Page 11 of Dubious Match
The alphas at the door knock harder, the tall one with the glasses glaring at us as if he’s very close to removing the door so he can come inside.
Who the fuck are they? Does Hollis have a pack?
“It appears I have company I need to attend to,” Hollis says breathlessly, her heels clicking on the tile floor as she hurries away from us.
“Why do I hate that she’s walking away?” Felix grumbles. “We’re supposed to be maneuvering ourselves into being her knights in shining armor while putting her in her place. How did this go so pear shaped?”
Glancing at Felix, I see his eyes are almost glazed over with desire. He feels what we all do. His sweet scent of vanilla frosting is thick in the air, and while Hollis’ back is turning, I adjust my cock in my pants. It’s only slightly better now, but my pack is laser focused on her movements.
Maybe we should accept that invitation after all. Fuck, I wish we’d had a different kind of introduction to our scent match. I hate everything about her office, it’s too open to the street. It’s not safe.
My gaze focuses on the way the other alpha wraps his arm around Hollis’ shoulders, his lips against her ear. Are they her alphas? Fuck, wouldn’t that be a real kick in the teeth?
Three
HOLLIS
My heart is thundering in my chest, and all I want is for this pack to leave so I can fall apart. I always told myself that I’m fine alone. No one could possibly want someone who is half a person. How can I love anyone when I’m missing a huge part of myself?
These are the questions I hold tightly to myself. I never date, I smoothly decline anyone who shows interest in me, redirecting it in a different direction.
This isn’t something I ever thought I’d have to navigate through. All four alphas of Pack Ledger are my scent matches. I’ve found a way to discreetly smell each one of them, and there’s no question about it. They need to get the fuck out of my sight and never cross my path again.
It’s what is best for everyone.
“I could just kill them all if it’ll get the deer in the headlights look out of your eyes,” Caleb murmurs in my ear.
Brice is glaring at how close the other alpha is, but I refuse to move away. Caleb and Lars have said they would swing by to seeme for the last week, but haven’t had a chance to. Between their busy schedules, I don’t take offense to it.
I’m just as bad about being able to find free time. Unfortunately, I can’t just call them about what I have to tell them. It has to be done in person.
Lars gazes at the alphas with disapproval, his black rimmed glasses adding to the gravity of it. Even on his best day, he is grumpy.
“I believe Hollis asked you to leave,” he says. “We’re kidnapping her for dinner and drinks. She works too damn hard.”
“So do you,” I tease, smiling as I escape from under his brother’s arm. “I have a mountain of work, but I suppose for you, I could be persuaded to leave early.”
I’m aware of how flirtatious that sounded, but Lars and Caleb may as well be family without the DNA to prove it. They also know me very well, and they both swing their eyes toward me.
“Anything for you, Hol,” Caleb says, picking up on the underlying current of the room. “Now, whoever you all are, you’ve overstayed your welcome.”
“Where is your secretary?” Brice asks, crossing his arms. “This isn’t necessarily a great part of town either. Why would you have wall to wall windows for your place of work?”
“Excuse me?” I ask, moving back to sit on the edge of my desk. I’ve noticed it keeps them off balance because the position flashes my thigh. “As you were very adamant about, we don’t know each other. I’ve been managing my own affairs for longer than you’ve been in business. Go away before you embarrass yourself.”
“Since you insisted on thrusting yourself into our affairs with your cute little misguided mixer, I think?—”
Forcing air into my lungs doesn’t help because of how much their presence is affecting me. Remy’s outburst and the way hespeaks about an event I’ve been organizing in an attempt to keep Emilia from manipulating omegas in a vulnerable position makes me see red. My fingers itch to stab the fucker, but I try only to draw my weapons if I need to defend myself or kill them.
Otherwise, I show how capable I really am.
“Misguided?” I ask, raising my brow. “I usually do my own dirty work, but I am two seconds away from asking Caleb and Lars to throw you out. You feel I offended you, but I’ve definitely just been insulted.”
I can feel the tension in my friends on either side of me as they take stock of the situation.
“Misguided?” Lars repeats, shaking his head. “No, I think you’re confused. Let me help your small minds wrap around this. Emilia Richardson uses her position to kidnap omegas and sell them to auction houses. It’s a closely kept secret, gentlemen. Hollis isn’t being paid for this either.”
“I saw you’re not charging anyone to attend,” Remy says, swallowing thickly. “I misspoke, Hollis. I’m really sorry. We have a penchant for being hotheads, though we keep it well managed for the most part. We had this idea… Don’t you have private benefactors for this?”
