Page 10 of A Pack of Cozy

"Are you all right?" Seth asks in a soft tone.

I nod, but don't trust myself to speak. Connor's piercing gaze watches me. For a while, the only sound is the crackling fireplace. I'm engulfed in the smells of smoke, leather, and books, along with the scents of the alphas. My muscles slowly start to relax.

The men exchange looks as we sit in silence.

"My car got stuck back there, and I didn't think I could make it to my cottage," I finally explain.

Seth growls, and I shrink back a little.

He stops when he realizes he's spooked me. "I'm glad you didn't try." That's all he says as an explanation, and I realize he's growling at the idea of me trying to fight my way through the snow to get home, not at me as a person.

"We're glad you're safe," says Connor. They exchange looks again.

Finally, Bax rolls his eyes at the other two and stands before me. A squeak escapes me when he bends to one knee, so we're almost at eye level. He's still taller than me, even in this position.

"Can I touch you?" he asks. My omega yearns for his touch. To bury herself deeper in his scent. She won't let me say no. I nod again. I seem to have completely lost my voice in this house. The alpha scents are so overwhelming.

Bax gently touches my knee and strokes his thumb in lazy circles. With each swipe of his thumb my emotions slowly come down from their anxious heights. I've never found physical contact with anyone this deeply comforting. "Have you ever had any experience with scent match, or scent sensitivity?"

My mind stutters. Scent sensitive? Is that what this overwhelming reaction to this scent is? My parents are betas, and they were so confused when they found out their child was an omega. They hadn't helped me at all, and everything I knew I'd learned from books and one omega roommate in college.

As if sensing my thoughts, Connor adds, "I think it would just help us get a sense of our situation before we move forward. It's important," he assures me.

I bite my lip and take a deep breath. "No," I admit in a small voice. "I've been in relationships. Before I moved here, I was engaged with a beta, but… it didn't work out." I glance between them. "Have you?"

"I think I speak for the pack when I say that, though we've found some omega scents attractive individually, and had relationships, we've never experienced anything close to what we're experiencing with you now." Bax reaches forward to tilt my chin with the crook of his fingers. I perfume again, and the scent overtakes the room.

"Sorry," I mumble, closing my eyes, hoping I'll disappear when I open them. When I do, Bax and Seth look at me with confusion, and Connor with concern and a level of understanding I'm unsure I want to face.

Bax's answering purr is so loud that it rumbles through his chest and up his arms, where his hands rest on the arms of the chair. I can feel it vibrating through the leather. Seth's and Connor's ramp up a moment later, engulfing the room. Getting Nick, my ex-fiance, to purr for me had always felt like I was inconveniencing him. He made it very clear that he only ever did it because I asked, and never because he wanted to. The fact that these alphas, whom I've just met, purr without me saying anything cracks something in my chest, and I find it hard to keep it together. I breathe deeply to avoid crying.

Bax begins to explain, "When an alpha and an omega are scent matched, there is a certain attraction between them, and entering into a relationship is possible and may result in a long and happy relationship, but it's not a guarantee." I know this, but I still let him explain. I don't know where this is going. "The scent match has some bearing on compatibility, but it's not definitive. A scent-sensitive match, however, is about more than just smell. It's so rare that only one in every twenty packs finds it. It's been proven that scent-sensitive matches match in blind studies on all levels. They almost always result in happily bonded packs. It's virtually unheard of for scent-sensitive matches to result in a bad bond. Because of this inevitable bonding, many refer to scent-sensitive packs as mates, or fated."

My eyes widen. "You think I might be your mate?" They exchange glances.

"We don't want to overwhelm you," Bax continues. "But we've never experienced a scent match like this. Have you?"

I don't have to think about the question at all. I've never had an alpha, so I have little experience with it. I've met alphas, of course. Some scents have been repulsive to my omega. Others have been fine. Obviously, the answer is no. I've never connected to any alpha scents like I am to theirs now. But mates? That happens in storybooks, not to the librarian who shelves them.

Bax moves to allow Connor to kneel in front of me next. The wood smoke scent is replaced by cinnamon and sandalwood.

"I don't know all the details of your life, and I don't exactly know what you've gone through. But I hope you know you're safe here." I search his eyes, wanting to believe him.

"We're not here to pressure you, and you don't need to make a decision today, but I know we'd like a chance to prove that we can be a good pack for you. Scent sensitivity is so precious, but we also want to make sure that you're comfortable, and that we are what you want, too. We don't need you to answer now, but we've all discussed it, and we'd be so honored to court you."

I look from his eyes to Bax to Seth. One man that I barely know, and two that I've just met. They look back at me with such unabashed hope in their eyes. I can't let this go on. I know they'll see me for what I really am the moment they get to know me. Nick had been a jerk, but that didn't mean he was completely wrong about everything. Dumb, boring, useless. The words echo in my head in his voice.

"You don't want to court me," I say. There's no point in beating around the bush. Connor simply cocks his head and brushes the top of my hand with his thumb, tracing lazy, soothing circles.

"Why's that, Baby?" he asks. Again, zero judgment in his question.

"I just…" I trail off. "I'm not a very fun person to be around. I don't really know how to be a good mate," I admit. It's the least of what Nick had told me, and the most of what I'm willing to say in front of three alphas. I stare at the arm of the chair instead of looking at any of them. So much for courage.

"I'll tell you how," says Seth from the couch. "You let us spoil the shit out of you." This got him a small smile.

"I don't know who told you that you don't know how to be a good mate, Raindrop, but I doubt that's true," Bax says.

"You don't know me," I remind them. How did I even get into this situation? Sitting in a beautiful room full of books with three sexy alphas telling me that they want to court me.

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