My heats usually start slowly, creeping up until they fully take hold. Despite taking suppressants, I’ve switched up my dosage recently, which can cause unwanted side effects like unexpected heats and spikes. If I’m lucky, I probably have a few hours to make myself comfortable before I totally lose myself to my urges.
From behind me, a strangled noise comes from the back of the alpha’s throat.
Fear grips me, the cupcakes falling from my arms once more. Only this time, neither of us move to pick up the contents that spill out over the sidewalk, creating a barrier between us.
“Delilah.” He paces toward me, reaching my side in seconds. “You…” His nostrils flare. “Fuck, you smell like my favorite apple pie.”
As much as I usually love any excuse to talk about family pie recipes, this is not the time.
“I…” My tongue moistens my lips, his sweet smell cloying in the air means I can practically taste him. “I need to go.”
“You’re not going anywhere alone.” His jaw clenches. “Not like this.”
The truth is, I don’t want to go either. My instincts are telling me that I’m right where I need to be. His soft hoodie tickles my cheek as he draws me close, crushing me against his chest. I virtually melt, wanting to wrap myself up in his scent and never leave. This is the type of dangerous situation that all omegas are warned about. Going into heat with a stranger puts you in an incredibly vulnerable position. I could be taken advantage of, or worse, bitten. Yet I can’t help feeling safe with him.
His phone vibrating in his jeans causes him to pull back with an anguished expression. “Fuck,” he mutters more to himself than to me. “Not now.”
“It’s okay.” I step away. “I’ll be fine.”
When I turn, he grabs my wrist, silencing his ringing phone with his other hand. A volcanic rush of warmth stems from the point he’s touching me, spreading to engulf the rest of my cold limbs.
“Do you have a pack, Delilah?” he asks. “An alpha who can help you?”
I shake my head, my chin-length curls dancing around my face. “I-I can head to the campus wellness center or back to my nest to w-wait it out.”
They would be the most sensible options.
“Or you could stay.” His gorgeous green eyes delve deep into my soul, offering an alternative that definitely shouldn’t sound as appealing as it does. “With me.”
“But I don’t even know your name.” Not that my body seems to mind. With a scent like that, knowing his name hardly feels like a top priority.
“Some people call me James.” He drops my wrist to offer me his open hand. “We should really get you out of the cold.”
I nod, dumbfounded as I slip my fingers through his.
Accepting an offer of help from an alpha I’ve just met is stupid. It goes against everything I’ve been taught in safety classes, but when his big hand closes around mine, it feels soright. Maybe my hat possesses some kind of magical ability, leading me to this chance meeting as a stroke of fate? If I’m considering a potentially supernatural hat as justification to go with him, I’m in too deep to turn back.
I follow James down the street to where a mammoth SUV with blacked-out windows waits.
“I’m staying in a hotel close by.” He pauses at the car, seeming reluctant to let go of my hand but does it anyway. “My suite has everything an omega in heat could need, but I won’t force you to come if you don’t want to.”
He keeps a respectful distance, however, his clenching jaw hints that he’s fighting his own instincts. Does he feel the same inexplicable draw toward me? I find that hard to believe based on how hot he is. I’m sure he could have his pick of any woman, but his smoldering stare makes me feel like I’m the center of his universe.
“Are you really sure about this?” I bite my lip while suppressing the urge to climb him like a freaking tree. “We just met.”
“I’m not leaving you, Delilah.” The sound of my name coming from his mouth makes me want to purr. “Everything else can wait. You’re my number one priority until you’re through this heat, okay? Do you trust me?”
“I…” How can I? Yet I still find myself getting inside and saying, “I think so.”
TWO
Jagger
PRESENT DAY
“Remember, this is what you wanted, Jagger. Superstars like you rarely decide to just go to college.” Next to me, my manager, Valerie, sucks her yellow, smoke-stained teeth as we pass a row of flashing cameras at the entrance to Scent Valley University. “There’s still time to change your mind.”
On my other side, Nash’s broad shoulders tense. I shoot him a warning look before he’s tempted to make a sarcastic remark. This transition is already difficult enough without him and Valerie butting heads. Even though I’m not Valerie’s biggest fan,Pack Firewould never have become a global sensation without her. Sure, she can be a pain in the ass sometimes, but I owe her. Something she’s always quick to remind me of.
