“She’s also quiet - maybe there’s more to her than we’ve seen. All I know is that we can get our answers once and for all if they agree to get a Bond profile done. It's either that, or admit we scented someone perfuming and nearly went feral. We can’t very well ask a bunch of omegas to line up and perfume on demand to find her.” Hunter said. He had a point, though I was ready to do exactly that if it meant smelling that scent again.
“Alright. Let’s hope today goes well. And at the very least, I can talk more with that mysterious little omega.” Elias said, a smile already forming on his face. Elias was a true romantic - but he’d better keep it in check until we figured out which of the omegaswas our mate. Because after getting a hint of that scent, I knew that no other omega would ever be right for me.
"Once we have everyone's Bond Profile results, we'll know exactly who we're dealing with," Hunter said, excitement in his voice. I hadn’t seen him this animated about something in ages.
His confidence wasn't misplaced. Before founding Vale Labs, Hunter had earned his degree in business and threw himself into researching genetics, convinced that bonding science could be improved. Most companies focused on pheromone suppressants or heat medications. Hunter had wanted something that actually explained why some packs thrived while others barely tolerated one another.
It had become his life's work. And so far, it has helped hundreds of people find their match - but we hadn't found ours yet.
“I don’t think we need a test to know that whoever made that scent is guaranteed to be a good match for us,” I grunted. Elias smiled, already knowing Hunter would jump in with an over-the-top explanation about why data about long-term relationship pairing was important on top of scent alone.
“I agree, but the data can show us a guarantee if it will work out for life…” I let Hunter jump in with his explanation again while I hid a smile. The man was overly cautious about bonding. I knew why - we all knew about his family’s past. And I didn’t disagree with him on waiting for a good match. I was just the type to follow my instincts more than rely on anything else. It’s what made me so good at my job.
Like Elias, for example. I could feel him through the bond as clearly as if he'd spoken aloud. But even if he hadn’t, I could read his body language like a book. There was excitement there, carefully restrained beneath his usual composure, and I already knew why. He wasn't thinking about Arabella, our collaborator and the star of the gala last night - I knew he was thinking about Ivy.
He'd tried to disguise it during the drive home from the gala, pretending his curiosity was purely academic, but there was nothing academic about the way his eyes lit up whenever she was mentioned.
I understood his attraction to her. She had an understated type of beauty, as if she were hiding herself. Some alphas were drawn to confidence, or overt displays of omega fawning. But me? Give me an omega who looked like she needed someone in her corner, and every instinct I possessed would wake up. It was simply the way I'd always been wired.
Even before the security firm, I'd been the one who looked after people. It was who I was. The image of that small, dark-haired woman at the gala kept replaying in my head. I noticed her hesitation before joining her family, and the surprise on her face when Hunter offered her a seat at the table. When Elias engaged her in conversation, she looked genuinely shocked that anyone wanted to hear her speak.
My instincts had been screaming at me to protect her, make sure she had a voice - which was ridiculous. I barely knew the omega. Yet I'd already caught myself wondering whether she'd been okay after leaving us, and whether someone had walkedher safely back to her car. Had she gone home to people who appreciated the brilliant mind hidden beneath all that uncertainty?
“...either way, the Bond match profiles will tell us all we need to know.” Hunter said as I snapped back to attention, watching him sort the guest list with satisfaction. I let him talk about science and personality balancing, but deep down, I wasn’t too concerned with the data behind it all. We would find our mystery omega, and I was sure that whoever matched with us would be the owner of that incredible smell. And I suspected, though I wasn’t sure, that it was in fact Ivy.
Despite everything the data said, my instincts weren't looking for an omega who appeared perfect or presented the best - my desires were telling me to find the one who needed someone on her side. And I couldn’t wait to find her.
Chapter 8
Ivy
Walking into the country club was intimidating. I’d hurriedly put on an outfit that morning, a white linen dress that fit me well, maybe a little looser than it should be since I last tried it on. I’d been saving it for such an occasion. I looked around my closet, scanning for anything I could use to make it better. A thin brown belt that I’d rarely worn was still hanging in the back, so I grabbed it and placed it around my waist, giving me a nice hourglass figure. Then I paired the whole outfit with some brown sandals and gold jewelry, it was probably the best I’d looked in a long time. Finally, I grabbed a white-and-blue satin-patterned scarf and tied it around my neck. Perfect. I looked in the mirror - I looked classy, professional, and like I’d actually fit in.
