Chapter 3

Joel stepped aside so the others could reach me, and I felt like I shrank under the intensity of their eyes on me. The scent of bourbon and cardamom lingered in my nose from Joel’s closeness, quickly morphing into a gentle sweetness. Orange and vanilla. Fucking hell, this Alpha smelled like a creamsicle.

Tall and blonde, he reached out and took my hand in both of his. “It’s very nice to meet you, Isolde. I’m Vaughn.”

“Vaughn,” I repeated, blinking. He was gorgeous, hair a little long and shaggy, but just enough. Like you could sink your fingers into it and grip. And his scent didn’t make him any less lickable.

I wasn’t interested in anything, of course, but I was still an Omega.

And I had eyes that worked.

One side of his mouth tipped up as he watched me, like he could see every thought on my face. He probably could—I was a terrible liar.

Tall, dark, and handsome was next. Tattoos covered both arms. I spotted musical motifs before his face caught me. Harsh but beautiful, with lips that were almost a crime. No one could look at those lips and not imagine what they felt like. Hair that hung just above his shoulders and curled around his face.

I was going to kill Trinity tonight.

“Can I hug you?” He asked.

Managing a smile, I cleared my throat. “Since we’re all going to pretend to be together in a few hours, yeah, that’s okay.”

He laughed, wrapping me up in both strength and sweetness. Fuck. I inhaled without even thinking about it. His scent was almost sweeter than mine. Like sugar cookies. The big, fat, soft ones with frosting nearly as thick.

“I’m Elliot,” he murmured with his arms still around me. “But everyone calls me Hawk.”

“Why?”

“Probably a story for another time,” the man next to him said. His scent said Beta, but the calm power he exuded made me do a double take. There were some Alphas that couldn’t hold the kind of presence he clung to without even trying.

The tiniest of smirks and warming of his eyes was all it took to transform him. Suddenly he was playful, and I had whiplash. “Do I get a hug too? I’m Cade.”

“Yeah.”

The spicy scent of woodsmoke surrounded me. Like a bonfire on the beach. Sandalwood and peppercorn. Soft vanilla. Rich darkness. Calm power. And he was a Beta.

Not like any Beta I’d ever met before.

Then again, none of them were like what I’d met before.

Lastly, the largest of them stepped forward. Sea salt and coconut. Sunshine and the sea. His scent felt like home, because it was so much of what I grew up with. One warm smile, and I was smiling back, my nerves easing. “Rowan,” he said.

I chewed on my lower lip as I looked at the five of them, silence stretching out between us.

The alarm of the baggage claim starting pulled me out of my daze. “Right. I just need to get my bag.”

“Of course,” Cade said. “We’ll help you.”

“It’s okay. It’s just the one bag.”

His lips twitched like he was fighting a smile. “We’re about to tell your family that we’re together and make them believe it. I think it’s okay if we grab your bag. Just tell us which one it is.”

Then he winked.

He actually winked.

I never knew a wink contained magic that could create butterflies in someone’s stomach, but here we were.

“Um, it’s a big hardshell. Teal and sparkly. You can’t really miss it.” My cheeks heated.

A few minutes ago, I was determined not to care what they thought of me. It was a business arrangement. But I very much cared what they thought of me now, and a sparkly suitcase was what Beau would have called childish.

“I think I see it,” Hawk said with a grin. “Let me grab it.”

There it was, in all its glittery glory, and Rowan nodded. “Good call. It’s so much easier when you can pick it out of the sea of black bags.”

I stared at him for a second. “Thank you.”

Hawk rolled it back to us, and I wrapped my arms around myself. As good as they smelled, and as hot as they were, it was still a bit awkward. “So… what happens now?”

“We have all our things with us,” Joel said. “We can head straight to the estate from here. The drive will be long enough to talk about everything.”

Everything. Meaning our arrangement.

The worst decision I’d ever made.

Or the best one.

I couldn’t tell yet.

“Yeah, okay. I’ll need some time to get ready once we get there, anyway.”

Vaughn gestured toward the airport doors, hand falling to the small of my back as we crossed the busy streets to the parking garage.

Sweetness and orange. God, this wasn’t fair. No wonder they did this for a living. They were sex on a stick. Women of every designation probably fell all over them. If I looked like that, I might be an escort too.

I hadn’t changed my mind about the sex, tempting as it was. I was better off alone. I couldn’t take the heartbreak all over again if another person—or pack—decided I wasn’t worth it.

They led me to a giant dark SUV with tinted windows. Joel and Cade spoke quietly behind us, but I couldn’t hear what they said. I pulled out my phone to respond to some of the other texts I had so I wouldn’t just be… silent.

I sent the message to my group chat with Trinity and Ocean.

ISOLDE

I’m here. I’m with them. You were right, Rin. They’re hot AF. This is also *awkward* AF.

TRINITY

Why? Because you want to bang them?

ISOLDE

Or because I’m about to get into a car with five complete strangers who know everything about me and smell incredible?

I could practically hear her laughing.

TRINITY

Sounds like a personal problem to me.

OCEAN

Well, I guess it’s a good thing though? You won’t mind spending the time with them.

ISOLDE

True.

But seriously.

This was a bad idea.

TRINITY

The best ones always are.

“Where would you like to sit, Isolde?” Cade’s voice dragged my eyes from the screen. It was low and just a little rough. The kind of voice you imagined hearing in places that were shadowed and intimate.

I swallowed.

“I’m not sure. Wherever it’s easiest to talk, I guess?”

Hawk pulled open the side door and smiled. “I’ll take the back. Cade, you’re with me. Isolde, why don’t you sit in the middle row with Vaughn. You’ll be able to see everyone.”

