8. Chapter 8
Ivy
Walking into the country club was intimidating.
I’d hurriedly put on an outfit that morning, a white linen dress that fit me well, maybe a little looser than it should be since I last tried it on.
I’d been saving it for such an occasion.
I looked around my closet, scanning for anything I could use to make it better.
A thin brown belt that I’d rarely worn was still hanging in the back, so I grabbed it and placed it around my waist, giving me a nice hourglass figure.
Then I paired the whole outfit with some brown sandals and gold jewelry, it was probably the best I’d looked in a long time.
Finally, I grabbed a white-and-blue satin-patterned scarf and tied it around my neck.
Perfect. I looked in the mirror - I looked classy, professional, and like I’d actually fit in.
I walked down to the foyer, where Arabella was rushing about at the last minute.
She looked the part of a country club member, which made sense because she was one.
She had a tennis skirt and a cute top, with her jewelry looking impeccable and designer tennis shoes.
Her blonde hair was done, and her makeup made her glow like an angel.
She paused when she saw me, her eyes moving slowly over my outfit.
Something sharp crossed her face before her expression changed.
“Oh.” She laughed. “You look… really dressed up.”
My stomach tightened immediately, and my insecurities rose in my mind. I didn’t go to these types of things like she did. Did I look like I was trying too hard?
Arabella stepped closer, removing the scarf from my neck without asking.
“Ivy, this is just a lunch meeting, not a fashion show.” Her fingers moved to the belt around my waist. “This belt makes the dress look a little too overt on you.” Before I could respond, she slipped the belt free and handed it to me.
“You look much softer without it.” Then her eyes landed on my jewelry.
“Are you really going to wear all that jewelry to a lunch?” Her face held a look like she found me to be completely out of my element.
And I was. I quickly took off my earrings and bracelet, and Arabella sighed.
“Really, Ivy. You’ve got to be more aware of how you come across.
” She shook her head. I looked down at the belt and necklace in my hands as Arabella smiled sweetly at me.
I was now just wearing a plain, slightly too big linen dress and sandals.
“There,” she said approvingly. “Now you look more like yourself.” Compared to her, I looked like I could blend into the wall.
But I guess I felt more comfortable that way.
I didn’t want to stand out - not in a way that looked ridiculous.
It was better to let her be the one who got all the attention. She knew how to do it the right way.
“Come on, everyone, let’s not be late,” Clara announced as she walked into the foyer. “Ah! Ivy. You finally found something that works for your figure.” She said, eyeing me up and down. “It’s a very forgiving dress, I’ll say that much. Well, come on then.” She said, motioning for us to follow.
We joined Clara and my father’s pack in the large SUV, heading toward the club as I felt knots grow in my stomach. I wanted to see Pack Vale again, but not this soon. I wasn’t quite sure what the lunch was for, either.
Soon, the SUV pulled up in front of an enormous stone building surrounded by trimmed hedges and black cars.
The building looked less like an estate hidden in the middle of the city.
Tall white columns framed the entrance, and several alpha security stood near the doors dressed in dark suits with earpieces.
My eyes widened at how fancy this place was.
I wasn’t used to going out like this - my family and Arabella were the ones to attend the business and social functions, not me.
We were escorted through the building, then led out to a luxurious patio where I could already sense Pack Vale. Sure enough, the three men were seated at a table, and stood the moment they saw us.
“Good morning,” Hunter said, his powerful presence only slightly less intimidating when he gave us a warm smile.
Ronan just nodded, and Elias gave me a wide grin.
The three of them then shook hands with each of the males in my family’s pack, before nodding at Clara.
“Please have a seat. Our server will be here shortly.” Hunter explained.
He was still dressed as if he had to head to a C-suite instead of brunch.
His dark hair was still styled back, and I noticed that despite his politeness, he was watching Arabella and I more closely today.
As he stepped closer to pull out a chair, a cool scent drifted toward me, reminding me of fresh ocean mist rolling onto the shore at sunrise.
