14. Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

Jack

I walk back toward the restaurant in a daze. I feel almost naked without the record bag I'm so used to carrying around for school, and more recently for distributing those flyers. I'm almost always carrying something around with me. My guitar, for some of my classes and for gigs. Amplifiers and other equipment when I need them.

I'm used to holding onto the strap of something.

Without any of that stuff, I feel the need to fidget.

I stuff my hands into my pockets.

I scratch at my forearms.

Eventually, I hug my arms to my chest.

That's when my phone starts to vibrate in my pocket.

It's a relief to have something to do with my hands as I walk.

I get it out and answer Arrow's call quickly.

"Hey, what's up?" I ask, as I narrowly avoid being smacked in the face by a fast-walking woman's giant purse.

"Me, and that's the problem," Arrow says.

"Um … What?"

"Long story. Where are you?"

"I'm headed back home right now."

"Oh, thank God!"

"You need me back there?"

Did the flyers actually work?

"Yeah, but don't get too excited. We've only got a couple tables, but I'd really rather not be the one serving them right now."

"What? Why? Are they being assholes?"

The thought makes me angry, and I start to sprint a little, weaving my way between people faster in an effort to make it back to my Omega's side sooner.

"It's nothing like that. I just … I perfumed, right before they came in. They're Betas and I don't think they recognized it for what it is, but they definitely noticed. I blamed the desert tray when they commented on it. I'd rather not make it even more obvious it's me by having to serve them."

That calms me down a little, but the urge to protect him doesn't just go away.

He still needs my help, and I won't feel happy until I've done what needs to be done to make him feel better.

"I'm glad you called. I'm almost there."

"Great," he says, pausing for a second before asking, "Is Gio with you?"

"Uh, no. Why?" I ask.

"It's probably nothing, but Enzo took his phone, so we won't be able to contact him."

I slow to a stop outside the restaurant, realizing I was rushing so much I was about to run straight past the door.

"I'm back," I say, before I hang up and open the door.

Arrow looks up from the desk, wide-eyed with relief as he puts his phone away.

My Omega mate's beauty always takes my breath away. He has flawless pale skin, fine, platinum-blond hair, and silver-blue eyes that captivate so damn easily whenever he's not lost to a daydream.

Right now, he's completely present and I can't take my eyes off him.

"I'm so glad you're back!" He gives me a smile. "I was freaking out."

His perfume has obviously faded a bit since it was triggered, but it's still there, spicing the air with the sweet scent and taste of Arrow.

I breathe in deeply and let out a soft sigh.

It's an intoxicating scent, particularly when it's at its full potency.

I'm grateful that it's fading, and I'm sure Arrow is, too.

He glances at the tables and brings out a stack of leather-bound menus from under the desk.

"What triggered you, anyway?" I ask as I take the menus out of his hands.

His pale cheeks flush a cute shade of pink. "Enzo."

He doesn't need to explain any further.

Our Alphas usually try to keep pleasure separate from business, but considering how quiet things have been around here, I'm not surprised that Enzo came out of the kitchen and got Arrow all worked up. I'm only surprised that he didn't finish the job.

Of course, if he had, Arrow's perfume would be so heavy on the air that everyone in the building would be horny as hell. And I'm not just bragging about Arrow's potency because he's mine.

I know all Omegas have perfume and most Betas are easily tempted by that unique scent, regardless of whether or not they're mated to the Omega.

Alphas can control how it affects them, unless they're mated to the Omega.

Where true mates are involved, all bets are off.

I organize the menus in my hands, turning them all up the right way while I try to remember if that blonde girl from the store had a scent that I might not have noticed straight away.

Maybe that's why I felt something when I saw her.

If she'd perfumed recently, but it was really faded and unfamiliar, then that could be why she made me feel so strange.

It makes sense if that's what I picked up on.

I don't remember a scent, but maybe it was barely even there.

That has to be it.

She was just a random Omega.

"You okay?" Arrow asks, immediately making me feel guilty.

"Yeah, fine. I'm just having one of those days," I tell him, brushing it off. "I'll go serve our customers."

Chances are, I'll never see that girl again to know for sure.

In a city this big, with so many day-trippers, there's virtually zero chance of running into the same random Omega twice.

It's not like they usually wander around on their own.

She must have a mate, or a pack.

Someone who would want to rip my head off if they caught me looking.

I push her face out of my thoughts, and I step into the dining room with the menus.

The two women sitting at the nearest table look up expectantly, and I move over there with a smile, ready to pass out menus and take drink orders.

This might not be much, but it's something.

We're going to get more customers. I know we are.

All of us are doing what we can to make sure that happens.

We just need to have a little faith that things will pick up if we put in the work.

There's no such thing as overnight success.

Most people just don't notice all the smaller steps it takes to get on that path.

They don't look back at how someone got to the top, they just see the shining star and imagine it was always their destiny to be up so high.

We're on the right track.

We'll get there.