Too late.
If she really is compatible, I don’t know how Oli will take it. I’ve never heard of a pack with two Omegas, but I guess it’s not impossible. We’re all bi, so that part shouldn’t be an issue. Hopefully.
I turn, ready to intercept them, but the swinging door bursts open.
Caleb and Ross freeze the moment they enter. Sandra turns her head, holding my phone to her ear. Oli stills too, and that catches my attention. He’s an Omega. Maybe he can sense it. Maybe she really does smell like one of us.
Caleb pushes his black-rimmed glasses up the bridge of his nose. I can practically hear the wheels turn in his brain.
Oli tilts his head as he stares at her, then walks over. She lowers the phone, thumb hovering over the screen, eyes fixed on him like she’s never seen another Omega before. She ends the call.
I cross the room as her gaze flicks to the bond mark on Oli’s neck, then over to me.
“I don’t understand.”
Her voice cracks the silence, echoing everything I’m feeling.
Tracy hums quietly as she rises from the booth. “I think Eric and I should take our dinner to go. I’ll let him know.”
Part of me wants to stop her, but she’s probably right. We may need to sit down and figure out what the hell is going on. Then again, a few Betas around might help keep us grounded.
My inner Alpha claws at me. Wants to rip those old marks off her neck and replace them with mine. Wants to bring her into our pack like it’s already been decided. But I still have control.
At least for now. Let’s just hope she doesn’t go into a spontaneous heat.
I clear my throat. “Tracy, wait. Miss... do you want my Beta staff to stay?” I don’t even know her name, and I already feel tempted by her on a primal level. It makes me feel dirty.
She licks her lips. “I don’t know. You have an Omega in your pack. This should be impossible. I’ve only heard of two cases at Safe Haven, and they’re legend stories, spaced out by decades.”
Caleb hums. “Impossible odds. There has to be something off here. Maybe it’s a reaction after being marked by Alphas who weren’t compatible with you?”
She flinches at his words, her hand flying to her neck as her eyes flutter. “I’ve seen plenty of Omegas marked against their will. I’ve never heard of fake scent-matching afterward.”
He folds his arms. “How do you know?”
He doesn’t trust her. I can tell. My inner Alpha bristles. Oli shoots me a look.
He waves a hand at Caleb. “Lay off her, Leb. You’re stressing her out for no reason.” He steps forward and crouches beside her. Out of all of us, he’s the least threatening to her.
“Hey, I’ll be the first to admit I don’t know shit about shit. I’m an Omega, but I can tell you smell different. Different in a way that matters. Willowside’s been seeing more Omegas move in lately, too.”
Tracy sighs. “Boss, I don’t mind staying if y’all feel better having a Beta around to keep instincts in check, but I ain’t one for the drama.”
Oli glances over. “Get yourself some food to go, Tracy, and have a safe trip home. I’ll keep them in check. No need to make you uncomfortable.”
Tracy nods. “Best of luck to you, sweetie. You couldn’t have picked a better place to find safety than this pack. I feel good leaving you with them. Feels like there might be something here for you.”
She bolts for the kitchen like her ass is on fire. Eric’s probably still back there prepping dinner. Tracy’s never been one for gossip, which is wild considering my past waitresses couldn’t get enough of town drama. They ate it up like our brownie lava cake.
Oli circles the table and drops into a seat. “Let’s start from the beginning. I’m Oliver Felix-Peters, but everyone calls me Oli.”He gestures toward me. “Our pack leader and bar owner, Jethro Peters.”
He shifts his gaze to Caleb. “That grumpygus is Caleb Nale. Don’t let the scowl fool you. He’s a teddy bear once he warms up. And the Vogue model over there is Ross Long.”
Ross snorts, rolling his piercing blue eyes. He can’t help it. With those cheekbones and sharp features, he looks like he belongs in a luxury fashion spread where a plain white tee costs more than I pay in rent for the bar.
She looks at each of us in turn, then sets my phone down and reaches for her glass of water. Her fingers tremble as she takes a sip.
“My name is Sandra Hidden. I...” She sighs. “You’re already bonded to an Omega. It feels wrong for me to be here, and trust me, you don’t want me darkening your doorstep longer than it takes for someone from my job to come pick me up.”
