I’m breathing hard and my mind spins, second guessingthings. Maybe he doesn’t smell any stronger than other betas. Maybe it’s becausethisbeta smells like my favorite food, and I could sniff that out anywhere.
He smells like rich chocolate, the good stuff that the most expensive chocolate bars and best hot chocolates are made of. It’s sweet with an edge to it, where one taste is almost overwhelming but you keep coming back for more.
And I want more. I want to lick him and see if he tastes just as good.
The packaging doesn’t hurt either. He’s large for a beta, almost as tall and muscular as the alphas next to me. His red hair is bright against a fading tan, and there’s a gold hoop earring in his left ear that flashes in the light. His messy hair falls across his eyes, which are such a deep brown they look black.
He has a sly look on his face as he watches me, like he knows something I don’t and he’s just waiting for me to realize it.
The beta prowls closer.
“I—wait, did you say Henri?” I say, looking at the curly-haired alpha he was talking to.
That’s the name of my teammate, but it’s still twenty minutes until they’re supposed to arrive.
They can’t be my bosses.
I didn’t expect them to look like this. Tosmelllike this.
I can hardly think around them. How could I ever work under them?
When I researched the Montanus Pack, the only pictures I found were of the team lead, Orion, in news articles. None of these alphas are him.
What are the odds there’s another alpha in Starsfalls named Henri? Numbers blur before my eyes, but I don’tkeep up with the popularity of baby names so I don’t have enough data to come up with a good estimate.
It doesn’t matter though, because my question is answered as Orion himself exits the first SUV.
The photos didn’t do him justice. Of course, as a professional, I noticed how commanding and authoritative my team leader is, which came across even in the black and white images.
Here, in person, his amber-colored eyes seem to glow, and his black hair is swept back from his face, giving him a distinguished look. He’s all alpha, muscular biceps flexing and bulging as he shuts the car door.
Orion certainly seems like someone you’d trust to lead you anywhere, no matter how dangerous. Even his presence is dominating, letting you know immediately he’s in charge.
His scent is just as strong and sharp as he appears. At first I think it’s simple cool mint, like fresh mint leaves. But as I inhale again, I realize it’s more than that. It’s peppermint, sweet candy mints and festive candy canes. It would be astringent if it weren’t for that sweetness mixed in.
Orion introduces himself, and I shake his hand in a stupor.
He presents the rest of my teammates. The charming alpha who helped me up is Charm, which almost makes me laugh, but I stifle the hysterical giggle. The curly-haired alpha is Henri and Cato is the beta.
Cato is still smiling slyly when I look over at him. His eyes try to draw me in, deep pools with hidden depths, but I quickly look away as Orion introduces their last member, Magnus. He’s the huge alpha still standing near the cars.
Magnus nods politely to me, so I guess he isn’t too traumatized by my flailing. I’ll have to be extra carefularound him to prove I’m not a hazard. I nod back and remain standing perfectly fine, not even a wobble. No clumsiness here.
Time stalls as Orion watches me, but eventually he releases my hand. I didn’t even realize I was still holding on after our handshake.
I’m still out of sorts after my fall, like I dropped into some alternate world where alphas are enticing and betas look like they want to hold me down and lick me all over. I could be projecting that last part.
Except this pack had me out of sorts even before I fell.
I’ve never reacted to anyone like this before. It must be the stress of embarking on my rescuer training. My omega is looking for comfort, any port in a storm. It’s nothing to do with them specifically.
I’ve worked with plenty of attractive people, including alphas, and didn’t have this issue. I’m sure I’ll calm down once I get settled in and focus on the job.
Until then, I’ll just have to fake it and not let on about how weird I’m feeling.
“We’ll load this up if you’re ready to go. Magnus will help you get the rest of your things from the room,” Orion says.
I nod, agreeing to his orders without a second thought.
