Page 7 of For the First Time
“Is Franklyn Oaks here?I believe I still have an interview to do.”As much as I wanted the tour, that should probably come after I got the job.
“Oaks is running late,” he said.
And I realized just then that I didn’t knowhisname.
I gasped, the sound rushing out of me before I thought better of it.
“What?What’s wrong?It’s fine, Oaks will be here soon—”
“I didn’t even ask your name.Oh, how rude of me, and I’d already offended you with the gift basket, this is not going well at all.I swear, I’m usually much more together than this.When I worked with the OC, I was more than competent in handling the different designations.I think being let go has shaken my confidence slightly.Maybe we should reschedule?”My words came out like an overflow run-off, one after the other after the other, not even giving me time to breathe as I tried to apologize and explain all in one breath.
“Hey, hey, pet, it’s all right.”The omega, whose name I still didn’t know, stepped forward, the basket dropped to the floor so he could reach out and cup my face.His hands were rough, and large.In fact, all of him was large.Omegas tended to be small and lithe, and while he was the latter, he was definitely not the former.He was nearly a foot taller than me.“You didn’t offend me, I promise.And if anyone is to blame for impropriety, it’s me.I didn’t tell you my name.It’s Atlas, by the way.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Atlas.”I bit my bottom lip, dropping my gaze from his sweet brown eyes.“Sorry for the word vomit.”
He cocked his head to the side as he stared down at me.“You apologize a lot.”
“Sorry.”
“See what I mean?”
I was about to apologize again when he chuckled, dropping his hands.“Let’s break this cycle, hm?Oaks is running late, it’s why he had me meet you here.I’m the only one that actually works on Pink Lady every day.Everett runs a vet clinic in the city and Oaks works over at the main building, but he got some sort of tax-emergency call.I’m not sure what is considered a tax emergency, just that it means he probably won’t make it in time for this interview.”
“So, I should reschedule?”
“Nah.I’ll interview you.”The way he said the words, with a little smirk on his lips, had my body heating.
Which was terrifying.There should be no warmth in my body from any male’s words.Especially not a mated one’s.Especially,especiallynot a mated omega’s.
For the rest of the time in that house, I was trapped in my own head, in my thoughts.I’d barely noticed the sunken living room, the decorations on the walls, the single main bedroom on one side of the house and two guest rooms on the other, or the garden out back which was already prepped for spring and summer vegetables and herbs.
Even from my lacking mental state, I still managed to notice how amazing their home was.Atlas carried the basket of goodies with him from room to room, only bothering to set it down when we’d reached his bedroom.I hadn’t been able to do more than look inside and hold my breath since the scent of all three members of the pack was strongest there, making me nearly desperate to go inside and climb onto the bed.
I’d never had a reaction toward a pack before.It was more unsettling than I’d thought it would be.My reactions weren’t as strong as an omegas or alphas, and honestly, it made me respect the other designations more.If I was struggling to not throw my arms around Atlas, I couldn’t imagine how impossible it was for bonded and courting packs to restrain themselves.
I glanced at Atlas, silently wondering if he was also fighting his instincts or if my strange obsession was solely one sided.Probably the latter.
