“There was a hint of white chocolate, too,” Isaac added, adjusting himself. “If she perfumed one more time, I might have lost my goddamn mind. I was so turned on by her.”
“It was certainly hard to stay focused. How are we going to work around her before we’re bonded?” Lukas asked, sitting in the passenger's seat.
“Dr. Laughlin suggested beta blockers, but she also said the more time we spend with Ivy, the more we’ll all mellow out. The first few months of contact are usually the hardest to get through,” Demetrius answered.
“When are you dancing with her?” Isaac asked me. I could tell he was just as eager as I was for us to work together.
“Sometime this week, whenever she’s ready,” I replied, reviewing in my mind the choreography fromLe Corsaire. I could almost imagine touching her soft waist as I guided her around in a lift. Was I actually going to dance with my scent-matched omega? My stomach would not stop doing flips every time I imagined partnering with her.
“How are you going to dance together without attacking her?” Isaac stared at me. “God, I wish I were still performing. Maybe I can get my ankle checked out again…”
“I’m not sure,” I shook my head in reply. “But I have to know what her body feels like in my hands. I’m going mad over here, not knowing how she dances.”
The car grew quiet for a bit. I suspected everyone else was imagining how Ivy would feel in their arms. She was beautiful in a quiet, understated way.
Isaac cleared his throat. “She said she wants to take the courting slowly. Dem, when is her first heat?”
“Less than two months,” Demetrius replied as he turned the SUV into the pack’s neighborhood block.
My nerves flickered as Isaac, Lukas, and I exhaled.
“What are we going to do? Two months is not a lot of time,” I said.
Lukas twisted around in his seat to face us. “A lot can happen in two months. She’s scared right now, but her omega instincts to nest will kick in.”
“Or she’ll not be ready to nest with us, and we’ll go on blockers to dull the heat,” Demetrius added as he pulled into the driveway of our packhouse. “We have to follow her lead on this one. She’s our omega, and we must take care of her.”
The whole car replied in agreement, frustration be damned. She’d definitely be worth every ounce of suffering.
Chapter four
First Test
Lukas
The Arco Ballet Company party always occurs on the first Sunday of the season. It was usually a pretty laid-back event as dancers and staff caught up after the summer break. It was also an opportunity for everyone to casually meet the new dancers and get to know them better. I mostly just hung out with the admin team, tossing jokes back and forth while we watched a few of the dancers get drunk and start dancing.
This year, however, I was very eager to attend tomorrow as I'd hopefully get to see Ivy again. We’d only just met her yesterday, but already I felt like something was missing without her near.
Preston, Isaac, Dem, and I sat at the dining room table, eating dinner. We usually had a pack meeting every Sunday morning, but with the company party, we’d decided to meet up early, especially with the excitement about Ivy between us.
All four of our phones buzzed, pulling our attention to the incoming text.
Mind if I join the company party tomorrow? Dr. Laughlin brought me some beta blockers.Completely understand if I’ll be too distracting!
“She seems so sweet, and she’s worried about us,” Preston said, gently touching his phone screen. We each scrambled to be the first to reply.
Of course! We’d love to see you tomorrow! -Lukas
Absolutely, happy to have you! Don’t worry about us. -Preston
Come find me and talk with me when you get there -Isaac
We would love for you to join us if you’re feeling comfortable.One of us will be by your apartment to escort you across the street. -Dem
The four of us exchanged glances with each other as a thought dawned between us.
Preston frowned, clearly frustrated by the realization. “We can’t all hang out with her tomorrow. That would be very suspicious.”
