He angles his head, then pulls the door open slightly wider and leans against the doorframe. He crosses his arms and tips his chin up, attempting to look down at me. Cold blue eyes lock onto my face while he pushes out his alpha dominance, a scent like overripe melon saturating the air. My alpha bristles at the blatant disrespect, but I could use another job, so I hold it in and let him think he’s the stronger of the two of us.
Alphas like this don’t understand concepts like boundaries or respect.
“Yard work, huh?” the alpha finally says, then flicks his thumb against his chin as he straightens, considering me now that he’s proven I’m below him.
Movement behind him catches my eye, and I glance inside to see a petite woman staring at me from around the corner. I snag a glimpse of wide brown eyes and a mane of wavy brown hair down to her waist before the alpha notices me looking.
He glances behind him with a gruff noise in his throat, almost a growl. The woman drops her eyes and ducks around the corner, and I frown.
The alpha turns back with a scowl and holds his hand out. “Fine, give me your info. I’ll call if we need anything.”
I quickly drop my card in his hand, and the door slams in my face before I’ve taken a single step back. As the air from the door closing washes across me, a bitter, soapy floral scent hits my nose.
Omega.
It’s an off-putting scent, yet it somehow calls to me on a primal level. A low sound of discontent rumbles in my throat,surprising me. I shake my head as I turn to leave, wondering what’s gotten into me. My alpha doesn’t normally react to others’ scents, no matter how intense, disrespectful, or distressed they are. I hope she’s okay, but ultimately it’s none of my business.
Chapter Three
Sage
I sprint on my toes to the kitchen, pretending to wipe down the counters when Steve saunters in. He drops the business card on the table and folds his arms across his chest. His icy stare prickles the back of my neck as he throws his dominance out into the room. It makes me want to cower, to run and hide, but avoiding him will only be worse in the long run.
I’ve learned that lesson the hard way.
Turning toward him with my eyes on the floor, I keep my head bowed and clench the damp rag between my fists. Thankfully, it’s not wet enough to drip on the floor. I’m sure he’d take that as an excuse to get even more angry with me.
“Why are you sneaking around, omega?”
I shake my head the tiniest bit, afraid to voice a protest and knowing he doesn’t want me to answer.
“I expect you to behave as an omega should: Out of sight, minding your business.”
“Yes, alpha,” I say, internally cringing as I defer to my older brother in this way, but it’s a matter of survival.
I can see his frown and narrowed eyes from my periphery,but I stay resolutely focused on my own feet to avoid any further indiscretions.
“I expect dinner in an hour.”
I nod, and he grumbles under his breath as he stomps out of the kitchen, back to the office he shares with Josh. His too-sweet melon scent lingers, and I twitch my nose, trying to avoid sneezing.
My shoulders sag as some of the tension in my body loosens when he leaves. It never fully goes away, but moderately tense is better than very tense, at least.
I pad on silent feet to the doorway and peek out, ensuring he’s gone, then turn to eye the card on the table. I’m not normally nosy, but for some reason I’m curious about who knocked on the door. The card has a simple picture of a green tree and some sheers, with the name “Brooks Moreno Landscaping” in bold letters, a phone number and email beneath.
When I turn it over, a faint, barely noticeable scent ofalphareaches me. I can’t make out the notes, but it’s enticing in a way no other alpha’s scent has been. My omega perks up, wanting more, but I force myself to place the card back down where I found it, then set to making dinner.
As usual, I breathe a sigh of relief when I step outside a couple days later for my morning walk. The sun is shining, and I tip my face to the sky, letting it bathe my skin in warmth. My steps are quiet, even in shoes, as I quickly walk down the driveway and turn right, taking the sidewalk away from the house.
I’m only allowed to be out for twenty minutes. They rarely follow me anymore, since I haven’t been late getting back in months, but every so often they like to catch mebefore I get out of sight and tell me I don’t get to walk that day after all.
It crushes my spirit a little bit more every time.
Today though, I make it out of sight safely. I slow down as soon as I can’t see the porch, then let the stress fall from my body with each step I take. I love the sound of the birds in the morning, with their cheerful trills and chirps, and many of the gardens in our neighborhood are quite pretty this time of year.
My eyes drift open and closed lazily every few steps as I let my arms swing by my sides, reveling in a few stolen moments of contentment. I’m not paying attention to where I’m going, having walked this path hundreds of times by now, but then I stumble. My toe catches on nothing and my eyes fly open becausethat scent.
I freeze as my heart stalls for one count, two.
