Things that will keep you safe from me.
Before she can respond, I turn and stride out of the room without another word, closing the door firmly behind me. I lean against it for a moment, my forehead pressed to the cool wood, trying to regain some semblance of control.
My cock throbs painfully, demanding to claim, demandingher.
I ignore it, pushing away from the door and heading for my own room at the opposite end of the hall. I need a cold shower. I need distance. I need to regain the iron control that has defined my life for so long.
Nine
FRANCINE
The door closes with a thud,leaving me with his lingering alpha scent in the room.
My hands tremble as I press them against my hot cheeks. Kieran’s growl still echoes in my ears, primitive and hungry in a way that made my pussy clench with need even as fear prickled along my spine. I’ve been here less than a day, and I’ve already managed to make him mad at me.
“Fuck,” I whisper, my voice small and lost in this gargantuan bedroom that will be my home for the next few days. I look at the bottle of scent blocker that Kieran handed me, the plastic cracked slightly from his grip.
Oh my god, he wassoclose to losing control. I know it by how he tensed up almost immediately at the scent of me and by the way he demanded I wear the scent blockers.
An omega’s scent can drive an alpha to rut.
My fingers trace the damage, a physical reminder of how close he was to rutting me. And I kind of wish he did.
I can’t believe I forgot to put on scent blockers again after showering at home.
I need another shower. Like now. If another incident like this happened, I have no idea how much longer he would let me keep working here.
Grabbing a plush towel from the stack in the walk-in closet, I hurry into the adjoining bathroom. It’s all gleaming marble and glass, a far cry from the moldy shower stall in Mother’s apartment. I twist the knobs, and water rains down from an overhead fixture the size of a dinner plate. Steam billows around me as I strip off my leggings and t-shirt, tossing them into a golden hamper.
Under the scalding spray of the water, I scrub my skin with a loofah, trying to erase every trace of my natural scent. My cherry blossom smell that apparently drives alphas to insanity.
First Drake, now Kieran.
As I massage shampoo into my hair, I think about the warning Drake gave me in the limo. His eyes looked serious but also sad as he told me, “Act like you don’t know me when we get there. Like we’re strangers. If Kieran finds out what I did, breaking into your apartment... He’ll fire you on the spot.”
For the rest of the ride, he was quiet, and I felt bad. I don’t know why I felt bad. Maybe it was because he almost kissed me, and I rejected him? Maybe he was just creating distance because I hurt his pride.
Stepping out of the shower, I wrap myself in the enormous towel, amazed at how soft it is against my skin. Even the bathroom floor is heated, keeping my feet warm as I pad to the vanity. I stare at my reflection in the mirror- green eyes too large in my pale face, freckles standing out like constellations across my nose and cheeks, red hair darkened to copper by water.
I look scared. Naive. And completely out of my depth.
But I’m not leaving. I refuse to crawl back to Mother’s apartment, to sleep in that room that smells of lies and death. I need this job, this fresh start. And if that means navigating ahousehold of unmated alphas who react strangely to my scent, then so be it.
I open the bottle of scent blocker lotion and apply it methodically, starting with my neck, where scent glands are most active, then working down to my wrists, the insides of my elbows, and behind my knees. I generously apply it, using nearly half the bottle around my thighs. Better safe than sorry.
The blocker has a clinical, antiseptic smell that masks my natural cherry blossom scent. It’s not pleasant, but it’s necessary, especially after seeing Kieran’s reaction.
Back in the bedroom, I open my suitcase and pull out the white house dress I packed in a hurry. It’s simple but pretty, with a tied waist and flowing skirt. The fabric falls just above my knees as I slip it over my head, adjusting the ties to cinch my waist. I study my reflection in the full-length mirror mounted on the closet door. The white makes my hair look even more vibrant, my skin creamier.
It’s modest enough for dinner with my employers, though perhaps a bit too nice for just watching Nora. But it’s my first real dinner here, and I want to make a good impression. To show them I’m professional and put-together, despite the earlier incident with Kieran.
I run my fingers through my damp hair, letting it fall in loose waves around my shoulders. There’s no time to blow-dry it properly before dinner. I apply a touch of tinted lip balm and mascara, just enough to feel more confident, not enough to look like I’m trying too hard.
Taking a deep breath, I open the door and step into the hallway. The mansion is quiet, except for the distant voices from downstairs. I make my way toward the grand staircase, my hand trailing along the smooth wooden banister that spirals down three floors.
The voices grow louder as I approach the dining room. I pause in the doorway, taking in the scene before me.
The dining table is massive, easily seating twenty, though only four places are set at one end. Kieran sits at the head, his posture rigid, scrolling through something on his phone. Drake and Rowan are already seated as well, while Elias appears to be explaining something, his hands moving gracefully as he speaks.
