Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Holden

E xcitement fills me as I put the finishing touches on the three-tier cinnamon and vanilla bean cake. It's a bit much, but tonight is a celebration. My pack's dreams for our resort soft-launched today with the arrival of our first guest, and I want everything to be perfect.

With a deep breath, I slide the cake off the island and lift it from the base. The weight shifts as I position my hands under it, and my elbow bangs against the metal mixing bowl still on the counter. It clatters, wobbles on the edge, then plummets to the floor, spraying leftover frosting everywhere.

As I maneuver around the mess, the kitchen door swings inward, and I take a quick step back. "Watch out!"

My heel lands on a patch of icing, and I slip, the cake launching toward the beautiful blond woman who steps through the door.

"Oof!" She takes the full force, frosting and delicate cake crumbs splattering her shocked expression and raining down her pretty dress as she falls to the floor, flat on her back.

Horror fills me, and I slide across the tiles to fall at her side. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry! I was on my way out, and you were on your way in…"

She groans, soft blue eyes blinking up at me, clearly dazed. "It's… It's all right."

Oh, god. My horror shifts to mortification as I stare down at Aurora Storm, the creator of my favorite series. In my kitchen. Covered in the cake I just threw at her.

"Can you…" She waves her hand in the air. "I need some help up."

"Of course." I shake myself and grab her hand, pulling her to sit upright. "I'm so, so sorr?—"

"Ow!" Her head jerks back, and she lifts a hand as her blond hair slides to the side, revealing vibrant pink beneath. Her eyes widen when she realizes her wig slipped, and tears fill her eyes. "Oh, no."

"It's okay," I soothe, a surge of protectiveness filling me as I realize how vulnerable she must feel in this moment.

Aurora Storm presents herself to the world as a Beta, and in one enormous dessert disaster, I uncovered her secret.

"Please don't cry." I reach out to brush away the tears slipping down her cheeks. "You're safe with me."

She stares up at me, her eyes wide and questioning. "You won't tell anyone?"

I almost miss the question over the pounding of my heart. "Never."

"Thank you." Sniffling back her tears, she scrapes the cake off the plump swell of her breasts above her tight neckline and pops it into her mouth. "This is delicious. Sorry, I ruined your dessert. It would have been amazing with a cup of coffee."

"That was the plan…" My words trail off as my gaze drops to her creamy, porcelain skin. Cheeks flushing, I jerk my eyes off her chest and shift my focus behind her. "I think your wig is caught on the cart. Let me help untangle you."

Her shoulders slump. "I'd appreciate your assistance."

With a light touch, I unwrap the fine strands from the wheels of the kitchen cart. "That should do it. All clear."

She sits up with a relieved huff. "I didn't mean to be such a problematic guest."

"Not at all." Motions slow so I don't startle her, I tuck her pink hair back into hiding and fix her wig. "There we go. Like it never happened. And I'll pay for your dress to be dry cleaned."

"No, that's silly." She grimaces down at the mess. "It was my fault for barging in here."

"Hey, it's okay." I wave my hands in dismissal. "This was entirely my fault."

She gives me an impish smile. "Let's agree that we're both at fault, or we'll be exchanging apologies all night."

I chuckle. "Deal."

Frosting slips down her forehead, and she wipes her eyes with the back of her sleeve, dislodging a contact lens in the process. It sticks to her cheek, revealing the deep pink of her true eye color.

"Oh, no," she whimpers. "Could I be any worse at maintaining my secret identity?"

"Here, stay still." Carefully, I pinch the lens.

When I hold it out to her, she stares with dismay at the frosting smeared on my finger.

"Oops, sorry about that." I cringe. "I'm apparently a klutz today."

"At least it's not just me." She giggles.

I look around at the dessert disaster and break out into a laugh as the absurdity of our situation sinks in. "Definitely not just you."

"By the way, we haven't been properly introduced." She wipes tears from her eyes, her cheeks flushed from laughing. "I'm Chloe Richardson."

"Chloe," I repeat, letting her name roll off my tongue like a cherished secret.

Since she's our only guest, I already knew who she was, but the reminder helps to ground me. This isn't the famous Aurora Storm sitting in front of me. She's just Chloe, here to escape real life for a couple of weeks.

I clear my throat. "I'm Holden Wright."

"You must be the chef extraordinaire?" she whispers, a twinkle in her eye. "Or so Kyle said."

"Then he's telling you lies." A tentative smile spreads over my face. "But I am in charge of the food around here. I promise things don't usually go this wrong at mealtime."

"I hope not." She glances down at the contact lens still in my hand. "Um, do you have anything to clean this off with?"

"Hang on while I find something. Don't move," I tell her, my tone firm.

Careful to avoid the frosting, I rise and pick my way across the kitchen to grab a cup from an upper cabinet, placing her fallen lens inside.

