Page 6 of Pack Coffey

He gets out and walks around to open my door for me.

"Thanks," I tell him, sliding into his black SUV.

It's just as clean as Lawrence's car was last night, only it has a few more buttons and gadgets here and there.

Climbing behind the wheel and directing us out onto the street, he glances over at me. "Thanks for going out with me this early. Did you have a long night?"

I actually look at him as I drink in his sweet, cinnamon scent. It settles deep down inside of me and wakes me up as much as it relaxes me. I wasn't able to notice his short, dark hair underneath his hat the other day, so today without it, I like the way he's got it styled back away from his face. He's still got facial hair across his jaw and on his top lip, which makes me think he keeps it neat and trimmed.

"Kind of," I answer finally, giving him mostly the truth. "I recorded a new episode and video for my podcast."

He nods. "Sorry I got you up this early."

"It's okay," I shrug. "I've got the rest of the weekend to sleep. This is more important anyway. Besides, you did say there would be coffee, right?"

He chuckles and the sound tickles my belly in the same place as Lawrence's voice does. I look out the window at the familiar shops passing by as I wonder who I am and what I'vedone with the real Darci. I hope my reaction to them isn't some foreboding sign that I'm about to go into heat, because I'm not due for that for another couple months. And they've been getting more and more miserable the older I get. My omega is not happy that we're still fighting them solo. Fingers crossed that this is some kind of fluke that I simply just find the two of them attractive enough to notice.

We pull up to the curb outside of the cafe as he offers, "You can stay here and relax if you want. I'll go in and grab our order."

"Sounds great," I tell him, still a bit lost in my sleep deprived, worried thoughts. "Hot vanilla latte with three extra shots of espresso, please."

He nods with a short huff and hops out. My gaze rakes over him, and I admire the alpha strut in the way he carries himself. He's shorter than Lawrence by a whole head, but still taller than me. He makes up for the height difference in thickness. From the way his jeans flex around his massive thighs as he walks, to the way the sleeves of his Henley tightens as he reaches out to grab the door and hold it open for someone. That's when I notice all of the women around him seem to have gotten a good whiff of this unclaimed alpha. The one sitting directly beside the door, completely obvious, adjusts herself so that more cleavage will show from the top of her shirt. My nose scrunches in response as a short growl bubbles up from my chest. Where the hell the sound comes from, I have no idea. I've never made it before, but I've never felt this possessiveness either. Not like I even have a reason for it.

Rolling my window all the way down, I try to get rid of the smell of burnt popcorn. Thankfully, it takes a few minutes for him inside, and none of the girls outside speak to him as he's walking out.

He jumps back in the car and hands over my drink thatsmells almost more divine than he does. "Everything okay?"

I nod, taking a sip of bliss and closing my eyes to savor it while it soothes my soul.

His chuckle has my eyes cracking open to cut over at him. "What?"

"I don't think I've ever seen anyone enjoy a cup of coffee that much in my life," he admits easily.

Rolling my eyes, I counter, "It just so happens to be one of my most favorite things in the world. Especially when I'm running on practically empty in the sleep department."

"That's fair," he says, fighting a smile with his lips twitching. "Always good to know people's weaknesses. You know, for bribery reasons."

I narrow my eyes at him playfully, daring him, and it draws another chuckle from him.

With the fresh air blowing in my face and my latte warming my belly, I take a deep breath finally feeling awake. Rolling up my window, I turn to ask Saint where we're going, but the expression on his face stops me.

"What is it?" I ask instead.

He shakes his head slowly twice before answering just as slowly. "I don't mean to be rude, but you smell different than you did the other day. Almost...familiar."

I shrug. "I'm still the same person. Maybe the coffee from the cafe hid my scent better or something."

"Hmm," he murmurs.

We drive in silence for a few moments, before I go back to what I was going to ask him before. "So, where are we going?"

His sigh is long and hard before he replies, "Another girl was found last night."

The coffee bubbles in my stomach like it's going to try to come back up. Here I am stressing about not getting enough sleep and my trivial things when another girl who wasin this world last night never woke up this morning. I can't even imagine what her poor family is going through, or will go through if they haven't been notified yet.

Having obviously felt my silence, Saint gently asks, "You okay? Still up for doing this?"

I steel my nerves and make sure that my eyes are clear when I turn to him. "Absolutely."

---