After hanging up the phone, I continued to stare at the blank phone screen in utter shock. She was our omega, the Arco Pack’s omega. She was also a professional dancer, decent enough to have made it into the company on her own talents. She was more than we’d hoped to find.
It was time to schedule a meeting with Ivy. Preston and Isaac will be pissed they aren't invited.
Chapter three
A Simple Meeting
Isaac
“Is that her?” I asked as a slender, brown-haired girl walked into the second studio with Dr. Laughlin. I stood by Preston watching her from above in the crow’s nest—a nickname the dancers used for Dem’s office overlooking the dance studios below.
“Yeah, that’s her,” Preston said, tilting his head toward the window. The agitation in his voice came through clearly, and I could relate to his frustration. “I understand Dem not wanting us to overwhelm her, but this sucks.”
It was Friday, and we’d waited the whole week for Ivy to feel better before holding this meet, except Dem thought all four of us would be too intimidating. Preston and I were stuck upstairs, watching her from afar. My mind drifted to imagining what her scent would smell like—it startled Dem so much, he sent her running.
I kept watching as she walked into the room, greeting Dem and Lukas. This could be our girl—our omega. We could make her and Preston stars. I could create wonderful pieces for them. Damn, I wish I were still dancing…at least I still had a part to play for the pack. The craving was already growing. But was it just artistic?
“Deep breaths, man.” I rolled my neck around as I watched her walk farther into the room. “She’s pretty, nice height, not too tall for you.”
“Agreed, good muscle tone,” Preston added. “Nice chest—fuller than I expected.”
“Would fit nicely in my hands.” I lifted my hands, picturing how she’d feel in them. The thought quickly aroused me. “We should probably stop talking about her breasts.”
“Agreed.” Preston cleared his throat, adjusting himself.
“How good a dancer is she?” I asked.
“I didn’t see her in class. I only made brief eye contact with her across the studio windows.”
“Did Dem remember her audition?”
Preston nodded. “He says she’s talented, great feet and extension.”
“Good…does she have any musicality? Is she expressive?”
“Didn’t say…”
“I can adapt to her movement and mask any flaws,” I said, leaning against the window.
“Yeah, I’m pretty good at adjusting to my partner’s needs.” Preston gripped the metal railing in front of the window. “And we can train the rest out.”
“Hopefully…”
***
Ivy
I smoothed out my green sundress as butterflies danced around in my stomach. Dr. Laughlin and I walked towards the second studio for my arranged meeting with two of the Arco pack members. As I walked, I kept checking the corners of the rooms we moved through, waiting for a camera crew to jump out with a gotcha moment. That surely would be more believable than this.
Excitement and anxiety battled inside me. I didn’t want to rush this—these men could be arrogant and awful. I’d certainly encountered my fair share of obnoxious men in the ballet world. What if I couldn’t get along with this pack? My stomach twisted at the potential of being stuck with men I couldn’t stand. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves.
“Just a note of preparation, they might want to touch you—a lot. Tell them what you're comfortable with and don’t be afraid to set boundaries for yourself,” Dr. Laughlin advised. We reached the studio door and paused.
“Touch me?” I looked at her worriedly.
“It’s the scent stuff. They’ll want to scent-mark you, especially if they really suspect you five are a scent-match.”
“That makes sense.” I recalled some of the information I’d read online last night. There was lots of touching, holding, rubbing…I used to laugh at omegas in public with their packs hanging all over them. I guess I was about to become one.