I set it on the island and return to her, offering my hand. "Let me help you out of the danger zone."

She hesitates for a heartbeat before settling her palm against mine, and I lift her to her feet. As we slip and slide together over the cake-coated floor, her grip tightens, and a spark of electricity runs through my veins.

I take a steadying breath, trying not to focus on the way her dainty hand feels in my clasp. "Careful. We're almost in the safe zone."

Slowly, I guide her over to a nearby stool, where she perches as if afraid of making any more of a mess.

Fetching a towel, I run it under the faucet, wring it out, and hand it to her. "Here, clean yourself up while I deal with this."

Crouched to gather the bigger chunks of cake onto a dustpan, I joke, "I hope you like Rice Krispie Treats. That's about all I have time to make."

Her laughter rings through the kitchen, and she grins at me. "Rice Krispie Treats are my favorite."

The sound of her voice sends a shiver through me, and I have to remind myself to focus on the task at hand. I swallow against the sudden tightness in my throat and continue to clean up, stealing glances at her now and then.

She's so beautiful, even covered in cake. What would it be like to run my fingers through her hair, to let our scents mingle?

Before those thoughts take root, I push them aside. She may be an Omega, and me an Alpha, but I'm nothing special. Certainly not someone capable of catching the attention of Aurora Storm.

"I'm not sure this towel is going to do," she says.

"What's that?" I turn back and freeze mid-motion, my hand convulsing on the mop handle.

While I had been avoiding looking while she cleaned up, she'd taken off the wig, and pink waves now cascade around her shoulders. Entranced by the sight, I stare. She was beautiful as a blond, but now she takes my breath away.

"The pins were poking me." A rosy flush floods her cheeks, mirroring the vibrant color of her hair. Her mismatched gaze meets mine, one eye still masked by the blue contact lens, before she looks away. "Sorry, I lied about my second gender on my application."

"It's okay," I assure her, my voice coming out husky. "We're not an Alpha and Beta exclusive resort. Also, you're our only guest at the moment, so there's nothing to worry about."

I hesitate for only a moment. "You don't have to stay in disguise."

"Really?" She bites her lip, uncertainty flickering across her face.

"Really," I confirm. "Alphas are on the island, but if you stick to the designated paths, you shouldn't run into any of them."

"Except for you," she points out, a wry smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Her words catch me off guard, and heat rushes to my cheeks. "Well, yes, but… I'm not like the others." Self-conscious, I glance around the kitchen, then back at myself. "I'm no one for a pretty Omega like you to worry about."

She tilts her head, considering me. "Not worry , no. But certainly someone to pay attention to."

We stare at each other, both blushing, before I clear my throat. "The construction workers rarely come to the Homestead, but you might run into my packmates. If that makes you uncomfortable, I can always bring a basket down to your cabin."

She catches her plump bottom lip between her teeth. "Will my Omega status bother them?"

"No." I shake my head. "And they'll also keep your secret if your paths cross. It's in our registration paperwork that we respect our guests' privacy."

"Well, that's a relief." She blows out a breath, then glances around the kitchen. "Can I help make the Rice Krispie Treats? Or would you rather I get out of your hair?"

"No! I mean, yes, you can help. But, no, don't get out of my hair." Flustered, I point down the hall to the left. "Take a left, and at the end of the hall is a bathroom where you can freshen up. Towels are in the closet behind the door."

"Be back in a jiffy." She scoots off the stool and grabs her wig, then walks in the direction I pointed, her shoes making sticky suction noises along the way.

While she's gone, I finish mopping the floor, ignoring how empty the space now seems without her presence, even though she's just a few dozen steps away.

As I gather the ingredients for the Rice Krispie Treats, I hear the splash of water and try not to picture her cleaning up.

When Chloe returns, she wears her disguise once more, and a pang of regret shoots through me, but I force a smile and pass her an apron. "Here, you might as well wear this, even if your dress has seen better days."

"True." Chloe laughs as she puts it on, looking cleaner with the stains hidden. "It will at least prevent any further damage."

I spread out the ingredients for the Rice Krispie Treats: a box of rice cereal, Jet Puff marshmallow cream, and mini-dehydrated marshmallows.

Chloe's eyes light up at the sight of the marshmallows. "I didn't know these could be bought without a cocoa mix!"

"They're my secret ingredient." I give her a wink. "Don't tell anyone."

She giggles and mimes zipping her lips and locking them. "I'll take the knowledge to my grave."

As we prepare the treats, I notice how comfortable Chloe seems in the kitchen. "You look like you've done this before."

Chloe laughs. "Don't get any ideas. I'm notorious for burning instant ramen. But my stint as a waitress in university taught me a thing or two about food safety."

"Noted." I bump against her and catch a whiff of something floral and sweet, though it's too faint to identify. She must be using scent blockers. "How about this? I won't make you cook if you promise not to tell anyone we were supposed to have a cake for dessert."

