“Yeah, just give the shit to us straight, Cat,” Dixon added.
“Oh, fine. You guys never let me have fun,” Catalina moved away from her cabinet roost and started pacing. “I really wanted to deliver this news with a little style. But, okay. No frills, just the thrill. A few moments ago, I got off the phone with an Eros Institute match advocate.” This wasn’t earth-shattering. She’d had quite a few talks with The Institute since the process began. “They’ve done it, guys. They’ve found you, and I’m quoting verbatim here, an ‘unprecedented Omega scent match which aligns with all four Alpha scent profiles’.”
Cat stopped pacing, turning to us in triumph.
I couldn’t speak for the other guys, but I didn’t process her news immediately. I mean, it had entered my brain, and it was sitting there stewing, but… it just wasn’t possible. It couldn’t be true. Could it?
“Did you guys hear me?” Cat looked a bit crestfallen, like her earth-shattering news had fallen flat. “This Omega literally matched, and not just a cursory match but a full-on, broad-spectrum match, with all of you. I’m just waiting on her profile, and we’ll learn more.”
"Wait, what?" Tray was the first to respond, leaping to his feet so fast that his pretzel bag went flying. "Like, for real? An actual Omega who wants all of us?”
“Not just wants, Tray; she matches. Liking and wanting means nothing if she doesn’t match.” Catalina nodded quickly, her head bobbing up and down in delight.
“Bullshit,” Dixon growled, though it sounded like he was forcing himself to sound strong, putting up a front to keep from hoping. “They’re just trying to keep us on the hook for the money we paid.”
“Wait a minute, Dixon. Don’t jump to conclusions,” Mac reasoned with him, before turning to Cat. “What does an unprecedented match actually mean? Did they give you the percentage the scent match calculated for each of us?”
Cat pointed at Tray first. "Ninety-one percent.” Mac next. “Ninety-three and a half when averaged.” Her finger moved in Dixon’sdirection. “Ninety-seven.” And, lastly, she directed her words at me. “A whopping Ninety-eight point two,” she concluded. “Apparently this match is going to revolutionize how they approach group dynamics. It’s literally changed the game for the next pack seeking a single bond. Most packs have been lucky to get strong matches for one or two, and moderate matches with the rest.”
"Where is she?" I finally managed to ask, my voice rough. "When do we meet her?"
“The email is supposed to have all the details.” Catalina held up her tablet. It should come through any second.
For the next few minutes, which felt like a goddamn lifetime, the world seemed to hold its breath. Even the birds outside didn’t sing. The dishwasher going in the kitchen hit mute. Tray abandoned his snacks to stare off into the void. Dixon’s face had gone pale, and he was wringing his large, meaty hands so roughly that I worried he’d work off a layer of skin. Mac tried his hardest to appear unbothered, leaning back casually with his arm slung over the sectional back. But his shaking foot betrayed him. I slid off the sofa to sit on the floor, pressing my back into it for support. I felt more centered on the ground. If this ended up being false hope, I couldn’t get any lower. Catalina just kept staring at her tablet, refreshing her email server.
“It’s here,” she finally breathed out in relief. “I’m going to talk to them about how long that took.”
“What does it say?” My voice cracked as I asked, chest trying to fracture as I expected this sliver of daydream to fall apart. There was so much longing inside of me. So much pent-up need. How had I denied myself this long? How had I cleaved to something impossible while falling apart inside, each day bringing me a step closer to losing my mind? Not just myself. Dixon. Mac. Tray. I’d kept them from satisfying their true needs. Told them that endless, mindless fucking was enough. I’d been lying to them, and to myself, for too damn long.
“Tessa Fortune. She’s a little over twenty it looks like,” Cat read from the email, “Oh, almost twenty-one. Her birthday’s pretty soon.”
“She has a birthday,” Tray said stupidly, as if someone having abirthday was an anomaly. It was his tone though, void of goofiness and full of innocent awe, that kept me from laughing at him.
“Mm-hmm,” Cat nodded, “She’s a virgin. A Seattle native. Oh,” Catalina frowned, “she’s an orphan. Her whole family apparently died. Gosh, I guess that makes sense. Her name... I remember when that crash happened. It was all over the news.” Her lip quivered a little as she said it, eyes growing wet. Cat always got emotional about kids. She’d told us once how she felt so guilty that her own kids grew up without their dad.
“She’s got no family?” Dixon stood up, hands balling into fist. “Who’s taking care of her then? Do we need to go get her?”
Catalina smiled at him softly. “No, you sweet, giant guard dog. The Eros Institute is handling her transportation here. I’m positive they’re ensuring her safety until she arrives.”
“A virgin’s going to have a hard time with us,” Tray rubbed the back of his neck.
“No, she won’t,” Cat shot Tray a glance. “Because you will all be perfect gentlemen.”
“Gently perfect men,” Tray nodded. “That’s us.”
Cat rolled her eyes.
“When,” I had to pause—pushing through all the information threatening to consume me, not the least of which was the fact our Omega was a virgin—and gather my wits so I could force words out, “will she arrive?”
“Hold on, that’s in the itinerary.” She scrolled down, gently pressing the screen a few times, then her eyes studied whatever she’d accessed. “They’re planning on prepping her tomorrow. There’s a lot of paperwork and such. Then she should be here… gosh either tomorrow night or the day after.” Catalina looked up from the tablet, a mixture of relief and joy flooding her face. “We should have a firm answer soon. She’ll be here that quickly.”
“Did they provide a photo?” Mac stood up next to Dixon as he spoke. Tray glanced up at the two of them and then also bounced to his feet. I couldn’t move a muscle. I’d become one with the fucking floor. It was too much to take in.
“Yes, hold on.” Cat navigated back to the email and clicked another attachment. She whistled appreciatively. “Guys, she’s ridiculously pretty.” She flipped the tablet toward us, revealing a close up shot of a woman. It only captured from the tops of her shoulders to the top of her head, but that was enough.
The other three guys tumbled forward, fighting to get closer.
I didn’t need to get closer to see her.
