“Do you like it?” they ask, and it sounds like they’re genuinely interested.
“I do, yeah. It suits me. Honest, hard work, and I don’t have to interact with folks much or deal with annoying coworkers. I’ve always been more of a loner.”
We chat until Sage has finished her banana and chips, then we clean up and head back inside.
“Why don’t you take a look around the shop with Riley?” I suggest, nudging Sage toward him and transferring her hand from mine to his. She seems comfortable with him, and I’ll keep them both in sight, but I want to talk to who I assume is Riley’s alpha, Neveah.
I wander to the open office door she was leaning against earlier to peek inside. Her scent permeates the space, and as I suspected, she’s a match too. Sharp eucalyptus greets my nose, followed by the warmer and deeper tones of smooth, earthy cedar wood. She looks up when I knock on the doorframe, then stands and raises a sculpted eyebrow.
“I take it they’re a scent-match, then?” she says, striding over to me.
I nod, backing out of the doorframe and into the main area so we can keep an eye on our beta and omega.
“And us?” she says, brows knitting when she can’t find my scent.
“It’s a long story, but yes,” I reply. “I’m Brooks, he/him.”
“Neveah, but you can call me Vee, she/her.”
Chapter Eleven
Neveah
I can tell immediately that the massive alpha is a gentle giant. His posture is confident in a casual way as he leans against the wall next to me. He doesn’t flex his dominance even once, unlike most alphas I know, and we fall into an easy camaraderie.
“I’m wearing scent blockers for her safety, that’s why you can’t scent me properly.”
He shoots me a glance, taking in my wary expression. There are too many red flags waving for what should be a joyful occasion, and I can’t shake the sense of foreboding. Whether it’s about the potential dynamic of the pack, or with Sage specifically, I’m not yet sure.
“So, Brooks. How do you want to do this?” I ask, unsure how to tactfully put into words that I sense something not quite right about his pretty little omega. I’ve been watching them through the windows, and on top of my own alpha instincts screaming caution, it’s clear Brooks is treating her like glass.
His lips twist and he shakes his head.
“I only met her about a week ago,” he begins, not answering my question but raising more in its place. I raise my eyebrows, surprised, and he continues. “She’s living with her brother and another alpha. They hired me to clean up their yard. Anyway, they…” he trails off, and I look away from my flirting beta to see Brooks clenching his teeth, the muscles in his jaw ticking and his biceps straining the sleeves of his shirt.
I straighten with a frown, my alpha senses tingling with apprehension.
“They don’t treat her well. She hasn’t told me much, but from the little I’ve seen and what she’s said…” He turns to face me, eyes somber, voice quiet. “It’s not good, Vee. And I’m afraid I don’t even know half of it.”
Now my jaw is the one ticking. I want to snarl with rage, my instincts fighting to sweep her into my arms and never let her out of my sight. I force it down and pull out my phone instead, then hand it to him.
“Let’s exchange numbers. We’ll make a plan, figure it out together. If she’s not safe, even if she doesn’t choose me and Riley in the end, we can still help give her a better life.”
He types in his number and hands it back without demanding mine in return. I smile at his restraint, then call his number so he has mine too.
“You have a way of contacting her, I take it? Communicating or keeping an eye on her?”
He sighs and rubs one hand against the back of his neck.
“I do. I’m not sure how long we can keep it up, but we’ve worked out a system the last few days. She’s allowed to take a walk alone each morning, and I gave her a burner phone that she keeps hidden. I text her what streets I’ll be working on in her area, and she walks that way if she can. It’s worked so far, but I wouldn’t say it’s reliable.”
That’s certainly not ideal, but it’s something. My braintries to get stuck on the words ‘she’s allowed’ but I push past it. I’ll deal with that later.
“That’s enough for now.” I nod. “We can make that work.”
Riley keeps glancing at me, his eyes darting between me and Brooks, and I can practically feel the excited curiosity radiating off of him. He’s doing a good job keeping…
“The omega. What’s her name?”