"Pinky promise?" Chloe extends her smallest finger.

"Absolutely." Our pinkies lock, and an electric jolt races through me.

Quickly, I release her and turn back to the Rice Krispie Treats, my heart pounding hard.

Don't get excited, I remind myself.

As I work with Chloe to bring together the Rice Krispie Treats and press the sticky mixture into a baking dish, the subtle scent of lilies and lilacs strengthens, filling my nose through the sweetness of marshmallows. Despite my best efforts, I'm hyper-aware of her presence, of the heat radiating from her body.

My phone buzzes against my hip, jolting me back to my senses, and I wash off the stickiness before pulling it from my apron pocket. A glance at the screen shows text alerts in my pack chat that Blake and Nathaniel won't be home in time to join us.

"Looks like it's just you and me tonight." I pass Chloe a towel to dry her hands after she washes them at the sink. "Would you mind if we eat dinner here in the kitchen? It's cozier than the big dining room."

Chloe's eyes sparkle as she glances around the room. "I'll admit, I've grown rather attached to the kitchen after all we've been through."

I chuckle at the words. From her books, I knew Chloe had a sense of humor, and I'm happy to discover she's not one of those authors who's let success go to their heads. They say you shouldn't meet your heroes, but she's even more amazing in person than I ever could have imagined.

As if she hears my thoughts, she winks at me. "As long as I get to sink my teeth into the delicious bread I smelled when I came in, I don't care where we eat."

"Great. Get settled, and I'll go grab it." Glad I hadn't moved all the food to the table yet, I bustle out of the kitchen.

I bring the basket to the island and begin dishing out dinner, stealing glances at Chloe as she admires the array of dishes. The way she licks her plump lips tells me it was worth the effort to spend all day making a roast.

When I hold up the gravy boat in question, she nods. "Smother everything."

A girl after my own heart. I douse the tender slices of beef, the pillowy mound of mashed potatoes, and the caramelized carrots. After I do the same to mine, I carry both around the counter.

I set one plate in front of her, then slide onto the stool beside her, and that electric tingle rushes through me again when our knees brush.

Chloe moans when she takes her first bite, and she bounces on her stool, her breasts jiggling. "This is so good."

Pleasure warms my cheeks. "Thank you."

She rips off a chunk of bread and looks over at me with curiosity. "Have you always had a passion for cooking?"

The question catches me off guard, and I pause, searching for the right words. "Not exactly. I went to university for computer sciences. I wanted to land a well-paying job after graduation, so I could take care of my family. When my parents bonded, they left their family packs, so they didn't have any financial help when they raised us kids."

"That's admirable." Her gaze never leaves mine. "You're close?"

I can't help but smile at the thought of my family. "We are. I'm the oldest of six children, four boys and two girls."

Her eyes widen in surprise. "That's a lot of siblings."

"Yeah, my parents are madly in love, and despite how small my familial pack is, I have an Alpha mom and father, and an Omega papa. The way they tell it, Mom and Papa loved being pregnant at the same time."

She shakes her head, her blond hair swaying around her shoulders. "I can't imagine what it would be like to grow up with so many brothers and sisters."

"It was chaos most days." I chuckle at the memory of my childhood. "But it was also full of love and support. My parents were always against me aiming for computer science, saying I should enjoy my job and not just aim to make money. They always knew what was best for me, but it took until my junior year, when I found myself tutoring my classmates and making sure everyone had home-cooked meals, for me to realize my true desire was to take care of others."

As I say this, heat rises in my cheeks, embarrassed by the passion in my voice, and I look away. "I know it's not a very Alpha trait."

Chloe reaches out and places a hand on my arm. "Alphas are coded to protect Omegas. It makes perfect sense for you to be drawn toward caring for other people."

Her words strike me like a bolt of lightning, and I'm unable to tear my eyes away from her understanding gaze. In that moment, I realize Chloe might be the one person outside of my pack who understands me.

Heart racing, I nervously tuck a loose curl behind my ear and out of my eyes.

"Oh, that's so cute," Chloe says.

Confused, I glance back at her and notice her staring at my ear. The pinched tip gives it an elf-like appearance that I've always been self-conscious about. Reflexively, I untuck my hair, letting my curls mask the genetic trait again.

Her face falls. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have commented on it."

"No, it's okay. In grade school, my classmates made fun of my ears. They used to call me elf boy." My pulse quickens, and I find myself opening up more than usual. "You might have already guessed, but I was a pudgy, short geek who always had his nose in a book. I didn't hit my growth spurt until I was twenty-one."

Realizing that I might have overshared, I let out a small, nervous laugh and fidget with the edge of my napkin. "Sorry for unloading on you."

It must be because I've read her books. It makes me feel like we're close, but the same isn't true in reverse.

This is why Omegas never stay with our pack.

I scare them away.