Page 9 of A Pack of Cozy

"Omega," he growls, the low timbre of his voice wrapping around me. My heart races, caught between a bone-deep desire to smell him again and a terrible fear that I've walked into danger.

Thoughts of flight flicker in my mind, but I quickly dismiss them, knowing their inner alphas would relish the chase. Alpha instincts always insist they chase an omega like any predator stalking prey. Instead, I go pliant beneath his heated gaze, surrendering. After all, my ex had often said that submission was the only thing I did well.

"We were just discussing you, little thief," the alpha who opened the door purrs, his voice low and smoky, wrapping around the words in a sensuous embrace. His presence is magnetic, and the air thickens with the allure of his scent, drawing me closer as a shiver of excitement courses through me.

A third alpha runs into the dimly lit foyer from a room at the back. He stubs his toe on something on the way but simply limps to me. He approaches slowly, like one would approach a wounded bird, careful not to touch. This new alpha's scent encircles me. It's rich and heady, a heady mix of freshly brewed coffee and smooth vanilla cream that makes my mouth water. His presence sends a thrill down my spine, causing the heat in my core that Connor's ignited, to grow. He leaves me breathless.

Embarrassingly, I perfume right there in the middle of their foyer. It takes me entirely by surprise. I'd been in one serious relationship, and had a few brief boyfriends before that. But I'd never perfumed. It'd been to the point where I was afraid I couldn't. The idea that something might be defective about me caused me to bury it deep and never acknowledge it. I'd just been proven horribly wrong. I'm not broken. Icanperfume….and I'm doing it—hard—for these three alphas.

I want to die of mortification.

"Do you smell that, Seth?" the one at the door asks the one with the sandy blonde hair and beard who just smelled me.

"Perfection, Bax," the one called Seth rumbles. I look up at Connor and find him looking at me in amazement.

"What's your name, little thief?" the one called Bax asks. "Did Connor say, Cali?"

"Why do you keep calling me that?" I ask. I've never stolen anything a day in my life.

"Today, we found your scent in our Café even though it hadn't been there the night before. So, the only explanation we could think of was that you broke in," Connor says.

I groan internally. They own Evergreen Cafe. This probably means… I look at Bax. That was the name Clara said when she said that her cousin owned the Café, right?

"I don't suppose you're Clara's cousin?" It all made so much sense now. Bax's eyes widen, and he laughs in surprise. It's a deep, rich sound that warms me to my core.

"I see. Did Clara take you on one of her late-night raids of the Café pantry?"

Heat floods my cheeks.

"She said… I wasn't stealing… I paid." I can't breathe between all these delicious scents.

Bax leans in closer, his voice low and smooth as he crouches down, bringing himself to my eye level. The warmth of his presence wraps around me. "It's okay, Raindrop," he murmurs, his intense gaze sincere. "Yes, we're the Evergreen Pack. We own the Evergreen Café. You can take anything from our home and our café that you need. We want you to have everything you desire." His words send a delightful shiver down my spine. His gaze drifts over me. The ache in my core intensifies.

I perfume again. I can't seem to stop. Bax makes a pleased sound.

I'm so confused. I pull away from Connor just enough to look up at him, then at Bax, and over to Seth. I've just met them, but their scents and presence feel so good. Connors's arms are still around me, and his hands flex at my sides. Heat licks at where he touches.

"Why don't we go sit down and figure everything out?" Connor suggests, and I'm so grateful. I'm starting to feel dizzy from their presence.

They lead me from the entryway to a study with a fireplace and tall, built-in bookshelves. A thick leather couch sits in front of one large window, and a matching reclining leather chair sits in front of another.

They gesture for me to choose a seat, and I choose the recliner to get a little room to breathe and think. I'm in a house with three alphas, and though I don't think they'll hurt me, I don't actually know them, and no one knows I'm here. I'm very aware that, as an omega, this is not an exceptionally safe position. But I can't bring myself to be afraid of these alphas either. I remove my wet coat, and Bax gently takes it to a hook on the wall. Seth brings me a blanket.

"May I?" he asks.

This is silly. I can cover myself up, but I can't say no. The look in his eyes is so hopeful. Is that look for me?

So, I nod. Seth lays the blanket across my lap and carefully tucks it around my legs. All the while, he makes eye contact with me. He tucks a stray wet hair behind my ear. The brush of his fingertips sends a molten flood from my core to the apex of my thighs.

"Tea, coffee, apple cider, or hot chocolate?" Connor asks. A second door in the room leads to a beautiful kitchen I can just glimpse, with tall ceilings and an island.

"Oh, it's okay. I don't need anything," I assure him. I've always done everything myself, and the thought of someone doing things for me has always made me uncomfortable. To my surprise, he crosses the room. Seth moves out of the way to allow him to kneel before me.

"You're still shivering." Connor's voice is deep, and kind, and insistent. "Please let me bring you something." His expression is concerned and just a little bit desperate.

"Hot chocolate?" I whisper. He nods and heads back to the kitchen. When he returns, it's with the biggest mug of hot chocolate I've ever seen. It's topped with whipped cream, little marshmallows, and sparkly sprinkles. I'm surprised until I remember they're the owners of the same café where I've been buying my giant, specialty coffees for weeks.

Once the drink warms my hands and insides, Bax and Connor flank the fireplace. Seth sits on the leather couch and is as close as he can be to the chair I'm sitting in.

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