Page 27 of Follow Your Instincts

“Get over here, you grumpy bastard,” Ben called over his shoulder without looking away from me. “You’re going to make Maggie think we aren’t excited to meet her.”

Oh, right, I thought.There’s one more.I peered around Soren’s shoulder at the last Alpha standing by the door, and my breath caught.

If I thought Soren was striking, then this Alpha was like a lightning bolt. His hair was darker than Soren’s and fell in haphazard waves to his collar. His green eyes were almostpainfully intense beneath thick, strong brows. A scar curved from the top of his lip to his chin, dragging the right side of his full lips down slightly and accentuating the scowl on his face. He was beautiful and intimidating, and I swallowed hard under his scrutiny. His eyes were locked with mine, and I could read the tension in his posture from across the room.

Ben made an exasperated noise and dragged him forward. Soren and Lucas made room for him, and suddenly he stood before me. His dark, intense scent swept over me, and the notes of whiskey went right to my head, heightened by the sweet, smoky tobacco that curled in behind it. My knees wobbled, and a bolt of heat speared me between the thighs.

“Hello, Maggie,” he said without smiling. His voice was deep and gravelly, and I felt it like a caress across the back of my neck.

“Here’s the part where you introduce yourself,” Ben prompted, rolling his eyes at me.

He glared at his packmate. “Lachlan,” he said. He didn’t offer to shake my hand. “It’s… nice to meet you.”

“Are you sure about that?” I asked with a half smile. As much as his scent made my core clench with want, it was clear he didn’t want to be there.

Ben laughed. “Oh man, I like you already,” he said.

“So, um, sit down, I guess,” I said, flustered and flushed. Their scents were mingling, and I was getting a bit overwhelmed by the need to throw myself into one of their laps.Need space, I thought, and threw myself into a cozy chair in the corner instead.

Ben claimed the chair next to me while Lucas and Soren sat on the couch across from us. Lachlan walked stiffly to the side of the couch and stood looking at the wall above my head.Well, fuck you too, then,I thought.

“So, Maggie Carter, tell us everything about you,” Ben said from beside me.

“Well, you already know I’m a cop, which is the most interesting part of my life,” I said.

“Oh god, no, it isn’t. Soren is so boring when he talks about cop stuff,” Ben replied.

I laughed. “Well, I think it’s pretty interesting. I’ve always wanted to be a detective ever since I was a little kid,” I said.

“Me too,” Soren said and leaned forward, smiling and bracing his arms on his knees, his legs spreading a bit wider.Do not think about his dick, I said, willing myself not to try and take a peek. I peeked, and Soren’s smile widened.

“Where did you grow up?” Lucas asked, and I latched onto the distraction. His voice was low and smooth, and he had a slight Southern accent.

“Here, in Fairview City,” I replied. “I’ve always lived in the city. How about you?”

“I’m from Georgia, but I’ve been here long enough to lose most of the accent,” Lucas said. “But a real Fairviewer? That’s rare these days.”

It was a point of pride, being a native. People moved here every day and couldn’t hack it, but I’d survived.

“How about your family?” Ben asked. “Do they still live here, too?”

“My sister, Kira, does,” I said. “We grew up in foster care together.”

“Shit, sorry,” Ben said after a short pause.

“You’re fine,” I told him and met his earnest gaze. “It’s not a big deal. Kira and I lived in the same house from eight to eighteen. The Rosens, our foster parents, weren’t the warmest people, so we didn’t keep in touch with them, but she’s 100% my sister.”

“You’re lucky to have each other,” Lucas said. His gentle smile was reassuring.

“So yeah, when we aged out, I went to college for Criminology because I knew I wanted to be a cop in the FPD. I was obsessed with watching old detective shows on TV when I was a kid. Obviously, the reality is a bit less exciting, but I’m still going to apply for detective next year, when I hit five years in the force,” I said. It was important to see how they reacted.

“I’m glad you’re going back to work,” Soren said. “When Captain said you’d gone on a leave of absence rather than resigning, I hoped so.”

“Thanks, yeah, I don’t think being an Omega should mean I can’t still be… myself,” I said.

“Hear, hear,” Ben said. “Soren didn’t do you justice by the way.”

“What?” I asked.

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