Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Blake

I crouch in front of the trembling woman, bemused and intrigued by what my black Newfoundland, Sprinkles, has discovered wandering in our woods.

Curled up in a red panda outfit, she's adorable, from what's visible of her face flushed bright pink. It's hard to picture her with a tentacle dildo, but based on her reaction, I didn't mishear her shouted confession.

Then my gaze catches on the clover necklace dangling from around her neck, and her other words hit me. Tutu guy . There's only one woman who I spoke with while out with my niece yesterday that this could be.

"Ms. Storm?" I bend to peek under her hood. "Aurora Storm?"

At the sound of my voice, Sprinkles gives a happy woof and jumps forward to snuffle her face.

With a squeak, she curls into an even tinier, trembling ball. The poor woman is terrified.

"Sprinkles, heel," I command in a firm tone.

He immediately stops, bounds over to my side to sit beside me, and pants, his tongue lolling out and drooling.

"Hey, it's okay." I extend my hand to Aurora. "Sprinkles is just excited to meet someone new."

She pushes back her hood far enough to see, and wide, pink eyes fix on my Newfoundland. "You call that monster Sprinkles?"

A jolt goes through me when I realize she's an Omega, not a Beta, but I hide my reaction, keeping my tone soothing. "He's gentle, I promise."

Her gaze drops to my outstretched hand, and she hesitantly takes it, allowing me to help her to her feet, which is when the next surprise hits me.

At the bookstore, she came up to my shoulder, but now she stands several inches lower, making her look even more cuddly. I want to pick her up and snuggle her, but such actions would no doubt freak her out.

"Let's try this again." I shift my hold on her dainty hand, taking it in a handshake. "My name is Blake. And this rude beast is Sprinkles."

Still looking spooked, she shakes my hand. "Chloe."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Chloe." My thumb sweeps over the back of her hand as a sweet scent envelops me, like a meadow of flowers with hints of lilies and lilacs.

My pulse quickens, but I hide my reaction, afraid I'll spook her. I force myself to release her hand and ruffle Sprinkles's ears. "Sprinkles, say hello."

Sprinkles raises one massive paw, and his tail starts wagging.

"I…" Breath held, she slowly reaches out to take the paw. "Nice to meet you, Sprinkles."

As she greets my dog, I notice the vibrant pink hair, which matches the blush dusting her cheeks, peeking out from beneath the hood of her red panda outfit.

How did I ever mistake her for a Beta when everything about her is so sweet and pink?

Chloe releases Sprinkles only to stare in dismay at the mud on her hand.

"Sorry about that." I pull a clean handkerchief from my pocket and reclaim her hand with the excuse of cleaning off the dirt.

Chloe gazes up at me, her flush deepening. "I got distracted and wandered off the path. It turns out I have zero sense of direction."

"Well, I can help with that." My fingers slip to her wrist, where her pulse races, and she blushes some more. "Were you heading for the Homestead?"

She glances down at what she wears and plucks at the voluminous material. "Well, more like finding the Homestead will help me locate the way back to my cabin. I'm not exactly dressed for dinner."

"Why not?" Unable to resist, I reach up to tweak one of the pointed panda ears. "You look cozy. No reason to change just to eat."

Ducking her head, she giggles.

The sound sinks into my chest, opening an ache of longing I never expected at this point in my life. It makes me want to tug Chloe closer to protect her, keep her close, and discover what else can make her laugh.

A purr starts, but I stifle it to offer her reassurance as I direct her toward the path up the hill. "I took a peek at the menu plan for tonight. Are you a fan of beef pot pie?"

The eager moan that rises from her goes straight to my cock. "Who doesn't love buttery crust wrapped around meat?"

My brain short circuits for a moment as my imagination runs wild with the idea of Chloe wrapped around my?—

No, don't think about that. It's hard, though, when her scent fills the air, calling to me like a moth to a flame. It's intoxicating, addictive, and everything I never knew I needed.

Sprinkles bounds through the trees in a circle, leaping over bushes that we're forced to go around.

Chloe huddles closer to me, the warmth of her body seeping into me. She fiddles with her panda outfit again. "Um, did your dog think I was a potential mate or something?"

Her words catch me off guard, and I can't help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation. "No, no," I assure her between chuckles. "Sprinkles just adores animals and was trying to say hello."

Chloe pulls the collar up to hide her face, her cheeks burning with mortification. "I can't believe you saw me like this."

"Hey," I protest, "you saw me in a tutu, so I'd say we're even."

Her hands drop, and she takes a longer look at me. Her gaze travels over my tattoos and lingers on the rainbow bead bracelet my niece gifted me. When her eyes meet mine, her face reddens further.

