His hands on my arms. Warm and solid, but not harsh or heavy. If anything, Luke holds me with caution, as if he too is terrified.
I push him away, not wanting to aggravate him or spark something unwanted, but also I need to get away. I need to breathe, to work myself through this, to?—
“Apologies,” he says, his voice darker than it should be. My gaze settles on the way he licks his lips, my omega spinning webs of desire in my brain at the sight, imagining just what he could do with that tongue…
No! Absolutely not!
I focus on my breath, on trying to look like the heady caramel scent and this man’s large hands and heated palms don’t affect me, when the truth is so obvious.
This was a terrible idea. The worst.
A growl emanates from him as I notice a man approaching us.
“Are you alright, miss?” he asks, looking between me and Luke. I note Luke’s eyes, how they seem to glow and how his eyebrows furrow. How his shoulders tense. The man’s scent tells me he’s a beta, but my omega doesn’t find it particularly enticing. Not like the alpha’s scent in my presence…
“Oh, yes… I’m fine,” I say, backing away slowly. The beta looks at me with a mixture of concern and relief, but I can alsosee the desire culminating in his gaze. I need to sate the animal inside of me so that I can think straight. So that I can get to the Pembrooke estate and sleep for a thousand years and maybe when I wake up this will all be a bad dream.
“She’s with me,” Luke says, and the tone itself is hotter than molten lava. I blink, trying to remember to breathe correctly because holy hell, I have never heard a man say those words likethat.
In fact, no man—alpha or beta—has ever said those words out loud in front of me.
Like he’s staking a claim on me.
I’m not sure if that makes it better or worse, because I certainly don’t need protection. I can handle myself, thank you very much. I’ve managed the last ten years just fine without an alpha.
But there’s a part of me that feels pride at his growl, at his dominant stance. That just the sight of another man—even abeta—can invoke such a visceral reaction.
The beta raises his hands in surrender, and I don’t miss the slight hunch of his shoulders, and I realize I may have overestimated his intentions because my own are clearly clouded.
“I don’t want no trouble, sir, just making sure the lady is okay.”
“I’m fine. He’s just being an ass. Alphas, ya know?” I say, giving the beta a soft smile. He nods, licking his lips, his gaze falling to my chest, or rather my cleavage.
I step closer to Luke and settle my small hand underneath his forearm, my fingers grazing his elbow, and his entire body shifts its stance from tight and tense to relaxed.
My omega tells me it’s because he’s mymate—like she understands this on some level I can’t, but I know it’s crazy to assume such things based on a touch. Not to mention thefact we’ve met before, and I don’t remember having this sort of reaction to him. Yes, he smelled good, and I thought he was attractive in his suit, but we spoke for all of two seconds. I didn’t feel like I wanted to jump the man’s knot or curl up in his arms. If Luke Pembrooke was my mate, I would have had a different reaction two years ago, and he would have as well. At least, that’s what I tell myself to dispel my omega’s whimsical notions, even though sometimes people change, and sometimes timing is everything.
“Right,” the beta says, slowly stepping away. “Good day then.”
And with that, he leaves Luke and I alone once more, in a shifter standoff.
Chapter
Four
Luke
The entire walk down to baggage claim is full of tension. I know without her having to say a word she’s pissed at me for my reaction when that beta scented her and tried to pretend he was concerned, when I knew exactly what he was concerned about and it wasn’t her well-being. By far.
I did nothing wrong. I reacted the way any alpha would in the presence of an omega in heat. I asserted my dominance and was protecting what wasmine.
Except Emily isn’tmine.Not really. My alpha’s reaction isn’t out of the ordinary in terms of alpha-omega dynamics, but it is definitely out of the ordinary to think that we have a claim on this woman who we barely even know just because she smells like heaven and sex. I shift in my driver’s seat, not wanting to draw attention to my bloody cock. Seriously, my alpha has a one-track mind. He’s almost as bad as my damn parents.
One thing I do know is that she isn’t exactly acting like an Omega should in my presence. She wouldn’t let me carry herduffel bag or pick up her suitcase. She all but steam-rolled over me to get her luggage, and I could tell it was heavy, but when I offered to help, she glared at me like she wanted to murder me.
And then there is the pressing issue neither of us wants to speak about. The one topic we’re both avoiding for obvious reasons—the circumstances that brought her here in the first place, to stay with me and my family. Oh, and of course, she’s in heat, too. Which certainly complicates things…
“Are you okay?” I ask, knowing it’s the stupidest question in the world, but I need to tread carefully with Emily. She bristles in the seat next to me, and I can tell she’s uncomfortable.
