She’s gorgeous. An avenging angel of wronged first dates, her pink and red curls framing a furious, beautiful face.
“Come on, sweetheart.” Her voice is soothing as she leads me back to the front of the restaurant. My legs wobble and my stomach roils as she guides me to a bench.
She helps me sit before I collapse, her plush body against mine making my cock stir and my perfume fill the air. I suck in a shaky breath and moan as the scent from before fills my nose.
It wasn’t the soap that smelled like candy hearts and heaven. It’sher.
“It’s you,” I gasp, fighting every urge inside me to climb into her lap and rub that scent all over me. “
“Ruby?” An unfamiliar voice, deep and raspy, echoes in the night air. I look up to see the alpha who bumped into me earlier. His mouth hangs agape.
I’d feel bad about climbing all over his date, since she seemed like she was having a good time, but she smells too good. This omega smells likemine.
I open my mouth to tell her, but the alpha steals the words from my lips.
“You’re my scent match.”
chapter 8
. . .
RUBY
Bitinginto a fresh strawberry dipped in rich chocolate, the juices dripping down your fingers. Sweet, tart, and decadent.
The omega pressed up against my side, his skin burning and scent wrapping around my mind, telling me under no uncertain terms that he is mine, lets out a nervous whine at the sound of Beau’s voice.
Instinctively, I tighten my arm around his waist, like the kind alpha has become a threat that will take the mystery omega away from me. A second after that possessive surge from my inner omega, my head clears, and I take in Beau’s wide eyes darting between me and the omega plastered to my side.
“Ruby, what happened? Is everything okay?” Beau’s voice is threaded with alarm, and as he steps closer, the omega buries his face into my shoulder with another nervous whine.
“Shh, it’s okay, sweetheart,” I murmur, stroking his dark hair, slightly damp around his brow. I know it’s crazy for me to be holding a stranger like this, but everything in me says it’s of the utmost importance.
When I stepped outside to wait for Beau to finish in the restroom, there was a prickling sense of awareness that Icouldn’t chalk up to the cold. When I heard a raised alpha voice, I didn’t think. I stormed over and channeled all of my rage from earlier into kicking the creep’s ass. But then, when I yanked the trembling omega away, it felt like I’d gotten my own sucker punch to the gut.
When I don’t answer, still flicking my attention back and forth between the omega and Beau, my date takes a small step back, his brow furrowing. “Ruby, who is that?”
“I don’t know.” My reply is strained, and I let out a confused chuckle.
The line between Beau’s brow deepens.
“Archer,” the omega mumbles, pushing off from my shoulder to look at me with a sheepish smile. “My name is Archer.”
“He says his name is Archer,” I tell Beau, as if he couldn’t hear him. Like it was a precious secret the omega—Archer—entrusted to me.
Beau nods, but the confused, concerned frown doesn’t leave his face. He opens his mouth to ask another question, but is interrupted as the alpha I kneed in the crotch comes shambling toward us. Beau’s entire body coils with tension as he steps between the bench and the incoming, furious alpha.
“Move,” the alpha growls.
Beau stands tall. An immovable barrier protecting us from the consequences of my rash actions. Archer whines again, and I clutch his hand to reassure him.
“Get the fuck out of the way, man. That bitch attacked me and stole my omega. She’s crazy.”
“Not your omega,” Archer replies, anger clear in his voice.
“I suggest you leave and never contact Archer again.” Beau’s voice is even, but the deep cadence is unlike I’ve heard him sound all evening. It’s dangerous.
“Or what? Who the hell are you?” The alpha must be an idiot because Beau has a few inches and at least fifty pounds on him.
