Page 4 of Knot Their Girl
When he was gone, Mercedes glanced at me. “Well? How was the first one? He seemed like a good possible fit. From what I understand, he’s been with Alabaster Security since he turned eighteen.”
“He was a maybe,” I said. “Tell Darius to send the next one in.”
Once she does so, it’s a revolving door of alphas. I forget how many I met with, but it was a lot. All burly and muscular, all manly, all exactly what you’d expect of their kind. They all managed to hold their instincts down while sitting across from me, and I didn’t get creeper vibes from any of them, a good thing.
Still, none were quite what I was looking for, and I tell Mercedes that.
“What are you looking for?” she asked me.
I stared off, at the cityscape outside. “I don’t know.” Wasn’t that the whole theme of my life:I don’t know? At this point, itfelt like a running joke, a gag that just wouldn’t stop giving. I was my parents’ eldest omega daughter, and I was basically a failure. A pretty sad thing to admit when you were a Whittenhall.
“Well, there’s one more left,” she said softly, her voice lowering to a whisper. “Darius saved him for last because he’s… well, he’s not exactly super nice. I told him you weren’t looking for a super nice alpha, but even I think he can be kind of a dick sometimes. I’ve only met him a few times, but he’s a lot like Darius.” She bit her bottom lip. “But he can hold himself back when he’s near an omega in heat. I have first-hand knowledge of that.”
The more she said, the more confused I became. “Who—”
Mercedes messaged Darius, and seconds later the final alpha of the day came strolling in, a scowl on his face.
“Mercedes,” he said with a nod, slow to sit across from me and lean back, his green eyes studying me hard. His light blond hair was a bit messy, a little longer on top while cut short on the sides, and his square jaw was lined with thick stubble. He had a few years on the other alphas I interviewed, in his mid-thirties if I had to guess. For a moment, I thought I was staring at Darius and not someone else.
I had the feeling it was a good idea I’d just taken my scent-dampening injection yesterday, otherwise this alpha’s scent would’ve hit me like a brick wall. Hard, fast, strong, totally unyielding. Everything about him was damn near overpowering, even with that injection keeping my senses subdued.
All I could think was: thank God I applied a liberal amount of that anti-scent cream on my neck and thighs before coming here. Not a fan of that stuff, but shit. An alpha like this was panty-dropping, even with that intense scowl on his handsome face.
And the muscles… ooh, the muscles on him went on for days, much like I bet his legs did under the table. He had to be at least six foot five, maybe even taller.
Fuck. Listen to me, practically drooling over this one. Picking him would be a bad idea.
“Pax,” Mercedes greeted him.
Wait. Pax? As in, PaxAlabaster? Shit. No wonder he reminded me of Darius. He’s his brother. Elder brother, by the look of it, and just as über as Mercedes’s mate.
An über alpha by my side would definitely stop the average, run-of-the-mill alpha from trying anything with me. Still, something about this one made my stomach clench in the worst way. Picking this one would be a very bad idea indeed.
“So,” Pax started, his emerald stare on me. His off-putting demeanor did not lessen as he looked at me, something I couldn’t say about the others. The others all looked at me like I was precious, like they’d gladly do whatever they could to protect me. This one looked at me like I was nothing and no one to him.
I was both relieved at that and also slightly offended.
“So,” I mimicked him. “You don’t seem eager to be here. Why is that? You don’t take meeting potential clients seriously?” I couldn’t help it, I sounded ticked off. Then again, that was how I usually sounded, so.
“I don’t meet with clients,” he said in a huff, leaning back in his seat and folding his hands over his lap. That’s when I noticed he was decked out in some kind of strappy, all-black outfit, like he was an assassin or something, but missing all of his weapons. The holsters on his body looked empty. “I’m more of an action man, not the face of the company. If you’re looking for the face, you might want to meet with Darius out in the hall—but I don’t think Mercedes here is willing to share him.”
All Mercedes did beside me was frown at him.
I tilted my head at him. “Then why are you here, Pax? Why do this little interview at all if it’s not your thing?”
“I’m here because my brother offered my services up to you, and so I’m here for you to judge me and decide whether or not you want me to scare off whoever it is you’re frightened of. It’s not a service any old omega would be offered, you should feel special.”
Ooh, he’s kind of an ass, huh? I’d definitely make a mistake by choosing him.
Then again, he might be just what the doctor ordered.
“I am special,” I said, giving him my best omega smile—and that smile of mine only made him frown harder, like he had to physically work to ignore the way his body wanted to respond to mine. “I’m a Whittenhall. I’m probably one of the most special omegas you’ll ever meet in your life, other than your brother’s mate, of course.” When I said that, I shot a grin Mercedes’s way.
All Mercedes does was laugh and shake her head at me.
“So, say I said I wanted you. How would you keep me safe from everything I’m sofrightenedof?” I said that word in a feminine, breathy way, like I really was scared of the world outside of this skyscraper.
He detected my mockery instantly, and he chuckled softly. I hated how pulled in by the sound I was. “Call me crazy, but I have the feeling protecting you would be a full-time gig. For one or two outings, sure, but I’m not up for a full-time bodyguard position. We have lots of more suitable alphas that are more your style, I’m sure.” The venom in his tone was undeniable, even Mercedes noticed it.