It was clean and crisp, somehow calming despite the commanding alpha it belonged to.
I shivered with excitement - they hadn’t used descenter.
I was finally able to smell them, and Hunter’s scent was incredible.
As a fragrance lover, I was already blown away by his fresh scent.
I shook my head, trying not to look silly as the wave of euphoria passed through me.
I tried to discreetly breathe through my mouth as I took a seat and looked around.
Ronan was seated nearby in slacks and a short-sleeve shirt, but still looked like he was an off-duty bodyguard.
His long, dark hair had a few more loose curls out today, and now I could see the intricate tattoos that lined his muscular arms as he relaxed into his chair.
He was too far away for me to catch his scent yet.
Elias was next to him, wearing casual slacks with a button-down, the sleeves rolled to his forearms. The top few buttons were undone, exposing tan skin.
I couldn’t help my eyes lingering on the skin near his throat, a warm feeling of neediness building up in me at the sight of him.
I swallowed, my nerves rising, but then he looked over at me with such warmth in his grey eyes that it helped to ease my intimidation at being here.
“This place is impressive. We’re glad you wanted to talk about strategy so soon.
” My father remarked while Clara glanced over the menu as our server stopped by.
Hunter nodded, ever the professional. Elias kept glancing over at me, his eyes lighting up in a way that made heat creep up my neck.
Even Ronan’s gaze tracked me quietly as I sat down, intense enough that it made my pulse jump.
They weren’t being obvious enough for my family to comment on it, but I noticed it anyway.
Arabella definitely noticed, though. She cleared her throat and flipped her hair behind her shoulders, a move meant to show off her neck.
“Hello, Arabella,” Elias said as he noticed her. “You look like you just got done with a tennis match. Do you play?” He asked, and Arabella fluttered her eyelashes at him.
“Who, me? Occasionally.” She said sweetly, placing her chin on her hand as she looked at him.
“Well, you look the part. You’d fit in well at this club.” He said with a nod, and I could practically feel her crowing with victory at scooping the attention back onto herself. But her victory was short-lived. Elias turned toward me, eyeing me.
As he leaned forward, I caught his scent for the first time. It was incredible - black tea mingled with the clean smell of freshly laundered cotton, warm and quietly comforting. Before I knew it, I'd found myself taking another discreet breath.
“And Ivy, well. I’m glad you came out today. I’ve been dying to talk to you more about bonding research.” He said, and I beamed. Arabella sighed dramatically and reached for my shoulder, placing her hand on it in a fake show of camaraderie. It took everything in me not to pull away from her.
“You’ll have to excuse Ivy. She’s not used to coming to these places and wasn't sure about the dress code. It’s something I’m helping her with.
” She said, a pearly smile on her face as she acted like an angel who spent her time helping the less fortunate.
I felt my face heat as I looked down. I thought my outfit was fine now that she’d fixed it?
“You look perfectly fine, Ivy. I’m the one dressed like I’m on the beach.
” The low voice from the far side of the table surprised me, and I looked at Ronan, who wore the hint of a smile.
He was the most casually dressed of us all, and I gave him a grateful smile.
It made me feel so full of confidence that I felt like I could speak up.
“Well, speaking of research, I already looked up some of your published works. Your paper on inherited bonding compatibility markers was incredible. Most researchers focus entirely on scent pairings, but you actually explored the neurological side of long-term bond stability.” I said, excited to talk about science with someone besides the staff at our company.
Elias blinked, clearly surprised. “You read that?” He asked, leaning forward, his grey eyes widening.
I nodded quickly. “Twice, actually. I thought your theories about pheromone adaptation were really interesting, especially knowing that emotional safety can strengthen compatibility markers.” I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear nervously.
Elias’s smile grew bigger. The table had gone oddly quiet.
Elias stared at me for a moment before laughing softly in disbelief. “You might actually be the first person outside of academia who’s ever read my dissertation voluntarily.”