Damon's POV
The wooden desk cracked under my hand.
"Alpha!" Beta Jake jumped back, his coffee cup crashing to the floor. "What's wrong?"
I stared at the splintered wood, my hand still throbbing from the hit. I'd been reading the same report for twenty minutes, but the words kept merging together. All I could think about was vanilla and wild roses - that omega girl's smell from last night's ceremony.
"Nothing's wrong," I lied, pushing the broken pieces of desk away. "Continue with your report."
Jake's eyes moved between me and the destroyed furniture, but he was smart enough not to comment. "The Cross family sent another message about the marriage suggestion. They want an answer by the end of the week."
Luna Elena Cross. Beautiful, powerful, perfect for strengthening our pack's alliance with the western regions. Everything an Alpha should want in a mate. So why did the thought of marrying her make me feel like I was suffocating?
"What do you think?" I asked Jake, though I already knew his answer.
"Politically, it makes sense," he said carefully. "The Cross pack controls three major trade lines. Marriage would give us access to—"
"I didn't ask about politics," I snapped. "I asked what you think."
Jake paused, studying my face. "I think you haven't been yourself since last night's event. What happened out there?"
I turned away, walking to the window that overlooked the pack grounds. Below, I could see omega workers going about their morning tasks. Somewhere down there was Maya Rivers, the baker's daughter whose smell had nearly brought me to my knees.
"Nothing happened," I said, but my voice sounded hollow even to me.
"Alpha Damon," Jake said softly, "you've destroyed three pieces of furniture this morning. Your coffee is stone cold because you haven't touched it. And you've been looking out that window for the past hour. Something definitely happened."
I closed my eyes, but that only made Maya's scent stronger in my mind. Sweet vanilla mixed with something wild and untamed - nothing like the light, flowery smells most omegas had. Hers was different. Dangerous. It made every trait I had as an Alpha roar to life.
"There was an omega at the ceremony," I admitted, hating how weak it made me sound. "Her scent was... unusual."
"Unusual how?"
I couldn't explain it without sounding crazy. How could I tell my beta that one whiff of an eighteen-year-old omega's smell had made me want to throw her over my shoulder and claim her right there in front of the entire pack? How could I say that I'd spent the entire night pacing my room like a caged animal, fighting the urge to hunt her down?
"It doesn't matter," I said strongly. "Schedule a meeting with Elena Cross for tomorrow. We'll talk the marriage terms."
"Are you sure that's wise right now?" Jake asked. "Maybe you should wait until—"
"Until what?" I spun around, my Alpha power filling the room. "Until I make a fool of myself over some omega girl? Until I forget everything my father taught me about duty and strength?"
Jake backed down instantly, but I could see the concern in his eyes. He'd been my beta for eight years, since right after my parents died. He knew me better than anyone, which meant he could see through all my carefully built walls.
My dad. The thought of them always brought the familiar cold anger rushing back. They'd died in a car accident when I was twenty-two, leaving me to take over the pack before I was ready. Everyone had expected me to fall apart, to show I was too young and weak to lead.
Instead, I'd become exactly what the pack needed - cold, strong, unfeeling. I made the hard choices without hesitation. I never showed weakness or feeling. And I never, ever let anyone get close enough to hurt me again.
"My father chose duty over everything else," I said, more to myself than to Jake. "That's what made him a good Alpha."
"Your father also had your mother," Jake pointed out softly. "He had love and duty both."
"And look how that ended." The words came out harsher than I meant. "Love makes you weak. It makes you exposed. The moment you care about someone more than the pack, you stop being fit to lead."
"Is that really what you believe?"
Before I could answer, a soft knock stopped us. "Come in," I called.
The door opened to show Mrs. Henderson from the pack bakery. She looked worried, wringing her hands as she stepped inside.
"Alpha," she said, bowing her head. "I'm sorry to bother you, but there's been an incident at the bakery."
My heart stopped. "What kind of incident?"
"It's Maya Rivers, sir. She's been acting strange all morning - dropping things, spacing out, jumping at every sound. And her scent..." Mrs. Henderson stopped, looking confused. "It's gotten stronger since last night. Much stronger. It's affecting the other people."
I was moving before she finished speaking, Jake right behind me. "How is it affecting them?"
"The unmated males can barely focus on their work," Mrs. Henderson said, rushing to keep up with my long strides. "And the mated ones are getting agitated, like their wolves don't like another omega's scent being so... powerful."
We reached the bakery in record time. The moment I stepped through the door, Maya's smell hit me like a physical blow. It was ten times stronger than last night, wrapping around me like silk chains. My wolf clawed at my chest, demanding I claim her instantly.
There she was, standing behind the bar with flour in her dark hair and fear in her eyes. The moment our gazes met, something exciting sparked between us. Her scent spiked even higher, and I heard several male wolves growling in answer.
"Everyone out," I ordered, my voice cutting through the tension. "Now."
The bakery emptied in seconds, leaving just Maya and me facing each other across the bar. She was shaking, but whether from fear or something else, I couldn't tell.
"Your scent," I said, my voice rougher than I meant. "It's different from last night."
"I don't understand what's happening to me," she whispered. "Ever since the ritual, I feel like something's changing inside me. And when you walked in just now, it got worse."
Worse. She meant the attraction, the pull between us that felt strong enough to tear down mountains. I could see it in her eyes - she felt it too.
"This can't happen," I said, but even as I spoke, I was moving around the bar toward her. "I have responsibilities. Rules I can't break."
"What rules?" Maya asked, backing against the wall.
"I never sleep with the same woman twice," I said, stopping just inches from her. "I never let anyone get close. And I sure don't get involved with innocent omegas who work in my pack."
"Then why are you here?" she challenged, and I was shocked by the spark of defiance in her eyes.
That was a very good question. Why was I here? Why had I left everything and run to her the moment I heard there was trouble?
Before I could answer, the shop door burst open. Jake stumbled in, his face pale with fear.
"Alpha, we have a problem," he gasped. "Elena Cross just arrived early for her visit. She's at the pack house right now, wanting to meet with you about the wedding plans."
My blood turned to ice. Elena was here. The woman I was expected to marry was sitting in my office while I stood in a bakery, consumed by another woman's scent.
But as I looked at Maya's shocked face, as I breathed in her intoxicating scent one more time, I realized something that terrified me more than any political union ever could.
I didn't want to leave.