“No problem.”
Thad didn’t usually eat stuff like that, but those had been damned good. Caramel coated with a custard filling and very fresh. He got out and headed over to the men expecting him, assuming they were early to make a good impression on him. He was in the market to buy this building and they were anxious to get rid of it. That made for a sweet prospect for him. By the time Barron returned with doughnuts, he had talked them down to considerably less than their asking price and planned to meet them later in the week to seal the deal.
“How’d it go?” Barron asked.
Thad nodded as he opened the passenger door and then shut it again once he was settled into his seat. He waited until Barron ran around the front of the car and climbed behind the wheel to answer.
“It went good, Barron. You bring me some celebration doughnuts?”
“I sure did,” Barron told him, handing him a box across the seat.
“Did you get some for yourself?”
“I did.”
“Very good.”
Despite their positions in the pack, and Barron’s adherence to the code set forth, he saw the man as a friend. Barron had been driving for him since he was in his early twenties. They were both close to the same age and would have probably been greater friends if it were allowed.
“Where to now?” Barron asked.
“The office,” Thad told him, taking a bite of one of the doughnuts, a moan escaping at how delicious it tasted. “This is the best fucking doughnut on the planet, Barron. I swear.”
Thad felt like a little kid having a funnel cake at the fair as he finished off his doughnut and considered another, deciding it needed to be eaten before it got stale. He’d work it off later when he shifted and went for his run. Perhaps he’d hear the howl he had responded to last night while he was out and about. It had caught him off guard as there were many Omegas in the city, but they had a distinct sound to their howl. This one had called to him. He’d have sought her out if he hadn’t already made plans to meet the yoga instructor for a late dinner and what he knew would come after.
Thad wiped away the sticky residue from the doughnut with the napkins Barron had included with the small box of treats and picked up his phone again, returning to Alpha Meets Omega. He pulled up the photo of the woman that had caught his eye earlier and swiped right, then typed a brief message to her.
“We’re here,” Barron said from the front.
Thad looked up and then back at his phone, finishing his message and tossing his phone into his coat pocket. Time to put aside his folly and get to work.CHAPTER THREEJaycee
Jaycee awoke the next morning well before the alarm went off. It felt weird being in a strange place and there was definitely no sleeping in with the sun shining brightly through the multi-paned window. She hadn’t slept much, anxiety over starting the new job today keeping her tossing and turning most of the night.
Then, there had been the howl that had greeted her last night. It had called to her in a way she’d never experienced before, a longing meeting her own - one she hadn’t been aware was even present inside her. It was the primal desire to mate and it had been answered by an anonymous stranger. She pushed it aside and showered, agonizing over every wardrobe choice, despite having already done so the night before when she had selected them.
She checked her email. No reply from her mother. The notification light from Alpha Meets Omega flashed with several new messages. She glanced at them, finding the usual hormonal responses, and discounting them. She tossed the phone aside and finished getting dressed, looking appreciatively into the mirror. A simple black pencil skirt, white blouse and black jacket paired with black heels and her hair pulled into a loose knot. Feminine but professional.
The string of small pearls and matching earrings her mother had given her, just as hers had gifted them to her, completed the outfit. She debated whether they were too much, but they were small, understated, so they worked. Happy with her appearance, she grabbed her messenger bag and keys, heading out the door to catch the bus. She still had about an hour before she had to be at work, but the bus stop was nearly a half-mile away and she’d have to catch two more buses before arriving at her destination. According to her phone, it was less than a thirty-minute commute, but she wanted to make sure she wasn’t late on her first day.
As it turned out, the bus was right on time, and she was over a half-hour early and within a few blocks of her building. Spotting a coffee shop nearby, ducked in and ordered a chai tea latte, sitting by a front window and watching the foot traffic pass by as she sipped her drink until it was time to make the rest of her way to work. As she stood to go, she felt a warm sensation spread through her. It flowed through her veins and settled squarely in her center, a flush that congregated in her center and then shot back outward to pulse between her legs. She felt weak in the knees and had to grab hold of the chair to stabilize herself.