“I’m fine!” I called out, and before anyone else could speak, I heard Arabella sigh.
“I told you, she hates eating with others. Please don’t take it personally, she doesn’t realize how rude it is.” She said, and for once, I was glad for her distraction. Because I needed to get somewhere safe - my perfume was ready to burst out.
I reached the doors to the staffing area, and once I was through them, I ran down the hallway, flinging open random doors as I went. I tried a few until I found a storage closet. Luckily, no one was around, and I cordoned myself in the room, finally letting out a sigh of relief when I knew I was truly alone. My body relaxed, and my glands overpowered the descenter and opened up, the suppressants no longer working as I perfumed excessively. I let out a sigh of relief as the pent-up hormones were finally released from me in a way that felt phenomenal after being suppressed for so long.
My scent filled the room, stronger than it had been in a long time due to the excessive time I’d held it back. I usually didn’t ever perfume like this, and I knew why I was - I really, really liked Pack Vale. I felt like a schoolgirl with a crush, but this was way more intense. My glands were nearly hurting with how much I was perfuming in the closet, with my mind and heart racing at the thought of the pack that treated me like I was someone worth having around. I gasped softly, bracing a hand against the wall as the pheromones continued to spill from me, my body responding to emotions I’d kept buried for far too long.
I don’t know how long I stayed like that, barricading myself in the room until my hormones subsided. Once I was sure that my body had calmed down, I reached into my purse and pulled out several scent absorbing wipes and a can of descenter, wiping down my body and spraying myself and the air as much as I possibly could. Once I was sure that no one was around and my scent was cleaned up enough, I crept out of the door into the hallway. The gala had died down, and I peeked out to see what was going on. The dinner tables had been cleared out, the crowd had dwindled, and my family was nowhere in sight.
I stepped back toward the kitchen and finally found our family driver waiting in the staff break room. “Ah, there you are,” Alec said when he saw me. “Your family has already left. I was wondering where you’d slipped off to.”
Of course they left without me. I didn’t expect anything less from them. I was secretly glad that I didn’t have to deal with anyone else after my embarrassing exit from the dinner table, though, so I quickly followed Alec through the hall and into the waiting SUV. For the entire drive back, I couldn't keep my mind offElias, Hunter, and Ronan. These men affected me so much that it broke through my suppressant use. I’d have to be very diligent about my doses going forward, especially since I’d be seeing a lot more of them in the next few months.
Just the thought of it made my scent glands start tingling again, and I knew I needed to take a higher dose of suppressant when I got home. “Alec, let’s take the fastest route possible, if you don’t mind,” I asked, and he nodded. I sank back into the leather seats, a smile on my face even though I’d almost perfumed in public. Despite the snafu, tonight was honestly one of the best nights in recent memory.
Chapter 5
Hunter
“That went well,” Ronan said gruffly as we finished giving our regards to the last of the guests. The gala was over, and soon we could head home and relax. Ronan was a man of few words, but when he did speak, he meant it.
“Agreed. Arabella will be an asset for the launch, and her family seems reasonable enough to work with.” I agreed. Yes, the family was a bit over the top with their praise of us, but that was normal. Social climbing was rampant and expected in our circles.
“And two omegas in one family, that’s rare,” Elias said as he joined us, one hand in his pocket and one holding the last of his drink. He was the most easy-going of our pack, the social glue that helped balance Ronan and my personalities. Alphas of ournature could sometimes be off-putting, but we had a good time with everyone tonight.
“Yes, I can’t imagine it’s easy. Especially with them being so close in age.” I murmured, thinking back to the two young unbonded omegas. Arabella was the very picture of an ideal omega - put together, ultra feminine, and fawned easily over anything we did. With her personality and social media presence, she was a shoo-in for our ambassador role. Ivy, on the other hand, was a surprise. She hadn’t RSVP’d initially, but her family requested a spot for her at the last minute.
“Oh yes, two omegas like that are bound to have conflict. They managed it well at the table, but there was some tension,” Elias commented. He was a better resource for understanding omegas - he’d done his research on genetics and designations in school. “Furthermore, they aren’t related. Arabella and her mother joined the pack years ago, so there’s that complication as well.” Elias explained.
Interesting. My mind flashed back to the pack across from us, looking like they’d been together forever. Ivy was the daughter of one of the male members, then. That would explain why she looked so different. Her features didn’t resemble Arabella at all. While Arabella was blonde and blue-eyed, Ivy was dark-haired and had the most intriguing brown eyes I’d ever seen. She was hard to read - she’d been quiet most of the night, and I could tell that between the two of them, Arabella was the more dominant omega. Conflicts usually arose when two omegas were forced to be near each other. But they’d handled it well, at least until the one omega had exited without explanation at dessert.
I’d wanted so badly to feed her, to share in our mutual success. It was natural for an unbonded alpha like me to instinctively want to protect and feed an omega. And after I saw her being led away from the table, instinct had taken over. She looked so small and dejected; I just had to bring her back. Having her next to me at the table felt right - I didn’t normally have an omega at my side for these events, but Ivy felt like a balm to the sharp edges of my personality. She was easy to be around, too. She seemed appreciative of my gesture and let me share my dessert, which pleased me more than I would have thought.
My gut instinct about her was right - I could tell she enjoyed the meal, and she’d even opened up a little when we talked. There was more to her than met the eye. But overall, she seemed to hide her qualities, which I figured might be part of her personality. As luck would have it, I happen to like shy omegas.
“Now I know this night was all about Arabella, but Ivy just came out of nowhere,” Elias added, a smile on his face. I knew he was interested in her - he’d been at her side almost the whole night.
“You like her, don’t you?” I asked, and he nodded. We hadn’t courted an omega seriously for some time.
“You sure it wasn’t just that we were surrounded by dozens of omegas tonight?” Ronan said, running a hand over his dark black hair to set a loose curl back into place. “That many damn omegas are bound to make even the strongest of us feel things.” He said, and Elias laughed.
“True. But I’m a beta, I’m not as affected by them as you are. And yet,” he said, turning to us. “Ivy is the most intriguing person I’ve met in a long time. There’s something about her.” He stated, and I nodded.
“She hasn’t opened up yet. But she seems like a good girl. Intelligent, too.” I mused. It would be fun watching Elias work with Ivy - he hadn’t been interested in someone in ages. None of us had. Work and obligations kept us busy, but there was another reason, too. Our lab was perfecting a genetic test that could potentially save people years in finding their match. And I wanted to make sure we found the best possible option for our pack.
“Done with your drink?” Ronan asked, and Elias sighed and set it down on a nearby table.
“In such a hurry to get home? You're no fun, Ronan.” He said, following as Ronan headed out of the ballroom.
“Of course not. Being fun wouldn’t make me very effective at my job.” Ronan said brusquely, not bothering to turn around. I walked with them, satisfied with how the night went. We were almost at the door when something tingled in my brain, triggering something in me.
“Wait.” I barked, not even realizing I’d given a command. I froze, my arm out as silence fell around us. Something was calling to me, something important. I breathed in deeply, closing my eyes. There was a hint of something in the air - something faint,almost impossible to detect beneath the scents of catered food. But it was there, soft and intoxicating.
“What is it?” Elias asked, and I held up a hand.
“Do you smell that?” I asked, my voice suddenly low and dangerous as I felt my instincts rise up in me, my body moving without thinking as I stalked down the hall, smelling the air. I wanted more - Ineededmore. My pulse slammed hard against my ribs. I needed to find the source before the scent disappeared completely. Behind me, I heard the others inhale sharply.
“Hunter…” Ronan’s voice was tight. He smelled it, too. They both did.
