward what I assumed was her bedroom.
Sure enough, I found her nest carefully crafted on her bed, decorated with more strawberry plushies, along with a myriad of other fruits and soft pillows.
Apparently, our non-client client was a fan of squishy-fruit-themed paraphernalia. I wanted to hate it, the impracticality of sleeping like that, but it was on par with how cute everything else was about her.
Satisfied with my search, I went back to the front door, glad that, at least, she could get inside and warm up. “I think it’s fine.” The omega perked up, tea-saucer eyes staring at me as I came back. “Just check that there’s nothing out of place.”
She nodded, following me into the apartment and glancing around. “No, it looks just like I left it, honestly.” I could believe her, but I still didn’t like it. Why would the door be open if she was certain she’d locked it?
“You need a deadbolt on that door. Talk to your building manager about that thing, too.” The door was nowhere near secure enough. One good kick and the whole thing would cave in. “This is far too easy to break into. You have to prioritize your safety.”
Flora’s nose scrunched as she hugged herself lightly. “I doubt he would listen. I’m lucky if he does anything when the hot water goes out. Last year, it went out, and it took him nearly four weeks to do anything about it.”
That wasn’t acceptable.
It wouldn’t happen again. I would see to that. If she needed something repaired, I was sure that a bit of light intimidation would do the trick.
“I’m sure I just forgot to lock it. I was rushing to get to the library; it probably slipped my mind.”
Her expression was far from convincing, with unease behind her eyes again as she no doubt remembered I was here because someone had been following her.
Quiet flooded in, and Flora stood by her little kitchen area, shifting from one foot to another.
I wanted to stay with her; everything in me was screaming to park on her couch and not leave her. To bundle her up in that strawberry nest of hers and keep her safe from the rest of the world while she slept soundly.
“I’ll be fine.” She shrugged, chewing on her lip again. “Thanks again for walking me back.”
“Are you… Are you sure you don’t want me to get you a better lock or something? You said that someone was following you, and—”
“I was probably just being paranoid. You already did more than enough.” She flicked her bashful stare up from the floor and met my eyes before walking me to the door.
I didn’t want to, but I had little choice. So, I followed her, pausing on the threshold for a moment.
“Okay, I’ll leave you to get warm, but lock up after me, little omega.” I drilled my stare into her, not looking to hear any excuses. “And don’t let anyone inside.”
Flora nodded, her eyes wide, and then I finally left, dragging my steps as I walked out of her building, my ears pricked for any noises out of place.
It wasn’t until I was in my car, about to drive home, that I realized we hadn’t even exchanged names.