have been kept under glass to remain forever immaculate and untouched. But all of that radiant perfection was completely and utterly wasted on me, because I realized, beneath the rugged and wild, he smelled of uncut roses in a lush garden, honey, brown sugar, and a hint of jasmine blooming under a boiling midday sun.
What I wanted was muscles under sweaty, salty skin, evergreen woods at dawn, and a ride in the country with the windows down on a hot summer night.
Every omega gave off a scent meant to entice an alpha. I’d seen men I’d known my whole life catch just a whisper of something in the air and be consumed with finding the source, to the exclusion of all else. I had no idea that would ever, or could ever, be me until this very second.
“Where,” I began, but my voice went out on me.
“Have I been all your life?” he taunted me.
“No,” I rumbled hoarsely, and I realized I was probably glowering when he appeared startled. There was no doubt most people fawned over him, but I needed answers. “Have you and Miss Mills perhaps been running in a field?”
His face scrunched up as he recoiled from the mere suggestion. “A well-bred omega would never run,” he informed me. “That’s simply not done.”
I tried to keep the disappointment out of my voice. “Yes. I mean, no, of course not. Forgive me, I meant no offense. I would never wish to imply that you weren’t a gentleman.”
“Whatever would make you think that I—oh,” he groaned, sounding pained, as he breathed in. “I must have Avery’s scent on me. That’s horrifying.”
It was anything but, and I nearly gasped as I caught a hint of the spoor again when he ran his hand through his hair.
“He always comes to these things right from work. It’s totally barbaric.”
An omega who worked at all was unheard of, but the most important part of the explanation was that what I’d hoped was now confirmed—Avery was a man. A man I needed to meet as quickly as possible.
“If I’ve told him once, I’ve told him a million times that he needs to take these events more seriously, and now he’s stinking up me and Bridget, and that’s just vile.”
It was incredible, and dear God, if Avery smelled this good on others, the scent would be even better all over me. I wanted that. Even more, I wanted mine on him. “Avery who?” I asked nonchalantly, masking my interest with a bored tone.
“Rhine,” he replied with a roll of his eyes. “He’s Mr. Huntington’s son, your host for this event. I’m sure he’s around here somewhere.”
And I would spend the rest of my evening hunting him down, because nothing else mattered but finding the man and claiming him as mine.
3
Avery
She tugged on my arm.
I planted my feet.
“I can move you, you know.”
“Lady, I’m a cop,” I explained to Miss Holt, smirking at her.
Her eyes narrowed to slits.
“Okay, wait, wait, wait,” I directed, taking hold of her hand, still in the crook of my elbow. I knew that look on a beta, and I didn’t want to tempt fate. They liked balance and peace, yes, but they were stubborn as hell too. Challenging her was a bad idea. “Before this escalates and we get into some weird pissing contest, I know you mean well by wanting me to go over there and meet the man who I now know is your boss, but c’mon, lookit me. I’m a mess, right? I’m not the kind of omega that would best…serve…”
“Avery?”
What was I thinking? I was smarter than this.
“Avery?”
“Sorry, sorry,” I said quickly, gesturing toward her boss. “You know what? I’m being an idiot. Let’s go.”
She was quiet, unmoving, studying my face.
“What? C’mon, let’s do this.”
“Most omegas,” she began, “meet alphas with a fair amount of excitement, yes? But also trepidation, and even fear, because they know if they’re chosen their lives will never be their own again.”
“Sure.”
“But you—how many alphas have you met?”
I had to think. “Let’s see, from eighteen to now…fifty-eight? No, fifty-nine. There was an alpha just this past summer who lost his beta; it was really sad, and he got to meet us all, and he wanted Bridge, but her father put the kibosh on that.”
She continued to stare at me.
“What?”
“Let me guess, not rich enough?”
I waggled my eyebrows at her.
“All right, so you’ve met fifty-nine alphas, and not one has ever chosen you?”