“Riley, they/he,” they reply.
I smile and gesture to myself. “He/him.”
When I look down at Sage, she’s picking at her nails again, and not-so-subtly staring at the cute beta through her long lashes. I tuck away a pleased grin and gently reach out to takeher hand, stilling her nervous movements. Then I squeeze it once, bringing her back to the moment.
“Oh, um, I’m Sage, she/her,” she says, her quiet voice a lilting caress.
Riley grins, then gestures for us to walk. “Shall we?”
My gaze lifts to the tall alpha woman I noticed watching us from before; she’s still eyeing us, and I suspect I know why. Although I can’t scent her from here, my alpha is drawn to her all the same.
She has her arms crossed and is leaning against the open doorway to a back office. Where before her dark eyes seemed curious, this time, she has a slight smile on her face. She might be as tall as I am, but she’s slender with defined muscles and an unmistakable dominance saturating the space around her. I take in her tasteful clothing; brightly colored, wide legged pants with a loose, flowing shirt tucked into them. The V neckline cuts nearly all the way down to her waistband, and she has a matching scarf wrapped around her head, holding back what looks like an abundance of dark curls.
I assume she’s with Riley, if the possessive way she’s been watching them is any indication.
She senses my gaze and shifts her eyes from Riley to me. Her lips purse just slightly, so I raise my eyebrows and angle my head in Riley’s direction, questioning if this is okay with her, if she wants to come. Her expression softens, and she jerks her chin for us to go.
I’m pretty sure our nonverbal communication is an agreement that she and I will be chatting before we leave. I dip my chin, then Riley draws my attention as they start excitedly talking about the many lavender products the shop carries, slender hands flying through the air as they talk, saying they’ll share their favorites with us at the end in case we want to buy any.
Sage clings to my hand, likely intimidated by the press ofpeople around us in conjunction with the cacophony of voices. Her scent has calmed remarkably since she got in my truck, to the point that she almost smells like a different omega entirely. A soft, refreshing lavender, she fits right in here on the farm, but I notice it’s starting to turn bitter with stress the longer we’re inside.
“Riley, can we head outside? It’s a bit hard to hear you so well in here,” I say, and they glance at me, then look down, blue eyes widening as they realize Sage is having a hard time.
“Of course. Here, let’s go out the back.”
They lead us out into the fresh air, and Sage visibly relaxes as we get away from the bustle of the crowded shop. I pause and bend down, ensuring she’s present before speaking softly so only she hears.
“If you’re uncomfortable at any time, we’ll go. I’d rather do anything else than put you in a situation you don’t like. Okay?”
She nods, and I quirk an eyebrow. A tiny smile graces her lips, but she twists them to the side before it can fully shine.
“Okay, Brooks,” she replies, her words pronounced and deliberate as she stares into my eyes.
“Good girl,” I purr, ignoring the way her cheeks pink at the praise.
I stroke my thumb along the back of her hand, then straighten and turn to Riley, giving them an encouraging smile.
“All set?” they ask, eyes flitting from Sage to me, then back again.
I nod, gently squeezing Sage’s hand in mine. “Lead on. I can’t wait to see more of what you do here. It’s a gorgeous property.”
Sage’s eyes are wide as we round the building and head into a blossoming lavender field. Her gaze isn’t fixed on her feet, and I find myself standing up straighter with pride when Isee how much she’s coming out of her shell already. Her head is swiveling around, eyes taking in everything around her with curiosity and awe instead of wary caution.
The field Riley takes us to has no other people standing between the rows, empty apart from us. Sneaky beta must have brought us to a section that isn’t open to the public.
“We’ll be harvesting this field soon. Our main growing season is June, with a couple weeks on either end depending on the weather. It’s by far our busiest month of the year, but so worth it. Smells divine, right?” they say, spinning around and walking backwards in front of us with a wide grin on his face.
Their vibrant blue hair brings out the crystal blue of their eyes as the sun lights up their pale skin. Wearing a loose lavender t-shirt featuring the farm’s name and logo on it tucked into baggy shorts with scuffed sneakers on their feet, they look casual and confident as they stride between the rows of flowers.
“I agree, lavender just might be my favorite scent.” I tear my gaze from the intriguing beta to look down at Sage as I say it.
She doesn’t seem to know how to handle the comment, avoiding looking at me and instead following a buzzing bee with her eyes as it zig-zags from flower to flower.
“How about you Riley? You must like lavender working here, I assume?” I ask, prodding them to play along.
Their grin is mischievous. “Oh, yeah. I love everything lavender. Before today, I’d have said my favorite would be our lavender-infused bath bombs.”
“And after today?” I pry.
