It’s a refreshing change after being near the Blandon Pack. Clean soap with cool mint and fresh eucalyptus. It’s subtle, but damn.
I mentally shake myself, keeping the spray pointed at his face. It doesn’t matter how good he smells or how nice he is to look at, he could be a serial killer.
“S-s-sorry,” Arms full, he drops his chin to wipe his forehead against his sleeve. “I was?—”
“Creeping around in the dark?” I jump in. “Waiting to stumble across a lone, vulnerable omega? Or do you just prefer to watch?”
His mouth opens and closes.
“What are you doing here?” I feel like I’m cornering a criminal after a big chase. “Are you even a student?”
“Y-y-yes.” He gingerly places his telescope on the ground before reaching into his jacket pocket. “My student ID card. It’s right here…”
“Slowly,” I instruct, my heart pounding, squeezing my thumb lightly on the trigger mechanism in case he tries anything.
Most alphas would laugh in the face of an omega who was facing off against them. But if he has bad intentions, he’s about twice my size and could easily overpower me. However, his hands shake as he rifles around for his wallet.
He pulls a card out then holds it up. “See?”
I step closer to inspect it.
Riven Grove.Not someone I’ve heard of or seen around campus before, and an alpha who looks like Riven would definitely have attracted attention.TheValley Voiceruns a regular feature rating the most eligible packs on campus—it’s vapid and shallow, but it’s super popular. Riven would definitely have made the list, looking like a Hemsworth cousin.
“Why have I never seen you around before?”
“I’m n-new here.” He shoves his hands in his pockets. “I just transferred. This is my first week.”
I arch an eyebrow, still unconvinced. “And why are you skulking around at night with a telescope?”
I rack my brain, rattling through all of the SVU policies. There should definitely be a clause in there about not creeping around. Maybe I’ll mention that during my next chat with Dean Rivers.
“There!” He points up at the sky over my shoulder, a dreamy expression washing over his features and his shoulders slackening. “See?”
“Nice try.” I don’t look away from him. “But I’m not taking my eyes off…” A brilliant green ball of light streaks across the sky behind him, leaving a dazzling trail behind them. “Oh.”
“Look!” He drops to his knees, scrambling to assemble his telescope. “It’s a meteor shower. The first of its kind in fifty years.”
“That’s why you were here? To look at the sky?” I lower the pepper spray. “Can’t you do that, you know, anywhere else?”
He ignores me, muttering to himself while he extends the legs of the telescope and points it up at the sky.
“Hello?” I wave my hand. “I’m still talking to you.”
He’s in his own world, tinkering around with the knobs, mesmerized by the meteors.
“Do you know the difference between meteoroids and meteorites? People easily confuse them. Meteoroids are still in space, only becoming a meteorite when it hits the ground. You really should take a look.” He looks up at me hopefully. “It’s incredible.”
I shouldn’t, right? My logical brain screams at me to call campus security to report him for skulking around. An alpha with a telescope could be snooping on omegas leaving Club Knotty and looking for a chance to exploit them, but there’s almost an innocence about Riven. He looks at the stars with such genuine excitement, and his scent is so… inviting.
“I’ve still got my pepper spray,” I warn him.
“You can sit down.” He removes his coat then lays it down on the grass. “It’s the least I can do after scaring you.” He spins the telescope in my direction as I lower myself to the ground. “Take a look.”
Gingerly, I bend forward to peer through the lens. “Wow…”
I’ve traded the sparkling strobe lights of Club Knotty for the dazzling skies, all my thoughts about the Blandon Pack immediately melting away.
“It’s amazing, huh?” His wistful, deep voice vibrates through me as he gazes up.
