Page 15 of Follow Your Instincts (Fairview City Omegaverse)

Maggie

“H a! I fucking told you!” A man yelled, pushing his way into the room. He had a triumphant smile that creased dimples into his cheeks. His shaggy, dark blond hair was partially contained by a navy blue baseball cap, and his brown eyes were bright and friendly.

Despite my confusion, I had to laugh at the smug smile he was sporting.

He came forward quickly with his hand outstretched to shake mine.

As he got closer, I noticed a smattering of freckles across his face, and then his scent hit me.

Watermelon and basil. I inhaled deeply and shuddered with pleasure at the sweet and fresh combination.

He grasped my hand warmly and a frisson of awareness crept down my spine.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I’m glad you’re so excited about it,” I said. “I’m Maggie.”

“Ben,” he said, and wrapped his free hand around mine. He was radiant with joy and it was infectious. “And I told them it was you.”

I laughed again and shook my head. I directed my attention to the three other men who had entered the room with him, and my heart thudded in shock.

“Soren? I mean, Detective Murray,” I quickly corrected. He looked almost as shocked as I felt.

“Officer Carter… Maggie,” he said. “Didn’t expect to see you… Hi.”

“Hi,” I repeated, lamely. He was just as magnetic as I remembered but he had a fresh haircut close to his temples that accentuated the gray streaks, and he looked almost dangerous in a black leather jacket.

I couldn’t smell his scent over Ben’s, but I longed to press my face into his collar and see if it was as good as I remembered.

The tall, Black Alpha to Soren’s left stepped forward, smiling.

“Ben is going to be insufferable,” he said.

His hair was cropped close, almost shaved, and he sported some stubble that accentuated his strong jaw.

He was probably 6’5” and gorgeous. His cheekbones were high and sculpted, but his dark brown eyes were kind as he smiled down at me.

He came to stand next to Ben and shook my hand as well.

Ah , I thought, he’s the sweet one . His molasses and spice scent brought a wave of calm over me. “I’m Lucas.”

“Hi, Lucas,” I said, smiling genuinely up at him.

Soren joined us next. “Sorry, I didn’t expect this,” he said, and his hoppy grapefruit scent fizzed in my brain.

Do not jump on him , I told myself firmly. “Yeah, me neither,” I said with a wry laugh at his bewildered expression.

“How are you?” He asked, and his eyes flicked to my throat briefly. The bruising had faded.

“I’m fine,” I said. “It’s been a weird week, but I’m fine.”

Soren smiled. “Glad to hear it.”

“Get over here, you grumpy bastard,” Ben called over his shoulder without looking away from me. “You’re going to make Maggie think we aren’t excited to meet her.”

Oh, right , I thought. There’s one more. I peered around Soren’s shoulder at the last Alpha standing by the door, and my breath caught.

If I thought Soren was striking, then this Alpha was like a lightning bolt.

His hair was darker than Soren’s and fell in haphazard waves to his collar.

His green eyes were almost painfully intense beneath thick, strong brows.

A scar curved from the top of his lip to his chin, dragging the right side of his full lips down slightly and accentuating the scowl on his face.

He was beautiful and intimidating, and I swallowed hard under his scrutiny.

His eyes were locked with mine, and I could read the tension in his posture from across the room.

Ben made an exasperated noise and dragged him forward.

Soren and Lucas made room for him, and suddenly he stood before me.

His dark, intense scent swept over me, and the notes of whiskey went right to my head, heightened by the sweet, smoky tobacco that curled in behind it.

My knees wobbled, and a bolt of heat speared me between the thighs.

“Hello, Maggie,” he said without smiling. His voice was deep and gravelly, and I felt it like a caress across the back of my neck.

“Here’s the part where you introduce yourself,” Ben prompted, rolling his eyes at me.

He glared at his packmate. “Lachlan,” he said. He didn’t offer to shake my hand. “It’s… nice to meet you.”

“Are you sure about that?” I asked with a half smile. As much as his scent made my core clench with want, it was clear he didn’t want to be there.

Ben laughed. “Oh man, I like you already,” he said.

“So, um, sit down, I guess,” I said, flustered and flushed. Their scents were mingling, and I was getting a bit overwhelmed by the need to throw myself into one of their laps. Need space , I thought, and threw myself into a cozy chair in the corner instead.

Ben claimed the chair next to me while Lucas and Soren sat on the couch across from us. Lachlan walked stiffly to the side of the couch and stood looking at the wall above my head. Well, fuck you too, then, I thought.

