“She was visibly affected by my scent and proximity, but she seemed pretty confused by it, too. She only briefly touched on her home life and family, but it sounds like they’re great. So maybe they’re a chosen pack and she just doesn’t know what a scent match should look and feel like? But the entire time we were at S&S, we gravitated towards each other, and her scent completely overtook my senses. I couldn’t see anything but her. I know Posey is our scent match, but I have no idea how to broach the subject with her.”
They’re both quiet for a long moment until Mack speaks, scratching his jaw. “What if we keep up with the notes and leaving her things but also try to “accidentally” run into her around campus? Then she gets to meet each of us individually but avoid the overwhelming group interactions right off the bat? It might help ease her into the whole scent match thing.” He puts air quotes around the word and it makes me laugh under my breath.
“Not a bad idea, actually.” Park agrees.
We all stop talking when the front door slams open, and an irate Jude stomps in. “What?” He barks when he sees us staring. Parker arches a brow, and Mack crosses his arms. “Just wondering why you’re so extra pissy today. Got something to share with the class,professor?”
Jude growls at my brother’s needling, but eventually sighs. “The omega was in my biology lecture this morning. She missed the entire first week so at first I was pissed off, but then I found out she was on heat leave and now I kind of feel like a dick.”
My brows jump, even as the other two growl angrily. “Heat leave during the first week? That’s… that sucks. She seemed okay when I saw her today.”
Our pack lead flinches, that pissed off expression back on his face. “You saw her today? When? You didn't talk to her, did you?”
I glare at him, already sick of his anti-omega rhetoric. “Of course I talked to her, is that a joke?”
He shakes his head vehemently, a manic light taking over his eyes. His alpha must be close to the surface because in this moment he looksferal. “No. No, absolutely not. Our pack isn’t ready for an omega. I mean what happens when Mack gets drafted to a team across the country, huh? Are you going to ask her to abandon her education? Her family? Her friends?”
“The draft isn’t for like ten months, Jude. That’s a nonissue right now. If she wants to stay at Harbor U and study, then the twins will stay with her so she isn’t alone and I’ll visit as often as I can.” He turns to us for backup. “Right?”
It only takes one glance at my twin to know what he’s thinking. He didn’t have to meet the omega to be on board. He trusts me to know for the both of us. As soon as I came in with a smile on my face, he was in. I nod enthusiastically. “I don’t need any more time to know I’m all in with Posey. I—we,”I say, gesturing between me and my brother, “will do anything we can to make this work. And as faras her family goes, they’re already across the country, so I doubt that would be a factor.”
Mack nods, like that’s the answer he expected. “See? Problem solved. And if you found a remote position, you could travel with me or stay here with our girl if she wants to stay at HU. Because the rest of us already know she’s ours, but we need you on board, Jude. I know something has been going on with you and whatever it is, is impacting your outlook on life, but I feel in my gut that this would be good for you. For all of us.”
Jude scowls, backing away. “I’m sorry, but no. You guys can do whatever you want. Date the omega, have some casual fun with her, but you need to leave me the fuck out of it.”
Parker opens his mouth, but Jude bares his teeth and snaps, “Discussion over. I’m out.”
When I open my door the next morning, there’s a loaf of sourdough bread and an attached note tucked into a cute pink basket. Sitting right next to the basket is an iced coffee with a pink reusable coffee sleeve. I squeal, picking it up to inspect the basket more closely and wondering how they guessed my favorite color. The basket is small and constructed in a rope style, with colorful tassels all around the edge. It’s probably something you would find in the children’s section of a store, but I love it all the same.
It’s Saturday and I don’t have anywhere to be, so I rush back inside with my treasure to read the note, noting it’s in the same handwriting as the previous one. Before I dive in, I take a sip of my coffee and moan when chocolate and marshmallow explode across my tongue. My favorite colorandmy favorite coffee flavor? It seems like too much of a coincidence.
The bread also looks and smells incredible. I don’t know which of their pack mates is a baker, but he could do this for a living, it’s that good.
My thoughts drift back to my coffee date with Paxton yesterday and the way his scent affected me. At the time I wasn’t really sure what to make of it, but now I’m wondering if I somehow missed something important my omega was trying to tell me, especially with his first initial being ‘P’. But that’s a question for later.
Their return note makes my heart melt. I don’t know who these alphas are, but they sure are sweet. Maybe I should head to the craft store and call Mama on the way to pick her brain about all of this. I’m sure she would have a better idea than I do about all of this alpha-omega dynamic stuff. Plus, Lainey is still busy if my unanswered texts are anything to go by.
Mind made up, I slip into another pink crocheted sweater but toss on jeans and my favorite outside slippers. It’s nippy out today and I just want to be as comfortable as possible since I’m going to a new place.
My omega isn’t as fussy as some others about changes and my environment, but so many new things so close together is making my omega a little more twitchy than normal, which isn’t the most comfortable feeling. I spent last night tucked away in my nest instead of my bedroom, needing the additional comfort the small space provides.
This craft store is just right downtown by Lainey’s mom’s store, so if for some reason I freak out and need to get back at least it’s close to my apartment. I’m only going because I don’t have enough yarn in green or black, and I’d like to see if I can find a deeper red than what I currently have for M. It’s interesting they’ve only given me their first initials so far, but at the same time it feels like less pressure. I don’t know who they are, so I can be myself. I don’t have to put on a show or be the perfect presentable omega.
I hook up my phone to the bluetooth system in my robins egg blue Bronco, smiling fondly as I run my hand over the steering wheel. My parents surprised me with this car after graduation, and I’ve never been so excited for something in my life. I think I cried for three days straight when they offered to have it shipped to Sunday Harbor so I could have it here at school.
Mama is the first person on my speed dial, and as always she picks up right away. “If it isn’t my long-lost daughterfinally gracing me with her beautiful voice. I thought I might wither away before I ever heard from you again.”
I snort, breaking into a fit of giggles. “Mama, we talked like two days ago.”
She sighs, like the thought is pure torture. “Two days too long, Rosie Posey.”
“Well you’re in luck, because I might have news that makes up for the wait.”
Mama immediately goes on alert. “Primrose Evelyn, spill. Don’t leave a poor old woman hangin’ in suspense.”
“First of all, you’re not old.” My mom is barely forty, having had me when she was only twenty. “Second, I may have met someone? Or several someone’s… I’m not really sure yet.”
There’s a beat of silence like she’s waiting for me to say more. “What do you mean youthink?Did you meet someone or not?”
