“Oh fuck,” I groan. “I can’t even understand you.”
“Stop cursing in French,” deep voice says to the mean one.
“Sorry,” he says. I’m blinking, the sun still bright above us as I take the three men in. With the cold air, scenting is extremely difficult, but there’s no doubt in my mind that they are all Alphas. I can only see blobs of them, and I blink a few more times. Great, I’ve hit my head so hard my vision has gotten worse.Just fucking great.
“Where does it hurt?” deep voice says.
“My chest and my head,” I say, wincing as I touch the back of my head.
“Can you get up?” sweet voice asks. I look over at him, blinking. My vision clearly is not adjusting well to hitting my head, so I clench my eyes shut.
“If I pick you up and carry you off the ice, will your dog freak out?” deep voice asks.
“No, Hank is a good boy.” I wince as soon as I say it, but I hear a few light chuckles.
“Mikael, go grab her stuff and lead the dog to the cabin. Anders, grab our stuff.” I really like the deep voice guy, I’ve decided. The way he tells the two men what to do and they do so with no bitching at all. There’s something about a man in charge that has always enthralled me. While I’m guilty of being a bit bossy, it would be nice to shut my brain off every now and then.
“If he bites me, it’s on you.” I know now that’s Mikael’s voice.The mean one.Once my vision isn’t fucked, I’ll be able to put faces to names.
“Just get the dog.” He clears his throat, and there are two hands, very large hands, on my side. My lips part, and I gasp. “Can I pick you up, sweetheart? Is that okay?” he asks. I wonder if he can smell that I’m an Omega. I can’t pick up his scent, but I know when I’m near his chest, he will no doubt be able to scent me. I wonder if maybe my sense of smell isn’t as strong as other Omegas. Maybe that’s why no Alphas have been alluring to me. Fuck, I’m just really damaged goods at this point, aren’t I?
“That’s fine.”
His hands are gentle as he picks me up by the back of my neck, being careful of my head, and underneath my legs. He stiffens as he brings me close to his chest, and I can hear his inhale like a pin drop. He clears his throat and attempts to act cool. Meanwhile, I rest my head against his chest, getting a whiff of the richest pine scent I’ve ever smelled. It’s not a heavy scent; it’s just enough to entice me, and I wonder how I can get his scent to be thicker. I’d deny it in the future, but my first thought was thathe smells like home.
Chapter five
Assoonasthelittle shit who had been following us around all morning took the shot, I knew against all odds it was going to hit the small person a distance away. What I didn’t expect is how fucking hard the kid could hit the puck.
We all thought he hit a kid with how short she is, but now that she’s in my arms, her white blonde hair flowing around her face and her rich pancake and syrup scent infiltrating the center of my brain, we couldn’t have been more wrong.
My experience with Omegas is basically zero. Not that Omegas are rare, but they aren’t common. They aren’t in everyday public spaces. They certainly shouldn’t be out on a frozen lake by themselves. The thought irritates me as I frown down at her.
“Why are you out skating on the ice by yourself, little Omega?” Her eyes are shut, and I wonder if her head hurts really bad or if something else is going on.
“There’s usually no one here, and I love to skate,” she says with a little bite. I can’t help the grin that takes over my face.
“It’s really dangerous to be on a frozen lake by yourself. You never know what could happen,” I say gently. Something deep in the inner core of my being tells me to be gentle with her. She’s small, carrying her is nothing. Skating with her bridal style in my arms is effortless. But I don’t know shit about Omegas, and I don’t want to come across as a domineering Alpha asshole.
Her cheeks turn pinker than they already were from the chill of the air, and she shrugs her shoulders. “You’re probably right. I did bring Hank though.”
“Hank?”
“My dog.”
“Interesting name. That dog is fucking huge, how much does he weigh?”
“Around a hundred and fifty pounds,” she says, her eyes still closed. I want to look at her, see what color her eyes are. I feel like she’ll be easier to read then. I’m just pleased that she’s talking, and that she didn’t hit her head so hard she’s confused.
“What’s your name?”
“Charlotte,” she says, and I smile.
“That’s a beautiful name.” Her cheeks redden even further, and I can’t help but to squeeze her just a bit closer to my chest.
“What’s your name?” she asks. Her voice is soft and the perfect pitch, almost melodic.
“I’m Eli. The one who was cursing in French is Mikael, and the Finnish one is Anders.”
