Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

I ’m more nervous about this date than I was last year during the Cup finals as I make sure I don’t burn our fucking dinner.

I thought pannenkoeken would be safe. It’s one of the few things I know I won’t mess up since my mother made it often, and it doesn’t include any red meat. I did a savory one with salmon and avocado and a sweet one with apples and raisins.

Shit, I should have asked if there were any foods she didn’t like beyond red meat before I started cooking. I thought it would be best that the food was ready as soon as she got here, so if it was awkward and she hated it, she could leave.

I’m not sure why I feel as though Sloane won’t enjoy our date. Perhaps it’s because we’ve been teetering on this edge of flirtation for so long I worry that once she gets to know me, she won’t like what she sees.

It’s also been an incredibly long time since I’ve dated someone. Let alone courted them.

Because the fact is, Sloane is the courting type.

She’s an Omega, one who is nearly at the age to go into heat. There’s no way she’s looking for casual, she’s looking for her pack.

I’m not sure if the thought scares me or not. For sure, the idea of sharing isn’t appealing. It’s not something I grew up with. I had Beta parents and was an only child.

Sharing was not something I held in high regard, it never has been.

The toppings melt into the top of the sweet pannenkoeken as a knock hits my door. I regret not offering to pick her up, but I couldn’t simply just pull up in front of my coach’s house.

My coach who inexplicably has said multiple times for us to keep our paws off of his Omega daughter.

As much as I respect the man, this is a rule worth breaking.

I plate the food, turn off the burner, and wipe my hands before taking a deep breath and answering the front door. As soon as I open it, I look down to see a smiling Sloane looking like an absolute vision in a simple black dress and a leather jacket.

“Come in,” I tell her, opening the door wider and stepping to the side.

“Smells amazing,” she says as she begins to take off her jacket, and I help her by grabbing the back as she slides her arms out. I hang it up on the rack as Sloane glances around my home.

It’s not overly large, but it’s a great neighborhood, and I knew it would make a great investment property if I ever got traded to another team. It’s minimalistic but still warm and inviting at the same time.

“Your home is lovely,” she says, glancing around to the kitchen, and I place a hand on her back and lead her to the island to sit on a barstool.

Her scent wafts after her, and I have to keep myself in check. It’s been so long since I’ve scented her in full force. The woman drives me fucking crazy. But I’m not going to ruin this. I’m serious about this girl, and I need to prove my intentions and make sure we're on the same page.

“I figured you might be hungry already, so I thought it would be best to eat first,” I say, and she gives me a warm smile.

It’s hard not to stare at her. It’s not just that she’s beautiful with her unique red hair, freckled skin, and piercing green eyes. Sloane is like a magnet I can’t pull away from. Something about her presence soothes a part of me I didn’t know I ever needed.

She calms me in a way I haven’t felt in a very long time. It’s consuming, and I wonder if having her in my home for our first date was the best idea.

Sloane is too tempting for her own good.

“It looks amazing. Pancakes?” she asks as I slide one of the savory and sweet dishes in front of her.

“ Pannenkoeken. It’s a bit in between a crepe and a pancake. You typically roll it and eat it. My mother made them all the time,” I tell her, and she smiles.

“Are you still close with your mother?” she asks, and I shake my head.

“Unfortunately, she is no longer with us.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” she says like she truly means it, and I’m grateful she doesn’t ask me more details about her. “Any other family?”

“I have a few cousins, and my father still lives in the Netherlands, but none of us are close. In fact, you probably know one of my cousins.”

“Oh yes, Kristiansen, he’s on the Canes, right?”

I nod my head, my lips thinning into a frown when I hear her say his name. But I swallow down the irritation at the mention of the other Alpha I can hardly tolerate. Instead, I just move on, not wanting to discuss the self-entitled asshole. He broke my nose when we were seven, and I haven’t forgiven him for it.

I place a fork and knife next to her plate as I stand while I eat, rolling and cutting a bite of my dish. Not half bad. Sloane does the same.

“This is delicious,” she says, taking a bite of both options.

“Thank you. What about you? You have quite a large family, yes?”

“My parents are in a pack of four, but besides that, I don’t have any siblings or a ton of other relatives.”

“What was it like growing up with your parents being in a pack?” I ask her, and a wide grin takes over her face.

“Amazing. There was always someone around, you know? I always felt cared for and loved. And I grew up seeing what true love really looks like. I know a lot of people don’t get that. Plus, having Omega, Alpha, and Beta parents prepared me for what my future could possibly look like. You just had two parents?”

“My mother and father were Betas, yes. They were never married and in the end turned out to be better friends than lovers.”

She chews on her food, thinking over my words for a moment. “Are packs common where you grew up?”

“Yes and no. Back home, it is more common for an Omega to have multiple Alphas, but bonding isn’t necessarily as frequent as it is here. Especially bonding with Betas or having Betas in a pack.”

“Oh,” she says, looking down at her food with crinkled brows.

Great, I’m already fucking this up.

“But that is back home. Connecticut is where I live now,” I reply, hoping to salvage this.

“Really started this date off with a bang, didn’t we?” she says. I feel it too. All this time with platonic flirting with no expectations of it going anywhere. But now that she’s in my home, things are real, and neither of us really know how to act.

I let out a small laugh and shake my head. “I know this isn’t casual for you, Sloane. It makes no sense to pretend otherwise.”

She places her elbow on the granite, her fist under her chin. “You know, your no nonsense bullshit is one of the things I like most about you?”

“Are you sure it isn’t my dazzling looks?”

“Do you want me to tell you how handsome you are, Bram?” she teases, and I thank the stars I didn’t fuck this date up before we’ve had our meal.

“It wouldn’t hurt.”

