Chapter 13

"They're so pretty!" Rose clung to her older sister, her eyes shining like fireflies in the middle of the night as she gazed at the bouquet of flowers Erika held in her hands.

All the while, Erika herself looked at her with a small smile. Despite everything that had happened, that small moment of childlike tenderness completely relaxed her, allowing her to calm down. Her little sister still possessed that uncorrupted innocence, that capacity to marvel at something as simple as flowers.

"Yes, they are. You're a very lucky omega, Bel-Bel. You always get beautiful flowers," Emma would say in a distracted tone. She leaned a little closer to the bouquet, examining it closely, before whispering to herself, "These flowers are different from the ones that idiot usually gives her."

Emma frowned and began mentally reviewing each of the bouquets Erika had received from Elias since they started playing together.

Colorful, simple, always rushed bouquets, probably bought at the nearest store: gerberas, daisies, lilies… Whatever was on sale that day. But this… this was something else.

The bouquet Erika was holding was not only of much higher quality, but meticulously and thoughtfully composed.

Black roses with a purple trim, white orchids in the center, dark, fine foliage, all wrapped in pearly gray matte paper with a satin ribbon.

Each element seemed carefully chosen, as if whoever had prepared it knew Erika on a level that went beyond the superficial. As if they knew exactly what kind of subtle beauty would make her feel special without saying a word.

"They're special." Erika's soft voice brought Emma out of her reverie. The omega was now looking at the flowers with an almost reverent seriousness, as if searching for answers in the scent or the texture of the petals. "I don't know why, or what makes them different, besides the quality… but for some reason, these are special." She brought the bouquet closer to her face, calmly inhaling the scent of the flowers. "And they smell lovely."

Emma, ​​seeing that expression on her friend's face, that mixture of confusion and fascination, felt a chill run down her spine.

(Okay... that's weird.)

The beta leaned slightly toward the bouquet, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. As she gently inhaled the air around her, her nose caught something that made her immediately tense.

(Alpha pheromones...)

Her heart skipped a beat. What she'd detected wasn't a strong or obvious trail, but something faint, subtle, but perfectly identifiable... a mark. Like an unspoken courtship.

(How come Alison didn't detect it when she picked them up?)

That didn't make sense. Alison had a keen alpha sense of smell, trained almost like a hunting wolf. If she didn't detect it... There was only one possible explanation.

(The only way an alpha wouldn't detect another alpha's trail is if they had a massive dominance difference...)

Emma felt her throat dry and a knot form in her stomach. She took a step back without realizing it, as if the bouquet in Erika's hands might bite her.

"I'm going to put them in a vase," Erika said matter-of-factly, turning to head toward the kitchen.

"Wait!!" Emma's scream was louder than she intended. Erika stopped immediately, surprised, and turned around with an arched eyebrow. Rose turned around, too, confused.

"I mean… ahem…" Emma tried to compose herself, clumsily clearing her throat. "Doesn't it say the sender?"

The omega nodded and looked again among the stems. There was a small card delicately tucked away, camouflaged among the leaves.

"Oh, these do. They came from W…" Erika frowned slightly. "W.A." The omega looked puzzled at the flowers, then shrugged and continued on her way to the kitchen with Rose at her side.

Emma, ​​on the other hand, froze in place. Her legs trembled, and a drop of cold sweat ran down the back of her neck.

(W.A.?)

Emma swallowed. Those initials weren't common. Not in her circle, not in the neighborhood, and certainly not among Erika's acquaintances. Unless...

(No! It can't be. It wouldn't make sense...)

But the chill wouldn't go away; it was embedded in her skin, as if the flowers themselves radiated a warning that only she could hear.

From the kitchen, Rose's voice rose cheerfully.

"Look, sister! Here's a large vase."

Emma took an uncertain step, but hesitated, her mind racing. Alison wouldn't have let it go.

(Could it be him...? That alpha...?)

The thought hit her like a storm.

William Aballay. That alpha whose name wasn't spoken aloud lightly. That man didn't give flowers. That man made enemies disappear, didn't leave orchids and black roses on the doorsteps of vulnerable omegas just because they had a bad night.

.

.

.

Hours later, when the house was quiet after both Alison and Emma had left with the girls already asleep in their room, Erika returned to the kitchen, drawn by the memory of the flowers' scent.

She turned on a small light and approached the vase. The flowers remained as perfect as when she had received them.

Beautiful and strangely intimate.

Erika approached slowly, stopping in front of the vase and taking the card again.

W.A.

She pressed her lips together and returned her gaze to the bouquet.

"Just a moment," she murmured to herself, as if needing to justify herself to an invisible presence. "Just... one last time."

She leaned over the flowers and breathed.

And then the world around her stopped.

Warmth ran through her body again, along with a purr that formed from her belly, through her chest, to her throat, and out through her lips. It was as if a foreign breath caressed her skin from within.

Her heart skipped a beat, her thighs trembled, and her cheeks flushed… and something inside her rumbled.

(Alpha… mate.)

Erika jerked away, tripping over the corner of a chair, almost tipping it over if she hadn't reflexively grabbed it. She used the back of the chair to steady herself and keep from falling.

"What… what the hell was that?" she whispered in a broken voice, bringing a hand to her neck, feeling the hot, sensitive skin.