Page 23 of My Begrudging Scent Matches

Alice

Gah, gross. I try not to think about my colleagues as sexual beings.

Of course, she wants to tell her friend the truth. If anyone would be understanding, it’s Lily. But she would have lots of questions and Alice is still not ready to think too deeply about these things herself. Lily’s messages are tame compared to the barrage of texts from every single one of Alice’s family members.

Apparently after day three, Caleb and Grant turned on Alice’s phone only to find a voicemail inbox completely full, and dozens of texts ranging in levels of stress and concern. Grant had the honor of answering the phone when Alice’s mother called for the fortieth time and broke the news that although Alice was in her first heat, she was being well looked after.

Her mom was beyond thrilled at the news and apparently had sent out a group message about the baby of the family finally going through her first heat and being taken care of by two of the sweetest Alphas. Alice was horrified by this, but unsurprised.

When Alice clicked on her phone after Caleb dropped her off yesterday, she was met with a slew of congratulations, questions, and otherwise nosiness from her family. She sent a message in the family group chat that she was alive and well and was way too tired to respond to any of their messages. She then powered down her phone and tried to get her head on straight for the next day.

It was a fitful night's sleep compared to the previous, but her body still feels so much better than it has, now free of the heat blockers she’d been taking since she turned twenty-one. Unfortunately, though, there’s no escaping Grant and Caleb’s scents.

They permeate the air she breathes and seep into her clothes. It’s a shock to her that nobody else in the office can smell them. She can barely get any work done, too distracted trying not to be distracted by the Alphas twenty feet away.

Luckily, Thanksgiving is this week which means she only has two more full days in the office to deal with them before the four-day weekend. That’s when she’ll do her best to forget about Caleb and Grant and the way her body perks up at the very thought of them touching her.

“Alice?” A dark voice interrupts her staring blankly at her computer screen. Caleb.

He stares at her like he might be able to tunnel into her thoughts if he looks hard enough. Her legs clench together under her desk because her body is traitorous and cruel. At least she’s not dripping slick like she was last week. Her heat managed to make her marginally less horny all the time.

“Hm?”

Caleb’s eyes rove over her desk, papers, notebooks, and sticky notes are scattered everywhere except for the section where she keeps all of the little trinkets and toys her nieces and nephews have given her. Plus, the few tiny horse figures that she bought herself.

She’s suddenly self-conscious of them with Caleb looking at them like he is. Does he think they’re childish? Is he judging the mess?

“You missed lunch,” Caleb finally says. “It’s 2:30.”

“Observant,” she says wryly and stands up to stretch her back. “I had a protein bar.” Or at least she thinks she did. She peers into the trash can, sees a wrapper, and nods in confirmation. It was one of the expensive peanut butter chocolate ones they always keep stocked in the break room.

Alice catches his eyes lingering on her neck.

“Did you bring lunch?” Caleb asks. He’s talking low enough that none of the nearby cubicles can hear, but Alice is still embarrassed by his attention.

Alice’s eyes twitch with the effort not to roll them. “Another thing that is none of your business.”

His face reflects hurt and, great, now Alice feels bad. She sighs and tilts her head.

“I brought leftover takeout,” she says. “Thanks for the concern.”

“Come to dinner with us tonight,” he says, almost a whisper. “Please.”

Alice looks away from Caleb only to see Lily watching them with rapt attention, her eyebrows waggling at Alice like they’re an afternoon soap opera.

Alice pastes on her most professional smile.

“Not tonight,” she says.

“Tomorrow then,” Caleb says. “We’ll cook, or we can go somewhere, whatever you want.”

Whatever she wants.

That is a loaded concept as Alice currently has two wolves warring inside of her; there’s her rational self that knows spending time with them will lead to confused feelings and then there’s the horny ass Omega who wants nothing more than for Caleb and Grant to claim her in short order. Preferably now, in the office if needed.

“Why?” she asks. “You don’t owe me anything. You’ve done more than enough.”

“We want to be with you,” Caleb says. “To spend time with you. Outside of board rooms.”

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