Page 10 of Sincerely, Pack Pucked
It was rich and warm, the kind of scent I wanted to wrap myself in and rub myself all over.
Clearly, I was completely losing it because I couldn’t recall when I last reacted so strongly to an alpha’s scent. It took everything in me to stop a low whine from escaping my chest as I resisted the urge to rub my cheek on whoever was behind me and scent mark them, making them wear my scent, even if only for a little bit.
A small part of me wanted to turn around, and find out who the source of the scent was, but the more sensible part of my mind was telling me to get home. The last thing I needed was to embarrass myself publicly with how damn needy my omega was getting.
I was so lost in that scent, I didn’t even notice that the cashier was done ringing me up and was waiting for me to pay.
A hand reached out in front of me, card at the ready, tapping the small machine, the chime letting me know this stranger had paid for my groceries.
“Excuse me!” I said, turning to gape at the source of the scent.
“You were lost in your own little world,” the warm, sensual voice said. The alpha who still had his card in his hand made my mouth go dry.
Had there always been a disproportionate number of exceedingly gorgeous alphas on campus, or had I simply been blind?
Towering over me, with soft, dark curls hair that fell around his ears, and bright blue eyes, the alpha smiled down at me. His jaw was sharp, and his body was muscular, but not in that overly bulky way. He was leaner, more defined.
“Come on, sweetheart, you need to get out of here,” he said, and it dawned on me that I hadn’t been answering him, merely gaping at him.
“I’ll leave when I wanna leave,” I said stubbornly.
The alpha chuckled, gently pushing me forward as he paid for his own groceries. Grabbing the plastic bag in one hand, he placed his other hand on my back and leaned down to whisper in my ear. “The entire grocery store can smell that you’re in heat. You have several people staring intently at you. I am going to escort you back to your place safely, and then I’m going to leave you, okay?”
A squeak left my chest.
“Wait, you can smell that?” I asked, panicking.
He nodded, an almost pained expression on his face. “It’s the sweetest, most delicious thing I’ve ever had the pleasure of inhaling.”
Shit, I’d gotten myself into quite a predicament—again.
“I can smell your fear, but don’t worry—I don’t want you like that.” He shook his head, a wry smile on his face. “Okay, that’s a bald-faced lie. You are very tempting, but I also appreciate that you’re in a delicate position right now. So, I am going to escort you out of here. We both know that no one will approach you if you have an alpha with you. Do you live on campus?”
I nodded. I probably shouldn’t have given this stranger that information, but my mind felt somewhat addled. His scent was the only thing I could focus on. My body was hardwired to pay attention to it. So rich and perfect. Something about it screamed safety—just like the comforting scent of strawberry jam.
“Okay, look, we need to get you back to your nest where you’re safe, okay? Do you have a pack?”
I shook my head. “I do my heats solo.” Even after already admitting that once today, it wasn’t any easier to say. Maybe because the idea of a solo heat was becoming less and less attractive by the minute?
He nodded, taking my answer in stride. “Okay, then, we need to get you back to wherever you ride them out.”
My brain and my mouth were no longer connected. All I could think about was the scent of alpha surrounding me.
With surprising gentleness, he guided me out of the store, carrying both our groceries in one hand, his other hand softly on my back, gently leading me. As we walked through campus, he kept muttering soothing words to me, but my brain didn’t fully comprehend them.
At one point, I leaned into his chest, wrapping one of my arms around him and inhaling that lovely, rich coffee scent.
“Hey, that’s okay, take a big sniff,” the alpha assured me, rubbing my back. He was gentle and calm.
It felt like both forever and no time at all before we were standing outside my dorm.
“This is a good, secure building. Come on—I’ll walk you as far as your door, then you’re on your own,” he assured me.
I stumbled up the steps, but he was there every step of the way, guiding me. The cramps were starting again, and my forehead was beading with sweat.
It was about to hit me full force.
“Okay, this is where I leave you,” he said as I opened the door. His eyes closed as the scent of my apartment hit him.
