They are the far superior gummy candy. You owe me.
I sighed, tapping my fingers on the steering wheel. I loved Cam, but he was being even more of a prick than usual. In the early years of being a pack, Cam, Ben, and I leaned on each other for support and comfort. We met as teens after my parents had moved our family to North Woods. I still felt sick when thinking about our old community. The suffering my packmates and I experienced there had brought us even closer, until Cam and Ben were more brothers to me than my own siblings. After we left our community, the trauma of what we went through cemented our bond. But now I felt like I was losing them.
We had all been on edge for the past year. Cam was surlier than usual, Ben was moping around the house, and I felt myself withdrawing from them and hiding out in my office. Lately, all we talked about was work. I missed my best friends and felt useless as fuck that I didn’t know what to do to fix us.
Cam
Make sure to get the sour ones.
I forced myself out of the car. As I headed towards the entrance, I saw a woman in black leggings and a baggy sweatshirt walk in ahead of me. I glanced over at her as I maneuvered into the store. I had planned to track down the candy as quickly as possible, but instead, I found myself following the woman down the produce aisle as if pulled by a magnet. She was short for a beta, and her wavy brown hair cascaded down her back as she wove her way through the narrow aisles, leaning heavily on her cart. I hadn’t seen her face yet, and I longed to close the distance between us, spin her around, and grip her chin with my hand. I would tilt her face until our eyes met—I was sure she would have the prettiest eyes I’d ever seen—and then I would memorize every inch of her before gripping her round, plump ass and pulling her in even closer, pressing her body into mine.
I stopped abruptly as I realized what a fucking creep I was being. A beta woman behind me swore as she accidentally bumped into me with her cart. I turned to apologize for blocking the aisle and saw her expression transform from one of irritation to apprehension.
“Sorry!” she squeaked. “Didn’t mean to hit you.”
“It was my fault. No worries,” I mumbled, moving out of the way. I would never get used to the anxious and sometimes even terrified glances people gave me just because I was an alpha.
I had lost sight ofher. I ran my hand through my hair, trying to get a grip. I couldn’t remember the last time I had checked someone out or felt even the slightest hint of attraction, yet here I was, practically stalking a woman through the store. My heart pounded, and my inner alpha urged me to go after her.Am I having a stroke? What’s wrong with me?
I tried to shake myself out of my weird mood and headed in the other direction. I was having trouble focusing as I wandered aimlessly up and down the aisles, trying to ignore the gnawing feeling in my chest as I searched for the candy. Turning the corner to the freezer aisle, I saw her again. I was about to force myself to walk in the other direction when I noticed her eyes were closed, and she was barely remaining upright. I walked towards her with measured steps, inhaling sharply as I got my first glimpse of her face. She was fucking beautiful. Her hair perfectly framed her round face, and I saw she had the cutest smattering of freckles. I wished I could see her eyes, but they were closed as she slumped over the cart. I frowned at how pale she was.
“Are you okay?” I asked hesitantly, a jolt of panic shooting through me at the thought that something was wrong.
Her eyes fluttered open. They were bright green, and I was instantly mesmerized. An explosion couldn’t convince me to look away from her.
“Dizzy,” she whispered, not lifting her head.
“What do you need? Can I ring someone for you, a friend or partner?” I realized I was clenching my jaw as a burst of inexplicable jealousy ran through me at the thought of her dating someone. I noticed with satisfaction that she wasn’t wearing a ring.
“No,” she said, her voice carrying a hint of a whine that my inner alpha instinctually responded to.
I froze.Was she an omega?
“I’m fine,” she mumbled, taking a few steps forward until her knees gave out.
I stepped in without thinking, catching her before she fell. I cradled her in my arms until we were both seated on the floor. I tried to ignore how perfect her soft curves felt against my body.
“What’s wrong, love?” I asked, concerned at how warm her skin was under mine.Love? Where the fuck did that come from?
I leaned in to see if I could scent her. The chemical smell of de-scenter stung my nose. This little angel was, in fact, an omega trying to cover up her scent.
Her eyes fluttered open, glassy and unfocused. “What’s happening?” she asked, her voice so vulnerable it broke my heart.
Before I could answer, an employee interrupted us—a teenage beta from the look of him. I swallowed an instinctual growl as he crouched down near her. I had no idea why I was feeling so possessive.
“Everything alright here?” he asked. His sniveling little voice grated on me. He was too bloody close to her.
“This woman passed out, and it feels like she has a fever,” I said, trying to subtly shift her so my body was between her and the beta.
“Umm, do you know her? Should I call an ambulance or something?” he responded, rubbing the back of his neck. Clearly, the Trader Joe’s employees didn’t have crisis management training.
I wanted to tuck her close and bring her home so I could care for her or at least drive her to the hospital to ensure she was safe. But there were strict laws against alphas being around unbonded omegas. It would be seen as kidnapping… or, more likely, she would be blamed for seducing me or some shit. Fucking ridiculous.
“Better call for an ambulance,” I said, my voice resigned. “Make sure they know she’s an omega,” I added softly.
“Really? Her?” the beta asked incredulously.
This time I couldn’t hold in my growl. Was this pimply-ass pathetic beta daring to insult the angel in my arms?