I walked down to the foyer, where Arabella was rushing about at the last minute. She looked the part of a country club member, which made sense because she was one. She had a tennis skirt and a cute top, with her jewelry looking impeccable and designer tennis shoes. Her blonde hair was done, and her makeup made her glow like an angel. She paused when she saw me, her eyes moving slowly over my outfit. Something sharp crossed her face before her expression changed.
“Oh.” She laughed. “You look…reallydressed up.”
My stomach tightened immediately, and my insecurities rose in my mind. I didn’t go to these types of things like she did. Did I look like I was trying too hard?
Arabella stepped closer, removing the scarf from my neck without asking. “Ivy, this is just a lunch meeting, not a fashion show.” Her fingers moved to the belt around my waist. “This belt makes the dress look a little too overt on you.” Before I could respond, she slipped the belt free and handed it to me. “You look much softer without it.” Then her eyes landed on my jewelry. “Are you really going to wear all that jewelry to a lunch?” Her face held a look like she found me to be completely out of my element.
And I was. I quickly took off my earrings and bracelet, and Arabella sighed. “Really, Ivy. You’ve got to be more aware of how you come across.” She shook her head. I looked down at the belt and necklace in my hands as Arabella smiled sweetly at me. I was now just wearing a plain, slightly too big linen dress and sandals.
“There,” she said approvingly. “Now you look more like yourself.” Compared to her, I looked like I could blend into the wall. But I guess I felt more comfortable that way. I didn’t want to stand out - not in a way that looked ridiculous. It was better to let her be the one who got all the attention. She knew how to do it the right way.
“Come on, everyone, let’s not be late,” Clara announced as she walked into the foyer. “Ah! Ivy. You finally found something that works for your figure.” She said, eyeing me up and down. “It’s a very forgiving dress, I’ll say that much. Well, come on then.” She said, motioning for us to follow.
We joined Clara and my father’s pack in the large SUV, heading toward the club as I felt knots grow in my stomach. I wanted to see Pack Vale again, but not this soon. I wasn’t quite sure what the lunch was for, either.
Soon, the SUV pulled up in front of an enormous stone building surrounded by trimmed hedges and black cars. The building looked less like an estate hidden in the middle of the city. Tall white columns framed the entrance, and several alpha security stood near the doors dressed in dark suits with earpieces. My eyes widened at how fancy this place was. I wasn’t used to going out like this - my family and Arabella were the ones to attend the business and social functions, not me.
We were escorted through the building, then led out to a luxurious patio where I could already sense Pack Vale. Sure enough, the three men were seated at a table, and stood the moment they saw us.
“Good morning,” Hunter said, his powerful presence only slightly less intimidating when he gave us a warm smile. Ronan just nodded, and Elias gave me a wide grin. The three of them then shook hands with each of the males in my family’s pack, before nodding at Clara. “Please have a seat. Our server will be here shortly.” Hunter explained. He was still dressed as if he had to head to a C-suite instead of brunch. His dark hair was still styled back, and I noticed that despite his politeness, he was watching Arabella and I more closely today.
As he stepped closer to pull out a chair, a cool scent drifted toward me, reminding me of fresh ocean mist rolling onto the shore at sunrise. It was clean and crisp, somehow calming despite the commanding alpha it belonged to. I shivered with excitement - they hadn’t used descenter. I was finally able to smell them, and Hunter’s scent was incredible. As a fragrance lover, I was already blown away by his fresh scent. I shook my head, trying not to look silly as the wave of euphoria passed through me. I tried to discreetly breathe through my mouth as I took a seat and looked around.
Ronan was seated nearby in slacks and a short-sleeve shirt, but still looked like he was an off-duty bodyguard. His long, dark hair had a few more loose curls out today, and now I could see the intricate tattoos that lined his muscular arms as he relaxed into his chair. He was too far away for me to catch his scent yet.