With a grateful nod, I obeyed. This was overwhelming enough as it was, and I was secretly glad not to have to spend the hour-long drive turned around in the front seat just to see them.

Cade turned and grabbed my hand to help me into the car, and the gentle strength there froze me. He helped me without even thinking about it. Like it was a given. The same way Rowan was loading my bag into the back. Like it was an automatic thing.

I guess it was, since I was paying them to do it.

The butterflies in my stomach turned sour.

I needed to be careful. If I wasn’t, I would start wishing someone would do this for me without me paying for it. This wasn’t something to get used to.

Enjoy it while it lasts, Isolde.

Everyone piled into the car, and Rowan pulled away. Suddenly hands were around me, and I startled at Vaughn’s closeness. “Seatbelt,” he murmured before fastening it for me.

“Right.”

One side of his mouth curved into a smile. Fuck, he had dimples.

“I’m sorry,” I said, clearing my throat. “I know this is weird.”

“Nothing weird about not wanting to face family alone at an event like this,” Rowan said. “It’s perfectly normal.”

“But,” Joel said, turning in his seat. “We do need to talk about a few things on the way. So it can all go smoothly.”

I nodded, squeezing my hands between my knees. Talking I could do. Answering or asking questions I could do. I needed a direction, not to flounder around like a fish out of water. “Sure.”

“Starting with the basics. We know you have boundaries as far as our physical relationship.” Did I imagine some hesitance in his voice there? Was I making it up? “However, there will need to be some contact if you want everyone to believe we’re together. What’s okay and what’s not? Are we allowed to kiss you?”

My entire body exploded into embarrassed flames. So much heat so quickly that I felt sweat prick at my temples and neck. Kissing them?

It was hard not to get caught up in the image of Vaughn sliding across the small space between us, cupping the back of my head, and kissing me like my life depended on it.

A small sound from behind me drew my eyes to the back seat, but Hawk and Cade looked normal.

“Yeah,” I said, voice rasping. “That’s okay. I’m not exactly good at it or anything. But you can touch me. Whatever you need to make it look real. Just no sex.”

Rowan’s eyes locked on mine in the rear-view mirror. I read the question there. What was making me so adamant about that?

Surely every other client was trying to tear their clothes off the minute they got them alone. So why not?

But I wasn’t about to go into the horror that was Beau and me. They didn’t need to hear it, and I didn’t want to relive it. Once we were at the estate, they were sure to get the picture after everyone and their mother treated me like I was a diseased member of the herd that should be put down out of pity.

Vaughn took my hand, and I jumped. He smiled. “Just practicing. If you startle every time one of us takes your hand, it won’t look real.” Slowly, he ran his thumb over the back of my hand.

“Oh.”

It was a wholly inadequate response to the way his hand made me feel. Shaky, heart pounding, the whole nine yards.

Damn it, I should have made sure to use my vibrator before this trip to take the edge off. One thing I didn’t bring with me. Go fucking figure.

“You mentioned you were a graphic designer but are now a bartender?”

“I’m not exactly sure what I am now,” I told them. “I bartended when I moved to the east coast, but everyone’s trying to get me to move back. And I kind of miss it. But I don’t know what I’d do if I moved back.”

“Fair enough,” Cade said. “But is there anything you’d like us to tell people if they ask?”

I shook my head. “No. If anything, I’m in between jobs. Locations. I don’t know.”

“For the next few weeks, we’re consultants with our own firm.” Joel turned and handed me a tablet. It showed the consulting firm that held the same name as the charge on my bank account.

“You can do almost anything as a consultant,” Hawk said, grinning when I looked back at him. “People generally don’t ask questions. And if they do, it’s our real company, so it’s not a lie.”

Anxiety welled up in my chest. What was I going to do when this was all over? Pretend like I’d been broken up with a second time? Hope nobody would ask questions when they weren’t around anymore?

I really didn’t think this through.

“So that’s what I say? Cause they’ll ask.” I glance back at Hawk. “Not sure they’ll believe it with the tattoos.”

“Don’t worry,” he said, leaning forward close enough for me to get a dose of his sweet scent. Hell, the entire car was filled with rotating breaths of fucking incredible aromas. “I clean up well.”

Of that, I had no doubt.

Rowan looked at me in the rearview again. “Can I ask you something, Isolde?”

I nodded.

“Your scent.” The rich baritone of his voice ran over me, and I stifled the shiver it gave. “What is it? A little of roses, but the other floral part? I can’t seem to identify it.”

A laugh bubbled out of me. “Don’t worry, most people can’t. Hell, it took my own family a while to actually figure it out. It’s magnolia.”

“The tree?”

“Yes. Not super common.”

“I recognize it now. It’s fascinating,” Cade murmured. “Floral, but with those shades of honey and rose and… sex.”

He didn’t look away when I turned to him. If anything, there was blatant interest on his face and in his eyes. “Thank you, I guess.”

“You’re very welcome.”

The silence stretched out as we stared at each other, that quiet power he held building a little more. Joel came to the rescue. Otherwise, I didn’t know that I’d be able to break the contact myself.

“Can you walk us through what to expect tonight and the next couple of weeks? We’re good at going with the flow, but anything is helpful.”

I cleared my throat, suddenly realizing Vaughn still held my hand. He’d never let it go. “Yeah. I can do that. I’d rather you not get eaten by the wolves.”

They all chuckled, and I started talking about the lion’s den we were all walking into. “First couple of days are busy, then it slows down. My parents’ anniversary party tonight, and then the fittings for the bridal party tomorrow. They’re having everyone hang out for a couple days before they go home and everything slows down.”

And once it slowed down? It would be me and them and a whole lot of time. With the way they looked and all their scents? I would need a backbone of steel to get through it.

Too bad my backbone was historically made of rubber.

Go me.