Page 59 of Talk About… Rivalry

I was a fucking mess. Head spinning, heart pounding, body aching and flushed, and utterly confused.

The reaction to those strange scents were so visceral and raw I didn’t know what to do with them.

I couldn’t let hope form. It would fucking wreck me if it was a fluke. No, I had to get out.

Now.

A strong hand gripped my arm, pulling me to a stop. I spun around, my fight kicking in as I swung around but Leo stopped me with a concerned look on his face.

“Sidney, stop,” he begged, leaning in to study me, trying to figure out why I panicked. “Talk to me. What did I do?”

I opened my mouth but only a squeak echoed out as my fingers clenched into his shirt, holding on or pushing away, I couldn’t be sure.

“Look, Sidney, I’m so fucking sorry about earlier today. I was an idiot and you didn’t deserve it. I asked you on this date because I know you’re different, and I want to give this a chance.”

My jaw dropped but no words came out. What the hell?

Taylor rushed outside a second later, ripping the apron off of his waist and stumbling to a stop. He shoved Leo out of the way and pulled me into a hug.

“Breathe, sunshine. Did we fail? What happened?”

“Sidney?” This time the concerned voice was different, yet familiar.

“God, no,” I breathed out. “I’m fucking cursed, aren’t I?”

“Need I remind you again that I’m not a god?” Bennett teased out in a slight southern drawl, his eyes dancing with amusement when I shifted my gaze his way.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Maverick yelled, voice booming in the night. We drew a few more looks and Taylor frowned at him.

“Don’t you have a date to attend to?” my fiery omega asked. He pulled me closer and stepped away from the tension brimming from the chaos.

“So, this is the date you had to cut our meeting short for?” Bennett asked Maverick with a raised brow.

“I don’t think we’ll need your business after all, especially if you’re making deals with my rivals,” Maverick said. His voice was stone cold, eyes swimming in fury.

“Why are you so intimidated by me?” Leo demanded, throwing his hands up in exasperation. “We can both fucking thrive here. Hell, Cohen’s Corner sells mead and I don’t see you throwing a bitch fit about it.”

“That’s fucking different. He’s a shop, not a fucking bar,” Maverick shot back.

“And we are different. We asked this guy, he knows the business,” Leo said, everyone turning to Bennett who simply raised one well manicured eyebrow and stepped closer.

His nostrils flared, eyes whipping over to me and Taylor. The omega tightened his grip and shook his head.

“No, not right now,” Taylor said, his voice frustrated now, too. The tension was so high it made me nauseous. Stomach already queasy after the scents but now it was a hurricane of nerves and turmoil.

The need to run was high and Taylor shifted us another step away as if he could stop me from running.

“Hey, keep it down out here. Leave if you can’t control yourselves,” an angry alpha said from the doorway, gaze drifting from one of us to the next before stopping on Taylor. “Son.”

“Sorry, Pop,” Taylor said. “We’re clearing it up now.”

“Make sure you do,” he warned before disappearing inside. Taylor pulled me to the grass to free the sidewalk and they followed.

“Answer,” Leo begged Bennet, not letting this go. I guess that meeting ended in just as much chaos as these dates did.

Then the door slammed open and Maverick’s wine stained date stumbled out, eyes flaring with venom.

“What the fuck, alpha? You just ghost me for this bitch? I thought you looked like a gentleman, not a fucking dick,” she screeched, face red with anger and embarassment.

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