His dark eyes burn into mine, making my heart stop instantly as I freeze.
“I’m Marcus,” he says, his voice a deep rumble. Without warning, he drops to one knee before me, his face level with my thighs. He leans forward, inhaling deeply, his nose inches from the hem of my uniform and embarrassingly right in front of my throbbing pussy.
I jump back with a startled cry, pressing my short dress tight against my thighs. “What the fuck?”
“I need to make sure,” Marcus growls, his eyes never leaving mine. “Spread your legs, omega. Let me confirm your scent.”
Something strange happens to me. It’s like I want to listen to his command. A wave of heat washes through me, settling low in my belly. An inexplicable urge to do exactly as he commands pulses through my veins. My thighs tremble, wanting to part.
I desperately want to obey him for some reason.
I clamp my legs together tighter, fighting against the bizarre compulsion.
“No,” I manage to choke out, but my voice wavers.
Marcus rises slowly to his feet, circling me with deliberate steps. I feel like a rabbit being stalked by a wolf. My breath comes in short, shallow gasps as he moves behind me, so close I can feel the heat radiating from his body.
“Your body knows what you are,” he murmurs near my ear, sending shivers down my spine. “You can deny it, but your scent doesn’t lie.”
I try to keep him in my sight, turning awkwardly to follow his movement. My heart hammers so hard I’m sure everyone in the room can hear it. A primal part of my brain screams danger, while another part, a part I’ve never known existed, whispers submission. I know with bone-deep certainty that if I try to run, he’ll chase me to the ends of the earth. Until I’m caught and I am his.
“You’re frightening her, Marcus,” Ryker’s voice cuts through the tension. “Back off. Now.”
Marcus pauses mid-step, a low growl rumbling from his chest. For a moment, he seems ready to challenge Ryker, but then he takes a reluctant step back.
I take a few quick breaths to ease the dizziness that I suddenly feel, and I quickly grab onto Ryker’s arm for assistance. “I’m dizzy… I don’t know why.”
“You must be hungry,” Ryker says to me, in a gentler tone than he used on Marcus. “Let’s get you something to eat.”
Relief floods through me. I nod mutely, grateful for the intervention.
The blond man approaches, moving with a casual grace.
“Sorry about Marcus,” he says with a wry smile. “He hasn’t had sex in years. Makes him a bit... intense.” He extends a hand toward me. “I’m Alaric.”
I hesitate before taking his hand, half-expecting him to try sniffing me too. Instead, he gives my hand a brief, respectful shake. Despite his apology, I can see the same hidden excitement dancing in his eyes that I noticed in the others.
It’s like they’ve all discovered something precious.
Ryker places a hand lightly on my lower back, guiding me away from the office. I allow it, desperate to escape the intensity of that room and the men’s stares.
“The pack is a little riled up with an omega in the house,” he explains as we walk down a hallway. “We’re all excited.”
“I’m not an omega,” I insist, my voice stronger now that we’re away from the others. “I don’t even know what that is.”
He leads me into a grand dining room dominated by a long table that could seat twenty people. Crystal chandeliers hang from the ceiling, casting warm light over the polished wood.
“I’ll explain everything,” Ryker promises, “but let’s get some food in you first. You’ve had quite a shock.”
As if on cue, a man in a chef’s outfit suddenly appears.
“You have a chef?” I ask, my eyes wide.
Ryker gestures toward him. “What would you like to eat?”
“Anything you have is fine,” I mumble, still shaken from the encounter in the office.
“That’s not an answer,” Ryker says firmly. “Do you like pasta? Steak? Tacos? Seafood? Whatever you want, it’s yours.”