She leans forward, staying in the same position. “I think you’re one of the most handsome Alphas I’ve ever met. Not to mention your scent,” she says.

“What about my scent?” I ask, leaning forward, getting a hit of hers. I’ve never been one for compliments, but I may become addicted to the soft affirmations leaving Sloane’s lips.

“It’s rich and masculine. Your house smells like you,” she says in a whisper.

I lean over the countertop, getting into her space, analyzing all the brown and yellow speckles in her green eyes.

“And what of your home? Does it smell like peaches and sunshine?”

“Is that what my scent smells like to you?”

I circle the counter, and she swivels her chair to face me as I cup the back of her head, finally feeling the soft strands of her hair on my fingertips as I lean in, my nose touching the soft skin of her neck as I inhale her scent deeply.

She perfumes at the motion, her scent only getting thicker as I hear a soft gasp leave her lips.

“You smell sweet. Like a peach soaking up the sun on a warm, sunny day. The sunshine loves you, I bet.”

Her hand wraps around my wrist as I inhale her scent even further and do my best to not let the sweet little Omega in front of me know that I’m getting hard. But there’s no way she doesn’t scent my arousal.

I want her. More than I’ve ever wanted anyone. With our scents so heavy, I’d have known by now if she was my scent match. A pipedream for most Alphas and Omegas, but fuck, this has to be close.

I’m going to do whatever it takes to make sure I get a hit of her peachy scent for the rest of my fucking life.

“You smell earthy. Like spicy citrus,” she whispers out. Her small hand grips my wrist as I pull back and look at her.

The air around us feels palpable, but this wasn’t my plan. My plan was to take things slowly. To really get to know Sloane before we took anything further, and while that’s still my intention, I can’t deny how badly I want her right now.

“Bram?”

“Hmm?” I mumble, glancing down at her soft pink lips.

“Are you going to kiss me?”

I glance back up at her eyes, my hand sliding from the back of her head to cup her jaw. She’s so much smaller than me that it feels like my hand could span her whole face.

She’s delicate, and I find myself wanting to take care of her and give her whatever she wants.

“My intention was to take things slow with you,” I say, my hold on her face gentle.

Her soft skin is a complete juxtaposition to my large calloused hand.

She licks her lips, and now all I want is a taste.

“I’m looking for my pack, Bram. I’m not looking for casual.”

I can’t help but to smile at her honesty. It’s one of the reasons I like her so much. She’s direct and says what she means. There’s no deciphering her words. She’s an Omega who knows what she wants, and I can’t fault her for that.

“I’m not looking for casual, but I’m also not very fond of sharing,” I tell her honestly, wanting to give her the same respect that she’s given me.

“You’d have to learn. I know what I want, Bram. I like you. I want to know you better in so many ways. But if you can’t handle pack life, I should leave now before we take this any further.”

My gaze searches hers and then back down to her lips.

Can I do this?

I know I have what it takes to care for an Omega; I have no doubt in my mind I could be a loving, supportive, and caring Alpha. But can I share? Can I give up control and work with others?

I’m a team player, but at times it could be hard. It’s something I had to work long and hard to overcome. But the NHL was important, hockey was important, so I overcame and continue to try and be a better teammate.

It seems like zero to one hundred as a first date, but I knew this about her before she came over. Sloane is a pack Omega through and through. And the most precious things are the ones you have to work hard for.

Just like I did with hockey, I’ll have to find patience and understanding. Because I’ve never felt like this before, never this early and never this strong.

Sloane is worth it.

I prove this to her by leaning forward and placing my lips against hers in the softest show of affection. Caving to her wants feels as easy as breathing.

She sighs against my lips, her body relaxing as I do my best to assure her through the kiss.

Our scents intermingle, and I shift my body closer to hers. One of her small hands fists my shirt, and I have to hold back a moan that wants to slip out of my mouth.

Has a kiss ever felt like this for me?

No. Not even close.

I don’t know if it’s because Sloane is an Omega and my Alpha nature calls to her, or if it’s just the strong, lovely woman herself. But I want more. I want everything.

It makes me lose control, placing my body closer to hers and parting my lips to kiss her deeper. The small Omega moans into my mouth, and my chest rumbles with a satisfied purr.

Her nails are digging into my shirt, and she shifts her body to the edge of the seat, her thighs touching my own legs. What I wouldn’t do to pick her up and toss her on the counter and devour her whole.

“Alpha,” she whispers against my lips, causing me to snap back to reality.

I pull away from the kiss, which is the biggest test of self control I’ve ever had in my life.

“This won’t be easy for me, but I will try. For you, Sloane, I will try.”

She opens her eyes like she was in a slight haze, my shirt still fisted in her hand.

“Wait. You were serious about taking it slow?” she says, blinking at me, and I shake my head and laugh, my hand sliding from her jaw to press against her delicate collarbone.

“Very serious. I want to court you. I want to make sure this is truly something I can do.”

She licks her lips, tasting me, and I nearly lose it. Instead, I change the structure of the evening.

“We should go for a walk. Unless you want more to eat?” I ask her.

“Are you trying to kick me out of your house?” she asks with narrowed eyes.

“If we stay in my house, I worry I will do very un-gentlemanly things to you.”

“What if I want you to? What if there’s something even better on the menu?” she whispers.

She was sent to test me, I realize. Sloane is a lesson in restraint and patience sent by the universe.

“You’re a very dangerous Omega,” I tell her, which makes her laugh.

“Alright, fine, Mr. Take It Slow. Let’s go for a walk. We can talk more and get to know each other.”

I let out a sigh of relief and remove my hand from her skin.

“I’ll grab your jacket.”

“It’s not that cold outside.”

“I’ll grab your jacket,” I repeat, and I swear she pushes her thighs together.

This Omega is the ultimate test indeed.