“So, Maggie Carter, tell us everything about you,” Ben said from beside me.

“Well, you already know I’m a cop, which is the most interesting part of my life,” I said .

“Oh god, no, it isn’t. Soren is so boring when he talks about cop stuff,” Ben replied.

I laughed. “Well, I think it’s pretty interesting. I’ve always wanted to be a detective ever since I was a little kid,” I said.

“Me too,” Soren said and leaned forward, smiling and bracing his arms on his knees, his legs spreading a bit wider. Do not think about his dick , I said, willing myself not to try and take a peek. I peeked, and Soren’s smile widened.

“Where did you grow up?” Lucas asked, and I latched onto the distraction. His voice was low and smooth, and he had a slight Southern accent.

“Here, in Fairview City,” I replied. “I’ve always lived in the city. How about you?”

“I’m from Georgia, but I’ve been here long enough to lose most of the accent,” Lucas said. “But a real Fairviewer? That’s rare these days.”

It was a point of pride, being a native. People moved here every day and couldn’t hack it, but I’d survived.

“How about your family?” Ben asked. “Do they still live here, too?”

“My sister, Kira, does,” I said. “We grew up in foster care together.”

“Shit, sorry,” Ben said after a short pause.

“You’re fine,” I told him and met his earnest gaze. “It’s not a big deal. Kira and I lived in the same house from eight to eighteen. The Rosens, our foster parents, weren’t the warmest people, so we didn’t keep in touch with them, but she’s 100% my sister.”

“You’re lucky to have each other,” Lucas said. His gentle smile was reassuring.

“So yeah, when we aged out, I went to college for Criminology because I knew I wanted to be a cop in the FPD. I was obsessed with watching old detective shows on TV when I was a kid. Obviously, the reality is a bit less exciting, but I’m still going to apply for detective next year, when I hit five years in the force,” I said.

It was important to see how they reacted .

“I’m glad you’re going back to work,” Soren said. “When Captain said you’d gone on a leave of absence rather than resigning, I hoped so.”

“Thanks, yeah, I don’t think being an Omega should mean I can’t still be… myself,” I said.

“Hear, hear,” Ben said. “Soren didn’t do you justice by the way.”

“What?” I asked.

“He said you were beautiful, but I’d say you’re more breathtakingly gorgeous,” he said, putting a finger to his lips and considering me. “Maybe stunningly breathtakingly gorgeous.”

I laughed, blushing. “You were talking about me?” I asked, turning back to Soren. He’d called me beautiful?

He was blushing a bit which sent my heart into overdrive. “I came home smelling like you,” he said. “Ben, in particular, had a lot of questions.”

“We all did,” Lucas corrected. “Soren was worried about you, of course, but you do smell pretty incredible, and it was hard not to notice.”

“Lachlan was more concerned about punishing the Alpha that attacked you than how hot you are, but his priorities are messed up,” Ben said.

Ugh, Todd , I thought. In the days since his attack in the precinct, I’d done my best not to think about him. Now, the memory of his acrid, citrusy smell came rushing back along with a kernel of the terror and helplessness I’d felt that night.

Lachlan growled, and my head snapped up to meet his gaze.

“Don’t fucking talk about him, you’re upsetting her,” he said, turning to glare at Ben.

“No, actually, I want to know what’s going on,” I said, annoyed. I wasn’t a baby who needed to be coddled. “Did he get fired?”

Soren sighed. “Not yet. Admin leave pending an IA investigation, which will take way too long. I suspect they’ll be wanting to talk to me and you to get statements soon. ”

Lachlan growled again, but cut off the sound quickly and didn’t say anything. The silence that followed was a bit awkward. The other three seemed great, but he was so grouchy .

“What about you guys? I know what… Soren does, obviously, but how about you?” Saying Soren’s name out loud made me flush again, and he shifted back on the couch, crossing his legs.

Ben smirked at us. “I’m a personal trainer.

I started my own business so I could train rich people in their fancy apartments instead of grinding it out in a gym.

It’s how I met Lach - he hired me and we ended up clicking, so I joined the pack,” he said.

That explained his physique. His long-sleeved t-shirt was clinging to some very well-defined muscles.

“We’ll have to work out together sometime,” I said, without really thinking. “I usually go for a run every morning, it would be nice to have a partner.”

Ben’s face lit up with his widest smile yet, and he grabbed my hand again. “I would fucking love that, Maggie.”

His scent intensified, and I clenched my thighs together against the sudden rush of wetness I felt.