But, there’s no apprehension. None of the dread or suffocating feeling that usually comes up when I’m around alphas.
I know I can trust Teddy. He didn’t change personalities just because he changed designations.
And Ethan…
I glance at Teddy, who gives me a nod, and I sidestep so I’m in front of Ethan. Now that he’s closer, I can see that his eyes are green. Like the forest. I take the hand he’s holding out, doing my best to ignore the butterflies that immediately erupt at his touch.
I completely fail in that endeavor when he presses a kiss to the back of my hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Ethan—what’s your name?” I know he’s doing this whole introduction thing to make me more comfortable—he already called me by my name after all.
“Wr—Wren,” I choke out, my face flushing as my perfume swirls around us. This issoembarrassing.At least when I perfumed around Teddy before he couldn’treallytell because he didn’t have as strong of a sense of smell.
Ethan’s eyes darken. But he releases me, and I huff stepping back.
A harsh voice startles me, calling out from the doorway. “Why is shestanding?”
The stranger’s tone has me dropping to my ass on the bed, my stomach turning with anxiety. I don’t knowwhothat is, but I hate it when people are mad at me.
There’s a brief “oof” sound, and then there’s another alpha next to my bed, looking at me appraisingly as he rubs his side. He looks to be in his early thirties, with close-cropped brown hair and a deliciously thick torso and arms.
Deliciously thick? What theactual fuckis wrong with me?
Right. Maybe it’s the way my head swims when his leather and lemongrass scent reaches me.
I choke. “Are you fucking kidding me?” The words burst out of me, and daddy-vibes-hot-alpha raises his brows, a slightly amused smile on his face. “Anotherone? Just how many true scent matches do you have hidden in this house?”
“Um, just one more.” A-fucking-nother alpha comes into view, and yeah. Vetiver and blood orange. These are the two who confronted Pack Caruso.
This one is just as infuriatingly handsome as the rest of them. Dirty blond hair, those same brown eyes that looked at me with warmth as I was carried out of Pack Caruso’s house.
“Oh my gods.” I throw myself back, staring at the ceiling. Four true scent matches. How the hell did I go from a beta who could hardly speak to anyone to an omega with four hot-as-fuck alpha mates?
“Did we break her?” The wording itself is amusing, but the daddy-vibes alpha has nothing but concern on his face as he leans over me.
Then Kind-Eyes.
Then Ethan.
And, lastly, Teddy.
So many eyes are on me, and despite the fact my gut tells me that I’m safe with these alphas, the urge to bury myself in the comforter and hide away from their scrutiny rides me hard.
Groaning, I give in to the urge and pull the blanket over my head. “I’m sorry, I need a minute.”
“Oi! Arse-wipes, give ‘er some space!” Teddy’s voice, combined with the sound of shuffling feet, tells me he’s ushered everyone away from the bed.
“I need to remove her IV!” The voice of…I think it’s the daddy-vibes alpha, argues.
“Fine. Maverick is allowed near the bed, but you two—give ‘er space.”
Maverick?
Something about the name, combined with his scent, has me peeking my eyes out from under the covers.
“I’m afraid I haven’t introduced myself properly,” the alpha says, sitting on the edge of the bed. His voice is still gruff, like he’s not quite used to talking to omegas hiding from him. He looks at me—well, he looks at my eyes and forehead—softly. “I’m Maverick. Can I take your IV out?”
From the safety of my blankets, I observe him for a moment. He has a few gray hairs at his temples, even though he can’t be older than his early thirties. A set of dog tags hangs from his neck, and his rough demeanor from earlier seems to have all but disappeared.
He’s actually pretty cute.