This time, I can't stop the purr from rumbling in my chest in response to the thickening sweetness of her scent in the air.

"How did you recognize me?" She stops walking to turn to me. "I appreciate you pretending, but I wasn't so scared of Sprinkles that I didn't hear you call me Aurora Storm."

My eyes locked with hers. "Truth is, I only recall one adorable woman who would remember my tutu. Plus, I recognized your necklace."

I nod toward the lucky shamrock charm resting against her breasts.

Her blush deepens to match the pink hair poking out from beneath her hood.

I reach for her hand and draw it to my nose, grazing her knuckles with my lips. "I must say, I much prefer this appearance to your professional one."

Her breath hitches, and the magnetic pull between us intensifies. Desire floods through my body so strong it threatens to consume me. I struggle to keep my composure while every fiber of my being screams that this Omega is meant for me.

In university, when our pack bonds first formed, a few Omegas expressed an interest in courting, but none had ever been the right fit. There was always a conflict with one of our pack, or we realized they were only after the status they'd receive from the Burton and Sterling packs.

Now that we stopped searching for a true mate, here's this little Omega, standing in our forest, smelling like flowers and looking like she belongs.

Chloe's eyes flutter shut as she sways toward me, her little nose twitching, and I realize my pheromones are flooding the air, announcing my interest. It takes all my willpower not to pull her closer to mingle our scents and drown in the intoxicating combination.

My hand lifts, grazing her waist, when she jerks back with a gasp. "Please don't tell anyone about this." She tucks her pink hair beneath her hood. "If my readers find out I'm an Omega…"

My heart aches for her sudden show of vulnerability. Omegas don't always have an easy time in life, and certainly not in competitive work environments. She must have a good reason for pretending to be a Beta. "Your secret is safe with me."

Her gaze flits around before settling on Sprinkles, who snuffles along the ground nearby.

As if sensing her attention, Sprinkles's head lifts, and he bounds over.

With a yelp, Chloe ducks behind me, clutching my flannel in her small fists.

"Sprinkles would never hurt you," I reassure her, running a hand through the dog's thick, black fur. "He's gentle, especially with those he senses are fragile."

"How does your daughter handle him?" She steps to my far side, her wary gaze fixed on the enormous dog.

My mouth opens to clarify that I don't have a child, but she interrupts.

"Wait, what are you doing on the island? I thought I was the only guest. Are you on the construction team?" Chloe's questions tumble out, leaving me no room to answer, though I try.

"Actually, I?—"

She slaps her forehead. "Holden!"

The sudden exclamation makes me jump, and Sprinkles lets out a startled bark.

My brows furrow with concern. "Are you all right?"

She squints at me while sniffing the air. "I met Holden last night. The Holden you had the book signed for. Oh my gosh. He's a fan. I feel so silly now!"

Unsure why she now appears guilty, I say, "I'm sorry?"

"I didn't mean to flirt with him." Her hands curl in front of her chest, making her look even more adorable. "All we did was make dessert, though, and only because I got messy from the cake."

She throws up her hands, waving them. "Wait! That's not a euphemism! We made Rice Krispie Treats. Which were so yummy with the little marshmallows. I didn't realize that was a thing. But if I'd known you two were a pack and had a child together, I never would have touched his marshmallows."

"Chloe—" I start, but she cuts me off.

"Really, I promise," she insists, her earnest gaze fixed on me. "I didn't know, and I don't want to cause any trouble between you and Holden."

The scent of lilies and lilacs intensifies with her anxiety, and I cup Chloe's face, her skin so soft against my calloused palms. "Take deep breaths."

Her eyes flutter closed as she inhales slowly and exhales with a shaky sigh.

Her immediate obedience draws an approving purr from me, the vibration rumbling in my chest. "Such a good girl for me."

A little whine escapes her. "Am I?"

My thumbs sweep over her flushed cheeks. "You are."

My fingers shift to massage behind her ears, and she melts into my hands. "Holden is part of my pack. We live on the island with the rest of our Alpha bondmates. The child you met at the book signing is Quinn, my niece. We were having an uncle-niece adventure."

Chloe's eyes open, and her mouth forms a small ‘oh', her glossy lips pink as strawberries and looking as sweet. Relief washes over her features, the last of the tension easing from her body.

"You're just too adorable." My voice comes out gravelly as my purr fills the air.

She blinks slowly, her long lashes fluttering like fans as her focus jumps from my eyes to my mouth. "I am?"

"You are." Unable to deny the draw any longer, I lean down and capture her lips, and they're just as strawberry-sweet as my imagination said they'd be.