“You might feel that need, too.” Dr. Laughlin paused, her hand gently placed on the doorknob. “Also, once you all get settled, I’m going to step out into the hallway. It’ll be better for you if I’m not in the room. Sometimes strangers can be viewed as a threat when a new omega is getting to know her pack.”
I blinked at her, trying to understand, though her leaving me in the room did nothing to quell my nerves.
“Are you ready?” Dr. Laughlin asked kindly. “There’s no rush here.”
I took one last deep breath before exhaling loudly. “No time like the present!” I exclaimed with my performance smile plastered on.
We walked into the second studio where I'd agreed to meet Demetrius and the photographer, Lukas. Two men would be fine, not too overwhelming.
As soon as I entered, Demetrius and Lukas lifted their heads and stood, both looking just as nervous and anxious as I felt. Dr. Laughlin gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze as we stepped forward.
“Ivy, it’s good to see you again.” Demetrius's eyes held a certain level of blended heat and curiosity as they gazed over me. The way he took me in was quite intimidating, yet I wanted more at the same time.
Compared to earlier, I had a better view of Demetrius now. He was tall with broad shoulders and thick black hair, combed and styled neatly. His frame was large and muscular, seemingly hidden behind his solid black clothes. His striking features combined with his level of confidence were very attractive. Nobody would question whether he was the leader of this pack. My body flushed as his bright green eyes took me in. I got the sense he was trying to hold back his commanding energy.
Demetrius turned and gestured to the photographer next to him. “I’d like you to meet our media coordinator and another member of the Arco pack, Lukas Teckit.”
My eyes traveled to Lukas, the photographer who'd taken pictures on the first day. Lukas was taller than me, but not by much. His frame was a bit on the leaner side, but still defined. I liked the way his brown, curly hair hung off his head. His bright, blue eyes danced with excitement as he smiled at me. His expression hinted at a certain level of mischievous playfulness.
He gave me a wink and a smile, revealing the sweetest dimples. “Hello, gorgeous. Good to see you again.”
I inhaled sharply at the compliment as a burst of perfume erupted from my skin—exactly like in Demetrius’s office. My heart skipped a beat as my hands shot up to my cheeks in embarrassment. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry. I can’t help it.”
My scent seemed to hit Demetrius and Lukas like a hammer. Demetrius staggered a few steps away while Lukas started to softly purr. My eyes shot to Lukas, studying his reaction. Right, alphas instinctively purred when feeling pleased or pleasured. Something about that made me want to hear more of his sounds. They exchanged a satisfied look and smiled at each other before looking back at me.
“There’s no need to apologize,” Demetrius replied as he gestured to me to sit in one of the chairs laid out. “You can’t help it, and your scent is fantastic.”
Lukas looked up above my head, winking at someone. Out of curiosity, I followed his gaze. Inside the crow's nest, two more guys stood by, watching the meeting from upstairs. They must have been the rest of the pack.
My heart instantly hurt for them. They also probably wanted to be here if they thought I was their omega. I appreciated the effort to make me feel comfortable, but if I was going to do this, I was going to do it right.
“Is that the rest of the pack? I’d like to meet them, too.” Glancing back up, I gestured to them to join us. Almost immediately, they both disappeared from the window.
Demetrius looked at me with a soft, appreciative expression. “They’ll be very grateful, thank you.”
In less than a minute, the other two pack members entered the room, pausing to take in my lingering scent before making their way over to us.
“Ivy, this is Isaac Senders. He’s the company’s resident choreographer.”
I looked over to Isaac, who exuded such a vibrant burst of chaotic energy. He was also tall but a bit more on the slender side. His hair was black, partially shaved on one side, while the other side remained long. To say he was sexy was an understatement. The high structure of his cheekbones highlighted his cool, brown eyes. His lips especially caught my attention, full and luscious, probably great for kissing.
Another burst of perfume rose from my skin as I once more grabbed my cheeks, gesturing hello to Isaac. Again, they each seemed to be completely taken aback as my perfume permeated the room. Isaac flashed me a brilliant, cocky smile, as if knowing exactly what my mind was thinking.
Demetrius cleared his throat. “And this is Preston Maleric, one of our principal dancers.”
Preston’s green eyes were intense, filled with fire and lust. The longing in his gaze struck me particularly hard. Just like the others, he was also tall. He had well-defined muscles, not too bulky but great for that dancer line everyone craved. Hisshort, blond hair was well styled, as was his complete appearance. In fact, everything about him was polished. He was so elegant, like a prince. I recognized him as the man I saw in the second studio on the first day.
“Hey,” he confidently spoke to me. “Nice to meet you, green eyes.”
I waved quickly at him, my voice lost to his intensity. My god, I was scent-matched to these four men? How would I ever speak to them?
Dr. Laughlin cleared her throat. “I’m going to be just around the corner if you need me. Boys, behave.” I sent my thanks to her as she turned and left the room.
I turned back to find all four men staring at me—the intense, lust-filled eyes were very intimidating to me. Words started to tumble out of my mouth, trying to justify my own ignorance of my designation. “I just want to say that I wasn’t trying to deceive anyone. I legitimately didn’t know I was an omega.”
Demetrius shook his head as he stepped forward slightly. “No one is accusing you of trying to deceive us. I could tell by your reaction in my office that you weren’t lying. Dr. Laughlin confirmed everything as well.”
“I just know rumors are going to spread about me…” I could picture most of the company accusing me of lying about my designation.
