“I know.”
I’m silent for too long, and he stands up, the chair rolling back and hitting the wall behind him. My eyes take in his form, remembering it naked all those months ago, the pale set of his skin, the way he arched into my touch. The way he called meAlphawith reverence.
The complete opposite of the man standing before me now.
But even with the purifier, I can smell his scent. Bitter, angry.
“Oh, what now? Why are you lingering? Is it because you’re an alpha and feel the need to protect the weak omega? You think I can’t be here alone?” His voice is full of derision, and I arch an eyebrow.
“You make a lot of assumptions.”
“As an omega, I have to, especially when it comes to alphas like you.”
“Well, you should know that I’m not like that.”
“Oh, they all say that, but I guarantee you are. I heard the laughter outside. I know I smell different. That they think I’m too pretty to do this job. But I can’t help any of it. It’s just who I am.”
His right fist is pressed against the table, and I see the whites of his knuckles. He’s pissed. I want to ask himwhyhe smells like this, but I don’t. It’s not my place. Not now anyway.
“I know what you think, but let’s just put our stereotypes aside. I’m not them.” I inhale slightly. Burnt citrus peel. Instead of offending me, it makes my cock twitch.
“Right. I’m sure you’re not. But just so you know, I earned my right to run this site. I put in the hours, and I’m damn good at what I do.” He says it harshly, like he needs me to believe it.
“Never said you weren’t, but seeing as it’s getting late, if you don’t need me, I’ll head home, Mr. Wren.”
He gives me a curt nod, and when I turn around, I hear him sinking into his chair, a loud exhale meeting my ears.
I don’t look back, no matter how much I want to. Instead, I pull the door open and say loud enough for him to hear, “Just watch out for the rogue shifters that wander the woods out here. Howlers, they call them, because of the guttural sounds they make when they move through the forest. There’s been an upsurge in these packs around here lately, and it’s said they can scent an omega miles away. You don’t want to be caught up in that.”
“Maybe I do. Don’t assume anything about me,” he fires back, but I can hear the strain in his voice.
And with that, I shut the door and move toward my truck, telling myself not to stay and wait for him to get in his car and drive away. I should go home and let him get railed by a pack of Howlers.
That thought makes my wolf rear its head.
I can’t fucking stay or I’m gonna make an ass out of myself.
He has no idea who I am, and I refuse to be the one to tell him.
My gaze moves out to the woods, the looming trees arched toward me, the crescent moon peeking through the branches and leaves. A rustle, a movement. I swear I see someone lingering, but then they’re gone.
I’m fucking losing my mind. If there was someone there, it’s probably just a lone protestor and their sign.
My new boss’s appearance in my life is throwing me for a loop. I’m now conjuring up reasons to stay back, to interfere in his life.
So, instead of staying, I turn my truck on and pull out of the lot, hardening myself to the fact that the eager, needy, sweet-smelling omega I had that night months ago is not the man I’m working for.
And I need to remember that before I lose my job.
The news plays on the television as I make myself breakfast before heading back to the work site this morning. I sip on my coffee and watch as the reporter fumbles with his mic.Must be new, I think as I watch him stumble over a few words before getting into his groove.
“Local officials have been trying to locate three rogue Howlers that have been breaking and entering a variety of cabins in Twilight Hallow. If you see something, howl something. The number for the hotline is?—”
I switch the channel as I sip my coffee.
“—protests in Montana have ramped up, with the protestors saying that they’re going to fight back if something isn’t doneabout the desecration of the ancient sacred glades and burial mounds supposedly located in this area.”
“Fuck,” I murmur, thinking about the land we’re building on. Hopefully, the company was able to settle whatever dispute was brewing. We don’t need anything else hindering our progress.
