Beta Bully (F/M) - Chapter 52 (Early Access) (Patreon)

Slips & Scents

“I almost didn’t recognise you without your fur,” Oli announced instead of a greeting.

Darcy glanced over her shoulder, cloth in mid-wipe over the upper cupboard doors. Her knees held her up on top of the kitchen counters. Without an answer to Oli’s words, she laughed awkwardly in response.

It had only been a couple of days, but she’d really hoped her wolf form could be wiped from the memories of all witnesses. Something more interesting had to happen soon. She couldn’t take the curious stares of the guards much longer. Every time they passed her, their eyes lingered a few seconds too long.

Oli’s signature grin slipped instantly into a confused frown. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, sorry,” Darcy answered with another awkward laugh. “How’re you?” They hadn’t seen each other in human form since the disastrous dinner with Alpha Nico. She hadn’t seen Alpha Nico either, but that was a blessing.

Oli took up the corner stool that was tucked up against a cabinet. “Never mind me,” he said. He propped an elbow against the sink and the rolled, white sleeve of his shirt turned transparent in response to the damp left behind from Darcy’s scrubbing. “Something’s off.”

Darcy sighed and drooped her head against the cabinet. “I don’t feel comfortable in my wolf form,” she mumbled.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” His cheeks had the slightest embarrassed tint to them. “I won’t make any more comments about it, I swear,” he said sincerely.

“Thanks, Oli.” Darcy dropped the cloth to the counter she was balanced on, and stretched her foot out behind her to find the chair she had used to climb up.

“Thank you for telling me,” he replied.

“A lot of people don’t understand it, I app-”

Too much weight leant back, and her foot couldn’t find the seat of the chair. Within a moment of realising she was falling, she wasn’t anymore. The scent of beta surrounded her, instantly soaking into her skin and clothes. Not the beta scent that she usually carried, however.

“Darce!”

Darcy blinked dazedly. One of her legs was splayed out onto the kitchen counter, the other dangling below her. The top half of her body was wrapped tightly in Oli’s arms, with her own arms flopped over them like a doll’s. She must have looked like a hammock strung up between Oli and the counter.

“Omega,” called a frustratingly familiar voice, dragging out the ‘ah’ sound for far too long.

The pair froze in their awkward and entangled position.

Riley burst into the kitchen as though he owned the place. He didn’t even live in the main house, but you’d think he had the deeds sealed away in a safe under his bed. “Oh,” he cooed, appraising them with obvious interest. Darcy had no doubt there was a full report being drafted inside his fat blond head, ready for a dramatic recitation to Alpha Nico at the drop of a hat. Or in Riley’s case, an ostentatious hair pin.

“Riley,” Oli said with quiet warning. He stepped back from the counter, dragging Darcy with him, until her leg was no longer stuck on top of it. He lowered her feet to the tiled floor and retreated a respectful distance. It felt a little performative given his scent remained stuck to her skin. Darcy appreciated his effort all the same

“What?” Riley huffed. “I’m just here to let the omega know that Alpha NIco is ever so busy and needs lunch brought to her today.”

Darcy didn’t bother to hide her scowl. “And how do I know this isn’t another one of your tricks?”

“Tricks?” Oli repeated, folding his arms over his chest and raising a brow at Riley.

“Last time Riley sent me to Alpha Nico, it was a lie to get me into trouble.”

Riley ignored the accusation. “Well, I suppose the important question is: would you rather make Nico angry, or hungry Nico angry?” he said in a sing-song voice.

“I’ll text her to confirm,” Oli offered. “Fuck off, Riley,” he added.

Riley humph’d and skipped away. No doubt straight back into the lair of the dragon herself.

A few quick taps and Oli confirmed, “she does want lunch.”

“Last time I brought her anything, I walked in on something I shouldn’t have,” Darcy reminded him with a shudder.

“I’d like to hope that given I’m down here, she’s not fucking anyone else on her desk.”

“Oli!” Darcy gasped at his crass language.

“Sorry, I forgot I was in the presence of a delicate omega lady such as yourself,” he teased. Then he took a deep breath and his expression soured. “It’s not Nico I’m concerned about at the moment, though,” he said. “Beta Luca is going to kill me when he gets a whiff of you.” He scrubbed at the back of his neck with a groan and followed Riley out, murmuring something about a patrol.

Alone in the kitchen once again, Darcy huffed to herself. Alpha Nico and Luca were both her problems, but for now she needed to prioritise the leader of the pack.

While cleaning her hands to begin lunch preparation, she lathered the soap all the way to her elbows in an attempt to dull Oli’s salty scent. The difference it made was unnoticeable to Darcy’s omega nose, but she hoped it would at least offend Luca less when she saw him tonight.

Darcy didn’t need to knock on Alpha Nico’s office door. She was called in as soon as she and her tray reached the corridor. An alpha’s nose could smell your very thoughts in the legends.

