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Fuck, Leo wasn’t lying when he said she was afraid of alphas. The sweet scent of roses and creamy vanilla that initially accompanied her turns sour. I consider setting the pizzas down and making a run for it.
“This is Mason. He’s the captain of my swim team. He’ssafe, and he’snot staying,” Leo assures her, reaching out a hand to run along her head in an attempt to comfort her.
His sister remains frozen, but just as I decide I’d better leave she seems to come out of it.
“I-I’m Esperanza. Nice to meet you, Mason.” She gives me a quick, timid smile and small wave as she wraps her arms around herself. “Sorry about ... well, me.” She grimaces a bit, but moves back to let us in. “Here, Em, let me take those.”
I carefully follow the two siblings in, not convinced yet that my presence is a good idea. Her scent hits me even stronger inside the room, and my chest squeezes. It’s mouthwatering, and I try to surreptitiously gulp down as much as I can manage without looking like a complete creep.
“Em?” I ask, trying to distract myself.
“Oh, right.” Espy gives me another smile as she sets the boxes down on a small table, gesturing for me to do the same. “I keep forgetting that people here call him Leo.”
When I look at Leo, he just shrugs.
“I guess I just wanted a change. My full name’s Emilio.”
“Good intel,” I say. Lamely. Now I’ve set the pizzas down I have nothing to do with my hands and no real reason to be in the dorm. But something about this omega has me captivated, and I find myself fighting off the urge to grab a bunch of blankets so I can bundle her up to keep her safe and warm. I give my hands a little shake to ward off the impulse and end up sticking them in my pockets.
“You’re not staying?” Espy questions—not in a rude way. She keeps her distance from me, but at least she’s stopped shaking. “Do you want some pizza at least? Em seems to have massively over-ordered.”
“Hey, if you think I eat a lot, just wait until you see how much alphas can put away,” Leo protests, laughing.
“He’s right.” I grin. “But actually, these three are mine.” I reluctantly slip the bottom three boxes from my pile, knowing that’s my cue to leave. I was all ready to get home, but now I find myself wanting to stay and feed Espy. An image of her sitting in my lap as I feed her a slice of pizza out of my hand has a tiny purr rumbling through my chest. I quickly cough to cover it up.
“Wow. In that case, I’m not sure we have enough.” I catch Espy looking me over and feel my chest puff out in pride under her gaze.
“For me and my packmates,” I correct her. “Though at this rate I’m so starving I could probably eat them all.”
“Thanks, man.” Leo walks me to the door.
“No problem. If my legs aren’t dead, I might join you for some of your conditioning tomorrow. I’ll shoot you a text,” I say, darting a quick look back at Espy still standing by the table. “It was nice meeting you, Esperanza.”
“You too, Mason,” she calls, offering a small wave.
The door shuts behind me and I hurry away. Best to put some distance between myself and that dorm room before I get any more crazy thoughts about my teammate’s traumatized sister.
8
Esperanza
Wow. Holy alpha.
I was not expecting Em to be with anyone when I opened the door, and my brain panicked when I first caught sight of the large man next to him. The guy was undeniably alpha, his scent of juniper and sawdust coming through strong despite the smell of chlorine emanating from the duffle bag he was carrying. His blond hair was tousled and damp, the sides shaved close to his head, and his strong jaw was dusted with just a hint of stubble.
He smelled a bit like the mountains I grew up in. Normally, thoughts of home have me spiraling, but Mason was like a siren of comfort, and it didn’t take me long to calm down in his presence. I hope that’s a good omen for this evening. Em’s two packmates, Tanner and Lincoln, will be over soon, as well as two girls Em is friends with from class.
I want to say I’m more nervous about the two alphas being around, but in all honesty it’s the girls who have me the most anxious at this point. I’ve at least met Tanner and Lincoln a few times, albeit from a distance. They’re a somewhat known entity to me, and the rules of engagement are clear. They know what I’ve been through—partially at least—and we all have a shared goal of getting me used to their presence. Tanner especially. But I have no point of reference for the girls. I had friends in high school, but I was never Ms. Popular. What if the past two years have completely stripped me of my ability to make small talk?
“So, these girls coming over ... What context do they have?” I ask in an attempted casual tone as I get out some plates from the small kitchenette. I don’t want Em picking up on my nerves.
“Context?” Em asks.
“Yeah, like, do they know the deal? With me.”
“I told them you’ve been through some shit and you’re going to be staying with me for a while. I also mentioned you were nervous around new people, especially alphas.”
“Right.” I swallow heavily, avoiding eye contact. Nothing he said is untrue, but all of a sudden I feel like a charity case, the little sister with fragile feelings that everyone has to pretend to like.
