He lifted a brow. “Am I?”
I raised a hand to stop him. “You aren’t helping. Wait outside. I won’t be long. And don’t threaten to inhale anyone’s spine ever again. I feel like I shouldn’t have to say that.”
He leaned forward. “I’ve seen it done. It’s a real thing.”
I grimaced. “Well, that won’t give me nightmares. Please leave.”
He growled, then looked the guards up and down, who both had hands on their weapons, looking at him cautiously. “I’m giving you 15 minutes. If you don’t at least call me by then, I will—”
“Okay, bye!” I shouted before bustling off to the elevators.
I reached the top floor where the Baltimore regional coven office resided. It was very much like a business, and that was because we ran several operations. There was a large conference room for our meetings and several small offices for the businesses. Before getting to any of those spaces, there was a front desk, and the only way to even get off on that floor was via a magical badge, otherwise, you had to get the guard at the lobby to call up for someone to come down and bring you in. It was all necessary security as any magical offices and headquarters were targets for crimes.
I waited in the reception area until the front desk attendant said I could go back to the first office on the left. It was a temporary one that Chilli used when she came to visit.
When I walked into her office, she greeted me with a cheerful hug. “How are you doing, dear? I bet you’re all shaken up from that awful attack you told me about.” She gestured for me to sit down on the couch adjacent to her desk, and she sat down across from me in a leather chair.
“I’ve been alright. The guys have been super helpful,” I replied.
She made a slight grimace. “You still got hurt.”
“It would have been worse.”
“True. Well, I have been trying out spells that can help dampen your scent from demons. I’ve done it before, but for an omega, it’s something different. That’s more challenging. If your heat comes on, no spell will work to cover the pheromones. But outside of that, the spell should hold.”
That did bring me some comfort that I had so many people on my side. Although with my heat knocking at my door, I wasn’t sure how long it would work. “Thank you.”
She waved a hand. “Of course, my dear. I would never let anything happen to you. I’ll do all I can to prevent you from being harmed. I’ll put the spell over you before you leave. Now, tell me how the alpha search is going.”
This was not going to be a fun conversation. Chilli was very invested but not in Kai and the gang. “Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that. I don’t think I need to do any more searches. I actually like the guys my father chose. So, if I do choose to settle down with alphas, I think they would be it. The more I get to know them, the more I like them. I’ve never encountered an alpha I liked, so to have four, that can’t be overlooked.”
Actually, now I was feeling a little, maybe a lot, foolish for not wanting to meet the guys when my father was alive. Who would have known my dad would be so good at picking guys I liked? We were close, and this realization just made me feel more connected to him even with him gone.
She lifted a brow, clearly still stuck on the pack not being the right pick. “Are you sure? Might you consider giving Anil another chance? He seemed really upset that he made a bad first impression on you.”
I wasn’t sure I was buying that. Anil might be fooling Chilli, but he wasn’t fooling me. Especially after Ty’s story. “Honestly, I don’t see the need in giving him another chance. Maybe I might be missing out on a great guy, but I don’t think he’s for me.”
“What about someone else? I had a second option, just as good.”
I scooted to the edge of the couch. Something inside of me held a pinch of guilt that I didn’t want Chilli to fix me up anymore. I hated disappointing her. She was my father’s friend and a mentor to me. Still, I just didn’t have it in me to meet anyone else without giving my full attention to the pack. I didn’t want to. I liked them.
“I’m sorry to let you down. I kind of want to see this thing through with the guys. I’m not saying I’m ready to be claimed, though.”
Chilli tapped her chin, squinting her eyes at me. “If you aren’t ready to be claimed, then what are you doing with them?”
“Well, I moved in. It’s a trial run to see how things go. Individually, I like them, but moving in with all of them would be very telling.”
She smirked at me. “You must really like them already. You smile when you mention them.”
I pressed my hands to my cheeks. “Do I?”
She gave me a knowing nod. “You are practically glowing. I suppose they are spoiling you in all ways. They’re very handsome men. I’m not surprised. Any woman would bend.”
My cheeks grew warm under my hands, and I looked down at my lap. I so did not want to talk about sex with Chilli. “It’s more than that. They treat me really well, and we have great chemistry. I have something in common with each of them. Kai’s funny, and we can talk about anything. And he actually watches romance dramas with me without complaining. Maybe it’s the incubus in him that likes it. And Ty, he’s sweet and nerdy. We will talk about anime all day and watch horror movies. Daniel loves to feed me and said he’d be my brunch buddy. I’m a foodie, so I like that. Oh, and Lance, he’s still slow to warm up, but he’s a great listener and loves nature. We went on a hike and had a really nice time. I know it all sounds silly, but it makes it so much easier to have those shared interests.”
Chilli closed her eyes and raised her hands, mumbling in a magic language, creating what sounded like a helping spell as I recognized a few words. She then opened her eyes, smiling. “I gave you the protection spell I created. You have found something, my dear, and you need to protect it. I’m still not certain about these men, but I will do what I can to make sure you have a safe place with them.”
I relaxed my shoulders, relieved that she didn’t seem angry with me. “Thank you, Chilli. I really appreciate all you’ve done.”
