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I stare downat the Isaac Asimov book in my hand, frowning at the black and white cover. Was I really that much of a book snob or was I just being oversensitive? The pretty Beta with the dark hair that took off running seemed to think so. I thought I was a pretty open guy, but maybe I was wrong. I wish she stayed so we could have talked about books a little longer, romance or not. Maybe I could have redeemed myself.
Not that it matters now. She’s long gone.
I lift the book she’d been holding from the shelf, finding the pages bent from when she dropped it. I run my fingers along the blade to crease the pages back to their original condition. The cover is designed in the typical bodice-ripper style: a man and a woman embracing in torn clothes, both looking like they’re about to orgasm right there underneath the $8.99 price tag. I’ll never hear the end of it from the other guys if I buy it, but I still add it to the pile anyway. I could just say I met the author and wanted to see what she wrote, that was all. The girl hadn’t confirmed that she was the author of this book, but she hadn’t denied it either, and it was pretty clear by the proud look on her face that she had something to do with its production.
“Will this be all?” says the auburn-haired female employee, scanning the books’ barcodes at lightning speed. I nod in response, my thoughts still on the peculiar Beta girl. I had found her… attractive. More than attractive, actually, which was odd. There are plenty of good-looking Beta men and women, and I’ve always found them pleasant to look at, but I’ve never been enthralled enough to want to have any sort of relations with them, unlike some of the other Alphas in my pack. But this girl, with her messy dark hair and pale skin, seemed to electrify something in me that wanted more. She’d been lecturing me about literary assumptions, and all I could think about was running my hand down her jawline or leaning in and tasting the pulse point in her elegant neck.
Odd. Maybe Thane would know better. As an endocrinologist, my packmate was well-versed in hormone imbalances, and maybe this fell into that category. I hoped I wasn’t getting sick, but then again, I didn’t know of any conditions that caused Alphas to suddenly become enthralled with a Beta. I mean, Fox fucked Betas all the time, and he’s right, it’s like putting a band aid on a bullet wound. It eased theneed, but didn’t get rid of it entirely. Not like knotting an Omega would.
Outside of the building, I hear sirens begin to wail, more than one by the sound of it. The alarms still sound distant, but more and more join them until there is practically an orchestra of emergency sirens holding a concert outside.
“What the hell?” muses the bookshop employee, and I agree with her thoughts. I take my bagged books from her and open the shop door carefully. I haven’t heard any shooting, but if I get myself shot, I’ll never hear the end of it from Thane while he fusses over me.
My back stiffens as shouting joins the sirens, and a thin figure comes sprinting toward me, followed by two burly officers, guns in hands. As the figure gets closer, I realize it’s the Beta from the bookshop. That realization is punctuated by the sudden, sweet scent of magnolia blossoms that hit me like a punch to the gut.
She’s not a Beta.
She’s an Omega.
And that scent? I inhale deeply, the rumble in my chest rolling down to the soles of my feet. It’s possibly the most alluring scent I’ve ever found in my entire life. The smell of honeysuckle joins the magnolia blossoms, and I know that I’ll never find anything like it again.
I drop the bag of books to the ground and take off running before my lazy brain catches up with my limbs. Every Alpha instinct I have is urging me to protect the Omega, to keep her safe and secure. My mind is racing with possibility. If I hadn’t caught her scent before it meant she was blocking it. Probably taking heat suppressants. But she wasn’t bonded. That I was sure of. And she wasn’t chaperoned by a family member or a promised pack as was law when an Omega was out in public. Which could only mean one thing.
Within seconds, I’ve crossed the hundred yards between us, skidding to a halt and pulling the Omega away from the officer with his fist in her shirt, back into the cradle of my arms. She gasps in shock, her spine locking, and I can’t help but bury my nose in her hair and inhale her scent. That magnolia smell is so strong and comforting, like a lazy warm summer day, but underneath, there’s a strange aridity that sends a shiver down my back. It’s a bit like biting into the juiciest apple, but the tartness of it sucks your mouth dry, leaving a not unpleasant bite of sour in its wake.
She must be taking some sort of suppressant or using a blocker, because I can’t think what else would cause the sour tang unless it’s just another layer to her pheromones. I can’t help but inhale her again and again, a high making my head light. I’d caught distant whiffs of Omegas before, claimed and unclaimed, but I’d never allowed myself to get close. It isn’t what the pack wanted.
Wasthiswhat I was missing?
Christ.
No. All Omegas couldn’t possibly smell this way.
I knew there was something about this girl…
She shakes like a maple leaf in my arms, and thinking quickly, I tuck her against my chest, making soft, shushing noises into her head, pressing a kiss to her damp temple. She still hasn’t relaxed into me, but she’s not fighting me either.
I rub my hand along her forearm as a comforting gesture, but her skin feels cold and clammy. Fuck, I hope she’s not going into shock. I don’t know what I’d do if she were, honestly. We’d have to take her to the hospital or emergency room, and she’s already obviously trying to run away from authority, not toward it.
“It’s okay,” I whisper, eyeing the cops, digging for the best play here.
Clearly, she’s trying to hide from the cops. Trying to pass herself off as a Beta. All I know is that I feel a vicious need to protect her, even if I’ve only known her for a few minutes.
“Thank you for finding her,” I say to the taller, tow-headed cop, giving him a false look of gratitude when all I really want to do is throttle him for touching her. “I’ve been looking for her everywhere. I was so worried.”
Since I can’t bring myself to thank the brutish Alpha, I glance at the other Beta officer’s name tag and add, “Officer Dunmore, I can’t thank you enough.”
“Why is your Omega wandering the streets alone?” asks the first cop, whose name tag reads Whitten. His sharp gaze has yet to leave the Omega.
He’s undressing her with his eyes, while at the same time glaring at her as if she is the lowest form of trash. A second glance shows his pupils are nearly fully dilated, and the erection popping through his trousers is prominent and unhidden. This cop is nearly too far gone on her sweet scent. I do the only thing I can do: I let out a possessive growl that echoes from my belly up into my chest, and he immediately looks up at me, thin lips pursed in frustration. Like a wolf howling over its territory, or a bear fighting for its prey, I growl again, claiming the Omega as untouchable to anyone but me and my Pack. When I’m sure he’s backed down enough, I let the aggressive expression slide from my face, though my anger isn’t hidden too far below my skin.
“She isn’t wandering them alone,” I argue, pulling the Omega tighter against me. Her back relaxes, and she nuzzles into my chest like a newborn kitten trying to find warmth. My pants tighten at her affection, and I have to shake my head to get my bearings back. It isn’t exactly best practice to be aroused while talking to the police, and we’re all screwed if I go into rut as well. No pun intended. “We were in the bookstore together, and I lost her. You know how easy it is to get turned around in those sorts of places. She must’ve lost sight of me and assumed I stepped outside.”
“She could have been injured,” bites out Whitten, gesturing angrily at the shivering Omega. I’d bet money he doesn’t care at all whether she was injured or not, as long as he could have a piece of her. “We’ll have to fine you for your negligence. The laws protecting Omegas are in place for a reason, son.”
You mean because of creeps like you?
“I understand,” I say, gritting my teeth into a stiff smile that nearly cracks my jaw. “I absolutely should have been taking better care of her, and I accept the consequences of my actions. However, let me just cover her up while you write out the fine. She’s shivering.” I’m laying it on thick, but Whitten just grunts and heads down the block to his parked patrol car. No other cars are around him, so whatever incident was going down must have cleared up while I was chasing my faux Beta. I wouldn’t think all of those officers were here for her, but it’s been a strange enough day already, and I wouldn’t discount the idea completely.
