Page 65 of Into the Fire: After

A throat cleared behind me. I looked up into the narrowed eyes of a female beta pushing a stroller. She didn’t say anything, just glared down at me.

“…Yes?”

“It’s generally considered polite to offer your seat when a woman needs it.”

I blinked rapidly. “I…what?”

“You’re taking up the bench,” she spat at me. “Which means I can’t take my mid-run break.”

I looked to the half a bench beside me that was wide open. “By all means, have a seat.”

Her cheeks reddened even more. “I can’t. Not with you there.”

“Why the fuck not?”

“My god, your scent is strong enough it hurts my sinuses!” she cried out. Only then did I clock the distance she kept between us. “It’s inconsiderate, honestly.”

Oh.

Shame burned through me like cinders scattering over a stone floor. It had been so long since I’d been in close proximity with people outside my pack, or away from the scent neutralizers most buildings—including ours—used.

Without the alpha meds, my citrus and cinnamon scent was like a cloud of bad cologne around me. Strong enough that even betas were bothered by it. I’d considered myself lucky no one had approached me during these trips to stake out the Callaway house.

It seemed much more likely I’d been given a wide berth.

My stomach clenched. My alpha inside whined.

“Well?” the woman said, hand on hip.

“Hey, Margot,” a deep voice piped up. “If you’re going to spew pure bullshit, there’s a restroom just that way.”

I looked to the newcomer—and froze. Glasses Alpha. Shit. Was it already lunchtime?

Margot huffed, pushing her stroller down the path with a furious fast-walk.

“Sorry about her,” Glasses said. “Margot has so muchgrossinside that she sometimes can’t help it leaking out. You’re welcome to sit wherever you like.”

I gave a curt nod. “Thanks.”

Glasses stuck out his hand. “I’m Saul, by the way. I’ve seen you out here a few times. You new to the neighborhood?”

Newer than you’d think.

My heart lurched, and I rose to my feet.

Well, now or never.

“Actually, no.”

“Oh?”

I sighed, meeting Saul’s eye. “I’m here to see Heston.”

HestonCallaway’sbourbonstenchwas strong enough a spark could blow us to kingdom come. If there were any actual fumes coming off him, that was. The man hadn’t touched a drink in twenty years. Neither did he take scent dampeners, though, so his pheromones exploded from him full force.

Saul’s protective tirade in the park took on new light, hearing this tidbit.

I sat at the cramped kitchen table, three alphas and a beta staring at me from the other side. Blond Alpha, Patrick, came home early from his job at a local science museum. Nielson, the manbun beta, worked night shift as a club manager downtown. Saul called out from his data entry job.