Part 1
(Six years ago…)
Chapter one
Hayden
The thing about the upcoming holidays is that if you’re a single omega like me, your family expects you to find someone to bring home with you. If you don’t bring home some big, strapping alpha who wants to fill you up with babies, then you can expect hundreds of questions and pitying looks.
Or if you’re extra special, like me, then you can expect blind dates and alphas of all shapes and sizes being paraded in front of you like you’re at some strange man meat buffet. Alphas that are all kinds of wrong and just creep you the hell out.
If your family is anything like mine, they claim that they just want you to be happy. Ignore the fact that it would make you extra happy to not be set up with your fifty-four-year-old neighbor, who is, quite honestly, more suitable for your mom.
Hence, my current situation. Desperate times call for desperate measures and all that.
“Do you really have to use so much of that stuff?” Nora asks, face scrunched. She’s leaning against the doorframe of our bathroom, watching me get ready for my date. “It smells like cinnamon and flowers, but in a weird way.”
I laugh. “A weird way?” My best friend has never been a fan of floral scents, and if I’m honest, neither have I.
“Yeah, spicy lavender shouldn’t be a thing.”
I laugh again. Of course, Nora would make me smile when I’m this nervous. She knows exactly what I need before I do. Just like I can do the same for her. She’s been my best friend since high school, after she dumped spaghetti over her ex-boyfriend’s head in the cafeteria for bullying me.
“But seriously,” she says, scrunching her nose. “It smells like you used the whole bottle of scent blockers.”
“I know,” I groan, walking into my bedroom. “It’s just that I’m so close to my heat, and I really need this date to go well. It’s either this guy or Mom is going to try to set me up with some random guy for our holiday vacation.” Every year, my family and I go on vacation, and every year since turning twenty, Mom has taken it upon herself to make sure I don’t die lonely. Or at least that’s what she tells me whenever I find myself sitting next to some unknown alpha at Christmas dinner.
Four years. Four alphas.Screw that.I’m finding my own date this year.
“True.” Nora nods, following me. “But isn’t this an easier solution? The guy smells your heat coming, and he’ll want to jump your bones.”
I roll my eyes. “Yeah, watch him take my heat and then leave right after,” I scoff. “I need the guy to like me enough to be willing to go on Christmas vacation with my family.” My very large, loving, Filipino family.
Nora chuckles. “Yeah, good luck with that.”
“Hey!” I yell, outraged. I throw a pillow at her, and before I know it, we are in full pillow-fight mode, laughing and having a good time. Nerves forgotten. Damn, I love my bestie.
Twenty minutes later, I’m sitting across from the rudest alpha I’ve ever met. This guy might be attractive, but his personality is absolutely horrid. At this point, I’m tempted to sneak off to the restroom and call Mom to tell her Old Man Roger would make a wonderful date. At least the nosy neighbor is a gentleman.
“Look,” Fergison says, lifting his wineglass to his lips. “This clearly isn’t going to work.” Despite his words, he gives me this sleezy up-and-down look, making it obvious that he’s checking me out. Which is confusing as hell.
I stiffen at his words, feeling slightly offended. I mean, sure, I was just thinking the same fucking thing, but I wasn’t going to go around announcing it for the whole damn restaurant to hear. Feeling a bit sassy—and a little defeated—I open my mouth before I can think better of it. “And why is that?”
He smirks, as if he’s happy I asked. “You just remind me of those nerdy, desperate little omegas who always wanted to jumpmy bones just because I was the quarterback. The quarterback status always gets omegas to melt.”
I arch a brow, unimpressed. “Hmm, talk about a disappointing cliché,” I snap. “My brother was a quarterback, and he wasn’t repugnant like you.”
A deep rumble of laughter can be heard from somewhere behind me. I mentally high-five myself for at least entertaining someone.
Instead of pissing this alpha off, like I hoped, he looks slightly confused. “See?Repugnant. Who says that word nowadays, and what does it even mean? It’s clear this thing between us isn’t going to work.”
“You’re right,” I reply, pointing an index finger between the two of us. Why the hell is this guy still talking? “It’s not going to work, buddy. My taste in alphas requires a stronger vocabulary, or at the very least, a basic understanding of respect.”
Fergison licks his teeth before leaning in close and sniffing the air around me. “Mmm, lavender. Why don’t we forget about this stupid so-called date and get out of here? Let’s take what we both want tonight. I can show you a good time, probably the best you’ll ever have, then we can part ways.”
Then, the fucker has the audacity to reach for my face. I jerk back before he can make contact.
A chair screeches loudly, as if insulted for me, but I don’t pay any attention. I’ve had enough of this asshole. Before I even know what’s happening, I’m throwing my expensive glass of wine all over my date. Several people gasp around us.
