The footsteps pause for a second, and a throat clears.
“You can… you can look up.”
It takes me a second, but I sweep a quick glance from beneath my lashes. It’s Green. His form is shadowed, the lights from the house behind him obscuring his features, but he sounds subdued. Confusion draws my eyebrows down for a second. He doesn’t sound that excited to have an omega here. Not that I think I’m some fantastic prize or anything, but it doesn’t gel with what I’ve been taught over the last five years. I thought there’d at least be a touch of crowing. Having an omega is supposed to be a pretty big social jump.
A noise sounds from behind him, and he shifts over, allowing me to see another two figures heading towards us. Trepidation tightens my throat and I shift back slightly, a slight whine slipping out of me. The figures both stop abruptly and Green shoots a look over his shoulder.
“Guys, back off a minute. Let’s get her inside first. She’ll freeze out here.” I’m shivering, the cold air pushing into the open doorway. I’m pretty sure I might poke him in the eye with a nipple if they don’t let me inside soon.
The footsteps retreat and Green reaches for me with his arms outstretched. I shrink back, looking from his hands to his face uncertainly. What does he want me to do?
“You can’t walk,” he says gently. His voice is warm and raspy. “You haven’t got any shoes on. Let me carry you again.”
Oh. My mind goes back to him carrying me to the truck. That he’s asked again rather than just grabbing me, even now we’re in his territory and he can behave however he wants, is another point in his favor. At my slight nod, he gingerly steps forward. Sweeping an arm behind my back, I’m in his arms before I can do more than blink. He smells divine, and I fight the urge to bury my nose in his jacket. I do breathe in deeply though to inhale his grassy scent. It’s soothing, my body relaxing as he turns for the doorway.
The scents are even stronger here, mingling with each other in a way that screams familiarity. There must be four in this pack, and the freshly-baked bread I picked up in the car is front and center. All four call to me in a way I didn’t expect, and my perfume rises up in an unexpected cloud. Deep, spiced cinnamon with a hint of orange works its way into the air. Shit. My scent blockers have well and truly worn off.
Green sucks in a breath, and a rumbling sound flutters against my side. My core clenches at the sound of his purr and I slam my eyes shut, gritting my teeth and tensing against him as I battle to stop the rush of heat between my legs.
“Whoa,” a deep voice chokes out, and I feel the stares of the other alphas on my face. Their scents combined with the purring from Green is too much, and I whine softly. Curses echo around the room from four different voices.
Abruptly, I’m dropped into a chair, and my eyes fly open at the loss of Green’s warmth. He backs away from me, moving around to keep a table between us. His nostrils are flaring, and his purr turns into a deep, hoarse growl as he fights to get his instincts under control.
“Holy shit,” one of the men whispers, and I get the first proper look at my new pack.
Two men are staring at me, one with a shit-eating grin on his face and the other with a hopeful small smile. They’re both incredibly good-looking, and I can feel my body responding.Why, hello there.My scent is practically screaming an invitation at them.
The grinning alpha is tall, well over six feet, heavily muscled with lightly tanned olive skin and deep blue eyes that twinkle in amusement as he meets my eyes. I’m not sure if he’s laughing at me. It doesn’t feel like it though. More like we’re sharing our own private joke. I hesitantly twist my lips into a small smile, and his grin broadens, eyes crinkling in delight. The shape of my lips feels unnatural. I wonder how long it’s been since I truly smiled. A long time. Even longer since I’ve laughed.
The second alpha bounces lightly on his feet. He’s not much smaller than his friend, but just as easy on the eyes. My eyes jump to the jagged line running down his face. It’s vicious, as though he’s been slashed with a knife. The pinkish line runs from under his rumpled ash blonde hair and down across his left eye, which is a cloudy brown. It looks… not new, but recent. Maybe a few months. I have enough scars to know.
He catches my look and flinches, taking a step back. I immediately drop my head, staring down at my hands and clasping them in front of me as I wonder how he lost his sight. A wave of sympathy clenches in my stomach. They seem… nice, this pack, and a cautious optimism fills me. Maybe things won’t be so bad here after all. It can’t be worse than the compound. I shudder at the thought and a low growl of distress comes from the blonde alpha. Looking up, the tall one is frowning, his lips pulled into a thin line. The blonde alpha turns away from me and I realise that he probably mistook my shudder for disgust.
Wetting my lips, I consider staying quiet, but I don’t want him to think I’m judging him.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper in apology. “That wasn’t…I didn’t…”
My words flounder as I search for the words to explain. “I was thinking about something else.”
The blonde stares at me, the rich brown of his remaining functional eye holding my gaze steadily. His face softens, and he nods at me, accepting my weak apology.
“Don’t worry about it,” he says kindly. “Everyone stares at first.”
I swallow, offering him another small smile. The other alpha moves away, breaking the moment with a clap of his hands.
“Well, this is awkward, so let’s move on,” he quips. “Have these two bothered to introduce themselves at all, or have they just steamrolled everything?”
My smile grows slightly, but my gaze sweeps the room. I’m looking for Brown, the woodsmoke and leather alpha who held me tightly in the Director’s office. I find him leaning against a wall in the corner, arms crossed. Moody and mysterious seems to be his MO.
He looks like he’d rather be anywhere else than here, and a small swell of disappointment fills my stomach at the look on his face. His lip is curled in derision as he runs his eyes over me. I want to shrink away, but sit up straight and meet his angry eyes head-on, satisfied when they widen in surprise for a moment. If he thinks I’m gonna be cowed by a look, then he needs to take a closer look at the compound’s extra-curricular activities.
They haven’t made me kneel or drop my eyes yet, so I’m seizing the opportunity while I have it. I move my gaze past Mr. Grumpy, taking in the farmhouse-style kitchen. Exposed beams run along the cream ceiling above us, the dark wood matching the table we’re all sitting around. Lighter wooden counters line the sage green walls, a large refrigerator humming in the background with a separate door next to it. I’m guessing it might be a cellar.
A strand of wistfulness winds through me. It’s cosy, warm, and comforting. Ilovethis kitchen.
The blonde alpha clears his throat, drawing my attention back as he motions to himself.
“Hi,” he says, a small grin on his face. “So, I’m Gabe. That’s Ace,” he throws a thumb at the taller alpha, “and then we have Devlin, and Rogue, who’s our pack leader. Well, his name is Rogan, but we call him Rogue. We’re the Winter pack.” A light blush stains his cheeks as he explains.