Two steps into the office and a sharp sniff drew Darcy’s eyes up from the carefully balanced tray. For once, Alpha Nico’s frown seemed confused rather than furious. Darcy placed the tray in the open centre of the desk and stepped back.

“Thank you, Omega,” Alpha Nico said. A short, barely-noticeable sniff punctuated every word. As though the alpha couldn’t get enough air to continue the sentence. She had yet to actually look at the meal Darcy had prepared.

“Is there anything else you need, Alpha?” Darcy asked. Hoping for a negative.

“Um.” Alpha Nico pulled in a deep breath through her nose. “No, thank you.” She blinked a few times. Still staring directly at Darcy. “Is there something you need from me?”

Darcy hesitated. There was something she wanted to say, and Alpha Nico seemed to be in the most neutral state Darcy had ever witnessed. Now was her moment. “I actually… wanted to apologise again for all the mishaps with the titled members’ dinner. I was really nervous.”

Another long sniff. “Sure.”

“Thank you for joining us,” Darcy added awkwardly. No longer sure how to curb off the conversation. She had never spoken to Alpha Nico for this long without being yelled at.

Alpha Nico nodded slowly, but her eyes were unfocused. “No problem,” she replied.

“I will return to my duties, but please let me know if you need dinner as well.”

Alpha Nico nodded again.

Darcy retreated, feeling as baffled as Alpha Nico appeared. As she moved to close the office door behind her, she noticed a slim figure leaning against the opposite wall. Riley tapped his nose and tutted at her before slinking away.

Oli’s scent. It still swirled around her like a dramatic cape. A fog of ownership, protection, and affection. That is, if it had been gifted to her intentionally. Darcy blushed to herself. Her whole upper body would be giving anyone with working nostrils the wrong idea about hers and Oli’s relationship.

Including Alpha Nico. She sighed to herself. There was nothing that she could do now except get on with the rest of the day and avoid every other living person until she could have a proper wash in the evening.

When evening came, her soul-mate was waiting for her in Alder Suite.

Darcy locked the front door under his intense watch and turned to face him.

“Honey, I’m home,” she joked.

“Strip,” he ordered.

“L-Luca, I-”

The darkening of his golden irises silenced her. They were melting under his intensity, becoming bronzed and burnt around the fire in his pupils.

Darcy dropped every item of clothing to the carpet. Luca snatched them up and threw them into the laundry basket like spears.

“Shower.”

She didn’t argue with him, it was first on her to-do list anyway.

He watched her scrub herself. Everywhere. Meticulously. But one shower wouldn’t rid her skin of a beta’s mark. The fact floated with the steam around them, both aware that she would be carrying another’s scent for more than the day. Omega skin soaked up other wolves’ scents like a sponge. The best she could do for tonight was dull the mark. It would take a few days to fade completely.

When she stepped out of the steam, there were lingering stubborn patches around her elbows where he had first caught her. A salty scent like a sea breeze.

Dried, moisturised and dressed in fresh pyjamas, Darcy sat cross-legged on her side of the bed waiting for Luca’s interrogation.

He sat beside her and announced, “Oli came to me and explained what happened.”

“You’re on an informal basis with him now?”

“He insisted,” Luca said with a shrug.” Probably because he felt guilty about scent-marking on my soul-mate,” he added darkly.

“It was an accident,” she argued wearily.

“Just because you didn’t mean to do something, doesn’t fix the issue you caused.”

“I would rather he caught me than not. He saved me from a concussion.” Or worse. But Darcy didn’t want to think about that.

Luca’s tone turned scolding. “You shouldn’t have been up on those counters-”

“I have nothing but cleaning duties to do all day, Luca!”

“And I’m not putting up with that anymore,” Luca growled. “First thing tomorrow morning I have a meeting scheduled with Alpha Nico.”

“Please don’t make things worse,” she whispered. She’d had her first taste of a docile Alpha Nico, and it had given her a little hope.

“I’m making things right. I should have stepped up more before.” He seemed to be speaking more to himself than her.

Darcy was grateful for his intention, but scared for his action. He had no proof, and he was a second-in-command. He didn’t have the power to make accusations without any backing. If Alpha Nico decided to banish them from the pack, the chances of finding another that had room for both a beta and an omega… Darcy didn’t want to start trying to do such abysmal maths, it wouldn’t help her sleep.

Only able to muster half-effort, she reasoned, “she’s still the alpha.”

“And you’re my soul-mate. There’s no comparison.”

Darcy rolled away, grumbling to herself and curling her body around her pillow. Her soul-mate was so stubborn, he should be a goat rather than a wolf.

A chaste kiss brushed her neck, just beneath her hairline.

“I’m going to do better from now on, Darce,” Luca mumbled. “I promise.”

Darcy sighed, and tried to force herself to sleep.