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My eyes widened as I recognized the omega. He was a florist in town. We’d seen each other in passing but clearly had never gotten close enough.
He was wearing a floral bow tie and a button down shirt. He was petite, like me, fitting of his designation. The dark, fluffy hair on his head was an adorable mess of curls. His eyes were a soft blue that was calming and full of the same shock that was rocking through me.
“Tori, isn’t it?” he stuttered out as his cheeks flamed.
“Yeah,” I managed to whisper out. “Fuck, I need coffee for this.”
He let out a nervous sound that was a mix between a laugh and a gasp of horror.
“Sorry, it was a rough night,” I rushed to explain. “It’s not you, Felix, it’s me.”
“Is this you letting me down softly?” he asked. His eyes were wide and full of desperation.
He reminded me of a baby deer and I couldn’t find it in me to break his heart.
“Come on, let me buy you a coffee,” I suggested as the line moved forward. He shifted from behind me to next to me and let out a relieved breath.
It was strange, his timid outlook had me wanting to pull him closer and reassure him. The difference in reactions I had to him versus Warren, the alpha that wouldn’t let me go, was insane.
Warren was an alpha. That made all the difference in the world.
“Hey, Tori!” Kat said when she spotted me. Then she winced. “You look like shit. Bad night?”
“Understatement,” I breathed out while Felix let out a startled noise at her boldness.
“Hey, Felix, the usual?”
“Yeah,” he said, eyes wide and out of his depth.
“Make it two, just add like, seventeen shots of espresso to mine,” I tacked on.
“You got it,” she snorted before hurrying off to prepare the drinks.
“She’s not actually giving you seventeen shots, right?” he asked, alarmed.
“Doubt it,” I said with a huff. “If I could IV coffee today, I would.”
“What happened?” he asked. Felix seemed to be a mix of timid, but blunt. It was a strange combo and it left me reeling.
“Um, just some raccoons breaking into the cans outside my apartment last night. It kept me up,” I said quickly in a version of the truth. We had just officially met, the last thing I was going to do was spill my darkest insecurities.
That was at least third date material. And no one had made it that far yet, so I was safe.
“Here you go,” Kat said as she slid the coffees over. Before he could pay I handed her cash.
“Keep the change.”
“I knew you were my favorite Winters sibling,” she said cheerfully as she cashed it out and put the extra money in the tip jar.
“Look, I’m awkward on a good day, so I don’t know if I’m getting too ahead of myself, but I have to get back to the shop. Can we talk soon, though? Exchange numbers, maybe.”
“Yeah, we can do that,” I said, surprising myself.
Who was I and what did I do with Tori?
Even in the craziness of a busy coffee shop and finding a new scent-match, he had been so obviously startled that it kept my own at bay. It was strange, but nice.
Yet I knew how I was and I couldn’t find it in me to set him up for heartbreak.
