“I thought I could show you how to make our pack’s traditional Marquez bread.”
“Isn’t that a pack secret recipe? I mean, that’s what it says on the sign at your bakery.”
His deep brown eyes sparkle with mischief. “Yes, a pack secret that I hope to share with you if given a chance to be your mate.”
Smooth, real smooth. I glance at Joe, who takes the other bag from me, and I shake my head. “Wow. Did you plan on saying that, or are you just a natural smooth talker?”
He blushes again. “I guess you’ll have to get to know me and find out.”
Nodding, I lean in to give him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “It is really nice to meet you, Alpha Marshall Marquez. I look forward to getting to know you better.”
He issues a curt bow, proceeds to greet my parents and my brothers, and then takes his leave through the main entrance, where he will be escorted to the ballroom.
“Jessica, please keep the introductions short. None of us want to continue filming past midnight,” Carmen reminds me before the next Alpha emerges.
I refrain from rolling my eyes and simply nod like an obedient puppet. I should have asked Auntie to tape my lips to hold up my smile. My cheeks already burn, and I have only met the first contestant.
The next Alpha, Patrick Bukowski, is from the Northern A, Boston Territory. He is tall and thin, with light brown hair andbrown eyes, and looks to be in his late twenties or early thirties. He didn’t bring anything with him. He barely smiles. I can’t tell if he's nervous or just dull. After our short introduction, he shakes my hand and simply proceeds straight inside. He doesn’t even acknowledge my parents. I shrug at my brothers as they watch him enter through the main entrance.
I lean into Joe and whisper, “I think he forgot to pack his personality for this trip.”
Joe snorts. “He also forgot to pack his manners,” he murmurs in disdain.
Alpha Roger Grimm, from the Northern A, New York Territory, is the next man out of the car. He is nice, polite, and soft-spoken, and he brought a bouquet of dark red, almost black, roses. He demonstrates some personality, but he is—oh, I don’t know, for lack of a better description—creepy. He has fair, almost translucent skin, like he never sees the sun. His brown hair is styled in spikes, and his blue eyes widen to the point where he looks as if he was electrocuted.
Next is Alpha Richard Smith. Northern A Territory, California. Now this guy looks like he grooms regularly. Eyebrows are waxed and brushed into place. Even his nails are shiny from a recent manicure. He gifts me a single red rose and keeps his introduction brief. I sense an arrogance about him, like he doesn’t need to try too hard because he already won.
When he turns to greet my family, I roll my eyes and glance sideways over at Joe. He offers me a crooked smile. “His hands were softer than mine,” I whisper. Joe clears his throat, to stifle a laugh. When I look over to my brothers, Justin wiggles his fingers at me in a feminine way.
The last man to exit the limo is Alpha Samuel Forrester of the Forrester Pack. The Forrester pack is a lesser pack in the LS Territory. When we first acquired Langhlan hotel, I continued to use his pack’s business to fill the hotel with flowers anddecorative plants. I mostly communicated with the Luna of the pack, Samuel’s mother. She’s sweet but a force to be reckoned with. She continuously tried to set me up on a date with her son every time we talked on the phone. I’m not surprised she managed to get him on the show. Samuel approaches me, holding a flowerpot. The leaves tremble in his shaking hands. His shoulders slightly hunch inward, and his eyes avoid looking in my direction.
He’s very good-looking, with light brown hair, hazel eyes, and tanned skin from spending most of his time outdoors. When he finally reaches me, he blushes, dipping his head in greeting, and he offers a shy smile.
“Hello, Alpha Samuel Forrester. It’s very nice to finally meet you. I have heard so much about you from your mother.”
His face turns a shade redder. “It’s nice to meet you as well. My mother has spoken very highly of you, too. Oh, uh, this is for you.” He hands me the potted plant. “This is a vanilla panifolia, also known as the vanilla orchid or flat-leaved vanilla. It’s a vine, so if you decide to throw it out in your yard, it can overtake other plants and trees. It’s a little high maintenance, which in hindsight, I should have brought something that required less, especially with your busy schedule. This particular plant will not give you the vanilla pods, but if that’s something you would like, I can pollinate it, and uh... my mother thought you might like it.” He briefly closes his eyes, and when he reopens them, he looks the other way.
“It’s lovely. Thank you.” Joe removes the pot from my hands. I start to lean in to hug Samuel and kiss him on the cheek, but he takes a step back and runs his hands through his hair.
“Sorry. I, uh, get carried away when I talk about plants.”
His shyness is endearing, different from what I’m accustomed to, and I want him to feel comfortable around me. I reach for his hand and give it a light squeeze. “I don’t mind. Imean, you just drove through a tea plantation. Speaking of your mother, how is she?”
“She’s doing well, bossing the pack around and continuously trying to set me up on dates.” His blush deepens.
I lean forward. “It’s okay. My parents chose most of the men here tonight, so I understand.”
He emits a soft laugh, and his shoulders relax. “Oh, I don’t think you want me to start in on the things my mother says and does. We would be standing out here all night.”
I laugh. “I have two dads and a mother, so yes, I agree. We can compare notes all night.”
He glances down at his feet. “Uh, my mother didn’t make me come here, just so we’re clear about that.” I study him for a few seconds. Before I can respond, he adds, “I’m just not good at this whole dating thing, and I didn’t have the guts to make an excuse to meet you face-to-face and ask you out on a date myself.”
His confession says a lot about his true intentions. “Well, I’m glad you did. Again, It is nice to finally meet you, Alpha Samuel. I look forward to getting to know you.” This time, when I step in to give him a hug, he doesn’t retreat. I watch him interact with my parents and brothers before he disappears through the main entrance.
Jeremy’s voice sounds in my head,He’s a mama’s boy.
I narrow my eyes.Leave the mama’s boy alone. He’s sweet.
