“Are you kidding me?” my alpha accused. “You bet on if I would come or not?”
“Actually,” North corrected, giving him a look. “We bet on whethershewas real or not.”
I swallowed hard as he stared at me now, as if peeling away my armor to see the lies we were hiding underneath. He didn’t smile or frown, his look was neutral, searching. I could see the pretty teal of his eyes from here and they held me captive. He ran a hand through his sandy brown hair, messing it up before it laid back in place, never looking away.
The alpha walked around the counter, breaking off our silent stare-off as he stepped into view. I blinked for a second, thrown by the intense beta, before putting a smile on my face.
“Hello, you must be Cole’s brother, Jack.” I could see the similarities in his features.
“Guilty,” Jack said, holding out his hand and stepping a bit closer.
I was quickly hit with that peppermint and mocha scent again, only it was stronger now that he was this close. There was a spicy alpha undertone drifting through the blend that made it even more delicious. It was so strong that I knew right away what it meant.
“It’s you,” Jack said, his voice a hoarse whisper now. I wasn’t sure whether to panic or scream at this point.
“What’s wrong?” Karina asked, rushing over, while Cole moved protectively against my back.
“She’s my scent-match, too. I can’t believe this,” Jack told them, never breaking eye contact with me. I sank back into Cole’s touch, hoping for him to say something first.
Cole’s hands wrapped protectively around me, but I couldn’t tell whether he was upset or not. We really didn’t know each other well enough to read reactions and body language.
I wasn’t sure what to say. All I could do was study the man standing before me.
This close, I could see more similarities between him and Cole. Their hair was both dark, but where Cole’s was short and styled professionally, Jack’s was slightly longer, with a curl to it that hung in front of his eyes.
It was long enough to run your fingers through. Something I probably shouldn’t be thinking when I was such a damn mess.
Then again, when had I ever taken things slow and normal? I thrived on new adventures, chaos, and instinct.
Jack’s style was also more relaxed. He was wearing a black sweater and dark jeans. There was stubble on his chin as he grinned back at me with perfect, white teeth. There was a slight dimple to his right cheek, and his eyes were a warmer brown than Cole’s intense, dark brown.
The gingerbread and nutmeg scent started to burn, a slight char to it that had me glancing around him.
“Do you have something in the oven burning?”
Jack studied me curiously, a hint of relief there. “You can smell that?”
It was my turn to be confused.
“Come here,” he said, reaching forward and grabbing my hands, pulling me out of Cole’s grip. He tugged me around the island, not stopping until I was standing in front of North, who hadn’t moved a muscle.
He was starting to worry me with the intensity of his stare, the way his hands were gripping the counter as if it might steady him. He looked like he was in pain.
“Are you okay?” I questioned carefully, not wanting to offend him.
“We’re not baking anything, omega,” Jack said into my ear, so quietly just we could hear. “I think my best friend here is worried he’s going to be left out.”
It took me far too long to realize what he was trying to say: that this beta was the source of that scent, and also the burnt edge that had taken over.
I’m not sure what compelled me to do it, but I found myself leaning in, my nose only inches from his chest as I breathed in deep. The scent was stronger here at the source, a rich warmth to it that had my eyes nearly rolling back in my head.
He was my match, too.
Not only did I cause chaos and kiss my boss, then I scent-matched him, and now I was scent-matched to his brother and his brother’s best friend. This was going to be one complicated holiday.
“Oh my,” Karina said, her hand flying up to cover her mouth as she studied us. If I thought she was excited to find out I was Cole’s fiance, she was even more thrilled I’d matched to all three of her boys.
Something passed between the brothers, adding a heaviness to the air that soured their scents all at once.
